More than three billion people around the world are currently under lockdown as governments ramped up their efforts against the coronavirus pandemic which has left more than 20,000 people dead. As the number of confirmed cases worldwide soared past 450,000, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that only a concerted global effort could stop the spread of the virus.
In Spain, the number of fatalities surpassed those of China, where the novel coronavirus first emerged three months ago, making it the hardest-hit nation after Italy. A total of more than 20,800 deaths have now been reported in 182 countries and territories, according to an AFP tally.
The number of coronavirus cases climbed to 649 in India on Thursday morning and the death toll rose to 13, with one death reported each from Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh, according to the Health Ministry.
Goa featured for the first time in the chart prepared by the ministry, reporting 33 coronavirus cases. Kashmir also recorded its first death as a 65-year-old coronavirus patient passed away.
Follow all the highlights here:
9:42PM: Ministry of Home Affairs has issued a SOP for maintaining supply, availability of essential commodities during lockdown.
8:46PM: India recorded 88 Coronavirus cases today, the most in a single day since the outbreak began.
8:23PM: G20 nations to inject USD 5 trillion into global economy.
8:16PM: Shops selling essential commodities will be allowed to stay open 24 hours of the day in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said.
8:02PM: 13 More Positive COVID-19 Cases In J&K | A total of 13 people have tested positive for coronavirus till now in Jammu and Kashmir, the Union Territory administration has said.
7:07PM: CRPF Launches Helpline | The CRPF has launched a WhatsApp-based helpline that will provide medicines and other essential items to the needy in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
6:17PM: Kerala reports 19 fresh cases of coronavirus, taking total under treatment to 126, says CM Pinarayi Vijayan.
5:56PM: All orders for eviction, dispossession and demolition of property passed by any court or authority in Maharashtra to remain in abeyance till April 30, says High Court.
5:28PM: Germany Ramps Up Coronavirus Testing | Germany has boosted its coronavirus test rate to 500,000 a week, with the early detection helping in part to keep the country's death toll relatively low, a virologist said.
5:26PM: The number of declared coronavirus cases in Europe topped 250,000, more than half of which are in Italy and Spain, according to AFP.
4:35PM: There is still no hard evidence to say there has been community transmission of coronavirus in India, says Health Ministry.
4:26PM: The coronavirus death toll in Spain has now crossed 4,000, says government.
4:25PM: Social distancing can be effective intervention in breaking chain of coronavirus transmission, says Health Ministry.
4:23PM: 17 states have started work on earmarking hospitals for dedicated treatment of COVID-19 patients, says Health Ministry.
3:48PM: As the number of persons infected with coronavirus has gone up to 3, in an effort to contain the spread of infection in Srinagar, the District Magistrate has ordered the closure of all places of worship: Government of Jammu & Kashmir
3:43PM: Government has given the permission to distilleries and sugar mills to manufacture hand sanitisers in bulk.
3:40PM: Goa govt to ask pvt sector to release full salaries for March to enable staff to buy essentials during lockdown, says Minister.
3:15PM: Doctor Couple Among Three To Test Positive In Tamil Nadu | A doctor couple are among the three persons who have tested positive for coronavirus today taking the total number of COVID-19 cases in the state to 44.
3:06PM: Daily wagers from Bihar urge the government to help them during this time of lockdown.
2:40 PM: A 73-year-old man who tested positive for coronavirus dies due to co-morbidity in Bhilwara in Rajasthan, officials said.
2:35PM: Rajasthan: Two more people test positive in the state, a 45-year-old man in Jaipur and a 35-year-old man from Jhunjhunu. Both have a foreign travel history. Contact tracing is underway. The total number of cases in the state now rises to 40.
2:25 PM: Three more persons have been tested positive for coronavirus, taking the total number of cases to 43 in Telangana. One person has been cured and discharged, says the state Health Department.
2:22 PM: Assam starts work on isolation centre at Indira Gandhi Athletics Stadium in Guwahati.
2:20 PM: Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation (Supplyco) will start delivering essential food products online in Kochi from March 27 within 8 kms of Gandhi Nagar area. A contract has been signed with Zomato for the delivery, says Ernakulam District Collector S Suhas.
2:19 PM: A second coronavirus-related death has been reported in Karnataka. The COVID-19 test results of a 75-year-old woman who had died on Wednesday has come out as positive.
2:10 PM: Budget passenger carrier SpiceJet will operate a special flight from Delhi to Jodhpur on March 29 to facilitate transportation of 142 Indian passengers evacuated from Covid-19-hit Iran to a government quarantine facility.
1:59 PM: We intend to give directions to the state governments to utilize welfare funds to provide assistance to workers in the construction and building sector, says FM
1:50 PM: Govt will pay EPF contribution both of employer & employee for the next 3 months for establishments which have upto 100 employees nd 90 per cent of them draw salary less than Rs 15,000 per month, says FM
1:48 PM: Free gas cylinders to be provided for 3 months to beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana. This is expected to benefit 8.3 crore BPL families: FM
1:46 PM: 20 crore Jan Dhan Women account holders covered- Ex gratia amount of Rs 500 per month for the next three months, announces FM Sitharaman
1:40 PM: FM announces wage increase in MNRGEA, will benefit 5 crore families
1:31 PM: 80 crore poor people will get 5 kg wheat/rice per person for free for three months in addition to 5 kg they are already entitled to. Every poor household will also be provided 1 kg pulses. Distribution in two installments, says FM
1:27 PM: Rs 50 lakh medical insurance cover per person for the warriors who are exposing themselves to the virus. This includes workers, doctors, nurses etc: Sitharaman
1:25 PM: A package is ready for the poor who need immediate help like migrant workers and urban and rural poor. No one will go hungry. The package is worth Rs 1.7 lakh crore: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
1:23 PM: The govt is working so that those affected directly, particularly the poor, will have to be reached out to directly. Today’s package will address those who need immediate help: FM
1:22 PM: FM Sitharaman addresses media
1:20 PM: Three more persons test positive for coronavirus in Noida; total cases in Gautam Buddh Nagar district 14: Officials.
12:57 PM: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to address media shortly
12:45 PM: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal says, "Food home delivery services have been allowed, the delivery persons can show their ID cards that will be sufficient. Mohalla clinics will continue to function but with all precautions."
Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal says, "Online service providers/e-retailers delivering essential services & goods to be allowed. All essential services shops can remain open 24 hours so that there is no rush of people."
12:40PM: Delhi Government to test all healthcare workers involved in the treatment of coronavirus positive patients.
12:30PM: World champion shuttler P V Sindhu on Thursday donated Rs 5 lakh each to the Chief Minister's Relief Funds of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to fight the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic.
12:28PM:An elderly man tested positive for the coronavirus in West Bengal, 10th case of the deadly viral disease in the state, health officials said on Thursday. The 66-year-old from Nayabad in Kolkata had no history of travelling abroad or outside the state.
12:25PM: District Magistrate of Gautam Budh Nagar (UP), BN Singh has sealed Ace Golfshire apartments in Sector 150 and Hotel Sandal Suit Sector in Sector 135 till 10am on March 28 after tracing of earlier reported Coronavirus positive cases in the area.
12:15PM: All officers of Gurugram Police have been directed to exempt from curfew restrictions the technical hands required for essential services and maintenance of households or buildings.
12:00PM: Forty-eight people, who had come in contact with the first coronavirus fatality in Kashmir, are in quarantine and authorities are in touch with the states visited by the man to track those who may have been infected by him, an official said.
11:50 AM: A 70-yr-old man, who was a COVID-19 patient, died in Gujarat's Bhavnagar district. With this the state toll reaches three, says officials.
11:35 AM: The number of coronavirus cases has risen to 649 in India along with 13 deaths, as per the Healthy Ministry's data.
11:30 AM: Congress chief Sonia Gandhi writes to PM Modi supporting the 21-day lockdown, and seeking measures to protect doctors, paramedics and ease supply chain.
11:20 AM: A 65-year-old woman from Navi Mumbai who tested positive for Coronavirus, passes away; cause of death yet to be ascertained, says Maharashtra Health Department.
She died on March 24 but her test report turned out positive for coronavirus on Thursday, taking the COVID-19 death toll in Maharashtra to four, a health official said.
11:30AM: Congress chief Sonia Gandhi writes to PM Modi supporting the 21-day lockdown, and seeking measures to protect doctors, paramedics and ease supply chain.
11:15 AM: Coronavirus suspect dies at Indore hospital. The person's test result is awaited, said officials.
10:31 AM: The total number of COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra has gone up to 124 as two more persons tested coronavirus positive on Thursday, health officials said. "Both are from Mumbai city. We are finding out if they have any travel history," an official said.
9:50 AM: A 65-year-old man hailing from Hyderpora area of the city died on Thursday, becoming the first fatality in Jammu and Kashmir due to coronavirus. "As we share the sad news of our first #Covid19 fatality, my heart goes out to the family of the deceased. We stand with you and share your grief," Mayor of Srinagar Junaid Azim Mattu tweeted.
9:20 AM: The total number of confirmed cases in the US crossed 65,000 and more than 1,000 people have died due to the deadly coronavirus. According to the Johns Hopkins coronavirus tracker, the number of deaths caused by the novel coronavirus in the US rose to 1,031 with 68,572 confirmed cases. The United States has the third highest number of confirmed cases behind China and Italy.
9:06 AM: Five more test positive for Coronavirus in Indore, taking the total number of cases in Madhya Pradesh to 20.
8:33 AM: The Chinese health authority on Thursday said no new domestically transmitted case of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was reported on the Chinese mainland on Wednesday. The National Health Commission received reports of 67 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland on Wednesday, all of which were imported.
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