Coronavirus update

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Coronavirus latest updates: 227 new positive cases nationwide with 5 more deaths

NEW DELHI: The 

COVID-19

 crisis appeared escalating on Monday as the Union health ministry reported more than 200 new cases of infection and at least five more deaths across India, taking the positive cases to 1251 and death toll to 32. The government, however, maintained that the virus was still in the local transmission stage.

The government said there was no immediate plan to extend the 21-day lockdown period, which entered its sixth day on Monday.

Read our coronavirus live blog for all the latest news and updates

Here is a look at the latest updates on coronavirus in India and around the world —

227 new positive cases nationwide with 5 more deaths

As many as 200 new coronavirus cases and at least four deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours in the country, according to the Union health ministry on Monday.

In its latest update, the home ministry 

said the dealth toll due to COVID-19 has risen to 32 and the number of total positive cases surged to 1,251. At 227, this is the largest one-day increase in the number of cases for India.

PM holds video-conference with 130 Indian missions abroad

Extraordinary times require extraordinary solutions, PM Modi said during a video conference on Monday with 130 heads of Indian missions abroad, referring to India's 21-day nationwide lockdown to fight 

coronavirus as the world's largest quarantine measure.

In the nearly 75-minute interaction, Modi asked the missions to pay close attention to the evolving international political and economic situation as well as to identify best practices and scientific breakthroughs to contain the pandemic.

Italy sees slowdown in rate of new virus cases

Italy is seeing a continued slowdown in the rate of its new confirmed coronavirus cases while registering a record number of people cured as it enters its third week into a nationwide lockdown.

Another 812 people died in the last day, bringing Italy's toll to 11,591 and 

maintaining its position as the country with the most dead.

Punjab govt extends curfew till April 14

Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh has ordered extension of the state-wide curfew till April 14 and directed foolproof sealing of the state's borders.

Singh also promised special insurance for Punjab Police personnel and sanitation workers engaged in the anti-COVID battle, an official statement said.

Railways plans to set aside 20,000 coaches for COVID patients

The Railway Board has told its zones that they might be required to convert up to 20,000 coaches into isolation wards as part of their preparedness to fight the coronavirus outbreak in the country.

In a letter to all the zonal general managers on Monday, the board said that initially 5,000 coaches will be converted. 

Five zonal railways have already prepared prototypes of coaches to be used as isolation facilities, it said.

Delhi's Nehru Stadium to be converted into a quarantine centre

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) will hand over Nehru Stadium to the Delhi government to be used as a quarantine centre for Covid-19 patients.

"Delhi government has approached us officially for Nehru stadium. So, we are giving it, we have already handed over our Sonepat center. SAI Training Centre in Patiala has also been made ready as a 120-bed quarantine centre. The STC is outside NIS Patiala where our elite athletes are staying and training," a source from SAI told ANI.

DMs to ensure that stranded migrants get food and shelter: MHA

The home ministry has issued orders to the states and Union Territories to make it a personal responsibility of District Magistrates to arrange food and shelter for stranded workers waiting to reach their native places after announcement of lockdown in the wake of COVID-19.

The MHA said it has already issued orders asking landlords to not seek a month's rent from migrant workers and also to not ask for vacating their property.

Global coronavirus cases top 700,000

More than 727,080 cases of infection and 34,610 deaths have been recorded in 183 countries and territories since the coronavirus epidemic started in China in December, according to an AFP tally compiled Monday based on official sources.

Italy has 10,779 deaths and has recorded 97,689 cases, Spain 7,340 deaths out of 85,195 cases, mainland China 3,304 deaths and 81,470 cases, Iran 2,757 deaths and 41,495 cases and France 2,606 fatalities and 40,174 cases.

Fear and panic becoming bigger problem than coronavirus: SC

With thousands of migrant workers walking back to their natives places after being rendered jobless due to the coronavirus lockdown, the Supreme Court on Moday observed that the panic and fear is becoming a "bigger problem than coronavirus", and sought a status report from the Centre by Tuesday on the measures taken to prevent the exodus.

The court said it would not create more confusion by issuing directions on measures which the government is already taking.

The Delhi government has announced that students from nursery to class 8 will be promoted to the next class in the national capital.

In a joint digital press conference with chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia said the students of government schools will be prmoted under the 'no detention policy'.

Sisodia, 

who

 is also the education minister, said exams of up to class 8 could not be held due to the recent violence in northeast Delhi which was followed by the coronavirus outbreak

Israeli PM under quarantine after aide tested positive for coronavirus

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Monday that he will enter quarantine after an aide on Knesset affairs tested positive for coronavirus.

Neyanyahu's office said the step was a precaution and is being taken even before the epidemiological investigation has been concluded, Haretz newspaper reported..

28 hospitals of Army, Air Force, Navy earmarked to treat COVID-19 patients

Twenty-eight hospitals of Army, Air Force, and Navy across the country have been earmarked as COVID-19 hospitals.

This is done to handle and treat coronavirus cases, which is part of the measures by the defence forces to help the civil authorities. 

Separately, five hospitals of the three defence services can carry out testing for COVID-19.

Counter misinformation, superstition on coronavirus: PM to social workers

Organisations involved in social welfare can play a big role in countering superstitions and misinformation about coronavirus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday. 

Addressing organisations involved in social work via video conferencing, Modi said they can play a huge role in arranging basic necessities for the poor and can also 

dedicate their medical facilities and volunteers to serve patients and the needy.

35 Indians land in Delhi from Kabul

A flight carrying 35 Indians from Afghanistan landed at the Delhi airport on Monday and the passengers were being sent to an ITBP quarantine facility set up in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, officials said.

The facility already has 481 Indians who were recently rescued from COVID-19 affected Rome in Italy.

Spain announces 812 virus deaths in 24 hours, total 7,340\

Spain confirmed another 812 deaths in 24 hours from the coronavirus on Monday, bringing the total number of deaths to 7,340, according to health ministry figures.

It is the first decline in the number of deaths in a 24-hour period since Thursday in Spain, which has world's second most deadly outbreak after Italy. Spain recorded 838 virus deaths on Sunday.

Govt to enforce cluster isolation for corona 'hotspots'

With certain areas witnessing a significant jump in number of Covid-19 cases, the health ministry is now identifying emerging hotspots for the infection to put in place a rigorous cluster isolation and containment strategy and avoid possibility of community transmission.

AIIMS to convert Trauma Centre into COVID-19 hospital

Joining the fight against the coronavirus, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has decided to convert its sprawling Trauma Centre building into a COVID-19 hospital.

Preparations are underway to convert the facility, which provides treatment mostly to victims of road accidents, into a dedicated COVID-19 hospital. The facility will initially have around 260 beds.