An Indian Air Force Cheetah helicopter headed to Chandigarh with medical samples made an emergency landing on Outer Ring Road here following technical snag, official statement said on Thursday. The chopper was proceeding from Hindon to Chandigarh on a COVID-19 task of carrying test samples of Leh.

Approximately 3 NM out of Hindon, the aircraft developed technical snag and carried out a safe precautionary landing on Outer Ring Road highway.

"The actions taken by the pilots were prompt and correct. No damage to any property has been reported. Recovery aircraft was launched immediately from Hindon. The aircraft was rectified and recovered back promptly and safely at Hindon," the statement added.

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With over 12,000 active cases of COVID-19 in the country that resulted in the nationwide lockdown getting extended till May 3, the government had on Wednesday issued a set of fresh guidelines till May 3. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a televised speech on Tuesday announced measures that the government would undertake to tackle the pandemic.

The Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry have also earmarked the districts in the country into three categories –red, green and orange zones as per the frequency of the cases reported from the areas. 

#COVID19 containment starts with the identification of hotspots and their categorization into Red, Orange & Green Zones: Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs pic.twitter.com/FbWUlfcyCd

— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2020

The BMC will also come up with red and orange zones in Mumbai to mark containment zones for stricter implementation of the lockdown. While the plans are still being drafted, areas with a high number of positive cases of COVID-19 will be put in the red zone and will have no external essential service providers. Let's know more about these zones.

Red zone

According to the Union Health Ministry, the districts identified as hotspots are marked as red zones. These districts have reported a large number of Coronavirus cases and need focused attention. As much as  170 districts in the country have been marked as hotspots, which is further divided into two groups: (a) 123 districts where a large number of cases have been reported and  (b) 47 districts where cases were reported in clusters.

According to the Health Ministry, the districts contributing to more than 80 per cent of the cases reported in the country, the districts contributing to more than 80 per cent of the cases in a state or districts with doubling rates reported to be less than four days, can be classified as a 'hotspot' or a 'red zone'. The ministry also said that the government will provide door-to-door facilities and undertake containment activities in these districts for the next 14 days. Mumbai,  recording the highest number cases in the country with 3,081, has been declared a hotspot by the government.

Orange Zone

The districts that had reported less number of Coronavirus cases or not seen a surge of positive cases in the area have been marked as 'orange zone'. In these zones, limited services of public transport, farm harvesting activities and functioning of small scale industries manufacturing essential items such as flour, pulses, and edible oils have been permitted. A hotspot district can be declared an orange zone if cases reported in 14 days is less or none.

According to the health ministry, 16 districts in Maharashtra have been declared as an orange zone. The districts are Gondia, Washim, Yavatmal, Buldhana, Hingoli, Akola, Beed, Amravati, Jalna, Latur, Osmanabad, Satara, Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Ratnagiri and  Sindhudurg

Green Zone

According to the Union Health Ministry, the districts that have not reported positive cases of Coronavirus are classified as green zones. In these zones, essential items that generate state revenue would be given an extension. Small scale industries manufacturing essential items will be allowed to function freely, but with strict maintenance of social distancing.

Hotspots have to undertake effective containment activities to flatten the curve and bring the number of Coronavirus cases down in order to qualify as an orange zone and subsequently as a green zone in 24 days.

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After doing her duty from morning to evening, IPS officer Shalini Singh, who is the Joint Commissioner of Police (West Zone), never returns to her home. Instead, she visits every checkpost in her area to encourage the police personnel who have been deployed on 'corona duty'.

Everyday Singh begins work by arranging food and other essential items for needy people with the help of her colleagues. She stays with the police staff -- whether men or women -- voluntarily preparing food for poor people, ensuring social distancing and spares time to encourage her female subordinates who are voluntarily preparing masks to distribute.

It has been 22-23 days since the lockdown was implemented but she never thinks of going home as she believes that people need her more than her family. "Hunger, tiredness, boredom or laziness etc., they would capture you whenever you think about these things, hence, I am totally engaged in serving people whether they are common citizens or my staff. I can take rest any time in future but this time people need me," Singh told IANS when asked how she manages.

Speaking about her routine she said, "A total of three -- Dwarka, Outer and West -- districts come under my jurisdiction and I am supposed to supervise them. Besides, on humanitarian grounds and being a senior, I have other responsibilities as well. Hence, I try to reach each and every one of my staff."

When asked how the women police personnel in her area prepare face masks for 10-12 hours on a war-footing besides performing their other duties, she said: "When you do anything with your own will and an intent to serve, then it never feels like a burden, and tiredness can't even touch you."

All the districts in west Delhi share a border with Haryana which increases the possibility of liquor smuggling. The Joint CP said that smugglers tried their best to bring liquor from Haryana to the national capital but the Delhi Police have foiled all their attempts. The best example of it is Haridas Nagar Police Station where the maximum cases of liquor smuggling have been filed. The smugglers believe that no one would check during the lockdown but the police are always one step ahead of criminals.

"For instance, a man tried to smuggle the liquor in LPG cylinder by cutting it from the bottom but the police caught him. In many incidents, the criminals tried to run over the police personnel in an attempt to flee but nothing worked before us. Still, liquor smuggling is a big problem for Delhi Police," Singh concluded.

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Amid lockdown over COVID threat, Indian Railways has decided to start two special trains for military to meet operational requirements of Indian Army at northern and eastern borders, force said on Thursday. Indian Army is also coordinating with the railway ministry for plying of additional trains for military purposes in coming weeks.

Amid #lockdown over #COVID threat, #IndianRailways has decided to start two special trains for military to meet operational requirements of #IndianArmy at northern and eastern borders, force said on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/M7YRZjyliP

— IANS Tweets (@ians_india) April 16, 2020

"To meet the operational requirements of Northern and Eastern borders, two military special trains are planned to be run," Indian Army stated. The force said that that both the trains for military purpose will start from Bengaluru. The first train will start on April 17 and reach Jammu and the second train will start on April 18 for Guwahati.

The route planned by the Indian Army is that the first train will start from Bengaluru and will have stoppage at Belgaum, Secundrabad, Ambala and terminates at Jammu. The second train will start from Bengaluru and stop at Belgaum, Secundrabad, Gopalpur, Howrah, New Jalpaiguri and terminates at Guwahati.

"This will enable decongestion of category A and B training establishments at Bangalore, Belgaum, Secundrabad and Gopalpur as well as assist in operational preparedness of active formations deployed in the borders," sources in Indian Army said.

The force said that the personnel due to rejoin units deployed in northern and eastern borders have undergone mandatory quarantine period and found medically fit. They will be now accommodated.

The force also stated that "further coordination with Ministry of Railways is in progress for planning additional trains in coming weeks".

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said a lockdown is not a solution to the virus and suggested the Centre should aggressively go for testing and use it strategically.

"We are in a very serious situation, that is clear and I think all political parties have to work together and the people of India have to work together if we want to solve this problem and defeat this virus... Over the last couple of months, I have been speaking to large number of experts in India and abroad, who have a very good understanding of what is going on. So, a lot of what I am going to be saying is going to be based on these conversations," Rahul said while addressing media via video conference.

Lockdown is in no way a solution to the #COVID19. Lockdown is like a pause button. When we come out of the lockdown, the virus is going to start its work again: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/PLQlHtZCCL

— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2020

"The first thing to understand is that a lockdown is like a pause button. A lockdown is in no way a solution to COVID-19...When we come out of the lockdown, the virus is going to start its work again. So, it is very important that we have a strategy to come out of the lockdown," he added.

Rahul stated that lockdown "allows you the time and space to put in medical resources, to ramp up your testing ability, to prepare your hospitals, to get ventilators, to create the type of architecture that is required to fight the virus when it picks up again." "So, there is one misconception that I would like to clear up. In no way does a lockdown defeat the virus. It stops the virus for some time. Now what is the real weapon against the virus, the biggest weapon? The Biggest weapon is testing. Testing at scale so you know where the virus is moving and you isolate the virus and target the virus," he said.

Now we've reached a level, where we are in an emergency situation. India must unite&fight against it. My main suggestion is that blunt instruments must not be used. We must work strategically. Lockdown has not resolved the problem, it has only postponed the problem: Rahul Gandhi https://t.co/1Pt8uD2OQ0

— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2020

The former Congress president also stated that India's testing rate is 199 out of a million. "If you look at all the tests that we have done over the last 72 days, it works out to approximately an average of 350 tests per district. This is in no way enough to tell you how the virus moving," Rahul said

"If you want to fight the virus, you have to increase testing dramatically and your testing has to go from chasing the virus to moving ahead of the virus... Lot of our testing is currently chasing the virus because we are identifying cases and then following the virus. With that type of testing, you will never be able to actually get a good image of what the virus is doing and where the virus is," he added.

If you want to fight the virus, you've to increase the testing dramatically & your testing has to go from chasing the virus to moving ahead of it. You've to move to random testing and pre-empt where the virus is moving: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi #Coronavirus https://t.co/YWG4PJEoSK pic.twitter.com/9t2hOA1wgm

— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2020

Rahul has advised the central government to push testing aggressively, maximise testing and use testing strategically. The testing levels are currently too low and the Government of India is not using testing strategically, he noted. Prime Minister Modi had on March 24 announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of COVID19. Earlier this week, he announced the extension of lockdown till May 3.

With 941 more COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, India's coronavirus tally crossed the 12,000 mark with the tally reading at 12,380 cases, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Thursday. Out of the total tally, 10,477 patients are active cases while 1,489 patients have been cured, discharged and migrated. With 37 more deaths reported in the last 24 hours, the death toll has risen to 414.

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The well-known Zoom video conferencing app for meetings is not a safe platform, the Cyber Coordination Centre (CCC) of the Ministry of Home Affairs has warned in an advisory issued last week.

The well-known #Zoom video conferencing app for meetings is not a safe platform, the Cyber Coordination Centre (CCC) of the Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) has warned in an advisory issued last week. pic.twitter.com/rPRLkLGvpX

— IANS Tweets (@ians_india) April 16, 2020

In the advisory, issued on April 12, it is mentioned that "secure use of Zoom meeting platform is for private individuals and not for use of government offices or official purposes". The government said that CERT-In on the same lines had been informed on February 6 and March 30 this year clarifying that "Zoom is not a safe platform".

In a set of guidelines for the safety of private users, the CCC division of the MHA mentioned that "those private individuals who still would like to use Zoom for private purposes" should follow certain guidelines like prevention of unauthorised entry in conference room and unauthorised participants to carry out malicious activity on terminals of others in the conference. The advisory also suggested to "avoid 'DOS' attacks by restricting users through passwords and access grant".

Zoom app has apparently become a favourite and famous tool among people during the lockdown and it is being used by schools and many private players. "Most of the settings can be done by logging into users zoom account at website, or installed application at PC/Laptop/Phone and also during conduct of conference," the guidelines from MHA mentions.

Officials in the Home Ministry told IANS that the app has some specific weaknesses so it is necessary to avoid its use for official purposes as it can encrypt meeting data.

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A heartwarming video of a monkey playing with a kite amid lockdown across the country is winning hearts online. The beautiful video was shared on Twitter by Susanta Nanda, an Indian Forest Service officer who is working in Odisha. In the video, a monkey can be seen flying a kite from the terrace of a building.

Evolution happening fast due to lockdown😂

Monkey flying a kite. Yes it’s a monkey for sure😁 pic.twitter.com/6W8MtpPK43

— Susanta Nanda IFS (@susantananda3) April 16, 2020

In the 12-seconds video clip, the monkey can be seen on top of a building terrace holding the string of a kite and pulling it towards itself. As the video moves further, the monkey can be seen successfully pulling the kite and holding it as people in the background cheer him.

Can't even imagine that a monkey can fly a kite

— Heena Mehta (@HeenaMe61603627) April 16, 2020

While sharing the video with his 30,000 followers, Forest officer Susanta Nanda captioned it: Evolution happening fast due to lockdown. Monkey flying a kite. Yes it's a monkey for sure. The heartwarming video which has left people suprised has garnered over 20,000 views and counting.

Superb video! In all probability, it might have caught hold of a cut string and pulling it in, but definitely a rare catch!

— Jyoti Shankar Roy Choudhury (@JSRoyChoudhury) April 16, 2020

Hundreds of netizens took to the comments section of the post to share their views. One user wrote, "Rise of the planet of the apes - RELOADED," while another user wrote, "And he is doing it better than I ever could."

Preparing to challenge the human after lockdown 😂😂😂

— Kalung Nyipa (@KalungNyipa) April 16, 2020

A third user said, "At this Pace, Brace for a Jumanji." While explaining the video a fourth user commented, "Superb video! In all probability, it might have caught hold of a cut string and pulling it in, but definitely a rare catch!"

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The number of COVID-19 cases in India has reached 12,759, the Health Ministry said on Thursday. According to the official data, India has 10,824 active cases and 1514 discharged and cured cases. Meanwhile, 420 people have died from the disease which originated in China. Maharashtra has reported the highest number of cases in the country which stands at 2919, including 295 cured and discharged and 187 deaths.

COVID19: Decrease in the rise in cases & death rate, 826 positive cases & 28 deaths in 24 hours; the total number of positive cases 12,759 https://t.co/gPAgYFAOMP

— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2020

With 1578 coronavirus cases, Delhi is in the second position of India's tally of corona infected people; followed by Tamil Nadu (1242) and Rajasthan (1023). Kerala, which reported India's first coronavirus case, has 388 confirmed cases, including 295 cured and discharged and 187 deaths.

On the other hand, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, that border the national capital, have 773 and 205 cases, respectively. Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh and Pudducherry have reported 33, 21 and 7 cases respectively. While West Bengal has 231 coronavirus infected people, Odisha has confirmed 60 cases.

The newly carved union territories -- Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir--- have 17 and 300 cases, respectively. In the Northeast, 33 people were detected positive for COVID-19 in Assam, which is the worst-affected states in the region.

Six corona cases were confirmed from Meghalaya, two each from Manipur and Tripura and one from Arunachal Pradesh. Nagaland remains free from coronavirus till date, said the Ministry.

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Amid the rising number of coronavirus outbreak, a shocking video of an elephant walking on the empty streets in Kerala's Munnar district has taken the internet by storm. The heartwarming video, which has gone viral was shared by Indian Forest Service officer Sudha Ramen, who said that the elephant in the video is called Padaiyappa.

Tusker 'Padaiyappa' on his night patrol to check on the lockdown at Munnar Town.
Sighting wild elephants are common here. 'Padaiyappa' is not new to the locals, he has been visiting the town now & then. Looks like he had some special task this time. Received via WA. pic.twitter.com/kvlELa5pst

— Sudha Ramen IFS 🇮🇳 (@SudhaRamenIFS) April 16, 2020

On Thursday, Sudha took to Twitter and shared the beautful video where the elephant can be seen wandering on the empty streets of Kerala amid lockdown due to coronavirus. While sharing the video with over 25,000 followers, Sudha wrote: Tusker 'Padaiyappa' on his night patrol to check on the lockdown in Munnar Town.

She further said that sighting wild elephants in Kerala is a common sight. Talking about the elephant, Sudha said that Padaiyappa has been visiting the town every now and then and is quite acquainted with the local. She said that it appears as if the elephant is on some special task this time.

The locals call him notorious.. Here he looks calm. However, it's always better to stay away or keep a distance from the wild elephants, especially when it's a lone tusker!

— Sudha Ramen IFS 🇮🇳 (@SudhaRamenIFS) April 16, 2020

In the 37-seconds video clip, the tusker can be seen walking down the empty streets of Munnar on night as the state fights the coronavirus crisis. In another tweet, Sudha said that although the elephant looks calm its best to to stay away from wild elephants, especially when it's a lone tusker.

Now it is quiet, with less pollution and people crowding the streets, the animals are coming back. It's a beautiful thing. Nature wants to bring itself back. Wonderful.

— Therese (@ThereseRalston) April 16, 2020

Since the time it was shared., the video has garnered over 3,0000 views leaving netizens in awe of the elephant. One user said, "Have heard the name from locals. Seeing him for the first time," while another user wrote: It actually gives an idea why not all cities can go lock down from 10.00 pm till 05.00 am? Explaining the video, a third user commented saying, "Nature wants to bring itself back. Wonderful."

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After thanking doctors, nurses and health care professionals, on Thursday, the Google doodle paid tributes to food service workers, who have been serving people amid the coronavirus crisis with an animated illustration on Thursday. The animated doodle is part of the Google doodle which the search engine giant launched last week in order to celebrate the coronavirus warriors.

Today, we’d like to say:

To all food service workers, thank you.

#GoogleDoodle → https://t.co/QV09JLTULv pic.twitter.com/WvIaLPLYQo

— Google Doodles (@GoogleDoodles) April 16, 2020

When one hovers over the doodle, it shows the message, "To all food service workers, thank you." The 'Thank You' doodle for food service workers features a heart emoticon being sent across to food service workers, who have been preparing food for COVID-19 patients, doctors and staff of the hospitals.

Besides food service workers, chefs, restaurants and food delivery workers have also resumed work in order to help the country fight the global pandemic. Through its animated doodle series, google will be honouring people who have been leading the fight against the novel coronavirus.

Today, we’d like to say:

To all grocery workers, thank you.

#GoogleDoodle → https://t.co/XWOzYTjMqO pic.twitter.com/BudQ17hEMz

— Google Doodles (@GoogleDoodles) April 13, 2020

A few days ago, google released a doodle to thank medical professionals who have been leading India's fight against the deadly virus. To all doctors, nurses and medical workers; thank you." read the doodle message. The animated doodle also featured a little heart emoticon for everyone who is fighting the battle against COVID-19 on the frontline.

Talking about their animated doodle series to honours those fighting coronavirus Google said, "As COVID-19 continues to impact communities around the world, people are coming together to help one another now more than ever. We're launching a Doodle series to recognize and honour many of those on the front lines."

Today marks the beginning of our #GoogleDoodle series recognizing and honoring those on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today, we’d like to say:

To all the public health workers and to researchers in the scientific community, thank you.

→ https://t.co/EcrUYgo0xU pic.twitter.com/PUPl7Z0WHO

— Google Doodles (@GoogleDoodles) April 6, 2020

Besides healthcare professionals and food service workers, Google has so far honoured public health workers, emergency services workers, sanitation workers, farmers, grocery workers, public transportation workers, and delivery workers among others.

Till yesterday, India had 10,824 active cases and 1514 discharged and cured cases while 420 people have died from the disease which originated in China. Maharashtra has been the worst affected state with 2919 COVID-19 cases including 187 deaths.

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Amid the rising number of coronavirus cases in Maharashtra, Nagpur police in its unique and witty is informing, educating and protecting its citizens across the city amid the nation-wide lockdown. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi extending the lockdown till May 3, citizens across the country have ample of time with themselves.

Things to do during #Lockdown#NagpurPolice pic.twitter.com/2cScHJ8KP8

— Nagpur City Police (@NagpurPolice) April 15, 2020

In order to kill boredom, Nagpur has come up with a few handy tips by taking inspiration from Bollywood's iconic film Sholay. On Wednesday, Nagpur police took to its Twitter account and shared a 4.0 handy guide list which will keep people engaged and entertained at home amid lockdown.

A still from Sholay urges people to play music and pursue hobbies

The Nagpur police shared few stills from the movie in order to get their message across to its people. A still featuring actor Amjad Khan as Gabbar urged people to call and connect with old friends while another still featuring superstar Amitabh Bachchan requested people to pursue their hobbies and indulge in music.

The witty post also featured two stills which urged families to engage in story telling while another one asked people to shave but at home amid the coronavirus lockdown. This ins't the first time that the Nagpur police took a clue from Bollywood films in order to create awareness on the spread of coronavirus.

Friends: Let's all go together for a picnic

Me : #CoronaStopKaroNa #BreakTheChain pic.twitter.com/NECkgJLZ5Z

— Nagpur City Police (@NagpurPolice) March 21, 2020

Last month, the Nagpur police has shared a meme from Shahid Kapoor's popular film Kabir Singh, which showed friends making plans to go for a picnic amid lockdown. But it was their picture-perfect caption that won many hearts. The caption urged people to maintain social distance and break the chain.

Here are few movie inspired memes shared by Nagpur police:

Essential Goods shall continue to be available.
Don't indulge in Panic Buying please. 🙏🏻#NagpurPolice pic.twitter.com/k64g3fz8pP

— Nagpur City Police (@NagpurPolice) March 25, 2020

The Rock featuring in Nagpur police meme as they request people to not indulge in panic buying.

Kaun Banega #Coronawarrior? pic.twitter.com/coh26bEype

— Nagpur City Police (@NagpurPolice) March 28, 2020

Taking a cue from Kaun Banega Crorepati, they asked people to be a corona warrior by being at home amid lockdown.

Was Bunty Right? pic.twitter.com/Bfif7lE80k

— Nagpur City Police (@NagpurPolice) March 12, 2020

Another one from an ad film showcasing the importance of washing hands amid coronavirus outbreak.

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Even as the country has been fighting hard to contain the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic, the authorities know how to use humour in their social media posts while urging people to take the necessary precautions to stay safe. IRCTC has been following government authorities such as Mumbai Police, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and the Pune Police and has been posting hilarious memes to explain why is it necessary to follow the precautions.

The popular line "Mere paas maa hai!" from 1975 Amitabh  Bachchan- Shashi Kapoor drama Deewar has been a part of many jokes and memes. To refresh your mind, the line was a part of a dialogue in the film which is about two brothers –Shashi Kapoor who plays the role of Ravi, the good cop and Amitabh Bachchan, who plays Vijay, a criminal. In the iconic scene, Vijay asks Ravi, "Aaj mere paas property hai, bank balance hai, bangla hai, gaadi hai.. kya hai tumhare pass?" (Today I own a bungalow, a property, a car, have a bank balance… What do you have?) In his reply, Ravi emotionally mouths the line, "Mere paas maa hai!" (I have mother.)

IRCTC played around the line and came up with a witty meme posted on their Twitter page to spread awareness about wearing masks.

To win over this pandemic, you need both Maa and Ma-Sk . Keeping your family close and Ma-sk closer. Always wear a mask when stepping out to buy essentials. Else #StayHome #StaySafe #SaveLives#IndiaFightsCorona

— IRCTC (@IRCTCofficial) April 14, 2020

The meme posted on Tuesday garnered 147 likes and was retweeted 16 times. It received many praises in the comments for its innovation and creativity.

What do you think about the post?

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New Delhi: Congress Lok Sabha MP leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday appreciated Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan and his colleagues in the ministry for doing "great job" amid COVID-19 outbreak.

"Thanks for the response @drharshvardhan! You &your colleagues are doing a great job in difficult circumstances. Guess this means that it won't be long before Thiruvananthapuram is off the hotspot list, as Kerala has categorised it in a lower tier than the most affected districts," Tharoor tweeted.

Tagging the minister in a tweet earlier, the Congress leader asked why Thiruvananthapuram is listed as a COVID-19 hotspot.

"A bit curious as to why Thiruvananthapuram is listed as a #Covid19 hotspot when it has such a great track record!? Perhaps @MoHFW_INDIA can enlighten us?" Tharoor, the Lok MP from Thiruvananthapuram had tweeted.

A but curious as to why Thiruvananthapuram is listed as a #Covid19 hotspot when it has such a great track record!? Perhaps @MoHFW_INDIA can enlighten us? @drharshvardhan @vijayanpinarayi @CMOKerala @kgkrishnan05 https://t.co/RWjjW3TiMp

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) April 16, 2020

Responding to the Congress leader, Harsh Vardhan said there are 170 hotspot districts, 207 non-hotspot & rest non-infected.

India's total number of coronavirus positive cases has climbed to 13,387 including 11,201 active cases, 1,749 cured/discharged/migrated and 437 deaths, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said today.

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A plea has been moved in the Delhi High Court seeking to restrain Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his administration from classifying some COVID-19 cases as "Tablighi Jamaat" or "Masjid Markaz", alleging it amounts to religious profiling. In Delhi, coronavirus has infected around 1,640 and claimed 38 lives. The petition by a lawyer on Thursday alleged that after the Tablighi event, Kejriwal via his tweets "deliberately" classified several affected cases under a separate caption -- "Masjid Markaz".

The petitioner, advocate M M Kashyap, claimed that such reporting of the coronavirus cases has led to "communal antagonism" and perpetrating of hatred against a specific religious community. It contended that when the atmosphere was already tense and sensitive in Delhi, post the riots in north east parts of the national capital, such reporting of COVID-19 cases would only deteriorate the situation.

The plea, filed through advocates Fozia Rahman and M Qayam-ud-din, said that it was the need of the hour that the nation is united in the fight against coronavirus and giving communal angle to the cases would hamper the same. The petition, likely to be heard on April 20, contends that communal reporting of the Tablighi Jamaat incident needs to be stopped immediately and any delay in doing so would promote ill-will, enmity and hatred towards Muslim community.

It also contended that Kejriwal has violated the advisory or guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) which has strictly advised to refrain from religious profiling of coronavirus cases. The petition seeks directions to Kejriwal and Delhi government to prohibit and stop dissemination of coronavirus infection data allegedly on the basis of religious or communal classification.

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A woman in Telangana delivered a child by the roadside as she could not be shifted to a hospital in Suryapet town on time by her husband on his motorbike due to barricades put up on the way due to the ongoing lockdown. D. Venkanna, a daily-wage worker, and his wife Reshma live in Annadurainagar, near Suryapet town.

When his pregnant wife complained of pain late in the night, he called 108 Ambulance service but was told that the vehicle had gone to some other place to pick up a patient. With no option available, he made her sit on his scooty and left for Suryapet Government General Hospital. Venkanna said when they reached the old bus stand, the road was closed with barricades.

As there were no policemen posted there, he asked his wife to sit on the footpath and rushed to a nearby police station and pleaded with a constable to remove the barricade. The cop allegedly told him that he can't move from the assigned place of duty and advised Venkanna to himself remove the barricade. An anxious Venkanna rushed back to the place to find his wife crying with pain.

Even as the man ran around to get some help to remove them, the woman delivered the baby girl by the roadside. The incident occurred barely a km away from a government hospital in the early hours of Thursday. Hearing the cries of the woman and her husband's call for help, some area women rushed out of their houses to assist her.

After repeated attempts by the locals, an ambulance reached the spot. The medical assistants cut the umbilical cord and shifted the mother and the newborn to the hospital. Doctors said both were doing well.

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A 50-year-old coronavirus patient succumbed to the infection in state-run Sassoon Hospital here in Maharashtra on Friday morning, taking the toll in Pune district to 48, an official said. The man suffered from pre-existing illnesses and was under treatment for the last two days, he said. With this, the death count in Pune district, the second worst affected by coronavirus after Mumbai, has gone up to 48, according to health authorities.

As many as 39 of these COVID-19 patients have died in the state-run hospital, whose dean, Dr Ajay Chandanwale, was transferred on Thursday evening by the government. "The man with co-morbid conditions such as diabetes and hypertension was admitted to the hospital on April 15 and died on Friday during treatment," said an official from the medical facility.

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The Karnataka government has announced the purchase of an additional two lakh rapid test kits for COVID-19 detection at a task force meeting on Thursday. Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai and other senior officials were present at the task force meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Dr CN Ashwathnarayan.

The Chinese government has agreed to supply rapid test kits to an officially listed company, which will increase the number of tests once it arrives, Ashwathnarayan said.

Moreover, 250 kiosks will be set up in the state to collect saliva samples of a person with COVID-19 symptoms. Such kiosks will be launched one-by-one in taluks of the state. Ashwathnarayan explained that this would increase the sample collection process and prevent the spread of disease.

Ashwathnarayan said the purchase of the required 25,000 RT-PCR kits was also approved. He stated that COVID-19 patients should be treated at government-appointed hospitals. A separate coronavirus helpline will be made operational to address the queries of people, Ashwathnarayan said.

During Ramadan, it has been decided not to allow mass prayers, he said. And added that tracing of cases related to the Tablighi Jamaat meeting in Delhi has been completed in the state.

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New Delhi: With novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases growing rapidly in India, overburdened doctors, nurses and healthcare personnel at the frontline are facing immense pressure from the society at large. While fighting against the deadly virus, they are continuously facing threats and abuses from the society, affecting their mental health as they battle it out in the ICUs as well as inside the corona patients wards.

According to Sujith, Chief of Nursing Services, Columbia Asia Hospital in Pune, it is disheartening to see that people, for whom the fraternity has been taking so much risk to ensure their health and safety, have failed them.

"This is sad when we watch on television that healthcare workers have been facing threats, attacks and abuses as we work on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic. It has been observed that many of these attacks are allegedly sparked by the fear that healthcare workers are exposing others to the virus. We are really going through a stressful time," Sujith told IANS.

The frontline health workers want a little sympathy and respect as they are working non-stop, without thinking about their own families and lives.

Dr Sachin Nayak working at JP Hospital in Bhopal has been living in his car to prevent passing on the virus to anyone else, including his wife and child. He has stocked up daily use items and books in the car.

"We completely understand public health emergencies are stressful times for people and communities but that doesn't mean we should be at the receiving end," said Sujith.

On Wednesday, a mob tried to stop a medical team from taking a coronavirus-infected man into isolation. They hurled stones at an ambulance that left four injured.

The incident took place in Uttar Pradesh's Nawabpura area. The injured included one doctor and three paramedics. A police vehicle was also damaged.

After the attacks on doctors, the Union Home Ministry said that it is ascertaining cases of violence against healthcare workers engaged in surveillance and quarantine measures.

Health workers on the streets of Mumbai. Pic: Ashish Raje

Savitha Kuttan, CEO of Omnicuris, an online medical education platform, said that operating under severe resource constraints, healthcare workers are bearing the brunt of a hostile external environment.

Healthcare professionals have taken to social media to describe in painful detail the growing stigma they are facing with each passing day.

"From working long, gruelling shifts without adequate protective gear and facing attacks from patients to getting booted out of their homes and feeling afraid for their families, the mental strain our medical professionals are going through is immense. All of them are going through severe anxiety and many are having difficulties sleeping," Kuttan said.

She added that doctors are professionally obligated to take care of their mental health so that they can provide good quality care to their patients.

"Considering the enormity of what they are going through, we cannot expect them to go looking for mental health support. In fact, they should get unlimited access to mental health services during this time of crisis," Kuttan, told IANS.

A recent study, published in the journal The Lancet Psychiatry, revealed that front-line medical staff must be prioritised for rapid mental health support.

According to Ekta Soni, Chief Clinical Psychologist, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals in New Delhi, healthcare workers don't have the luxury of living inside their homes to shield themselves from the coronavirus.

They have to expose themselves to the risk, and some are separating themselves from their families for weeks to avoid transmitting the virus to them.

"Healthcare workers working with COVID-19 patients reported symptoms of depression, symptoms of anxiety, insomnia, and reported distress. The risk of infection, especially if it is asymptomatic, instils fear of spreading the virus to their patients and families," said Soni.

"They're deeply sad for their dying patients, many of whom are slipping away without their loved ones at their side. Many admitted to harbouring darker feelings," she added.

However, some corona warriors are receiving utmost support from their neighbours.

Sharing his own experience, Manoj Goel, Director, Pulmonology, Fortis Memorial Research Institute in Gurugram, said: "People are very cooperative in my society and keep asking about my wellbeing through calls and messages".

"My neighbours are putting cards outside my house as a thank you note and consider me a corona warrior. While I am working in the hospital they enquire about my families health and wellbeing and if they need any help in my absence. I am greeted with a smile by our society security guard whenever I leave or enter my society".

According to experts, having an open channel of communication to assess what they are going through is a need of the hour.

Not only will it help them readjust to everything once the situation starts to improve, but also keep them from developing post-traumatic stress.

The Union Health Ministry on Saturday said 4,291 or about 30 per cent of the Coronavirus cases in the country have been traced to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi. In Delhi, 63 per cent of the reported 1,707 cases are linked to the same gathering.

The total number of confirmed cases in India is 14,792. So far, 488 people have succumbed to the disease. The mortality rate of COVID-19 is 3.3 per cent. Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary Health Ministry, said that 4,291 cases are epidemiologically linked to the Nizamuddin Markaz event. "These cases are spread across 23 states and Union Territories, which include most of the high-degree burden cases. There are 84 per cent cases in Tamil Nadu, 63 per cent in Delhi, 91 per cent in Assam, 61 per cent in Uttar Pradesh and 83 per cent in Andaman & Nicobar.

"If lockdown and social distancing norms are not followed, then the entire country would have to face the consequences," said Agarwal. He also added that 47 districts in 23 states have shown positive trends in the fight against the outbreak in the country. "One district each in Puducherry and Karnataka has not reported a positive case yet. Along with this, 22 new districts, split across various states, have also not reported new cases in the last 14 days," added Agarwal.

Probe in Tablighi funding
The role of money exchanger RM & RM Associates based in Delhi's Nizamuddin and a chartered accountant working with Tablighi Jamaat is being scrutinised by Crime Branch sleuths of Delhi Police to ascertain foreign remittance received by the Jamaat, a senior IPS officer said.

The role of RM & RM Associates was flagged by senior police officers in the case against Tablighi Jamaat. Deputy Commissioner of Police Joy Tirkey has been directed to probe the financial aspects in the case. Senior officers have issued directions to Tirkey to question owners and employees of RM & RM Associates. "They should be thoroughly questioned about the amount of remittance received from foreign countries by the Tablighi Jamaat," the direction stated.

Medical supplies flown
The Centre on Saturday said that under the Lifeline Udan initiative, 274 flights have transported around 463.15 tonnes of medical supplies across the country till April 17. "About 274 flights have been operated under Lifeline Udan by Air India, Alliance Air, IAF and private carriers. Cargo transported till date is around 463.15 tonnes," the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) said in a statement on Saturday.

GoM may enlist retired docs
A Group of Ministers' meeting chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday reviewed the situation in the wake of lockdown. The meeting examined suggestions received to enlist services of retired doctors and medical students in the final year of their graduation.

Plasma Therapy in Gujarat
After Kerala, Gujarat has become the second state to have started Convalescent Plasma Therapy from Saturday to treat patients. An oral nod from the concerned Central Government agencies has been obtained and the state has started the preparations to commence the treatment of patients in two of the Ahmedabad hospitals. Jayanti Ravi, principal secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department, Gujarat, said, "We have obtained the Drug Controller General of India's (DCGI) approval over phone."

Punjab cop succumbs
Assistant Commissioner of Police (North) Anil Kohli, who was posted in Ludhiana city, on Saturday succumbed to the virus. The 52-year-old officer was diagnosed positive on April 13. The officer was on ventilator in a private hospital in Ludhiana since April 11, Civil Surgeon Rajesh Bagga said.

In a first-of-its-kind clinical use of convalescent plasma therapy in the state, doctors on Saturday decided to try to cure him by using plasma of another young volunteer patient. Doctors said he died due to multiple organ failure.

Railways makes contactless cubicles for COVID-19 doctors in Karnataka

The South Western Railway (SWR) zone's Hubballi workshop has produced a contactless doctors' cubicle to treat patients without direct contact, an official said on Saturday. "SWR Hubballi workshop has come out with an innovative idea by creating contactless cubicles so that doctors checking suspected patients do not come in direct physical contact with them," a SWR spokesperson said in a statement. Looking like a telephone booth of yesteryears, the transparent cubicle will enable a doctor to put his hands out through two flexible glove-like protrusions to reach the patient.

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After a heartwarming video of an elephant walking on the empty streets in Kerala's Munnar district went viral, another viral video showing wild bears roaming freely in Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh amid lockdown has taken the internet by storm.

It’s a pair of bears strolling at Tirumala to see if everything is ok in gods abodeðŸ˜ÂÂŽ pic.twitter.com/ymljGNiL6L

— Susanta Nanda IFS (@susantananda3) April 16, 2020

The viral video was shared by Twitter user Susanta Nanda, an Indian Forest Service officer who is working in Odisha. Susanta shared the video with his 30,000 followers with the caption: It's a pair of bears strolling at Tirumala to see if everything is ok in gods abode.

Another video of a #Tiger surfaced in Vaishno Devi pic.twitter.com/oaxXgmjYdT

— SandyMental (@smenghi) April 17, 2020

In the 10-seconds video clip, the wild bears can be seen crossing the empty streets of Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh amid the nationwide lockdown due to coronavirus. While sharing the video, Susanta jokingly said that the bears are making sure that everything if everything is okay in 'God's abode'. Susanta's God's abode reference was to the temple of Lord Venkateshwara which is located in Tirumala.

Night Patrol Party of Dear Bearshttps://t.co/3IsbafZ54m

— Pankaj Thapliyal (@PankajT04765688) April 16, 2020

The short video clip went viral and has garnered over 15,000 views with 1,500 likes. Hundreds of netizens took to the comments section of the post to share their views. One user wrote, "Amazing," while another commented, "I wonder if these wild life strolling streets had their life goals to do so one day." A third user jokingly said, "Night patrol party of dear bears."

Such a great to watch..!
The world is truly healing,☺

— True Indian (@whiz2018) April 17, 2020

On the same day, IFS Susanta had also shared a viral video where a monkey was seen flying a kite from the terrace of a building. The video garnered over 20,000 views and brought a smile on everyone's face.

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On Saturday, Google shared a compilation of all its doodle dedicated to coronavirus helpers who are leading the fight against COVID-19 pandemic. The final doodle was dedicated to all helpers, workers and healthcare professionals among others.

The best way to say thank you to all those on the front lines is by staying at home.

Together, we will move past this. ❤ï¸Ââ¤ï¸Ââ¤ï¸Â#GoogleDoodle pic.twitter.com/EXSihXojhf

— Google India (@GoogleIndia) April 17, 2020

While concluding its doodle animated series, Google India said: The best way to say thank you to all those on the front lines is by staying at home. Together, we will move past this. The animated doodle was part of the Google doodle series which Google launched last week in order to celebrate the coronavirus warriors.

When one hovers over the final doodle, it shows the message, "To all coronavirus helpers, thank you." Over the last one week, google honoured people such as doctors, workers, sanitation workers, farmers, food service workers, police officials, firemen, delivery people among others who have been leading the fight against COVID-19.

Today, we’d like to say:

To all coronavirus helpers, thank you.#GoogleDoodle → https://t.co/FyxF3RJ5Uv pic.twitter.com/pJSEB5Xl4l

— Google Doodles (@GoogleDoodles) April 18, 2020

During the launch of the animated series, Google had said, "As COVID-19 continues to impact communities around the world, people are coming together to help one another now more than ever. We're launching a Doodle series to recognize and honour many of those on the front lines."

Today, we’d like to say:

To all teachers and childcare workers, thank you.

#GoogleDoodle → https://t.co/l8tVIltMS2 pic.twitter.com/EIrHTdiAN1

— Google Doodles (@GoogleDoodles) April 17, 2020

The final doodle, which is a compilation of all the animated doodle in honour of coronavirus warriors made sure that they did not miss out on anyone. Google Doodle team lead Jessica Yu said, "As with all of our Doodles, we hope the series allows for helpers everywhere to feel seen, heard, and valued and for everyone to remember there will be a light at the end of what could feel like a long tunnel."

“As with all of our Doodles, we hope the series allows for helpers everywhere to feel seen, heard, and valued and for everyone to remember there will be a light at the end of what could feel like a long tunnel.”
- @UjessU, #GoogleDoodles Leadhttps://t.co/QqQWr8S7T2

— Google (@Google) April 17, 2020

The series which began on April 6 by expressing gratitude towards the health workers and the scientific community ended the series by thanking teachers and childcare workers in its penultimate doodle.

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Amid the rising number of coronavirus cases across the country, the Punjab Police on Saturday took to Twitter to share a heartwarming video where they can be seen bringing smiles on its citizens amid lockdown. The Punjab police shared the video with their 60,000 followers where they can be seen going out of their way to celebrate the birthday of a little girl.

Mansa Police's sweet gesture for Maira's 1st birthday. Policemen gave her a surprise by delivering a Birthday Cake at her doorsteps.#TuhadiSevaSadaFarz #PunjabFightsCorona #Punjabpoliceindia@pp_mansa pic.twitter.com/nqL2nhfbDs

— Punjab Police India (@PunjabPoliceInd) April 18, 2020

In the one-minute one-second clip, police officials of Mansa Police in Punjab can be seen delivering a cake to a kid's house on her first birthday. What's more? The police officials also sang Happy Birthday for the girl on their PA system.

Punjab police always great nd honest ji gbu ji

— Gursimran Singh Mand (@gursimranmand) April 18, 2020

While sharing the beautiful video with their followers, Punjab police wrote: Mansa Police’' sweet gesture for Maira's 1st birthday. Policemen gave her a surprise by delivering a Birthday Cake at her doorsteps. Not only did the police made the girl's day but they also took all precautions while delivering the cake. The police officials were seen donning face masks and even wearing hand gloves in order to protect themselves from the spread of coronavirus.

Police with a heart ❤ï¸Â

— Nicola (@cloudnikki) April 18, 2020

The heartwarming gesture by Mansa police officials has been praised by many on Twitter. On user said, "Police with a heart," while another user commented, "Great job by Mansa district Police." A third user said, "Punjab police with you, for you, always."

What do you think about this heartwarming video?

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India's total number of coronavirus cases has reached 15,712, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Sunday. Out of the total cases, 12,974 cases are active, while 2,231 people have been cured/discharged/migrated and 507 deaths have been reported, as per the ministry. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Maharashtra continues to be the worst-affected state with a total of 3,651 cases. While 365 patients have recovered, 211 deaths have been reported.

Delhi comes next with 1,893 cases, out of which 72 patients have recovered while 42 patients have died. Tamil Nadu has reported 1,372 cases, out of which 365 have recovered and 15 have succumbed to the virus. Rajasthan has confirmed 1,351 cases, out of which 183 people have recovered while 11 patients are dead.

Madhya Pradesh has reported 1,407 cases, including 127 patients recovered and 70 patients dead. On the other hand, Uttar Pradesh has 805 COVID-19 positive cases.

In Kerala, which reported the country's first COVID-19 case, 400 people have been detected positive for coronavirus.

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Amid lockdown, a woman from neighbouring Navi Mumbai found herself completly helpless when two hospitals refused to admit her husband, a lawyer, who had suffered a heart attack. After running from one hospital to another in an ambulance, when Jaideep Jaywant (56) was finally admitted to a medical facility, it was too late, his distraught wife Deepali, who is also a lawyer, told PTI. She said in the initial days of lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus, it was her husband who had taken an initiative to supply essential items to harried neighbours, but he died without getting timely help.

The victim, resident of Sector 17 in Vashi area of Navi Mumbai, had a massive heart attack on April 14. He collapsed after having lunch. "I could feel his pulse. There was still life in him. I immediately called an ambulance and rushed him to a nearby hospital," his wife said. "But, the security guard at the hospital did not even open the gates. They said they admitted only COVID-19 patients and no (other) emergency," she said.

They then went to a municipal hospital in Sector 10 but were not allowed inside. They subsequently proceeded to D Y Patil Hospital in Nerul. "By the time we reached there, 30 minutes were wasted and he was declared dead," the grief-stricken wife said. "Can't there be any medical emergencies other than COVID-19 during the lockdown? Is it right for hospitals to turn away patients needing emergency medical aid?" she asked.

The woman said she can't seek action against the hospital in her neighbourhood since she has no evidence against it. "General practitioners are all closed. Where do
ordinary people go?" she asked.

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Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday indirectly targeted Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari by saying that the Raj Bhavan "shouldn't become centre for political conspiracy".

In a sharp attack on Koshyari - without naming him - the Sena MP said he was somehow reminded of a 'shameless' governor, the late Thakur Ram Lal, who served in the Raj Bhavan in Andhra Pradesh in the early 1980s.

#ShivSena MP #SanjayRaut on Sunday indirectly targeted #Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari by saying that the Raj Bhavan "shouldn't become centre for political conspiracy". pic.twitter.com/1Y6fM0F85f

— IANS Tweets (@ians_india) April 19, 2020

"Remember! History doesn't spare those who behave unconstitutionally. Samajhne walon ko ishaara kaafi hai!" Raut said in tweets on Sunday.

The Sena MP's outburst is viewed against the backdrop of a recent Maharashtra Cabinet request to the Governor to nominate Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray as a Member of the Legislative Council for one of the two vacant seats from the Governor's quota.

This is to prevent a constitutional crisis as Thackeray must become a member of either house of the state legislature by May 28, failing which he would be required to step down.

In view of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Centre has postponed all elections, but the picture is likely to become clear after May 3.

Thackeray was unanimously elected as the leader of the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance government of Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party and Congress, and took oath as the CM on November 28, 2019.

The Sena President's rise to power - the first ever member of the Thackeray clan to hold political office - came after Koshyari had sworn in a two-member government of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his deputy Ajit Pawar, which collapsed in barely 80 hours.

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Some financial activities will start in Maharashtra from Monday onwards, said Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday. "Tomorrow onwards we are starting some financial activities. If we don't run our economy now, we will be in a financial crisis after we come out of the corona crisis. We are starting some business activities in a limited way. Fortunately, several of our districts have zero positive cases," said the Chief Minister during a press conference.

We're in talks with the centre. I'm confident that a solution will come out in the coming days. Don't worry. We're gradually starting work in Maharashtra. If it's possible you can come back to work,you'll continue with your livelihood: Maharashtra CM to migrant labourers in state pic.twitter.com/IMElkKXnQm

— ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

Appealing to migrant labourers in the state, the Chief Minister said: "We are in talks with the Centre. I am confident that a solution will come out in the coming days. Don't worry. We are gradually starting work in Maharashtra. If it is possible you can come back to work, you will continue with your livelihood."

"I give you my word that Maharashtra government will take you to your homes the day this crisis ends. I believe that when you go back to your homes, you should go back happily and not out of fear," the Chief Minister assured the migrant labourers.

He informed that over 66,000 tests have been conducted in the state so far. "95 per cent of these are negative. Around 3600 are positive, 300-350 of these have recovered and have been discharged. 75 per cent are either mildly symptomatic or asymptomatic. 52 patients are serious. We are looking at saving their lives," said Thackeray.

The total number of positive coronavirus cases across the country is 15,712, including 12,974 active cases. So far, 2,230 patients have either been cured or discharged while 507 deaths have been recorded in the country, as per data provided by the Union Ministry of Health.

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Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said there will be no relaxation in the lockdown due to coronavirus in the national capital as all the 11 districts are hotpots. Speaking to the media, Kejriwal said the situation will be reviewed after a week and if there is improvement, the relaxation will be given.

#Delhi Chief Minister #ArvindKejriwal said there will be no relaxation in #lockdown due to #coronavirus in the national capital as all the 11 districts are hotpots.

He said the situation will be reviewed after a week and if there is improvement, the relaxation will be given. pic.twitter.com/TiSi6YwxuN

— IANS Tweets (@ians_india) April 19, 2020

"After assessing the prevailing situation in Delhi, we have decided not to permit any relaxation in the lockdown, as of now," the Chief Minister said. The Centre has asked for lockdown relaxation from Monday at places where coronavirus infection is under control. He said 186 more cases were recorded on Saturday and all were asymptomatic.

"They didn't know they had coronavirus. This is more worrying," he said, adding one among the positive cases was distributing food in the government's hunger relief shelter. Kejriwal said in the last few days, Delhi has seen a spike in cases.

"We need to plan about the relaxation in the lockdown. Centre is saying that we should not relax the lockdown in the containment zones/hotspots. All the 11 districts of Delhi are declared hotspots. So, according to the Centre, no relaxation can be given in Delhi," he added. He also said wherever people are following orders, cases are not increasing.

"However, there are places where cases are increasing as people are not following orders," the Chief Minister said. He said though the cases are on the rise, the situation is still under control.

"We all have to follow orders. About 1,900 cases are in the city and 26 patients are in the ICU and six are on the ventilators," the Chief Minister added.

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With 1,334 fresh cases of coronavirus reported in the last 24 hours, the total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in India has reached 15,712 including 507 deaths, said Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, here on Sunday. As many as 2,231 people have recovered from the disease so far, said Aggarwal during the daily media briefing on the coronavirus. "This equals 14.1 per cent of the total cases," he added.

1334 new #COVID19 cases & 27 deaths have been reported in last 24 hours, taking total cases to 15712 & deaths to 507 in India. No new case reported in Mahe in Puducherry & Karnataka's Kodagu in the last 28 days. Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry pic.twitter.com/YsaMPJOnx5

— ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

A total of 15,712 confirmed cases have been reported in India including 507 deaths and 2,231 people, who were COVID-19 positive, have recovered. Out of the total deaths, 27 deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours," said Aggarwal. The Joint Secretary said that no new case was reported in Mahe in Puducherry and Karnataka's Kodagu in the last 28 days.

"A total of 54 other districts beside these two in 23 States/Union Territories did not report any cases in the last 14 days," he said. He informed that there are 755 dedicated COVID-19 hospitals and 1,389 dedicated health care centres in the country, which takes the total dedicated facilities where severe or critical patients can be treated to 2,144.

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Seven more persons have tested positive for COVID-19 in Odisha, taking the total number of positive cases to 68, the Health Department said on Monday. Of the seven new cases, five are from the Bhadrak district and two from Balasore district.

"7 new Positive Cases of #Covid19 found in #Odisha. 5 new Positive Cases From Bhadrak. 2 new Positive Cases From Balasore. Total no. of cases detected: 68. Contact tracing and follow up action is being done," tweeted the Information and Public Relations Department.

Following the development, the Bhadrak district administration has notified containment zone in five Gram Panchayats while restrictions have been imposed in Basudevpur and Bhandaripokhari blocks, where the cases were reported.

With this, the number of active cases in the state stands at 43. 24 patients have been cured and discharged while one person died of the disease.

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With 1,553 new cases in 24 hours, the total tally of novel coronavirus cases stood at 17,265 on Monday, the Ministry of Health and Family welfare said.

The health ministry in morning update said that, of the total cases, 14,175 are active cases, with 543 casualties.

"At least 2,546 people have been cured and discharged from the hospital while one person has migrated," said the Ministry, adding "there are at least 77 foreign nationals, affected with the disease.

Maharashtra continued to be the worst hit with 4,203 cases and 223 deaths, followed by Delhi with 2,003 cases and 45 fatalities, Rajasthan (1,478 cases and 14 deaths) and Tamil Nadu (1,477 cases and 15 deaths)

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With some relaxation amid lockdown in non-hotspot areas, the daily wage labourers gathered at labour chowks in Mumbai in search of work, find remote possibility of getting any work during the lockdown that will continue till May 3. Raju Tiwari, one of the migrant labourer waiting for work, told ANI, "I am a daily wage labourer who does all sorts of work to earn for a living. Though since the lockdown we did not get any work, even now I do not think that anybody would come to hire us for work."

Echoing similar sentiments, Sunil Tiwari, another daily wage earner, said, "All my savings have been exhausted and now I do not have any work. For now, we are dependent on others giving us food." "Though the relaxation has been given by the government on the daily wage labourers working, the police beats us and stops us in going anywhere. If we do not go then how will we earn?" he added.

The Union Home Ministry on April 19 had allowed intra-state movement of the migrant labourers, if found asymptomatic upon screening, from their relief camps and shelters to their respective places of work.

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Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, on Monday, once again addressed the state and spoke about the mob-lynching incident that took place in Palghar. He said that the state government has taken action and has arrested all the accused who attacked the two godmen, one driver and police personnel, on the day of the crime itself.

CM Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray addressing the State https://t.co/IicTWk6t7w

— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) April 20, 2020

Speaking about things being eased out in green and orange zones, Uddhav Thackeray said that the lockdown has not been lifted yet. "We have just tried to revolve the wheel of the economy a bit. I have heard that some people are treating the relaxation period as lifting of the lockdown. If they continue to behave in the same manner we'll take strict measures." he said.

Talking about the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra, Uddhav said that it has been six weeks since the first coronavirus positive case was detected in the state.

Uddhav also informed citizens that he spoke to Home Minister Amit Shah over the Palghar mob-lynching case. He also spoke about the steps taken by the Maharashtra state government in order to nab those involved in the crime.

We've suspended 2 policemen&appointed ADG CID Crime Atulchandra Kulkarni to investigate the matter. Over 100 persons arrested incl 5 main accused. There is nothing communal in this whole incident. I have spoken to Amit Shah ji this morning: Maharashtra CM on Palghar incident https://t.co/ONKnhXzD0s

— ANI (@ANI) April 20, 2020

Divulging furthermore into details about the Palghar incident in his speech, Uddhav Thackeray said, "We have suspended two policemen and appointed ADG CID Crime Atulchandra Kulkarni to investigate the matter. Over 100 persons including the five main accused have been arrested so far. There no communal angle in this entire incident," he stated.

With inputs from Agencies

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Smriti Irani's social media posts are easily the best with throwback grams, pictures of her family and memes!

This time she got us all nostalgic with her Instagram stories. She shared a couple of pictures which only the 20th century kids would relate to.

The first picture that she shared was of a white-shoe which was being polished. If you look carefully, you will realise that these are the same shoes that were worn by everyone during school days. She captioned the picture, "Kisko yaad hai? (Who remembers?)"

The second picture was of a landline phone with a round dial and the receiver kept down. In those days, it was the only way to stop the incoming calls. The text on this picture read, "How we blocked people in the 1980s."

The third image was of a cassette player with the cassette reel stuck in it. The caption of this picture read, "The youth of today will never know our struggle."

The last picture of the story showed a handle which was used to roll the car windows down before it was replaced with a button.

Feeling nostalgic yet?

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The Centre on Monday said that around 50 journalists testing positive for COVID-19 in Mumbai is very unfortunate.

"Journalists testing positive for COVID-19 is very unfortunate news. When you (journalists) attend your call of duty, kindly take the required precautions, follow the norms of social distancing and wear face masks," Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health and Family Welfare said at a daily briefing here.

#WATCH Journalists testing positive for #COVID19 is very unfortunate news. When you (journalists) attend your call of duty, kindly take the required precautions, follow the norms of social distancing & wear face masks: Lav Agrawal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry pic.twitter.com/0Xu9vP9xLw

— ANI (@ANI) April 20, 2020

This comes as 53 journalists in Mumbai tested positive for COVID-19. All of them are under isolation, according to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. Responding to a question of whether asymptomatic people need to be tested, Agarwal said, "80 per cent cases are asymptomatic and mild symptoms and we can track them. Sampling criteria is very clear that anyone who needs to be tested will be sampled."

"We have been highlighting that there are two criteria of concerns -- areas having a large number of cases, areas having the rate of growth of cases is high and the doubling rate is low," he added. Agarwal stated health officials are ensuring effective intervention so that affected areas do not lead to a large number of cases further.

"We are coordinating with states and district administration and take necessary action. Three teams of the central government have been sent to Maharashtra which is working in Pune, Mumbai and a team co-ordinating between Maharashtra state with central government and district administrations," he said. Agarwal said that India's COVID-19 doubling rate has improved to 7.5 days from 3.4 days before the lockdown was enforced.

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With 1,553 fresh cases of coronavirus reported in the last 24 hours, the total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in India has reached 17,265, said Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, here on Monday.

Since yesterday there have been 1553 additional confirmed #COVID19 cases, taking the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 17265. 36 more deaths also reported in the last 24 hours: Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry pic.twitter.com/6EKGeIOWOe

— ANI (@ANI) April 20, 2020

As many as 2,546 people have recovered from the disease so far, said Aggarwal during the daily media briefing on the coronavirus. "This takes the cure percentage to 14.75 per cent," he added. "A total of 17,265 confirmed cases have been reported in India including 2,546 people have recovered. A total of 36 deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours," said Aggarwal.

Mahe in Puducherry, Kodagu in Karnataka and Pauri Garhwal in Uttarakhand have not reported any COVID-19 case in the last 28 days. "The number of districts where no case has been reported in the last 14 days has increased to 59. Goa is now COVID-19 free," he added.

Aggarwal said that the Health Ministry has expressed its views that India wants to work with G20 nations to develop the vaccine to combat COVID-19. He further said that ministry has also issued guidelines regarding precautionary measures to be adhered to in government offices.

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With 466 new COVID-19 cases reported, the total number of positive coronavirus cases have risen to 4,666, said Public Health Department, Maharashtra on Monday.

Of the total tally, 572 patients have been cured and recovered as 65 patients were discharged from hospitals today. With nine new deaths in the state, the death toll rose to 232. The total number of coronavirus positive cases on Monday rose to 17,656 in India, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Out of these, 14,255 patients are active cases and 2,842 cases have been cured or discharged and migrated. The COVID-19 (/topic/covid-19) toll now stands at 559.

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The COVID-19 situation is "especially serious" in Mumbai, Pune, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata and a few other places in West Bengal, and violation of lockdown measures risk the spread of the Novel Coronavirus, the Centre said on Monday.

In a communication to state governments, the home ministry said there have been several incidents of violence against COVID-19 frontline healthcare professionals, complete violation of social distancing norms and movement of vehicles in urban areas. These should be stopped, it said.

The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 543 and the number of cases climbed to 17,265 in the country on Monday, according to the Union health ministry. The situation is "especially serious" in Indore in MP, Mumbai and Pune in Maharashtra, Jaipur in Rajasthan, and Kolkata, Howrah, East Medinipur, North 24 Parganas, Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Jalpaiguri in West Bengal, the ministry said. There are 4,203 confirmed Coronavirus cases in Maharashtra of which 223 people lost their lives.

In MP, out of the 1,407 cases, 70 people have succumbed to the disease. Rajasthan has reported 1,478 cases of which 14 people died. In West Bengal, there are 339 confirmed cases of which 12 people died due to the infection, according to health ministry data.

UP CM to not attend father's funeral

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath's father Anand Bisht died on Monday and will be cremated in Haridwar at a funeral which will not be attended by the CM, who said he is duty-bound to stay in his state. Bisht, 89, was admitted to the gastroenterology dept of the AIIMS after his health deteriorated.

'Flight restrictions to continue'

Restrictions on domestic and international flights will be lifted when the government is confident that spread of Coronavirus has been controlled, and poses no danger to Indians, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Monday, amidst reports of some airlines doing open bookings.

Pizza delivery boy's contacts test negative

After a pizza delivery boy in South Delhi district tested positive for COVID-19, his 16 high-risk contacts have tested negative for the virus, the administration said. According to B M Mishra, district magistrate (south), no person in the 72 houses, where the boy delivered food, has developed symptoms.

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A 35-year-old man, whose father died of coronavirus in Pune 10 days ago and four other family members are still in hospital after contracting the disease, is in a state of shock and not able to muster courage to inform his mother about the father's demise.

The man, who is into vegetable business here in Maharashtra, is also saddened by the insensitive approach of people around, who stopped interacting with his family in this hour of crisis. His 60-year-old father died at the state-run Sassoon General Hospital in Pune on April 9. The deceased had co- morbid health conditions as he was diabetic and paralytic, according to health officials.

While his father was undergoing treatment, the 35- year-old man's wife, his two daughters and brother also tested positive for the viral infection and are currently admitted at an isolation facility in the city.

The man said after his father was diagnosed pneumonia, the latter was referred to the Sassoon Hospital where he tested positive for coronavirus on April 6. "Later, swab samples of 12 other family members and high-risk contracts were taken and among these, my wife, brother and my two daughters tested positive. The rest of us, including me, my one-year-old son, and mother were sent back and quarantined at a health centre," he said.

On April 9, he got the shocking news of his father's death and could not believe it. "It was unexpected as he was stable. We are still not able to come to terms with this. The saddest part is no one from the family could see him for one last time after his death and we could not even attend his last rites," he said. The last rites of his father were performed by members of social outfit Mulnivasi Manch, led by Anjum Inamdar, at a city-based burial ground, he said.

The man had requested Inamdar to click some photos and videos of the last rites so that the family could see it. "Since four of my family members are still in the hospital, I don't have the courage to tell my mother that our father is no more. Though we are going through lot of stress, I am trying to behave normal in front of my mother who is already shaken by what the family is going through," he said. The man said he might break the news of his father's death to his mother once the other family members recover from the deadly disease and return home.

"We are trying to cope up with the situation, but what has saddened me more is the indifferent approach of people towards our family after my father tested positive for coronavirus," he said, adding that many people known to him stopped interacting or communicating with his family. The family of another Pune resident, who works as an electrician, is also suffering due to the COVID-19 outbreak. His 50-year-old mother died of coronavirus at the Sassoon Hospital on April 14.

"It seems lives of all our family members have turned upside down after my mother's death. I am the sole breadwinner of my family. Since the lockdown, I am at home and trying to somehow managing our finances," he said.

Razi Khan, member of the Popular Front of India whose volunteers are closely working with the civic administration to perform last rites of coronavirus victims from the Muslim community, said till now they have buried 20 bodies in Pune. "We are burying the bodies which are not claimed by their family members as they are either quarantined or are kept in hospitals. In some of the cases, we managed to make the bereaved family members part of the last rites rituals through video calls," Khan said.

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In a tragic case of migrant labour crisis, a 12-year-old girl, working at a chilli farm in Telangana, collapsed and died on Saturday while trying to make her way back home in Bijapur district in Chhatisgarh, amid the Coronavirus lockdown. According to the officials, the deceased, Jamalo Madkam, who left home in Bijapur’s Aded village just two months ago, was barely 11 km away from reaching there when she collapsed, Indian Express reported.

Officials also said that Madkam is suspected to have died of electrolyte imbalance as she was walking for three days with 13 others working in Telangana to her village, covering the distance of 100 km. The girl has also tested for Coronavirus that came negative. The results of the test came a day after she died.

Other than Madkam, the group included three children and eight women. Madkam’s father Andoram said that he had heard she left with a group from Peruru village in Telangana on April 16. “They decided to come back after realising that the lockdown had got extended and they would not get any work,” he said.

They'd gone to Telangana to work in chilli fields. Since there's no mode of transportation they walked from Telangana. Her body was preserved&samples were sent for testing as a precautionary measure. It came negative so further action is being taken after postmortem: CMHO Bijapur https://t.co/UR23YXW71L

— ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2020

The girl was the only daughter of Andoram (32) and his wife Sukamati (30), who were barely surviving on forest produce until she went to Telangana for the first time to work on a chilli farm. He said that she had gone to work with some women from the village.

Medical Officer of Bijapur district Dr B R Pujari was quoted by the newspaper as saying that the group had walked through forests and in one place, the girl had a fall. The newspaper quoted sources saying that the girl had died at 8 am on Saturday when the group had reached the border of Bijapur district. They could not inform her family earlier as only among them carried a phone whose battery died.

When the group reached Bhandarpal village, they managed to inform the girl’s family by requesting a resident of the village to help them make a call to her parents. They also informed the police about the girl’s death to the police.

Pujari said that the medical team rushed to the spot as soon as they got the news. “Since Telangana had cases, we immediately sent our teams, but we couldn’t find them,” he said.  Then the team found the group who handed over Madkam’s body to them. The group was then sent to a quarantine facility whereas the girl’s body was sent to a morgue. Andoram and Sukamati collected the girl’s body on Sunday evening.

Chhatisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel announced Rs 1 lakh compensation for the girl’s family on Monday.

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The family members of at least 25 houses in the Rashtrapati Bhavan premises have been asked to isolate themselves after a staffer's relative tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) that has claimed over 550 lives in India so far. Official sources confirmed the news to IANS on late Monday night.

"A relative of a resident of Rashtrapati Bhavan Estate Quarters died a few days ago. The person who has tested positive for the coronavirus on Sunday had attended the funeral," a source in the know of things said.

The individual has been sent to the quarantine centre in the nearby Birla Mandir complex.

The people in the house where the corona-positive person was found, along with the families living in around 25 houses have also been asked to isolate themselves as a precautionary measure. All of them have been instructed to follow social distancing norms strictly, sources said.

According to sources, the staffer's relative who has been found corona positive has no direct connection with Rashtrapati Bhavan. The individual's relative is serving there.

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Terming the Covid-19 crisis as a wake-up call, Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus of Tata Group, on Monday slammed the housing policies under which slums are moved from one location to the another.

Speaking at a webinar, Tata said, "For the first time, the close proximity and low value structures that we have built are the cause of new problems. The last few months have taught us that we're suffering from close proximity".

"The corona issue is a wake-up call of what beholds us and what our concern is as it turns around us and holds us back. I think there should be a re-examination of what we consider to have acceptable standards in terms of quality of life. Perhaps there ought to be a revision in terms of the fact that we are dealing with communities, we're dealing with populations that need to be a part of new India," he underlined.

On the issue of slums being relocated, Ratan Tata said, "We just go to affordable housing, slum elimination. We're trying to remove slums by moving them to another location, high value housing is being put over there. Slums are the residue; we're building a vertical slum.

"For the first time, the close proximity, low value structures that we have built are the cause of new problems. The last few months have taught us that we're suffering from close proximity. We have the image we want to project of ourselves and there's a part we want to hide. We have social responsibilities as architects and builders."

He further said: "We are creating a community which we're ashamed of. We should be really driven by the desire of creating, it creates a world culture.

"I think the happenings of the last few months have should have been a wake-up call for us. We have been humbled to realise that a disease could run across the globe, totally changing the dimension of how we are and what we do."

"I think we have to consider this issue as being our problem, and not their problem. We need to concern ourselves with the quality of lives everywhere. We need to ask ourselves, are we ashamed of what we see or proud of what we see'. We need to consider urban communities as one," he said.

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Chandigarh: She is close to turn into a centenarian but the coronavirus pandemic makes her a 'warrior'. She is stitching face masks for the people on the streets to battle it out.

She is 98-year-old Gurdev Kaur from Moga town in Punjab.

"We are making face masks and distributing among the passersby free of cost, wizened Gurdev Kaur said in a video shared by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Twitter on Tuesday.

Her bleak vision is not letting her down, she said her daughter-in-laws, grandchildren and her entire family are involved in sewing masks for a cause.

"We all love to do a charity and do it as much as possible," she said, while appealing to the people to follow lockdown norms and help one another.

"Take precaution to prevent oneself from this disease. They (government functionaries) also advise us to prevent yourself as much as possible by staying at home," she said, who daily wants to work daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

"I have no vision in one eye and the second eye had cataract surgery 25 years ago but the vision in that eye is very good," she said.

Appreciating her gesture, the Chief Minister said in a tweet: "The strongest corona warrior of Punjab is 98-year-old Gurdev Kaur from Moga who with her family is stitching masks for Punjab.

"Such selfless dedication of Punjabis is proof of how strong we are and that we will overcome any challenge which comes our way."

All over Punjab, people are making handmade face masks to help shield doctors, nurses and many others from the coronavirus.

India's count of positive coronavirus cases reached 18,985 after 1,329 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Tuesday. Out of the total cases, 15,122 are active cases, 3,259 have been discharged or cured and one has migrated. With 44 new deaths reported in the last 24 hours, the toll stands at 603.

As per the evening update by the ministry, Maharashtra continues to be the worst-hit state with 4,669 cases, out of which 572 patients have been discharged and cured and 232 deaths. Delhi's total count of confirmed cases stand at 2,081, which includes 431 cured or discharged cases and 47 deaths.

Gujarat has reported a total of 2,066 positive COVID-19 cases, out of which 131 patients have recovered or discharged, while 77 patients have lost their lives. Madhya Pradesh's count of COVID-19 cases stand at 1,540, including 127 cured or discharged cases and 76 deaths.

Rajasthan has so far reported 1,576 positive cases, out of which 205 patients have recovered or discharged and 25 people have lost their lives. Tamil Nadu's COVID-19 figure has risen to 1,520, with 457 patients recovered and 17 fatalities. Uttar Pradesh has reported 1,294 cases, out of which 140 patients have recovered and 20 are dead.

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Amid the rising number of coronavirus cases in India, Maharashtra remains the worse affected state with 472 fresh cases of coronavirus as per report in the state till 10 am on April 21. With this, the state tally stands at 4,676 cases with 232 deaths, the highest among all states reported in Maharashtra.

As per the latest report prepared by the Public Health Department analysed by the Medical Educations and Drugs Department of Maharashtra, out of the 472 fresh cases Mumbai reported 308 positive COVID-19 cases and seven deaths.

Data: Public Health Department, Government of Maharashtra

While Mumbai comprises the highest number of coronavirus cases in the state, places such as Ulhasnagar, Bhiwandi, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Dhule, Jalgaon, Nandurbar, Kolhapur, Sangli, Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, and Aurangabad among others have reported single digit cases of COVID-19. On the hand, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan, Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar, Panvel, Malegaon, Pune, Sangli, Solapur, Yavatmal, Buldhana etc have reported coronavirus positive cases in double digit numbers.

Mumbai has 3032 positive COVID-19 cases followed by Pune (594), Thane 134, and Vasai-Virar (107) all reporting COVID-19 cases in three digit numbers. As per the data, with 4676 coronavirus positive cases and 232 deaths, Maharashtra's mortality rate is 4.96 percent with 572 people recovering from the deadly virus.

Another point to be noted is the age wise distribution of COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra. The highest number of coronavirus cases has been reported in the age group 21 to 60 years with the highest number of deaths have taken place in the age group of 40 to 70 years. Of the 4,200 positive cases in Maharashtra, 2,529 are males while 1,671 are females.

As of Tuesday morning, Maharashtra has conducetd 75,838 sample test of which government labs have undertaken 38,255 and private labs undertaking 37,583 test for the novel coronavirus. Of 2,560 COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra, 84 percent is asymtomatic cases while 14 percent is symptomatic cases with 2 percent of critucal cases of COVID-19.

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Days after the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation expressed concern over alleged incidents of "Islamophobia" in India, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Tuesday said India is heaven for Muslims and those trying to vitiate the atmosphere of prosperity cannot be their friends. Asserting that the social, economic and religious rights of Muslims are secure in India, Naqvi said "secularism and harmony" is not a "political fashion", but a "perfect passion" for India and Indians.

His remarks come after the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Sunday urged India to take "urgent steps" to protect the rights of its minority Muslim community and stop the incidents of "Islamophobia" in the country. Asked about the OIC's criticism, Naqvi said, "We are doing our job with conviction. The prime minister whenever he speaks, he talks about the rights and welfare of 130 crore Indians." "If somebody cannot see this, then it is their problem. India's Muslims, its minorities, all its sections of the society, are prosperous and those people trying to vitiate this atmosphere of prosperity, they cannot be friends of Indian Muslims," he told reporters.

On criticism of India by scholars in Gulf nations, Naqvi said, "India is a heaven for Muslims and minorities." The social, economic and religious rights of Muslims are more secure and stronger in India than in other countries, he said. "If somebody is saying something with a prejudiced mindset, then he should look at the ground reality of this country and accept it," the minister said. "In this country, there is such a large population of Muslims. An analysis of their educational, social and economic conditions in the last five years should be looked at, their share in government jobs has increased and they have been educationally and economically empowered," Naqvi said. Muslims ave had an equal share in the progress of all sections and if India is progressing, the community is also progressing, he asserted.

"We should ensure that our strength of unity in diversity' is not get weakened under any circumstances, he said. "Professional bogus bashing brigades" are still active and conspiring to spread misinformation, Naqvi said. "We should remain cautious of such evil forces and we need to work unitedly to defeat their nefarious misinformation propaganda," Naqvi said. He also cautioned against fake news and conspiracies aimed at spreading misinformation, he said. The authorities have been working for safety and well-being of all citizens of the country and such type of rumours and conspiracies are a "nefarious design" to weaken the fight against coronavirus, Naqvi said. "Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the entire country is united in fight against coronavirus by breaking all barriers of caste, religion and region," he said.

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With 1383 new cases and 50 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, India's total number of positive COVID-19 cases stands at 19,984, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday. The total number of cases include 15,474 active cases and 640 deaths. As many as 3,869 people have been cured/discharged so far while one has migrated. Maharashtra remains the worst-hit State with 5,218 COVID-19 positive cases while Gujarat (2178) and Delhi (2156) are the two next-most affected states.

Maharashtra has reported 251 deaths, the highest fatality rate among the states. At a regular media briefing on COVID-19 situation in India, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry on Tuesday, said a total of 3,252 people have been cured of coronavirus in the country so far, including 705 patients who were discharged on Monday, taking the recovery percentage to 17.48 per cent.

Agarwal also said that the ministry has issued detailed guidelines to all the states that while focusing on COVID-19, all other services need to be provided.

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A migrant couple from Rajasthan's Alwar, who got stranded in Tripura, have named their newborn boy 'Lockdown'. The couple Sanjay Bauri and his wife Manju Bauri sell plastic wares and keep travelling to various states to earn money. They visit Tripura for six months every year to sell cheap plastic wares. The government officials suggested to name him 'lockdown' as he was born on April 13 during the lockdown.

"The baby is fine. We are getting food from the administration. He is fine. As he was born during the lockdown, we have decided to name him lockdown," the father of the newborn told ANI. "The government is helping us a lot and taking care of our child. They also ensured the safe delivery of my son. But we would be happier if we return to back to Rajasthan as soon as possible," Manju said.

Besides them, 13 other migrant families are living there in Badharghat.

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The total number of COVID-19 positive cases in Maharashtra reported in the last 24 hours, according to the data of state's Public Health Department. The total number of deaths in the state, due to COVID-19, has climbed to 251 after 19 more deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours

With 1383 new cases and 50 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, India's total number of positive COVID-19 cases stands at 19,984, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday. The total number of cases include 15,474 active cases and 640 deaths. As many as 3,869 people have been cured/discharged so far while one has migrated.

At a regular media briefing on COVID-19 situation in India, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry on Tuesday, said a total of 3,252 people have been cured of coronavirus in the country so far, including 705 patients who were discharged on Monday, taking the recovery percentage to 17.48 per cent.

Agarwal also said that the ministry has issued detailed guidelines to all the states that while focusing on COVID-19, all other services need to be provided.

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Among the 87 laboratories, which are set up in 15 states, Maharashtra has the highest number of COVID-19 testing labs at 20. It is to mention that Maharashtra is the worst-hit state in the country in terms of the number of people infected from coronavirus.

Moreover, 12 laboratories are in Telangana, 11 in Delhi, 10 in Tamil Nadu, 7 in Haryana, 6 in West Bengal, 5 in Karnataka 4 in Gujarat, and 2 each in Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh and 1 each in Uttarakhand and Odisha.

The ICMR further said that a total of 4,62,621 samples from 4,47,812 individuals have been tested for COVID 19 as on April 21 at 9 pm. "Also, 26,943 samples have been reported on 21 April till 9 pm," it added.

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This year has brought so many firsts and new experiences and this year’s Earth Day, April 22, will certainly be among them. While people can’t get outside and participate in the same outdoor and collective experiences in person, they are celebrating the Earth on Twitter this year.

 The conversation on Twitter has spiked 285% around the discussion of 'action' and 'innovation' in sustainability and there have been more than 1 million Tweets tying this period of COVID-19  to impacts on the environment and 20 million unique Tweets about the environment since last Earth Day.

Ahead of Earth Day, Twitter has launched a new #EarthDay2020 emoji to encourage environmental conversations. To commemorate the 50th Earth Day, Twitter India (@TwitterIndia), Let Me Breathe (@LetMeBreathe_In) and Earth Day Network (@EarthDay_India) are partnering for #FightForFifty: a campaign that highlights 50 years of Earth Day and gives a common platform to 50 crowdsourced steps that we can take in our daily life to combat climate change and live sustainably.

Noted environmental activists and celebrities are joining the environmental conversation.

 Actress Dia Mirza (@deespeak) and singer-actor Monica Dogra (@MonicaSDogra) too participated in a Live Twitter Panel on April 21, 2020, to talk about 50 years of #EarthDay2020 and climate action. You can also watch the chat from last night to take a few points that Dia Mirza (@deepspeak) has advised for sustainable living #EarthDay.

This #EarthDay , join us for #FiftyForFifty Live with @deespeak, @MonicaSDogra, @EarthDay_India and @Tamseel_h to discuss what each one of us can do to save the planet. https://t.co/vkSUXPQ90o

— Twitter India (@TwitterIndia) April 21, 2020

A small step for sustainability 🌱
Our planet is a lot more beautiful when it's green.
Let's keep it that way...#EarthDay2020#StayAtHomeSaveLives pic.twitter.com/BxKdEMsFqP

— Ajinkya Rahane (@ajinkyarahane88) April 22, 2020

When you realize “Heart” and Earth are spelt with the same letters, it all starts to make sense! Happy 50th #EarthDay!

#EarthDay2020 #WorldEarthDay2020 #EarthDayAtHome pic.twitter.com/bUs68xpOON

— Sonakshi Sinha (@sonakshisinha) April 22, 2020

Nature is healing: Of late, as the COVID-19 pandemic is keeping people indoors, reduced industrial and human activities have led to the rejuvenation of nature. Twitter has been witnessing volumes of discussions around how the lockdown has given the environment a chance to revive its lost glory.

This #EarthDay, we are sharing with you a few pictures of guests from the wild coming out on the streets of India during the COVID19 lockdown. This includes a special visit by two peahens to the house of the U.S. Ambassador to India as well! #EarthDay2020 pic.twitter.com/F9hD46YX0k

— U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) April 22, 2020

Earth is healing by itself.
#EarthDay #EarthDay2020 #EarthDayAtHome
Shot with @Sony @SonyAlpha @sony_india 77 Mark 2.
Post Processing: @SkylumSoftware pic.twitter.com/kUmePoP5x8

— Madhusudhan Reddy (@imMadhu1) April 22, 2020

Tweet, Tweet! It’s a bird: While people continue to spend time at home, they are taking up #BalconyBirding and reading books on nature.

I could speak to you about the importance of a single tree, but I will show you instead.

Flowering Neem tree, Delhi. pic.twitter.com/F2CMXGvLPN

— Neha Sinha (@nehaa_sinha) April 20, 2020

Last evening’s #balconybirding helped me make these photos, with a stunning sunset in the backdrop!

Parakeets, a kite and a crow, and an egret?

Nature is beautiful, even in cities! 🌇ðŸ¦Âœ#BirdWatching @sonyalpha pic.twitter.com/uh2lYLCvCS

— Isha (@ishaachitnis) April 20, 2020

Feed the #birds and they'll feed your soul with a look of gratitude.🥰🥰

Let's not forget to keep water & food for them in our balcony/terrace.

Celebrate #EarthDayAtHome by watching beautiful birds & squirrels enjoying their meal.

I enjoy this everyday.😇#EarthDay2020 pic.twitter.com/4XyfAPizr0

— Manu Gulati (@ManuGulati11) April 22, 2020

Reading Nature (@ReadingNature), a book club on Twitter, asked its followers to talk about their favourite #naturebooks on #EarthDay, and people are sharing some interesting reads through videos.

For #EarthDay, we asked you to tell us about the #nature books📚you have loved over the years & WOW! We are thrilled to share your stories thru the day!
We begin with Editor Scissorhands @bijal_v (who gave us the idea for this #thread) reading us some delightful kid-lit (1/n) pic.twitter.com/bwMtvu0r7p

— ReadingNature (@ReadingNature) April 22, 2020

To bring out more focused conversations on sustainability, Let Me Breathe (@LetMeBreathe_In) has also launched three #FiftyForFifty Twitter Lists on topics like Balcony Birders, Climate Activists and Sustainable Fashion. A Twitter List is a curated group of Twitter accounts. You can create your own Lists or subscribe to Lists created by others. Viewing a List timeline will show you a stream of Tweets from only the accounts on that List, usually around a particular topic of your choice.

Organisations such as the UNESCO MGIEP (@UNESCO_MGIEP), WWF India (@WWFINDIA) and Earth Day Network India (@EarthDay_IN) are organising virtual concerts with performances from the finest musicians as a tribute to the Earth.

SOUND ON 🔊

What better way to kick off this #EarthDay2020 than listening to @EarthDay_India's Ambassador, Dr. L Subramanium's "Earth song".#EarthDay #EarthSong pic.twitter.com/XTOKG7Iae7

— Earth Day Network (@EarthDayNetwork) April 22, 2020

Celebrate this 50th #EarthDay & #ShineYourLight with
🎼5 Grammy Award Winners
🎵40+ artists
🎧With @rickykej @baabamaal @ElsieLaura @wouterkellerman @VishwaMBhatt1 @LonniePark
🗓ï¸Â Wed. 22 April
⏰8:00 pm IST

RSVP your attendance now:https://t.co/k65HTgKft4 pic.twitter.com/gqEuQAehLT

— WWF India (@WWFINDIA) April 19, 2020

Let’s come together this #EarthDay to pledge our solidarity to the planet and collectively work for sustainability.

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