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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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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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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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 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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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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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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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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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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The Union Home Ministry has extended relaxation to several agriculture and commercial industries from the lockdown restrictions. In the commercial sector, shops selling textbooks and establishments selling electric fans can also operate.

In the agricultural sector, the relaxation has been extended to facilities for export or import such as pack houses, inspection and treatment facilities for seeds and horticulture produce. It also includes relaxation to research establishments dealing with the agriculture and horticulture activities and the inter- and intra-state movement of planting materials and honey bee colonies, honey and other beehive products.

The Union Home Ministry also also ordered Standard Operating Procedure for the sign-on and sign-off of Indian seafarers (crew members) at Indian ports and their movement. According to the SOP laid down for sign-in of a Indian crew member, the ministry said that the seafarer will have to intimate their travel and contact history for the last 28 days to the ship owner or the recruitment and placement service.

The SOP can be followed through email, as per procedure laid down by the Director General of Shipping.

In a late development, the Home Ministry released a detailed SOP for disembarking and subsequent repatriation of seafarers stranded in ships and different ports-of-call across the world in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The development, which was welcomed by Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant late on Tuesday, comes on a day when more than 60 Goan crew-members onboard cruiseship Marella Discovery, anchored off Mumbai, had released a video urging Sawant to allow them to disembark urgently, with the ship scheduled to sail for Europe on Wednesday.

"I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for permitting the disembarking of seafarers at Indian ports. Goans stranded on the high seas will now soon be back home. I would request all the seafarers and their families to support the government in safe return of all our stranded brothers and sisters," Sawant said in a social media post on Tuesday.

According to government sources, the cruiseship currently has more than 100 Indian sailors, out of which more than sixty are from Goa. Earlier on Tuesday, after the video by the ship's Goan crew members went viral, the Opposition MLAs urged Sawant as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's urgent intervention in the issue.

"The crew member however will be tested for COVID-19 before boarding the ship and will be allowed to sign-in only if he is tested negative," the ministry said.

"For sign-off purposes, the Indian seafarer arriving on the vessel would undergo the COVID-19 test for confirmation that he/she is negative for COVID-19," it added. The crew member will be kept in a quarantine centre until the report arrives.

According to Goa CM Sawant, more than 8,000 seafarers of Goan origin, are stranded in various anchored ships and ports-of-call across the world. Sawant had said that the process for repatriation would only begin after the SOP was released by the MHA.

The SOP mandates testing of all sailors disembarking on Indian ports for Covid-19, followed by quarantine at a facility operated either by the port or by the respective state government where the port is located, until the test reports are received.

"If the seafarer is tested as positive for COVID-19, he/she will be dealt as per the procedures laid down by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare," the SOP states.

"For the seafarers tested negative and signed off, the local authority in the area where the seafarer disembarks will be intimated about his/her clearance for sign-off and for issue of a transit pass from the place of disembarkation to the place of his/her residence," it also states.

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"A telephonic survey on COVID-19 is being undertaken where you shall receive calls on your mobile from 1921 number. Please participate in this survey with your information," the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare tweeted.

#IndiaFightsCorona

Please call the 24x7 toll free National Helpline number 1075 for support, guidance and response to health related queries on #COVID19. States' helpline nos. are available below ⬇️#StayAtHomeSaveLives

Via @MoHFW_INDIA pic.twitter.com/ruMHz8Ww3J

— #IndiaFightsCorona (@COVIDNewsByMIB) April 22, 2020

The survey is to be carried out by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and calls will be coming on mobile phones from the number 1921. "The citizens will get a call on their mobile phones by NIC by the number 1921. Participate in good measure to enable proper feedback of prevalence and distribution of COVID-19 symptoms," read a photo attached in the tweet.

The government has asked people to be aware of any other calls by pranksters or calls from any other numbers in the guise of such a similar survey.

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Amid the rising number of coronavirus cases in India, there is heartwarming news for tiger conservationists and animal lovers across the country. On April 18, a tigress at Ranchi's Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park gave birth to three cubs amid the total lockdown in the country.

In this #Corona-filled gloomy environment heartening news coming from #BhagwanBirsaZoo,Jharkhand where a Tigress has given birth to three cubs .Congratulations to all the Zoo Officials and staffs of Bhagwan Birsa Zoo,Ranchi. @HemantSorenJMM @Forest_Dept_GOJ pic.twitter.com/TYeg3qFeYv

— IFS Association (@CentralIfs) April 21, 2020

After the birth of the three cubs, Ranchi's Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park which is also known as Birsa zoo has now emerged as the new tiger breeding centre in India. The Birsa zoo's celebrated tiger couple, Mallik and Anushka, have given a boost to the 'Save Tiger' campaign with the birth of their three new cubs.

A heartwarming video of the new cubs was shared by Twitter user Indian Forest Service Association with the caption, "In this corona-filled gloomy environment heartening news coming from Bhagwan Birsa Zoo, Jharkhand where a Tigress has given birth to three cubs .Congratulations to all the Zoo Officials and staffs of Bhagwan Birsa Zoo, Ranchi."

Tiger Mallik and tigress Anushka were brougt to Ranchi's Birsa Zoo from Hyderabad's Nehru Zoological Park in March 2016. While speaking to Hindustan Times zoo veterinarian Dr Ajay Kumar said, "The tigress is showing normal maternal care patterns and the cubs are in good health."

With the birth of the new cubs, the total number of tiger population at Birsa zoo has gone up to 10. Although the zoo has been currently closed due to the coronavirus crisis, once re-opened, the three new cubs will not be available for public viewing for a period of three months.

The Birsa zoo authority has taken extra precautionary measures in order to ensure a safe and healthy atmosphere for the three new born cubs. Kumar further said, "No one is allowed to enter the tigress' cage. The cubs were kept in nursery and their health and activities are being monitored through CCTV cameras installed there."

The vet further said that vaccination to the three cubs would be started only after three months, "The mother tigress is feeding well to all three cubs. Mother and her cubs are healthy," Dr. Kumar said.

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A total of 64 police personnel in Maharashtra have been found coronavirus positive till now, the state police said here on Wednesday. According to Maharashtra Police, "12 police officers and 52 policemen have been found coronavirus positive in the state till now."

As per the data, 62,987 cases have been registered under Section 188 of IPC for violating lockdown from March 22 till April 22. The number of persons found by police violating quarantine measures is 595. "477 accused have been arrested in cases of assault on policemen. The total number of incidents on assault on police are 134.

13,869 people have been arrested since March 22 till 4 am today for violation during coronavirus lockdown, the police said. A total of 44,135 vehicles have been seized.

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The number of COVID-19 cases in India reached 20,471on Wednesday, with Maharashtra continuing to be the worst-hit state. Out of the total number of cases, 15,859 are active cases, 3,959 cured or discharged and 652 deaths.

Maharashtra has reported the highest number of cases across the country, with the count at 5,221, followed by Delhi (2,156) and Gujarat (2,272). Maharashtra reported 251 deaths, the highest fatality rate than any other state. Fresh cases were reported today from Kerala, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Kashmir among other states and UTs.

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved Rs 15,000 crore for 'India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package'. The funds sanctioned will be utilised in three phases.

While Rs 7,774 crore has been provisioned for immediate COVID-19 emergency response, the rest would be used for medium-term support (1-4 years) to be provided under mission mode approach.

Briefing mediapersons about the package here on Wednesday, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said the key objectives of the package include mounting emergency response to slow and limit COVID-19 in India through the development of diagnostics and COVID-19 dedicated treatment facilities, centralised procurement of essential medical equipment and drugs required for treatment of infected patients, strengthen and build resilient national and state health systems to support prevention and preparedness for future disease outbreaks

Javadekar said that no decision has been taken so far regarding the resumption of flight operations. "No decision has been taken yet on the resumption of flight operations. An announcement will be made on time as to when it will resume," Javadekar told reporters.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a video conference with the chief ministers of all the states on April 27 over the COVID)-19 crisis. The Prime Minister has held two such interactions earlier with the chief ministers over the coronavirus situation and lockdown imposed to prevent its spread.

Before the lockdown was announced on March 24, the prime minister had interacted with the chief ministers on March 20 to discuss the means to check the spread of the deadly virus. In his last such interaction with the CMs, Modi had thanked the states for supporting the decision of the 21-day nationwide lockdown and praised how all the states have worked together as a team to check the spread of the virus.

The lockdown which was initially meant for 21-days was later extended till May 3 by the government. Meanwhile, the total number of positive coronavirus cases across the country rose to 19,984, including 15,474 active cases.

So far, 3,869 patients have been cured and discharged while 640 deaths have been recorded, as per the data provided by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

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After four people recovered from COVID-19 in Moga, the district has become coronavirus free, informed KBS Sidhu, Special Chief Secretary, Punjab on Thursday. "There were 4 Corona positive cases who were kept in isolation for 14 days. Now, they have been tested twice and are now negative. District Moga is COVID-free now," the official tweeted.

"They are all TJ's and belong to Maharashtra--14 in all. They will be kept in Deaddiction and Rehabilitation Centre at Village Janer, which is closed now. This one is totally away from habitation. No one will object. Once the Inter-State borders open, they will be sent back," he said in another tweet.

According to the Health Ministry, Punjab so far has recorded 251 cases of coronavirus, out of which 49 have been cured and 16 have lost their lives.

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Sikar (Rajasthan): Quarantined in two schools in Rajasthan's Sikar district - a group of migrant labourers have added colour to their temporary abode by painting the chipped walls of the institutions.

About 54 workers from Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh quarantined in the Shaheed Sitaram Kumawat and Seth KL Tambi Government Higher Secondary schools in Palsana town wanted to express their gratitude for the arrangements made for them in quarantine.
Migrant workers have been quarantined at separate places across the country to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Palsana Sarpanch Roop Singh Shekhawat said that in response to the good care taken of them at the quarantine centres migrant workers wanted to express their gratitude. Wall paint and other necessary items were made available to them, which they used to give a makeover to the schools.

"The entire village is overwhelmed by their behaviour. All these people are perfectly healthy and their quarantine time is also over. It is joyful to see the constructive work done by the workers who have used the quarantine period beautifully," Shekhawat said.
Jagat Singh Panwar, secretary of district legal services authority who had visited the centre and met the workers, praised the workers for taking the initiative.

Now here is a positive story. Migrant labours from MP & Gujarat were quarantined at Palsana, Sikar. As a gesture they offered to colour the school since were getting food etc from there. Sarapanch arranged material. People are beautiful & inspiring. pic.twitter.com/1ncjTJGKA0

— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) April 22, 2020

The principal of Government Higher Secondary School, Palsana, Rajendra Meena said the school premises were not white-washed from the last nine years.

All the teachers agreed to the offer funds from their salaries, which was used to purchase paint and other necessary items and migrant workers staying here happily took the task without taking any money.

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A 92-year-old wheelchair-bound woman here tested negative for coronavirus after completing the mandatory 14-day quarantine period. The nonagenarian had suffered a paralysis attack seven months ago. She, along with her four other family members, tested positive for coronavirus and were admitted to Symbiosis Hospital in Lavale in the first week of April.

"A 92-year-old woman who suffered a stroke recently and is paralysed from the left side down, recovered 14 days after she tested positive for COVID-19. Age is a factor but it does not mean anyone who gets the virus is going to die," Dr Vijay Natrajan, CEO of Symbiosis University Hospital and Research Centre, Pune told ANI.

A 92-year-old woman who suffered stroke recently&is paralysed from left side down, recovered 14 days after she tested positive for #COVID19. Age is a factor but it doesn't mean anyone who gets the virus is going to die:Dr Vijay Natrajan,CEO of SUHRC,Pune #Maharashtra (22.04.2020) pic.twitter.com/vNkr7oDayj

— ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2020

According to doctors at the hospital, the recovery of the woman indicates that even senior citizens can recover from the virus.

"She has no symptoms of COVID-19. However, she had suffered a stroke and one side of her body got paralysed. During her stay here, we checked all her health parameters," Natrajan said.

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Amid the total lockdown across the country due to the coronavirus pandemic, a heartwarming video of a baby rhino is winning hearts for all the right reasons. In the video, a baby rhino can be seen making efforts to make new friends amid lockdown across the country.

A new friend in the colony👍

Baby rhino making new friends. Love this adorable baby’s 1st day out there. pic.twitter.com/Gfa5yxljDV

— Susanta Nanda IFS (@susantananda3) April 21, 2020

The adorable video was shared by Indian Forest Service officer Susanta Nanda, who is working in Odisha. In the 1 minute 15 seconds clip, the baby rhino, who is accompanied by his mother can be seen making innumerable attempts to make new friends in the forest.

New Kid on the Block... Backstreet Boyshttps://t.co/xfczdLYHx5

— Pankaj Thapliyal (@PankajT04765688) April 21, 2020

As the video moves forward, the baby rhino who is seen loitering around can be seen trying to form friendship with giraffes and fawn as the mother follows him wherever he goes. While sharing the adorable video with his followers, Susanta captioned it saying, "A new friend in the colony. Baby rhino making new friends. Love this adorable baby's first day out there."

Momma Rhino is the coolest. You know she has an eye on the baby at all times but love how she lets it explore in its own way 😊

— Smitha Murthy (@SmithaOne) April 21, 2020

The beautiful video which was shared on Tuesday has garnered over 4,000 views and about 600 likes. The cute and playful video of baby rhino left netizens gushing over the one minute sixteen second clip. One user said, "Woww! What a debut!," while lauding the mother another user commented, "Momma rhino is the coolest. You know she has an eye on the baby at all times but love how she lets it explore in its own way." A third user wrote, "So adorable..."

Woww! What a debut!

— Heena Mehta (@HeenaMe61603627) April 21, 2020

What do you think of the adorable video?

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Nearly 20 per cent COVID-19 patients have recovered so far in the country, said Lav Agarwa, Joint Secretary, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Thursday, while the total cases of coronavirus have soared to 21,393.

In last 24 hours 1409 positive cases have been reported, which takes our total confirmed cases to 21,393: Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/TVCj5RxGgw

— ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2020

Addressing a press conference here, Agarwal said: "With 1,409 new cases, there are 21,393 positive cases in India now. So far, 4,257 people have recovered including 388 people who recovered yesterday. This takes our recovery percentage to 19.89 per cent."

Agarwal said that as on today, India has 12 districts that did not report a fresh case in the last 28 days or more. "There are now 78 districts in 23 States/UTs, which have not reported any fresh cases during the last 14 days," he added.

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Tata Trusts has begun a pan-India community outreach to induce adoption of health practices, as promoted by the Government of India, in rural areas to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Beginning March 31, the exercise is expected to have already reached about 12 million people in 21 states.

The campaign '5 Kadam, Corona Mukt Jeevan', ranges from video messages in the country's languages, even dialects, short animation videos and infographics to audio messages, and SMS based messaging.

For wider deployment by any interested organisation, the Trusts have made publicly available through social media about 300 such videos and audio messages, in different languages, and dialects like Dongri, Kumaoni, Ladakhi, Garhwali, Santhali, Mundari, Kutchi (Gujarat) and Koborok (Tripura). All of them are available in the playlist here.

Over 70 celebrities from all over India, have lent their support with video and audio messages. Among them are Nana Patekar, Sonali Kulkarni, Harbhajan Singh, Ila Arun, Atul Kulkarni, Malini Awasthi, and Sanju Samson for Rajasthan Royals, to name a few.

The Trusts have deployed more than 430 master trainers in these 21 states who in turn have trained a pool of over 8,700 community resource persons (village volunteers) to deliver the message till the last mile.

Through the existing network of the Trusts' programmes, the volunteers, associate organisations of the Trusts, community radios, village-based public address systems, and use of various internet and communication technologies, the programme is expected to have reached out to about 12 million people till date.

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In view of the crisis arising out of COVID-19, government on Thursday decided to freeze payment of additional instalment of dearness allowance (DA) to the Central government employees and dearness relief (DR) to pensioners falling due from January 1, 2020.

The decision comes after the Union Cabinet on March 14 approved a four per cent hike in DA to 21 per cent in a bonanza for 1.13 crore Central government employees and pensioners applicable from January, 2020 costing the exchequer Rs 14,595 crore.

In an office memorandum, department of expenditure, ministry of finance said that additional instalment of DA and DR falling due from July 1, 2020 and January 1, 2021 will also not be paid. However, the allowance will continue to be paid at current rates.

The Central government employees will also not get any arrears in any future revision of DA/DR from from July 1, 2021. However, If a decision to revise DA rates is taken for July 1, 2021 period, the rate of allowance as effective from January 1, 2020, July 1, 2020 and January 1, 2021 will be restored prospectively and will be subsumed in the cumulative revised rates effective from July 1, 2021, the office memorandum said.

Though the government did not give an estimate of how much it would save by disallowing DA revision for its employees, a four per cent raise approved by cabinet last month meant additional expenditure of around Rs 15,000 crore. For three half yearly periods, going by this yardstick, would result in savings of close to Rs 45,000 for the Centre.

Any change in DA rates benefits about 48 lakh Central government employees and 65 lakh pensioners. DA is paid by the government to its employees as well as pensioners to offset the impact of inflation.

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Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray here on Thursday asked the state government to drop 'moral issues' and permit liquor shops and restaurants to resume forthwith to enable it earn badly-needed revenue for its near-empty coffers.

In a letter to his cousin and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, the MNS chief said since March 18, the state was in lockdown -- first till March 31, then till April 14 and now extended to May 3 -- with no certainty when it would be lifted.

In such times, there was no harm in keeping this option (wine shops) open since it's not intended to cater to the needs of the alcohol consumers but to start generating income for the government, Raj Thackeray said.

"The excise duty generated for the state via liquor amounts to Rs 41.66 crore daily, or Rs 1,250 crore monthly and Rs 14,000 crore yearly," he said.

In view of the 35 days of lockdown till now and future extensions, the loss of revenue from this sector could be calculated till now and also the future losses that might happen if the shutdown was prolonged, he said.

"It's not that there was a liquor ban in our state and we are asking to remove that. Prior to lockdown, the wine shops were open. The state government should not try to get caught in some moral issues at such a crucial time and take the necessary action," Raj urged Uddhav.

His statement came a couple of days after Health Minister Rajesh Tope made an open-ended statement that there should be no problems in permitting liquor shops, provided they followed social distancing norms.

Taking up cudgels on behalf of restaurants, Raj said big and small eateries were a sheer necessity in Mumbai where millions live on the affordable 'rice plate'. Besides, there are homes that need their services as they don't have the supplies or resources for cooking meals, and the government must consider this category also.

Touching upon other essentials like food, vegetables and fruits, he said while these were open and available, they needed to be organised and coordinated to revive the economic cycle. The MNS said it pertained not just to Maharashtra but also all other states since when and how much central assistance would come was uncertain.

"Let's face the reality and find solutions instead. The need of the hour is to be economically self-reliant and this solution provided needs to be taken seriously," said Raj Thackeray.

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The government said on Thursday that it has been able to "cut Coronavirus transmission", minimise its spread and increase the doubling time of COVID-19 cases in the country during the 30-day period of the nationwide lockdown. While asserting that the growth of Coronavirus cases in the country has been more or less linear and not exponential, it also said testing has been ramped up consistently. Addressing a daily press conference on the COVID-19 situation in the country, C K Mishra, chairman of Empowered Group Two, said, "One crucial weapon we employed during the 30-day lockdown period is RT-PCR test to ascertain if one has contracted the disease or not."

As on March 23, nearly 15,000 tests were done across the country and by April 22 more than 5 lakh tests were conducted, which is about "33 times in 30 days", he said, adding, "But we are conscious of the fact that this is not enough and we have to continuously ramp up testing in the country and we will do that." Of the empowered groups formed to suggest measures to ramp up healthcare, put the economy back on track and reduce misery of people once the lockdown is lifted, Mishra is the chairman of Empowered Group Two tasked with coordinating availability of hospitals, isolation and quarantine facilities, disease surveillance, testing and critical care training.

"The growth of COVID-19 cases has been more or less linear, not exponential; this indicates that the strategies we adopted have succeeded in containing the infection to a particular level. Post imposition of lockdown, while the number of new positive cases has increased by 16 times, testing increased by 24 times," Mishra said in his presentation.

Finance ministry puts DA, DR on hold

The finance ministry has decided to put on hold increment in dearness allowance (DA) for 50 lakh central government employees and 61 lakh pensioners till July 2021. "Additional installment of DA payable to central government employees and dearness relief (DR) to pensioners due from January 1, 2020, shall not be paid," it said.

India fights the virus as lockdown continues

Cong blames Centre: The chief ministers of Congress-ruled states on Thursday hit out at the central government for not providing financial assistance to them, asking how the country would win the battle against COVID-19 in this time of crisis. The chief ministers of Punjab, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Puducherry demanded a financial package for the states to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pay cut rolled back: IndiGo CEO Ronojoy Dutta told employees on Thursday that the airline has decided to roll back the pay cuts, which were announced earlier for senior staff members, for the month of April in deference to the “government’s wishes”. “However, your Excom (Executive Committee) members and SVPs (senior vice presidents) have volunteered to take pay cuts this month. For everyone else, you can expect your April salaries to be paid without the pay cuts,” Dutta told employees through an email.

K’taka relaxes lockdown: Partial relaxation in the extended lockdown has begun across Karnataka, excluding Coronavirus hotspots and containment areas, according to an official here on Thursday. “As notified, the 19-day extended lockdown has been partially relaxed to mitigate hardship to the people and revive the economic activity to sustain growth,” the official said.

Pool testing: Even though Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh has been declared Corona-free, the district administration is taking no chances regarding the deadly virus. The Bareilly health department has deployed a mobile medical unit in crowded localities of the city to collect “pool” samples for random COVID-19 testing of vegetable and fruit vendors, hawkers, chemists, etc.

‘Don’t hold iftars’: The Association of All Goa Muslim Jamaats on Thursday issued a pre-Ramzan advisory urging Muslims in the state not to organise community iftars and pray for frontline health workers, police and those involved in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.

Exit strategy: The Congress Working Committee in its meeting, held virtually, on Thursday demanded that the remaining period of the lockdown should be used to prepare and publish a detailed exit strategy and a comprehensive road map for the future.

04
No. of cops in Bengal injured in clash with villagers

686
Total no. of deaths due to the virus in India

5L
Total no. of samples that have been tested till now

34
No. of Bhopal cops who have tested COVID-19 positive

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Police on Thursday took in custody around 100 people who entered the city while travelling from Mumbai on way to their native places, including in North India, during the coronavirus-enforced lockdown, said officials. These people, numbering around 100 and including women and children, were coming from Mumbai, around 200km from here, on foot during the lockdown and entered Nashik city in the evening, they said.

Police swung into action when they were spotted on a flyover on the Mumbai-Agra Highway, which passes through the city, the officials said. When questioned, some of them told the police they were going to their hometowns in North India, they said. Some of them were natives of other districts of Maharashtra, the officials said. They were travelling in violation of government orders related to implementation of the coronavirus-enforced lockdown and hence were taken into custody, they said.

The police later sent them to a Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC)-run shelter home in Anandvalli. Till now, more than 800 people, who were passing through Nashik during the lockdown, have been taken into custody and kept in various shelter homes in the city, they said. One of them was later found to be coronavirus positive and is receiving treatment in hospital, they added.

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New Delhi: An astounding 93.5 per cent people in the country believe that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government is handling the coronavirus outbreak effectively, a survey revealed on Thursday.

The central government had imposed a 21-day nation-wide lockdown on March 25, which was later extended till May 3.

According to the IANS-C-voter COVID-19 tracker, the number of people who laid trust on the Modi government on the first day of the lockdown was 76.8 but that has now increased to 93.5 per cent as of April 21.

In the survey, the statement -- "I think the Indian government is handling the coronavirus (outbreak) well" -- was put forth before people between March 16 to April 21 and their answers were sought.

On April 16, 75.8 percent people said that they have faith in the government, but the percentage increased after the stringent curbs were imposed in the country.

Interestingly, an overall confidence in the incumbent government saw a sharp rise on April 1. A 89.9 percent people believed that the government is working well in comparison to March 31, when the percentage was 79.4

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As and when the present lockdown norms are lifted, over 10,000 private bus owners have decided to inform the Kerala government, that they will not be operating their buses, as strict social distancing norms will leave them reeling in losses. The bus owners points out that even without any such norms, they are incurring heavy losses and with this new scenario, they will be unable to operate.

Hence they will request the Transport Department to keep the buses in the garage and under the G Form application, they will not have to pay the road taxes also, as the buses will not be operating. State Transport Minister A.K.Saseendran said that their concerns are genuine under the new circumstances.

"Since I alone am unable to take a decision, we will bring this before the Chief Minister and the cabinet. This situation would also be applicable to the state-run transport department also. Things are not that easy," said Saseendran.

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Business magnate Anand Mahindra is known for sharing posts that showcase innovative techniques that people use to make life easy.  The chairman of Mahindra and Mahindra Group has recently tweeted a video of a man’s e-rickshaw and how it helps practice social distancing amid the Coronavirus outbreak. He praised the idea in his tweet in which he also asks one on his teams to take a leaf from.

The viral video shows an e-rickshaw with a wall that divides the seats in the vehicle making it efficient to accommodate four people. The wall will not allow the customers to have any physical contact with each other, while they ride in the rickshaw. “The capabilities of our people to rapidly innovate & adapt to new circumstances never ceases to amaze me,” Mahindra writes in the tweet. He tags Rajesh Jejurikar, the Executive Director of Auto and Farm Sectors in Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd, and writes, “we need to get him as an advisor to our R&D & product development teams!”

The capabilities of our people to rapidly innovate & adapt to new circumstances never ceases to amaze me. @rajesh664 we need to get him as an advisor to our R&D & product development teams! pic.twitter.com/ssFZUyvMr9

— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) April 24, 2020

Since shared on Friday, the video has garnered more than 255,200 views with over 34,200 likes and was retweeted more than 7,300 times. The users commenting on the post lauded the creativity behind the vehicle with some asking to introduce a fund for innovators to showcase their talent.

Thats almost a "Quarantine Tuk-Tuk"!!Brilliant!!

— NIRANJANA CHELUR (@MAXCHELUR) April 24, 2020

Necessity is the mother of invention. !!

— Siva Kumar 🇮🇳 (@nakshatrala) April 24, 2020

You should launch a 10year close ended innovation fund. India has abundant innovators if only they could get some support.

— Cold Oatter (@cold_oatter) April 24, 2020

Sir, I am sure all of us would have seen street smart guys/kids through our lives, though they aren't Princeton/Harvard educated..They might not know complex PPT presentation, but they know how to survive challenges!
Glad that you are giving him a platform to showcase his talent!

— ತರà³Âà²²à³Â† 𝒯𝒽𝒾𝓂𝓂𝒶 (@BLRrocKS) April 24, 2020

Super 👌👌👌👌

There is no lack of creativity & capabilities in India.

— Krutika Varu 🇮🇳 (@VaruKrutika) April 24, 2020

What do you think about the video?

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A unique initiative by Tamil Nadu's Tiruppur Police to teach lockdown offenders a lesson and create awareness about the spread of the novel coronavirus has taken the internet by storm. A viral video shared by a meme page on Facebook shows police officers in Tamil Nadu teaching people violating the lockdown guidelines a lesson for life.

In the three minute 50 seconds video clip, police officers of Tiruppur Police can be seen stopping people roaming freely without face mask amid lockdown across the country. In order to teach a lesson to those defying lockdown rules, the Tamil Nadu police came up with their own unique initiative which has been appreciated by netizens.

As the video moves forward, the police officers are seen pushing the lockdown violators into an ambulance which has a man posing as a COVID-19 patient. Once pushed inside, the violators can be seen begging the officers to let them comes out of the ambulance van.

The hilarious yet creative video ends with a police officer making an appeal to people to not roam without face masks. The officer says, "When you roam around, anyone can have the novel coronavirus and you may not know. The government and the police officials have been stressing on the importance of staying indoors. If at all you need to come out to buy essentials, please wear masks."

The funny video which aims to create awareness to combat the spread of COVID-19 has garnered over 2.3 million views and about 73 thousand shares. Hundreds of people took to the comments section of the viral video to laud the Tamil Nadu police and shower praise on their unique initiative.

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The total number of Covid-19 cases in the country mounted to 26,917 on Sunday evening, the Union Health Ministry stated. Of the total cases, 20,177 are active cases, 5,913 people have recovered, and 826 people have succumbed to the disease.

Maharashtra remained the worst hit state with a total number of cases rising to 7,628, followed by Gujarat which reported 3,071 cases and Delhi which has reported 2,625 cases, according to the Health Ministry data.

Besides the trio, other states which have jumped the 1,500 mark are Madhya Pradesh (2,096), Rajasthan (2,083), Tamil Nadu (1,821) and Uttar Pradesh (1,843).

Maharashtra has recorded 323 deaths, the highest number of casualties among all the states. The western state is followed by Gujarat at 133, Madhya Pradesh at 99 and Delhi at 54.

Among other major cities, Andhra Pradesh has reported 1,097 and 31 deaths, Bihar stood at 251 cases and two deaths, Haryana at 289 and three deaths, Jammu and Kashmir at 494 cases and six deaths, Karnataka at 501 and 18 deaths and Kerala was docked at 458 and four deaths.

States which have reported less than 10 cases are - Tripura, Mizoram, Puducherry, Manipur, Goa and Arunanchal Pradesh. On the global front, the total number of cases has crossed 2.9 million mark and over two lakh people have died so far.

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Playing game of cards and hosting parties to kill time during the nationwide lockdown, two truck driver in Andhra Pradesh's Vijayawada city spread coronavirus to as many as 38 persons, officials said on Sunday.

One of them infected 24 people while organising a game of cards at his house and inviting his neighbours and friends to join in. According to officials, he had gone to Kolkata in West Bengal to ferry some goods and returned to the city on April 4 via Odisha.

Feeling bored, the driver invited neighbours and friends for a game of cards while his wife invited womenfolk from nearby houses.

When the truck driver tested positive, officials questioned him and came to know about his activities since his return hoe. Those who came in contact with him were screened and most found infected.

Another driver spread the virus to 14 people. Investigations revealed that he had gone to Dubai and returned via Sri Lanka and Chennai last month. Without observing home quarantine, he attended parties and thus spread of virus.

Vijayawada is a hotspot in the state and it accounts for more than 100 of the 177 positive cases reported so far in Krishna district.

District collector Imtiyaz Ahmed said unless people cooperate in checking the spread of coronavirus, government efforts alone can't yield the desired results.

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A three-month-old baby who had tested positive for Coronavirus around two weeks ago, was cured and discharged, along with her along with her mother who had been looking after him, on Sunday from BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur.

The baby happens to be a relative of Basti's first Corona death case.

The mother, 30, had arrived with her son at the BRD Medical College on April 12, and both were tested twice. The mother was found to be negative but the baby was positive.

"The major challenge for the doctors was to save the mother from the infection. The infant was shifted to the isolation ward, where his mother took care of him with all precautions," said BRD college principal Dr. Ganesh Kumar.

He further said: "The baby had no serious complications except fever for which he was initially given paracetamol. He recovered without any medication due to self-immunity boosted by the intake of mother's milk."

The tests conducted on Saturday and Sunday of both, mother and baby, were negative.

The mother-son duo received a standing ovation from Gorakhpur district magistrate Vijyendra Pandiyan, commissioner Jayant Narlirkar, and BRD medical staff for winning the battle against Corona virus.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a video conference with Chief Ministers over the COVID-19 situation, was seen covering his face with a traditional 'gamcha on Monday.

The Prime Minister's 'gamcha' was a plain white colour with a sea green check pattern. Covering the mouth and nose with a traditional 'gamcha' has been the go-to option for Modi in a bid to make people aware of how they can easily take precautions against coronavirus.

Modi wore a 'gamcha' previously for his address to the nation on April 14 during which he announced the extension of the national lockdown till May 3. During a video interaction with Sarpanchs on April 24, Modi again opted for a 'gamcha'. He was seen wearing a homemade white cloth mask in his previous meeting with Chief Ministers on April 11.

With 1,396 more COVID-19 cases reported in the last 24 hours, India's count of coronavirus cases has reached 27,892, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Monday. Out of the total cases, 20,835 patients are active cases and 6,185 cases have been cured, discharged, or migrated. The death toll stands at 872, with as many as 48 fatalities reported in the last 24 hours.

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Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Monday said that he is following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mantra of 'Jaan Bhi Jahan Bhi' as the state government is gradually working on improving the economic situation while adhering to coronavirus guidelines.

His remarks came after attending the meeting of Chief Ministers with the Prime Minister over the prevailing COVID-19 situation. "Now we are working on the mantra 'Jaan Bhi Jahan Bhi' given by the Prime Minister. While strictly following the guidelines of the Government of India, we are gradually working on improving the economic situation. Pharma, food processing units are working, many industries have started under the guidelines,"

Rawat said, according to a release by Uttarakhand CMO "Nine hill districts of the state are free from the influence of Corona. The works of National Highway, MNREGA have been started keeping in mind everything. For the economic revival of the state, a committee of cabinet sub-committee and experts has been formed, whose report will be received soon," he said.

The Chief Minister said that it should be looked at and which economic activities can be started while adhering to all guidelines to combat COVID-19.

Rawat said that Uttarakhand being a tourism and pilgrimage destination has been greatly affected by the lockdown. "But I am confident that under the leadership of the Prime Minister, the situation in the state will improve again," he added. He said that the gates of Gangotri and Yamunotri have been opened on Akshaya Tritiya while maintaining all precautions.

The Chief Minister also suggested that the duration of employment in MNREGA be increased from 100 days to 150 days.

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