Here is a look at the latest updates on the outbreak of

and around the world —

India to participate in WHO 'solidarity trial', says government

Provide food, shelter for migrant labourers, says MHA

Delhi to feed about 4 lakh people daily, says Arvind Kejriwal

Indian Army code names anti-Covid-19 operations 'Operation Namaste'

MHA asks states to stop mass exodus of migrant labourers amid coronavirus lockdown

Muslim organisations urge people to offer Friday namaz at home

RBI reduces repo rate by 75 basis points to 4.4%: Key points

The Cash Reserve Ratio of all banks was reduced by 100 basis points to 3% of Net Demand and Time Liabilities with effect from the fortnight beginning March 28 for a period of 1 year

All lending institutions to allow 3-month moratorium on payment of term loan installments

Global slowdown can deepen with adverse implication for India; crude oil slump upside for India

Centre asks states to arrange food, shelter for migrant workers

In Iran, false belief a poison fights coronavirus kills hundreds

'Coronavirus could kill 81,000 in US, subside in June'

India proposes online platform for SAARC to jointly combat coronavirus

US has most coronavirus cases in world, next wave aimed at Louisiana

China reports one local coronavirus case after three days; imported cases near 600

Govt mulls roping in 5th-yr medical students, retd docs to fight Covid-19

Cash transfers, free foodgrains for poor in Rs 1.7 lakh crore coronavirus package

Heat may slow corona but early summer unlikely

Centre permits doorstep delivery of medicines during Covid-19 lockdown

NEW DELHI: Seven deaths from Covid-19 infections were reported from across the country on Thursday, the highest single-day count so far, taking the toll from the disease to 20, even as states registered 71 new cases, including four in Delhi. The total number of coronavirus cases thus far in India crossed the 700 mark, ending the day at 727.India is soon likely to participate in the WHO's "solidarity trial" for developing potential drugs for COVID-19, officials said on Friday. At a press briefing on coronavirus at 4 pm, Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal said 75 new cases of coronavirus and four deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours. Raman R Gangakhedkar, Head of Epidemiology and Communicable diseases at ICMR, said that India did not participate earlier as "our numbers were small and our contribution would have looked minuscule". Agarwal said that a PSU has been ordered to provide 10,000 ventilators while Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has been requested to purchase 30,000 additional ventilators in one-two months amidst a shortage of the machines in the country.Ministry of home affairs (MHA) has directed states and union territories to make arrangements for providing shelter, food for migrant labourers amid coronavirus lockdown, said ministry officials. Reports from various States and UTs poured in about daily wage labourers leaving cities to go back home as the 21-day lockdown leaves them with no means to earn a livelihood. Images of labourers crowded at night shelters and walking hundreds of kilometre back home evoked a strong response across the country. The MHA order came after earlier in the day it advised the States, UTs to prevent the mass exodus of migrant agricultural labourers, industrial workers, unorganised sector workers.The Delhi government has arranged to serve lunch and dinner to the needy in 325 schools in Delhi, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Friday amid reports of people going hungry without access to food during the ongoing nationwide lockdown. "We have made arrangements to provide lunch and dinner in 325 schools. Around 500 people will be provided with food in all these schools. So far we were providing food to 20,000 people daily, the number will now increase to around 2,00,000 from today," he said.Indian Army has code-named its anti-Covid-19 operations as 'Operation Namaste'. Army has, so far, established eight quarantine facilities across the country. "Army has successfully come out of all operations in the past, and will successfully execute Operation Namaste as well," said Army Chief General MM Naravane on preparations by his force against the virus.The Union home ministry asked state governments to prevent a mass exodus of migrant agriculture labourers, industrial workers and unorganised sector employees from their workplaces to hometowns amid a 21-day nationwide lockdown to combat the coronavirus. The home ministry said they should also make arrangements for uninterrupted supply of essential commodities to hotels, working women hostels so that they continue to live in existing facilities.In the view of government directives issued regarding coronavirus, I advise people to avoid gathering in mosques on Friday and offer prayers from home. It's our religious and social responsibility to protect ourselves and the others," said Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind Pres Maulana Arshad Madani. "I appeal to all the Muslims and imams in India to strictly follow the government's guidelines on coronavirus. I appeal to all Muslims to offer 'Namaz' only at their homes today," said Dr Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, chief imam of All India Imam Organisation. "Today, the world is facing a tough challenge of coronavirus. It is the time to take all precautionary measures. I appeal to the Muslims to offer all the prayers including Friday prayer from their homes," said Shahi Imam of Delhi's Jama Masjid, Syed Ahmed Bukhari.Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Shaktikanta Das on Friday announced a 75 basis points cut in repo rate to deal with the impact of deadly coronavirus outbreak on the economy.The Centre on Thursday asked state governments to arrange food and shelter for migrant workers who are facing difficulties due to the 21-day lockdown announced to check the spread of coronavirus. "We have asked the state governments to arrange food and shelter for the migrant workers. We are sensitizing everyone that wherever they are, they should remain there. Students should continue to remain in hostels," a government official said.Iranian media reports nearly 300 people have been killed and more than 1,000 sickened so far by ingesting methanol across the Islamic Republic, where drinking alcohol is banned and where those who do rely on bootleggers. Iran has reported over 29,000 confirmed cases and more than 2,200 deaths from the virus.The coronavirus pandemic could kill more than 81,000 people in the United States in the next four months and may not subside until June, according to a data analysis done by University of Washington School of Medicine. The number of hospitalized patients is expected to peak nationally by the second week of April, though the peak may come later in some states. Some people could continue to die of the virus as late as July, although deaths should be below epidemic levels of 10 per day by June at the latest, according to the analysis.India has proposed setting up of a common electronic platform for all SAARC nations to share expertise and best practices in jointly combatting the coronavirus pandemic. It was informed that considerable work had already gone into the creation of the platform, which could also serve as a multipurpose vehicle to further discuss and conduct activities such as online training for emergency response personnel.The number of US coronavirus infections climbed above 82,000 on Thursday, surpassing the national tallies of China and Italy, as New York, New Orleans and other hot spots faced a surge in hospitalizations and looming shortages of supplies, staff and sick beds.China has reported one domestically transmitted coronavirus case after three days with 54 new imported infections on Thursday, prompting Beijing to temporarily cancel visas for foreigners and restrict flights to prevent the second wave of the deadly COVID-19 in the country.In urgent measures to ramp up medical capacity to tackle any sharp rise in Covid-19 cases, the government is considering facilitating fifth-year MBBS students and retired but practising doctors to help in managing patients, if necessary. With medical facilities running low on ventilators and protective masks and hampered by limited diagnostic testing capacity, the US death toll from Covid-19-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus, rose beyond 1,200.The government on Thursday announced a Rs 1.7 lakh crore package focused on emergency cash transfers into bank accounts of the poor, along with providing free foodgrains, pulses and cooking gas for three months in a bid to cushion them from the impact of the coronavirus lockdown and economic disruption caused by the disease.Many Indians have been praying for an early onset of peak summer this year in the light of some studies that have shown that transmission of Covid-19 infections may slow down in high heat. That hope may be dashed, with met department forecasts showing that the chances of summer setting in early are low.The Central government on Thursday allowed doorstep delivery of medicines to people during the 21-day nationwide lockdown to stop the spread of coronavirus. "The Central Government is satisfied that retail sale of drugs to the doorstep of consumers is essential to meet the requirements of emergency arising due to pandemic COVID-19," read a government notification.