Coronavirus Outbreak Updates:The sixth positive case of coronavirus was registered in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday. he sixth patient is the wife of the person who tested positive for coronavirus in Visakhapatnam on 17 March upon his return from Mecca. She contracted the virus from her husband, said officials

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The Prime Minister also asked citizens to express gratitude towards doctors, nurses, hospital staff, sanitation workers, airlines employees, government staff, police personnel, media people, people associated with train-bus-auto rickshaw services and home delivery agents by ringing bells, clanking utensils or making other sounds at 5 pm.

"The steps we take now will help in the times to come. Stay indoors and stay healthy," Modi said.

Ahead of the beginning of the janta curfew that will be observed on Sunday from 7 am till 9 pm, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted a video where he urged the people to add "strength to the fight against COVID-19 menace".

A special Air India flight is flying back 263 Indian students and compassionate cases departed for India by from Rome fulfilling our commitment to ensure their safe return home. The Indian Embassy in Italy facilitated the return of the 263 Indian people

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) issues guidelines for COVID-19 testing by private laboratories. Maximum cost for testing samples capped at Rs 4,500 - Rs 1,500 for screening test for likely cases and additional Rs 3,000 for confirmation test.

Train services all over India have also been cancelled till 10 pm today.

After the janta curfew came into effect on Sunday at 3 pm, Delhi Metro shut services.

From 22 to 31 March, general public will not be allowed to travel in Mumbai local trains. Only those providing essential services will be allowed to travel and ID cards will be also checked at every station, CNN-News18 reported.

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot announced that a lockdown will be in effect in the state till 31 March. Meanwhile, Section 144 was imposed in several districts of Mizoram.

A 33-year-old man with recent foreign travel history tested positive for coronavirus in Karnataka, Dharwad DC Deepa Cholan told ANI. She added that contact tracing is underway and the three kilometre area around Hosayellapur, where the infected person was living has been quarantined.

The special Air India flight carrying 263 Indian students that took off from Rome landed at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International airport today at 9.15 am. After the Delhi Customs provides clearance to these passengers at a remote bay and undergoing immigration and temperature checks at the airport, they will be taken to the quarantine facility in Chhawla.

Meanwhile, the Punjab government announced that it will enforce lockdown till 31 March. It has joined the list of states like Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Bihar, which have announced either a complete or partial lockdown.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in India rose to 324, while the figure stood at 315 on Saturday night.

This comes as India has banned international flights from landing from 22 March onwards for a week.

A special Air India fllight with 12 crew members was sent to bring back the stranded Indians. The Boeing 787-Dreamline departed from Delhi at 2.30 pm on Saturday and left Rome on Sunday morning.

All the 263 Indian evacuees who returned from Rome on Sunday at 9.15 am will be taken to ITBP Chhawla Quarantine Facility in Delhi. Before being taken to the quarantine site, all of them will be thermally screened at the Delhi airport.

Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma had earlier on Sunday announced that the lockdown in Jalandhar district would continue till midnight of 25 March.

Some of the districts which have witnessed maximum positive cases are Jalandhar, Patiala, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, Bathinda and Nawanshahr.

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, authorities in Punjab have ordered a complete lockdown for the next few days in the state, Public Relations (PR) Senior Official, Punjab Government was quoted by ANI.

In a statement, KLM Airline said, "On March 20, Flight KL871 from Amsterdam to Delhi had to be redirected to Schiphol due to conflicting information on entry restrictions in the country. 120 passengers on board this aircraft are residents of India, who were on their way to Delhi via a transfer at Schiphol, and are now on airside at Schiphol."

The official said the DGCA on Saturday night issued permission for the Dutch airline to land its aircraft carrying the Indian citizens in the national capital on March 22.

The Netherlands' KLM Airlines on Saturday said its Amsterdam-Delhi flight with 120 Indians on board was turned back due to "conflicting" information on flight restrictions imposed by the Indian authorities in order to hinder the spread of COVID-19.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has permitted an Amsterdam-Delhi flight with 120 Indian passengers, which was turned back due to aviation restrictions applied in view of the coronavirus pandemic, to land in India on Sunday, an official said.

He developed acute respiratory distress syndrome leading to his death, the statement said.

The Brihamumbai Municipal Corporation in a statement said the patient had chronic history of diabetes, high blood pressure and ischemic heart disease.

A 63-year-old coronavirus patient died in Mumbai on Sunday, taking the toll in Maharashtra to two, a health official said. The man was admitted to the HN Reliance Hospital in Mumbai on Saturday.

The deceased has been identified as Saif Ali, who was 38 years old. According to the information, Saif was a resident of Munger and worked in Qatar.

Bihar reported its first fatality due to the novel coronavirus after a 38-year-old patient succumbed to the virus in Patna, AIIMS, News18 Bihar reported. With this, India witnessed a break from the age pattern of all the deaths due to COVID-19, which has primarily affected the elderly so far.

The 38-year-old COVID-19 patient who succumbed to the virus on Sunday had renal failure, after existing kidney problems, reported India Today. The Munger resident who passed away on Sunday morning in AIIMS, Patna had recently come from Qatar.

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday directed a "complete lockdown" in the state, except for essential services, till 31 March. There will be a "complete lockdown", barring essential and medical services, in the state from 22-31 March to contain the fast-spreading novel coronavirus, he said in a statement.

In response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Janta Curfew' call in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Jaipur in Rajasthan witnessed a complete lockdown on Sunday. The otherwise crowded road in front of Hawa Mahal looked barren.

The Delhi Police has registered complaint against four gymnasiums who were found to be in violation of the Delhi government's closure directive. In its 16 March order, the government had ordered the closure of all gyms and spas till 31 March.

No one was injured in the incident.

The first incident happened around 100 metres away from the protest site while the other incident happened outside gate no. 7 of the Jamia Millia Islamia University.

Police said the blast took place around 9 am after two unidentified persons on a bike threw a bottle filled with explosive substances, The Hindu reported.

Two low intensity explosions were reported near the Shaheen Bagh protest site and outside the Jamia Millia Islamia on Sunday morning as the nation observed Janta curfew in view of coronavirus pandemic.

The woman, who works as a masseuse in Chandigarh, got infected from a young woman who had recently returned from the United Kingdom. The Chandigarh resident later on tested positive for coronavirus, becoming the Union territory's first patient.

Health officials in Panchkula are checking each household and anyone with cough and fever has been asked to inform the authorities immediately, the officials said.

The slum in Panchkula, with a population of around 9,000, has been cordoned off and residents have been asked to quarantine themselves in their homes, they said.

A 40-year-old woman in Panchkula in Haryana has tested positive for coronavirus, prompting the authorities to launch a health check in the slum where she lived with her family, officials said on Sunday. With this, the number of cases in the state reaches eight — four from Gurgaon and one each from Panchkula, Faridabad, Panipat and Sonipat.

"We will encourage associates to voluntarily contribute to the fund. I will contribute 100% of my salary to it and will add more over the next few months. I urge all our various businesses to also set aside contributions for those who are the hardest hit in their ecosystems," tweeted Anand.

Anand further said he would contribute 100 percent of his salary to the fund and encourage his associates to voluntarily contribute.

Anand Mahindra, the chairman of the Mahindra group, on Sunday said that the Mahindra Foundation will create a COVID-19 fund relief to help those affected the most in small businesses. He also said that their project teams will assist the government in setting up temporary care facilities.

Anand Mahindra said on Sunday that various reports from epidemiologists are suggestive of India already reaching the third stage of corornavirus transmission. "Cases could rise exponentially with millions of casualties, putting a huge strain on medical infrastructure," tweeted the chairman of the Mahindra Group.

Indian Railways halted the operation of all trains except goods trains till 31 March after the number of COVID-19 cases climbed in India. "However bare minimum Suburban services and Kolkata metro Rail service will continue to run till 22 March midnight, thereafter these services will also be stopped till 31 March," announced Ministry of Railways.

"The flight, which was to leave for Pune after a brief stopover, was detained here for one hour. It took off with 44 passengers at around 11:40 am after all of them were checked and sanitised," Air India acting airport manager Shamsher Khan said.

She was one of the 18 passengers who got off the flight at the Raja Bhoj Aiport here, said the official.

An Air India flight was on Sunday detained for an hour after a woman passenger who alighted at the airport in Bhopal showed flu like symptoms, after which she was rushed to JP Hospital for suspected exposure to the novel coronavirus, an official said.

The Janata curfew, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has brought life to a standstill across the country, with shops and most essential services made available at a minimal scale.

However, while section 144 is in place, Narayanasamy said shops and industries will continue functioning in Puducherry. He also urged the elderly and children to stay indoors during this period.

Prohibitory orders under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) will come into effect at Puducherry Union Territory beginning 23 March till 31 March. Chief Minister V Narayanasamy made the announcement on Saturday.

"Ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; Govt declares holiday in all offices on Tuesday, 24 March. There's a holiday declared on Monday and Wednesday already. Essential services to continue undisturbed,” said the government spokesman, Rohit Kansal, on Twitter.

The Jammu and Kashmir government has declared holiday in all offices till 25 March as a preventive measure to tackle the threat of coronavirus disease, a top official said today. At present, 23 March and 25 March have already been declared holidays in the union territory.

"It has been a difficult two days, but with 90 health counters operational for secondary screening of incoming passengers at Delhi Airport, things are back to normal," the minister added.

After the Union Health Ministry announced that passengers from the UK, the US and Australia would also compulsorily undergo thermal screening, there was a turmoil at the Delhi airport on Saturday as passengers waited for hours to complete immigration and screening processes.

Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Sunday said 90 health counters are operational at the Delhi airport and things are back to normal now. "We have a backlog of just about 500 passengers whom we should be able to clear in an hour. Passengers arriving on subsequent flights will also be screened within the same time frame," Puri said on Twitter.

"A 24-year old man, resident of Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, with travel history of arrival from London via Dubai has been found positive for COVID-19. He is stable and presently admitted at a designated hospital in Telangana," a media bulletin on COVID-19 said. State Health Minister E Rajender held a meeting with health officials on the ongoing 'Janata curfew' and on the measures taken up to curb the spread of coronavirus.

A 24-year old man tested positive for coronavirus on Sunday taking the total number of cases in Telangana to 22.

Indian Banks Association has issued an appeal stating from 23 March onwards, bank branches in India will be open only for essential services - cash deposits and withdrawals, clearing of cheques, remittances government transactions. All non-essential services will be suspended.

At present, there are 75 districts across India where authorities have confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus.

The chief secretaries of all states where confirmed novel coronavirus cases have been reported have been instructed by the Centre to extend restriction on movement of non-essential passengers till 31 March. The decision was taken during a meeting of the principal secretary to the prime minister and the chief secretaries.

The former Belgium international did not have a fever and was asymptomatic, the club said, and has now been placed in quarantine.

Fellaini, who joined Shandong last January from the English Premier League side, returned to the country on Friday to join up with his club and tested positive for the coronavirus.

Former Manchester United midfielder Marouane Fellaini has been diagnosed with COVID-19 following his return to China, the Belgian’s Chinese Super League club Shandong Luneng announced on its official website on Sunday.

The man stays in Sector Alpha 1, which has been locked down by the district administration for 48 hours to sanitise the area and all residents have been asked to stay indoors, the officials said.

A 31-year-old man in Greater Noida tested positive for coronavirus on Sunday, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases to six in Gautam Buddh Nagar, officials said on Sunday.

The Delhi Metro system will however continue to be powered for essential internal operational maintenence activities.

In its fight against COVID-19, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) announced complete closure of metro services till 31 March. "The move is aimed at controlling the spread of coronavirus by ensuring social distancing and encouraging people to stay at home for the time being," tweeted DMRC.

No flights outside of India will be allowed to land in Mumbai. "In the wake of coronavirus pandemic, the employee strength at the government offices will be reduced to five per cent from the present 25 per cent," Thackeray said.

"Number of cases has increased considerably. I have no option left but to apply Section 144 in Maharashtra," Thackeray added.

As the number of COVID-19 cases reached to 74 in the state, Maharashtra government decided to impose Section 144 of CrPC in all urban areas from 31 March 31. "I would like to request everyone to continue Janata Curfew till tomorrow morning," said Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.

Intercity bus services will remain suspended in Maharashtra till 31 March. However, BEST buses will ply on the roads of Mumbai for people involved in essential services.

The West Bengal government has announced lockdown at all the municipal towns across the state till 31 March after a spurt in the COVID-19 cases in the state. However, essential services exempted as of now.

The toll has risen to seven on Sunday.

A 69-year-old man, who had tested positive for COVID-19, passed away in Gujarat's Surat on Sunday. It is the first death in the state due to the virus and third death reported in the nation.

"The country can overcome any challenge," said the health ministry.

The Health Ministry thanked the nation to observe Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for Janta curfew on Sunday. "Fellow countrymen have been brought back from different parts of the world. Isolation is important at this point in time to break the chain of transmission," said the health ministry.

It is essential to understand the ailment. 80 percent of the people will experience cold-like fever and they will recover. 20 percent may experience cough, cold, fever and some of them may be needed to be admitted to hospital, said ICMR Director-General Balram Bhargava.

As of Sunday, five deaths due to the novel coronavirus have been recorded, according to ICMR. "Two more deaths have been reported across the country on Sunday, one in Maharashtra and the other in Bihar. However, we are assessing the reason of deaths," saidHealth ministry

As many as 60 private laboratories have been registered to conduct the COVID-19 tests, according to lCMR. "Coronavirus cases have surged due to rush of passengers from foreign countries in past few days," ICMR director general

Owing to the current situation arising out of novel coronavirus, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal is likely to announce complete lockdown in the National Capital. He will hold a press conference at 6 pm on Sunday.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has extended the Janta curfew till 6 am on Monday. The chief minister is likely to make an important announcement on Sunday shortly.

The death of the 38-year-old COVID-19 patient who passed away in AIIMS, Patna on Sunday is yet to be confirmed as COVID-19 casualty, according to ICMR. "We are checking details. We are awaiting confirmation from Patna," said Health ministry.

As of Sunday afternoon, India had reported 341 cases of COVID-19 with the toll rising to seven.

Only essential services will operate in these 75 districts and state governments have been asked to expand the list depending on their assessment of the situation.

Centre on Sunday asked state governments to impose a complete lockdown in 75 districts across the country that have reported COVID-19 cases and casualties, and suspended all train services, including Metro and sub-urban services, to contain the infection. Some of the prominent cities included in the list are - Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, East Delhi, North Delhi, North West Delhi, North East Delhi, South Delhi, West Delhi, Ahmedabad, Gurugram, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata.

After the Janta curfew concludes at 9 pm, Section 144 will be imposed in the state from 9 pm till midnight.

Taking preventive measures against the novel coronavirus, the Karnataka government has ordered that all public transport will remain cancelled in the state on Monday as well. All AC bus services will stay suspended till 31 March.

"These vigilantes have conveniently forgotten that many a spouse, parent, sibling, child and dear ones have been brought home safe and secure from affected countries, thanks to the heroic efforts of these Air India crew," read the statement.

The crew members are obstructed to perform their duties simply because they travelled abroad.

Releasing a statement, Air India said on Sunday that its crew members who have undertaken to fly to COVID-affected cities have been facing condemnation from vigilante Resident Welfare Associations and neighbours in many localities.

"The lockdown will be effective from 23 March till 25 March in 15 districts of Uttar Pradesh," said Chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

Lockdown will be imposed from 22 March in 15 districts of Uttar Pradesh - Agra, Lucknow, Gautam Budh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Moradabad, Varanasi, Lakhimpur Khiri, Bareilly, Azamgarh, Kanpur, Meerut, Prayagraj, Aligharh, Gorakhpur and Saharanpur.

Anil Agarwal, Executive Chairman of Vedanta Resources Limited, has pledged to contribute Rs 100 crores in an effort to fight the novel coronavirus pandemic. "I am committing 100 cr towards fighting the Pandemic. #DeshKiZarooratonKeLiye is a pledge that we undertook and this is the time when our country needs us the most. Many people are facing uncertainty and I’m specially concerned about the daily wage earners, we will do our bit to help."

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday announced that Delhi will be under complete lockdown from Monday 6 am till midnight of 31 March.

The Gorakhpur and Meerut medical colleges have been authorised by the Indian Council for Medical Research to conduct tests for coronavirus infections in the state, PTI quotes state Health Minister Suresh Khanna as saying.

The state government has also directed its employees to be stationed at their places of posting even as inter-state and inter-district public transport have been withdrawn till 31 March, according to a government notification.

Night curfew was imposed in East Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya to tackle any emergent situation and ensure safety of people, reports PTI. The night curfew has also been imposed to prevent incoming vehicles from Assam from entering the district via Malidor area, according to a senior government official. Keeping in view the emerging scenario, safety of the people, and to avoid any outbreak of an epidemic, night curfew has been imposed with effect from 7 pm on 22 March till 7 am on 23 March," district magistrate F M Dopt said.

NDTV has reported that Delhi officials will check if 35,000 people who returned from abroad since 1 March have self-quarantined.

ANI has reported that the Jharkhand government has announced a lockdown till 31 March. Movement of all public transport has been prohibited. However, essential services, including ration shops, bank/ATM, postal services, hospitals, medical stores, petrol/diesel pumps, will remain exempt.

The sixth positive case of coronavirus was registered in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday, PTI quotes officials as saying. The sixth patient is the wife of the person who tested positive for coronavirus in Visakhapatnam on 17 March upon his return from Mecca. She contracted the virus from her husband, they said.

CNBC reported that the WHO is considering “airborne precautions” for medical staff after a new study showed the coronavirus can survive in the air in some settings.

Three new coronavirus positive cases were reported in Rajasthan on Sunday, taking the total number in the state to 28, according to PTI. One positive case each was reported from Bhilwara, Jhunjhunu and Jodhpur, Additional Chief Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh said. He said that out of the total 28 cases, 13 are from Bhilwara and four from Jhunjhunu and rest from other parts of the state including the capital city Jaipur. Singh said that the government is in process if earmarking quarantine facility for 1 lakh people to face any emergency.

The sixth positive case of coronavirus was registered in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday, PTI quotes officials as saying. The sixth patient is the wife of the person who tested positive for coronavirus in Visakhapatnam on 17 March upon his return from Mecca. She contracted the virus from her husband, they said.

CNBC reported that the WHO is considering “airborne precautions” for medical staff after a new study showed the coronavirus can survive in the air in some settings.

The Supreme Court of India has declared closure in light of the #Coronavirus Pandemic. Only the CJI Bench shall assemble on Monday, March 23 at 11 AM. All other cases stand adjourned. Two Benches shall assemble midweek, on Wednesday. #CoronaUpdatesInIndia pic.twitter.com/sVSYsrH4xG

The Supreme Court has cancelled the hearing scheduled for tomorrow, except the one assigned to the Chief Justice's Bench at 11 am tomorrow, reports LiveLaw. The rest of the hearings by the bench headed by the Chief Justice shall be held via video conference, says a notice issued by the court.

Authorites in Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad and Mumbai have imposed Section 144 of the CrPC from 9 pm on Sunday till 5 am on Monday, prohibiting the movement of people and vehicles on the road.Pune Joint Commissioner of Police Ravindra Shisve told PTI that essential services are excluded from the purview of the curfew. Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has announced that a curfew under Section 14 of the CrPC will kick in on Monday morning in urban areas of the state, including Pune and Mumbai.

A total of 396 people have tested positive for coronvirus in India, ANI quotes ICMR as saying.

he mayor of New York City, which has more than a third of the nation’s coronavirus cases, described the outbreak as the biggest domestic crisis since the Great Depression and called for the US military to mobilize to help keep the healthcare system from becoming overwhelmed, "If we don’t get more ventilators in the next 10 days people will die who don’t have to die," said Mayor Bill de Blasio, as the nation's most populous city saw cases top 8,000 and deaths hit 60. Nationwide cases are over 25,000 with at least 340 dead, according to a Reuters tally.

The Gujarat government has decided to reveal the names of the persons who have tested positive for coronavirus in the state so far, so that those who came in their contact with them can get themselves tested, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Pate, who also holds the health portfolio, said on Sunday. "If such persons should go to a government hospital and get themselves checked. In case they test positive, their treatment can be started immediately," he said.The number of infected persons in the state is 18, of whom one died in Surat on Sunday.

Dubai carrier Emirates partially revoked the passenger flight suspension which was scheduled to begin on 25 March. "Having received requests from governments and customers to support the repatriation of travellers, Emirates will continue to operate passenger and cargo flights to the following countries and territories until further notice, as long as borders remain open, and there is demand: the UK, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Australia, South Africa, USA, and Canada," it said in a statement .

Three new coronavirus positive cases were reported in Rajasthan on Sunday, taking the total number in the state to 28, according to PTI. One positive case each was reported from Bhilwara, Jhunjhunu and Jodhpur, Additional Chief Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh said. He said that out of the total 28 cases, 13 are from Bhilwara and four from Jhunjhunu and rest from other parts of the state including the capital city Jaipur. Singh said that the government is in process if earmarking quarantine facility for 1 lakh people to face any emergency.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel in quarantine after doctor who gave her a vaccine tests positive for coronavirus, reports AP.

Coronavirus Outbreak Updates: The sixth positive case of coronavirus was registered in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday. he sixth patient is the wife of the person who tested positive for coronavirus in Visakhapatnam on 17 March upon his return from Mecca. She contracted the virus from her husband, said officials.

Fifteen new positive cases of coronavirus were detected in Kerala on Sunday, taking the total number of infected persons under treatment in the state to 64, the government said. Health department said out of the 15, five are in

Kasaragod district, four in Kannur and two each in Malappuram, Kozhikode and Ernakulam districts.

India now has a total of 360 positive coronavirus cases and seven people have died from the disease, said the Union health ministry.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the 14-hour 'Janata Curfew' is the beginning of a long battle against coronavirus outbreak and the countrymen have proved that together they can defeat any challenge. "Today's Janta Curfew may end at 9.00 pm, but this does not mean we start celebrating," he tweeted.

Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has declared a lockdown till 31 March in the state, under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 as a precautionary measure. He has asked people to remain indoors and assured the supply of essential services.

Releasing a statement, Air India said on Sunday that its crew members who have undertaken to fly to COVID-affected cities have been facing condemnation from vigilante Resident Welfare Associations and neighbours in many localities.

The crew members are obstructed to perform their duties simply because they travelled abroad.

"These vigilantes have conveniently forgotten that many a spouse, parent, sibling, child and dear ones have been brought home safe and secure from affected countries, thanks to the heroic efforts of these Air India crew," read the statement.

Centre on Sunday asked state governments to impose a complete lockdown in 75 districts across the country that have reported COVID-19 cases and casualties, and suspended all train services, including Metro and sub-urban services, to contain the infection. Some of the prominent cities included in the list are - Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, East Delhi, North Delhi, North West Delhi, North East Delhi, South Delhi, West Delhi, Ahmedabad, Gurugram, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata.

Only essential services will operate in these 75 districts and state governments have been asked to expand the list depending on their assessment of the situation.

As many as 60 private laboratories have been registered to conduct the COVID-19 tests, according to lCMR. "Coronavirus cases have surged due to rush of passengers from foreign countries in past few days," ICMR director general

The Health Ministry has conducted Covid-19 tests on 5,000 individuals in the past one week. "Currently, we have the capacity to conduct 60,000-70,000 tests in a week," said ICMR director.

"We have conducted 15,000-17,000 tests so far. We have the capacity to conduct 10,000 tests per day, it means we can conduct 50,000-70,000 per week," ICMR chief.

It is essential to understand the ailment. 80 percent of the people will experience cold-like fever and they will recover. 20 percent may experience cough, cold, fever and some of them may be needed to be admitted to hospital, said ICMR Director-General Balram Bhargava.

The Health Ministry thanked the nation to observe Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for Janta curfew on Sunday. "Fellow countrymen have been brought back from different parts of the world. Isolation is important at this point in time to break the chain of transmission," said the health ministry.

"The country can overcome any challenge," said the health ministry.

As the number of COVID-19 cases reached to 74 in the state, Maharashtra government decided to impose Section 144 of CrPC in all urban areas from 31 March. "I would like to request everyone to continue Janata Curfew till tomorrow morning," said Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.

"Number of cases has increased considerably. I have no option left but to apply Section 144 in Maharashtra," Thackeray added.

No flights outside of India will be allowed to land in Mumbai. "In the wake of coronavirus pandemic, the employee strength at the government offices will be reduced to five per cent from the present 25 per cent," Thackeray said.

The chief secretaries of all states where confirmed novel coronavirus cases have been reported have been instructed by the Centre to extend restriction on movement of non-essential passengers till 31 March. The decision was taken during a meeting of the principal secretary to the prime minister and the chief secretaries.

At present, there are 75 districts across India where authorities have confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus.

Indian Railways halted the operation of all trains except goods trains till 31 March after the number of COVID-19 cases climbed in India. "However bare minimum Suburban services and Kolkata metro Rail service will continue to run till 22 March midnight, thereafter these services will also be stopped till 31 March," announced Ministry of Railways.

The 38-year-old COVID-19 patient who succumbed to the virus on Sunday had renal failure, after existing kidney problems, reported India Today. The Munger resident who passed away on Sunday morning in AIIMS, Patna had recently come from Qatar.

Bihar reported its first fatality due to the novel coronavirus after a 38-year-old patient succumbed to the virus in Patna, AIIMS, News18 Bihar reported. With this, India witnessed a break from the age pattern of all the deaths due to COVID-19, which has primarily affected the elderly so far.

The news was confirmed by Sanjay Kumar, Principal Secretary, Health Department of Bihar.

The deceased has been identified as Saif Ali, who was 38 years old. According to the information, Saif was a resident of Munger and worked in Qatar.

A 63-year-old coronavirus patient died in Mumbai on Sunday, taking the toll in Maharashtra to two, a health official said. The man was admitted to the HN Reliance Hospital in Mumbai on Saturday.

The Brihamumbai Municipal Corporation in a statement said the patient had chronic history of diabetes, high blood pressure and ischemic heart disease.

He developed acute respiratory distress syndrome leading to his death, the statement said.

All the 263 Indian evacuees who returned from Rome on Sunday at 9.15 am will be taken to ITBP Chhawla Quarantine Facility in Delhi. Before being taken to the quarantine site, all of them will be thermally screened at the Delhi airport.

A special Air India fllight with 12 crew members was sent to bring back the stranded Indians. The Boeing 787-Dreamline departed from Delhi at 2.30 pm on Saturday and left Rome on Sunday morning.

The special Air India flight carrying 263 Indian students that took off from Rome landed at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International airport today at 9.15 am. They will be taken to the quarantine facility in Chhawla. Meanwhile, the number of confirmed cases in India has climbed to 324.

From 22 to 31 March, general public will not be allowed to travel in Mumbai local trains. Meanwhile, Delhi Metro closed operations today in view of the janta curfew.

The four-year-old child, who was suspected of COVID-19 and has been tested in Jorhat Medical College and Regional Medical Research Center, has been found negative. Passengers were seen stranded outside New Delhi railway station and Mumbai's Lokmanya Tilak Terminus as all passenger and intercity trains have been cancelled till 10 pm on 22 March.

The total number of confirmed novel coronavirus cases in India rose to 315 Saturday after more than 60 fresh cases were reported in various parts of the country, the Union Health Ministry said.

"Total number of confirmed cases so far in the country as on 21 March including foreign nationals is 315," the Health Ministry said late Saturday.

The spurt in the new cases, the highest so far in a single day, came as several states went into battle mode to contain the pandemic, announcing partial shutdowns and imposing restrictions on people's movement and gatherings among a slew of precautionary measures.

While the Rajasthan govt ordered lockdown across the state, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani ordered the closure of shops and malls selling non-essential items in four cities — Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, and Rajkot, till Wednesday.

In Maharashtra, where restrictions were already in place since Friday, the police took actions against those who violated the lockdown arresting over a thousand in Nagpur alone.

The country is also set to observe a "janata curfew" from 7 am to 9 pm on Sunday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday pitched for social distancing, asking people, barring those in essential services, not to get out of their homes.

The Congress, while announcing its support to the move, urged the Central Government to create an economic relief package, especially targetting the farmers, daily wage earners and small and medium scale businesses that are likely to be affected the most by the lockdown due to the virus.

Globally, Italy’s tally of coronavirus cases and deaths continued to soar, with officials on Saturday announcing new day-to-day highs: 793 dead and 6,557 cases.

The country, at the heart of western Europe’s rampaging outbreak, now counts 53,578 known cases.

Across the Atlantic, New York state officials considered establishing temporary hospitals on college campuses and in New York City's main convention centre in preparation for a possible onslaught of coronavirus patients.

In Germany's southern state of Bavaria, town squares were empty. Pigeons outnumbered people in London's usually bustling Trafalgar Square and Leicester Square a day after the British government ordered the closure of all bars, restaurants, movie theaters and other places where people congregate.

But shoppers still flocked to street markets in both countries, in a sign that restrictions were being interpreted in a patchwork fashion.

The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 recorded in Africa rose above 1,000 Saturday, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At least 40 of Africa’s 54 countries now have cases.

Almost 287,000 cases have been confirmed globally, including more than 11,900 deaths, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University. Nearly 89,000 people have recovered.

Kerala record 12 new cases, Maharashtra leads with 63 overall

The figure of 315 includes 39 foreign nationals, including 17 from Italy, three from the Philippines, two from the UK, one each from Canada, Indonesia and Singapore. It also includes four deaths — reported from Delhi, Karnataka, Punjab and Maharashtra.

The data includes 63 cases in Maharashtra (three foreigners), followed by Kerala at 40, including seven foreign nationals.

However, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan placed the total cases in the state at 49 with the state recording 12 more fresh cases of coronavirus on Saturday.

Delhi has reported 27 positive cases, which include one foreigner, while Uttar Pradesh has recorded 24 cases, including one foreigner.

In Gujarat, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said the state has 13 coronavirus positive patients, with six new cases reported. Telangana has reported 21 cases, including 11 foreigners. Rajasthan has reported 17 cases, including two foreigners.

In Haryana, there are 17 cases, which include 14 foreigners. Karnataka has 15 coronavirus patients. Punjab and Ladakh have 13 cases each while Jammu and Kashmir has four.

Tamil Nadu Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar said three foreign nationals under observation have tested positive and the total number of cases has risen to six. Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal have reported three cases each. Odisha has two cases. Puducherry, Chhattisgarh and Chandigarh have reported one case each.

More states join lockdown

A number of states and union territories Saturday announced measures aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot ordered a lockdown in the state from 22 to 31 March 31 except for essential and medical services.

Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani announced the closure of shops selling non-essential items in the state's four largest cities -- Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, and Rajkot -- till 25 March. he also said that government offices will operate at half strength on a rotational basis till 29 March.

The Chhattisgarh government ordered the closure of all its offices, except those providing essential and emergency services, till March 31.

In Odisha, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced a "near-total" shutdown in five districts and eight other prominent towns for a week from Sunday morning.

These districts and towns were identified as over 3,000 residents have returned to these places from abroad in the past few days.

The Goa government imposed section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) across the state to prohibit large gatherings.

Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said the state government has also issued an order banning inter-state transport, except for the supply of essential commodities, from Saturday night onwards.

Goa shares borders with Maharashtra and Karnataka, where several people have tested positive for coronavirus infection.

Private events, including weddings, have also been banned in Goa till further orders.

The Bihar government ordered shutting down of bus services, restaurants and banquet halls across the state till March 31 while the State Election Commission of Arunachal Pradesh announced that municipal and panchayat elections slated to be held in April-May have been temporarily put on hold.

The Nashik administration in Maharashtra banned the sale of liquor from Saturday till further orders in the district invoking the Epidemic Diseases Act and Disaster Management Act.

Konkan Divisional Commissioner Shivaji Daund issued orders restricting travel on suburban local trains in Mumbai only for those engaged in essential services or those requiring medical aid.

"All the people who are not related to emergency services should avoid unnecessary travel from railway. They will not be given the entry on the railway stations. The officials and staff involved in the emergency services will be verified based in their government identity card or appointment orders," states the order issued by Daund.

"Those needing medical attention will be exempted. There are 135 suburban stations. Railways have reduced services by 35 to 40 per cent but we would like it come down further," said Daund.

The order to close bars, including those located in five-star hotels and resorts and liquor shops was issued by Collector Suraj Mandhare.

The Akola district administration ordered a shutdown between March 22 and 24 during which all establishments except those selling essential items will remain closed.

The move is similar to the sectoral shutdown put in place in Maharashtra's major cities like Mumbai, Pune, Thane and Nagpur.

In West Bengal, the Mamata Banerjee government ordered all restaurants, bars, pubs, nightclubs, amusement parks, museums and zoos to remain shut till 31 March.

The order, which aims to prevent all non-essential social gatherings, comes into effect on Sunday morning. The directive also applies to massage parlours and hookah bars, an official said, adding that strict action would be taken in case of any violation.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration said all its employees with foreign travel history along with their relatives would have to go for quarantine before resuming their duties.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that there's no lockdown in the National Capital, but it may choose to do so if the situation doesn't improve.

Suspicion of community transmission lingers

Late in the night, the state of Assam reported its first case with a four-and-a-half-year-old girl in Jorhat district with no travel history abroad testing positive.

Jorhat Deputy Commissioner Roshni Aparanji Korati said the initial results from Jorhat Medical College and Hospital (JMCH) were positive and the samples have been sent to ICMR-RMRC laboratory at Lahowal in Dibrugarh district for a recheck.

In a health ministry breifing, reporters questioned the health ministry officials on three cases in India who have no reported history of foreign travel and only had a history of domestic travel from Mumbai, Pune and Chennai, respectively.

The ministry officials, however, refused to call it a case of community spread and said efforts were on to trace their contact history.

Govt caps price of santisers, masks; Cost of COVID-19 test to not exceed R 4,500

The government also capped the price for COVID-19 tests at Rs 4,500 in private accredited labs.

Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary in the Union health ministry, asserted that the government is working to ramp up production of masks and sanitisers with states asked to allow deodorant manufacturers to produce sanitisers, adding there is no shortage of these items and people should not indulge in panic-buying.

The government also capped the maximum retail price of hand sanitisers at Rs 100 per 200ml bottle till 30 June this year amid a sharp rise in the prices of this product amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Similarly, the price of a 2 ply (surgical) mask has been capped at Rs 8 and that of a 3-ply (surgical) mask at Rs 10 till 30 June, Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said in a statement.

On 19 March, the government had placed price limits on alcohols used in making hand sanitizer.

At a press conference, the health ministry said it carried out training for critical care management at 1,000 places through video conference and will conduct nationwide mock drills on Sunday for emergency response to handle coronavirus cases.

Health ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal said guidelines for coronavirus tests have been revised, directing that asymptomatic direct, high-risk contacts of confirmed cases should be tested once between day 5 and day 14 of coming in contact with an infected person.

Non-conformity to lockdown continues

A day before, India is set to observe "janata curfew", residents continued to violate existing restrictions across the country.

Amid increasing cases of people affected by a coronavirus, a couple was deboarded from a Delhi-bound Rajdhani train after co-passengers noticed a home quarantine seal on the husband's hand.

The Railways urged people to avoid non-essential travel for the safety of fellow citizens.

According to reports, Saturday also saw migrants leaving for their homes from big cities, where several cases of coronavirus have been reported, forcing the prime minister to appeal to migrants on Twitter to stay put wherever they are and not undertake train and bus journeys to their home due to the fear of coronavirus.

Modi cautioned people against any kind of travel, saying they are playing with their health and also putting their families at risk.

He said travelling in a crowded space increase the risk of its spread. The risk will also increase for the people who live where you will be headed, he added.

"It is my plea to you to stay put for a few days in the city where you are. We can all stop this disease from spreading by doing so. By crowding railway stations and bus stands, we are playing with our health. Please be concerned about your health and that of your families. Don't step out of the home if not necessary," the prime minister said.

Meanwhile, in some good news, Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Jai Pratap Singh, who had attended a party with Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor days before she tested positive for coronavirus, tested negative for COVID-19 on Saturday.

The 66-year-old minister had gone into self-isolation after undergoing the testing here on Friday. Samples of 28 people who came in contact with him have also tested negative, King George Medical University spokesperson Dr Sudhir Singh said.

The Uttar Pradesh Police have Kapoor for negligence and committing acts that are likely to spread disease dangerous to life. She had attended at least three gatherings in Lucknow, including a party where political leaders were present.

Following Kapoor's announcement, a number of people who came in contact with her directly or indirectly went into self-quarantine. They included BJP leader Vasundhara Raje, her MP son Dushyant Singh and parliamentarians Derek O'Brien and Anupriya Patel.

Former BSP MP Akbar Ahmad Dumpy, whose high profile party in Lucknow was attended by Kapoor, has decided to stay in isolation as a precautionary measure for 14 days at his farmhouse in Utttarakhand, an official said.

With inputs from agencies