Coronavirus outbreak Updates: The World Health Organisation on Friday warned young people to not be complacent about the coronavirus pandemic.

Auto refresh feeds

The total number of coronavirus cases stand at 169. Nearly 50 cases were reported from the state of Maharashtra.

India recorded its fourth death due to coronavirus on Thursday. A 72-year-old man from Punjab, who had a history of travelling to Germany via Italy, passed away on Thursday passed away at the Banga community health centre after having severe chest pain. He was already patient was suffering from diabetes and hypertension.

During this period, foodgrains will be disbursed to the parents of the children who are beneficiaries of mid-day meals at school for 40 days, he said.

Earlier the state government had ordered that schools shall remain closed till 31 March. "In view of the first case of coronavirus patient being reported in Raipur on Thursday, the order was amended on the direction of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. Now schools will remain closed till further orders," a government official

The Chhattisgarh government ordered the closure of all the schools untill further notice to prevent the spread of coronavirus after the first confirmed case of virus infection came to light in the state.

The students, most of them from Maharashtra, arrived at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in a Singapore Airlines flight. Some 40 of these students are from Maharashtra, while the rest are from other states, said a relative of one of the pupils.

Some 60 Indian students stranded at the Singapore International Airport in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak arrived in Mumbai on Thursday night, much to the relief of their family members.

“We have to remove every barrier,” Trump said. Trials on potential coronavirus therapies are already in the works, and it was unclear how Trump’s call for faster experimental testing process could further expedite an effective treatment.

Trump, speaking at a news conference, pointed to efforts on Gilead Sciences Inc’s experimental antiviral drug Remdesivir and the generic antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine, saying he had called on the US Food and Drug Administration to streamline its regulatory approval process.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday called on US health regulators to expedite potential therapies aimed at treating COVID-19 amid the fast-spreading coronavirus outbreak, saying it could lead to a breakthrough while a vaccine is still under development.

The swabs of all seven people have been collected but till late Thursday night, the state health department did not upload the day's bulletin about their medical test results. Calls to senior officials of the health department in this regard also went unanswered.

Two of them had travelled to Italy and reportedly came in touch with a coronavirus patient, the official said, adding that the third person is Liberian national.

Seven people, some of whom had recently arrived from abroad, were on Thursday admitted to the isolation ward of Beliaghata ID hospital here with coronavirus-like symptoms, a senior official of the health department said.

Both Italy’s toll and its new infections shot up again on Thursday, adding 427 more dead and 5,322 more infections. Overall, Italy has recorded 41,035 infections, more than half of the world’s positive cases.

Italy reached the gruesome milestone on the same day the epicentre of the pandemic, Wuhan, China, recorded no new infections. Overall, China on Thursday counted 3,249 dead, 156 fewer than Italy, according to the Johns Hopkins University virus map.

Italy has become the country with the most coronavirus-related deaths, surpassing China by registering 3,405 dead.

“The Festival de Cannes cannot be held on the scheduled dates, from 12 to 23 May,” they said in a statement on their website.

France’s Cannes Film Festival, one of the film industry’s most important annual events, has been postponed to June or July amid concerns over the novel coronavirus, its organizers said Thursday.

The fast-spreading respiratory illness has shattered most patterns of American life: shuttering schools and businesses, prompting millions to work from home, forcing many out of jobs and sharply curtailing travel.

As authorities ramped up measures to keep the virus from spreading, Washington could announce restrictions on travel across the US-Mexico border as soon as Friday, limiting crossings to essential travel, two officials briefed on the matter said. That would follow a similar measure on Wednesday closing the border with Canada.

The United States warned Americans on Thursday to return home or stay abroad indefinitely, while Senate Republicans unveiled a $1 trillion economic stimulus plan to provide funds directly to businesses and the American public, as the number of coronavirus death in the country hit 200.

China achieved a new milestone in its efforts to contain the spread of the COVID-19 in the last three months by reporting zero cases on Wednesday.

No new domestically transmitted cases of the novel coronavirus disease were reported on the Chinese mainland on Thursday, the National Health Commission (NHC) said.

No new domestic coronavirus cases were confirmed in China for the second consecutive day even as three more fatalities have been reported, taking the death toll in the country to 3,248, the Chinese health authority said on Friday.

US Senator Ed Markey, who has long championed consumer privacy, urged caution with the government’s efforts to partner with big tech companies to track the coronavirus.

Alphabet Inc’s Google is exploring ways to use location information to slow the spread of the coronavirus by, for example, determining the effectiveness of social distancing.

The coronavirus pandemic has sickened more than 210,300 people in at least 145 countries and over 9,000 people have died, more than half of them outside China, where the epidemic first began in the city of Wuhan.

"It would have been much better if we had known about this a number of months earlier. It could have been contained to that one area in China where it started," Trump told reporters at a White House press conference.

The world is "paying a big price" for China hiding the initial information on the deadly coronavirus, US President Donald Trump said on Thursday, ramping up his charges that Beijing is responsible for the current global public health crisis due to the pandemic.

Salomon said 1,122 people were in a serious condition, needing life support, up 20.5 percent compared to Wednesday.

During a press conference, health agency director Jerome Salomon added the number of cases had risen to 10,995, up from 9,134 on Tuesday, which is a rise of 20 percent in 24 hours.

French health authorities reported 108 new deaths from coronavirus on Thursday, taking the total to 372 or an increase of almost 41 percent, the toll rising sharply yet again as the country was in its third day of a lockdown aimed at containing the outbreak.

California’s governor on Thursday issued a statewide “stay at home” order to residents, telling them to leave their homes only when necessary during the coronavirus pandemic.

The mission called the U.S. sanctions “tantamount to crimes against humanity,” saying they “make it virtually impossible for Iranians to import needed medicine and medical equipment.”

“In other words, while the U.S. is trying to curb the virus internally, it is helping the spread of virus externally by undermining the professional capabilities of certain affected countries who try to combat its pandemic,” the mission said.

Iran’s UN Mission said in a statement late Thursday that “the inhuman and unlawful” US sanctions are hampering efforts to prevent further spread of COVID-19 to other nations and are harming the health and lives of Iranians.

Iran is one of the hardest-hit countries in the world in the COVID-19 pandemic. Nine out of 10 cases in the Middle East come from the Islamic Republic, and fears remain that it may be under-reporting its cases.

The health ministry said the man, who was living in Sydney, arrived at the Delhi airport on Wednesday. At the airport, he reported headache as 'chief complaint' in his self-reporting form.

The facts in the case are not yet known and an inquiry into the matter has been initiated by the hospital administration, the official said adding that samples of a deceased are not tested.

The samples of the suspected coronavirus patient who allegedly committed suicide by jumping off the seventh floor of the Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi, were not collected for testing, a senior health ministry official said on Thursday.

In response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's self-imposing Janta Curfew on 22 March, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) and the commercial markets across the country will take part in Janta Curfew and 7 crore business establishments in the country may down their shutters on 22 Match. A final decision to the call for nationwide market closure on 22 March will be taken on Saturday after consultations with trade leaders of all States, said Praveen Khandelwal, Secretary General, Confederation of All India Traders.

The movement of trains in Kangra district was banned as a precautionary measure after some positive cases of COVID-19 were found positive in Punjab, he added. Chief Minister Jairam Thakur had said on Thursday afternoon that the entry of all tourists, including domestic and international, had been banned in the state as a precautionary measure.

Earlier on Thursday evening, district Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Prajapati said the movement of all the trains from Punjab to Kangra district would remain suspended after midnight till further orders to check spread of the deadly COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019).

All train services in Kangra valley (Pathankot-Jogindernagar) have been cancelled from midnight on Friday till further orders, according to the spokesperson.

The Firozpur railway division has cancelled its 14 trains in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra valley after the state government banned the entry of all tourists to the state over the coronavirus pandemic, a railways spokesperson told PTI.

“Today 14 samples were tested at RMRC Bhubaneswar out of which one is positive for COVID2019,” the Department of Health and Family Welfare said in a tweet.

In an order on Thursday, the Arvind Kejriwal-led government notified that dine-in arrangements in restaurants will shut down temporarily.

Restaurants can, however, continue with home deliveries and takeaways. The move makes Delhi among the few cities to impose strict restrictions on eateries.

New Delhi on Thursday directed dine-in restaurants in the city to close down till 31 March in its latest attempt to fight off the coronavirus—a move that could impact the city's over three lakh people employed in the city's food services industry, reports LiveMint.

India on 31 January banned export of all kinds of personal protection equipment, including clothing and masks used to protect people from air-borne particles.

However, the notification said items including gloves, ophthalmic instruments and appliances, surgical blades, gas masks with chemical absorbent for filtration against poisonous vapour and smoke, and biopsy punch can be freely exported.

The decision will shore up domestic supplies of these items amid the coronavirus outbreak, which has killed four people and infected over 170 in India.

"The export of all ventilators, surgical/disposable masks only, and textile raw material for masks and coveralls only...has been prohibited, with immediate effect," the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification.

The government on Thursday banned export of all ventilators, surgical/disposable masks and textile raw material used for making masks and coveralls with immediate effect in wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

Vikramaditya Singh Khichi, Executive Director, Bank of Baroda said, “‘In the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak, Bank of Baroda would like customers to avail the Bank's services from remote locations. `Khushiyon Ka Remote Control,’ is a major step taken by the Bank in its endeavors to drive consumers towards a digital ecosystem, in times like these.”

To this effect, Bank of Baroda has rolled out ‘Stay Safe..Bank Safe..’ initiative to encourage more customers to bank digitally and equipping them to avail the Bank’s services from a remote location, without visiting the Bank branch.

Bank of Baroda, India’s second-largest public sector bank, has announced zero charges on digital transactions for three months, to provide enhanced and uninterrupted banking experience to its customers.

Talking to PTI later, the minister said, "During our inspection drive in the city, we raided Haldiram's outlet and Saoji Restaurant. The city police commissioner and collector were also with me. We were surprised to see these prominent outlets operating despite the closure order."

Deshmukh raided Haldiram's outlet in Sadar area and Saoji Restaurant in Bajajnagar area in the city. He was accompanied by Nagpur police Commissioner and district collector.

He conducted the raids on Thursday, a day after the Nagpur district collector ordered the restaurants, bars, wine shops, food outlets and such establishments to remain shut to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh conducted a 'raid' at a food outlet of a popular snack brand and a restaurant in the city, which were found operating despite the closure orders.

Further, the Chief Minister ordered the postponement all the exams including the Chhattisgarh Board exams.

Baghel directed officials to ensure proper measures for prevention of coronavirus, in the meeting of State Disaster Relief Authority held at his residence. The Chief Minister gave detailed instructions to all the District Collectors and Superintendent of Police via video conferencing, read an official statement.

In order to help prevent the spread of coronavirus infection, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said that Section 144 will be enforced in all the urban areas. He also said that essential supplies including medicines and ration would be sufficient.

According to multiple reports, the health secretary is expected to give a press conference at 11 am today amid coronavirus outbreak in India. ANI reports also said that to take feedback and assess the economic impact of COVID-19, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is likely to meet ministers for Animal Husbandry, Dairy and Fisheries, Civil Aviation, MSMEs, and Tourism, at North Block on Friday.

"Supply-chain disruptions are expected to hit business investment and exports. We see GDP growth to remain broadly steady at 5.1 percent in the fiscal year 2020-2021 following growth of 5.0 percent in 2019-2020," Fitch said. For 2021-22, Fitch projected India's growth to be 6.4 percent.

In its Global Economic Outlook 2020, Fitch said the number of people affected by coronavirus will keep rising in the coming weeks but that the outbreak will remain contained. However, there are downside risks to this scenario.

Fitch Ratings on Friday cut India's growth forecast to 5.1 percent for FY 2020-21, saying the coronavirus outbreak is likely to hit business investment and exports. Fitch had in December 2019 projected India's growth at 5.6 percent for 2020-21 and 6.5 percent in the following year.

Now, these meetings will be held through video-conferencing or other audio-visual means. The MCA is expected to notify the rules soon.

“Considering need to take precautionary steps to overcome the outbreak of the coronavirus (Covid-19), the government has in-principle decided to relax the requirement of holding board meetings with physical presence of directors," the MCA said in its notice.

In a notification, the ministry of corporate affairs (MCA) said it has relaxed the requirements of holding board meetings requiring physical presence of directors till 30 June.

The government relaxed the rules on holding physical board meetings in an attempt to reduce physical contact and limit the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak on Wednesday.

The Sensex was up 184.04 points or 0.65 percent at 28472.27, and the Nifty up 62.05 points or 0.75 percent at 8325.50 in early trade. About 491 shares have advanced, 285 shares declined, and 29 shares are unchanged.

On Friday, indices fell 2 percent lower and closed in red for the fourth straight session. Sensex closed 581 points lower at 28,288 and Nifty fell 205 points to end at 8,263.

As the trailer event has been put up on hold, the film’s release date is also likely to get changed. The makers of Rohit Shetty’s Sooryavanshi film starring Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif have also pushed the release date of the film till further notice.

"We will take a decision regarding the next course of action once the conditions return to normal. We urge our fans to take all the necessary precautions and take care of their loved ones. 83 is a film about fighting the odds and we hope we all will bounce back from this soon," said the makers of the film.

In the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic which has posed a risk to global health, the release of Ranveer Singh starrer ’83 film has been put on hold. The trailer launch event of the film was scheduled on 11 March, 2020.

"In view of changing contours of the threat posed to the RBI staff by Covid-19, the RBI has re-oriented its work processes, given the need to maintain social distancing while ensuring business continuity," a person familiar with the matter said.

The RBI has advised central office departments and regional offices to identify areas where people can manage work by being at home and those where the staff has to be present in office.

The total strength of the central bank is close 14,000, of which around 4,000 are based in Mumbai. The headquarters alone has around 2,000 people working from the two Mint Road offices, while others are spread across the CBD Belapur Tech Centre, BKC and Mumbai Central offices etc.

As the coronavirus infection spreads faster and deeper into the country, the Reserve Bank has allowed majority of its staff across its centres to work from home while ensuring unhindered business continuity.

Currently, only those who have come from affected areas overseas or have been in contact with such persons are being tested.

According to a report by The Economic Times , the high-level expert committee set up by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has suggested that all with atypical pneumonia and close contacts of Covid-19-positive persons be tested.

In a bid to ramp-up COVID-19 testing measures, government has stepped up its response to the coronavirus threat by establishing guidelines, constituting rapid response teams, organising a National Training of Trainers workshop, and initiating public service announcements, among other things.

Amid this scenario, a picture from Kerala has surfaced on the internet and has gone viral. As suggestive by the picture, people in Kerala have found a new way to practice social distancing while standing in queues to buy liquor.

According to health officials, practicing social distancing is one of the most effective ways to control the spread of the novel coronavirus. Hence, people across the world are being advised to stay at home and avoid physical contact with others.

According to India Today, an Italian tourist suffering from the novel coronavirus, who was admitted in Jaipur, passed away on Friday. With this, India reported its fifth fatality due to COVID-19.

Four more people have tested positive for coronavirus in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Three people are related to a previously-infected doctor, and one has travel history to Gulf.

Speaking to ANI, VHP international working president Alok Kumar said that all big processions planned to celebrate Ramjanmbhoomi verdict, mandating construction of Ram temple, have been postponed and cancelled as of now. This was slated take place on 25 March.

In addition to this, the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh-affiliate will have a quiet ceremony of shifting Ram Lalla to the new fibre glass structure so that construction of the temple could be expedited.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has cancelled the Shobha Yatras and rath yatras it had planned to celebrate on the first Ram Navami post-Ayodhya verdict. The decision has been necessitated by the health hazards social gatherings pose in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, Tope said these new cases were detected in Mumbai, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. Till Thursday night, 49 positive cases of COVID-19 had been found in the state, including a 64-year person, who died in Mumbai earlier this week.

Three more persons were found positive for coronavirus infection in Maharashtra, taking the number of such cases in the state to 52, state Health Minister Rajesh Tope said on Friday.

A person who returned to his native Nellore from Italy became the first coronavirus case in the state on 12 March while a young man who came from England tested positive on Thursday.

One more person tested positive for the coronavirus in Andhra Pradesh, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases in the state to three on Friday, officials said. The patient tested positive in Visakhapatnam, they said.

In the advisory, the government also asked people, particularly senior citizens, pregnant women and those affected with hypertension and diabetes, to remain at home. On Thursday, the total number of coronavirus cases in the national capital rose to 14.

The Delhi government issued an advisory for the private sector to allow their employees to work from home till 31 March in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, an official said on Friday.

"A 69-year-old woman from Mohali has tested positive for coronavirus; the total number of positive cases in the state has risen to three," said Manjit Singh, Mohali Civil Surgeon. The state had on Thursday reported the first coronavirus death. According to official data, the total number of COVID-19 cases in India has climbed up to 195.

A 69-year-old woman tested positive for coronavirus on Friday, taking the tally of reported cases in the state to three.

The 25-year-old man, who came from Germany via Spain and was instructed to be in home quarantine after he landed at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on March 13, later tested positive for COVID-19 on March 18, a railway spokesperson told PTI. "She virtually hid her son to protect her family but endangered all of us," a South Western Railway official said.

She not only failed to inform authorities about her son's return from Germany but also endangered the lives of others by lodging him in a railway rest house near the main Bangalore railway station, railway spokesperson E Vijaya told PTI. The Assistant Personnel Officer (Traffic) has been suspended, Vijaya said.

An official of South Western Railway has been suspended for "hiding" her son, who returned from Germany and later tested positive for coronavirus, at a railway guest house in Bengaluru, officials said on Friday.

The person in Vadodara has a history of travel to Spain, the 2 people in Ahmedabad had travelled to Finland and New York. The person from Rajkot (who tested positive for Coronavirus yesterday) had landed at Mumbai airport and travelled from Mumbai (Maharashtra) to Jamnagar (Gujarat) by train.

Two people from Ahmedabad and one from Vadodara have tested positive for Coronavirus, says Jayanti Ravi, principal secretary, health and family welfare, government of Gujarat, reports ANI.

The minister said the Indian Council of Medical Research was doing tests to see if there was community spread. "Whatever test we are doing is with perfect scientific advice," he said.

He said those with symptoms and travel history need to go for tests and the ministry was also doing a detailed contact tracing. He said the infection was traveling from one person to another and "has not gone to the community".

Answering during the question hour in Lok Sabha, the minister said the scientists in the country were doing their own research about coronavirus and were also in touch with their counterparts in other countries. "There is a very defined protocol about who needs to be tested," the minister said.

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Friday that there was no community spread of coronavirus in the country and a defined protocol exists about who needs to go for a test.

The global death toll from the novel coronavirus disease, officially termed COVID-19 by the WHO, has crossed 10,000, according to the John Hopkins University tracker.

BMC took to Twitter to state that while most corporates have started operating at 50 percent capacity, not all have. They asked people to dial 100 if an employer does not follow the advisory given out by the government.

He said the authorities were conscious of the difficulties faced by the people amid the coronavirus situation and they would be evolving a proper mechanism to ensure people don't face problems.

A bench headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar took note of the submissions of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was appearing for the Centre, that the Kerala High Court order needed to be stayed. Mehta told the bench that a similar order had been passed by the Allahabad High Court too.

The Supreme Court on Friday stayed a Kerala High Court order asking authorities not to levy taxes and recover banks' dues from people till 6 April amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi said the government has taken effective steps to deal with the outbreak.

He alleged that prices of commodities, including food items have gone up and essential items are fast disappearing from market shelves. "Masks are not available ... hoarders are stocking up things," he said amid protests by Treasury benches.

Soon after the Question Hour, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said while his party is with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in efforts to combat coronavirus, after his address to the nation, "the markets are on fire".

Lok Sabha on Friday witnessed heated exchanges between Treasury and Opposition benches over claims by a Congress leader that essential commodities are fast disappearing from markets after the prime minister's address to the nation.

The chief minister said the Union Home Ministry had issued a notification for conduct of Census 2021 and updating the NPR throughout the country from 1 April to 30 September 2020.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Patnaik said mobilisation for Census and updation of the National Population Register across the country would pose a great risk for field functionaries and people.

Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik has sought postponement of Census work in the country due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, even as India sees a rise in cases and deaths, PTI reports.

After laying of papers during Zero Hour, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu informed the House that Roy has sought permission of the House to remain absent for rest of this session.

He is the third Rajya Sabha member to go in self- quarantine after former Union minister Suresh Prabhu and Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan. Roy has sought the permission of the House to remain absent till end of the current session. The session is to end on 3 April.

Trinamool Congress member Sukhendu Sekhar Roy has decided to remain in self-quarantine due to rising cases of coronavirus and abstain from attending the ongoing Rajya Sabha session. Roy informed Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu about his decision through a letter.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha, Sharma said what example was Parliament setting about respect for laws of the land as both he and Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu were above 65 years of age and attending Parliament despite government's notification.

Congress member Anand Sharma on Friday questioned whether Parliament was exempt from the provisions of laws passed by it as the Epidemic Act enforced by the government restricts persons above 65 years to come out from their homes.

The university said it would remain closed till March 31 with immediate effect.

The directive came after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had on Thursday said Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal had asked all government departments, autonomous bodies and public sector units to segregate activities and suspend non-essential services.

The Jawaharlal Nehru University has asked it's students to vacate hostels amid the coronavirus pandemic and said mess facilities would only be available for the next 48 hours.

All shops and offices are to be shut in Mumbai, Pune and Pimpri, except essential services. He also said that the government is working on measures to mitigate financial crisis. In a few days will announce measures

He said that these stringent measures had to be put in force as people were not practicing social distancing.

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray announces lockdown of all non-essential shops and offices in Mumbai, MMR region, Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad and Nagpur on Friday. He further added that all offices will have to work from home and if that is not possible then they will have to shut their offices. But he stated that there are no plan to stop local train, bus services in the state.

After starting on a volatile note, the BSE barometer was trading 1,848.07 points or 6.53 percent higher at 30,136.30 at 1330 hours. Similarly, the NSE Nifty was trading 515.50 points, or 6.24 percent, up at 8,778.95.

Equity benchmark Sensex soared over 1,800 points in afternoon session on Friday amid hopes of a stimulus package as Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a financial task force to combat the COVID-19 pandemic's economic fallout.

The 49-year-old Vadodara resident had returned from Spain. Of the two women, one, who is 34, had visited Finland while the other, who is 21, had returned from the United States.

A man from Vadodara and two women from Ahmedabad tested positive on Friday and all of them had returned from abroad, said Principal Secretary, Health, Jayanti Ravi.

Three more coronavirus cases came to light in Gujarat on Friday, taking the number of COVID-19 patients in the state to five, an official said here.

In Delhi, nearly 15 lakh traders and about 35 lakh of their employees will participate in Janata Curfew, he added.

"On the clarion call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seven crore traders across the country will down their shutters on Sunday, March 22, to participate in Janata Curfew. About 40 crore employees of traders will remain at home," Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said.

Traders across India will keep their establishments shut on Sunday in response to the Prime Minister's call for a self-imposed 'Janata Curfew', traders' body CAIT said on Friday.

The decision has been taken as a precautionary measure to check spread of coronavirus, he said. Those who are found not complying with the orders will be facing punishable offence, he added.

"All bars, cafes/lounges, hair salons and beauty parlours should be closed with immediate effect till 31 March or till further orders," District Magistrate Abhishek Prakash said.

With a view to check the spread of coronavirus, the Lucknow district administration on Friday ordered closure of all bars, cafes/lounges, hair salons and beauty parlours with immediate effect.

In an advisory on Thursday, Corporate Affairs Secretary Injeti Srinivas said the ministry is examining relaxations under the companies law that could be implemented in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

As part of relaxations in compliance requirements, the corporate affairs ministry has allowed companies to conduct board meetings through video conference and other audiovisual means till 30 June.

The government has advised companies to implement 'Work from Home' policy for their staff to encourage "social distancing" to curb spreading of coronavirus infections.

The Indian High Commission in London is offering assistance with organising accommodation for Indian nationals stranded in the UK in light of India's ban on travellers from the UK and Europe over coronavirus pandemic. The mission had already set up an email system for Indian passport holders to get in touch with details of their situation and has continued to field hundreds of calls and social media messages from Indians

He said the test reports of 55 more patients, including 11 taken on Friday, were sent to a laboratory in Delhi. Officials said the condition of all the coronavirus patients in the Union Territory was stable.

"After the reports of the two patients came positive, they were immediately shifted to an isolation ward in a hospital here by health officials," Samphel told reporters.

Commissioner Secretary (Health) Rigzin Samphel said both the latest cases were from Choshot village of Leh, which was already notified as a containment area by the district administration.

Two more persons have tested positive for coronavirus in Ladakh, taking the number of such patients in the Union Territory to 10, a senior government official said on Friday.

In an emotional video address posted to Marriott International's Twitter account following the call, Business Insider reported Sorenson said that "in most markets, our business is already running 75 percent below normal levels."

He added that the company hadn't experienced such a crisis as during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic since the 9/11 terrorist attack, or the Great Depression.

Marriot CEO Arne Sorenson said that business was down 75 percent across global markets. He also said that he won't take salary for a year and the executive team will take 50 percent cut.

The Delhi high court will continue restrictions on its level of functioning in view of the coronavirus pandemic till 3 April, reports said. A circular issued by the court also mentioned the judges who will be conducting proceedings during the period of restricted functioning.

The Press Information Bureau on Friday delted a tweet in which they said, "An audio clip of conversation purportedly between officials of WHO and health ministry discussing "complete lockdown" of the country is being shared on Whatsapp. This audio clip is FAKE and work of miscreants. Please do not forward it."

Lav Agarwal, Health Ministry Joint Secretary also said, "I request everyone in the society to use our toll free number 1075, seek information and steer clear of all kinds of misinformation on the novel coronavirus (nCov)."

In a daily press briefing, the health ministry said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to hold a video-conference with chief ministers of all states on Friday to discuss measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje on Friday said that she and her son Dushyant were observind self-quaratine because they had attended a dinner with singer Kanika Kapoor who tested positive for coronavirus earlier on Friday.

"A total of 206 positive cases have been reported in the country so far. More than 6,700 contacts of them are being monitored. Four deaths have occurred so far, they were all over 64 years of age and had co-morbidity due to which they were vulnerable," he added.

Lav Agarwal, Health Ministry Joint Secretary said that 160 countries have now been infected from coronavirus. We have to to stop imported cases and stop transmission within the people. Social distancing is a way. There is no shortage of essential commodities and all steps being taken by us is for prevention.

Hours after the Delhi government announced the closure of all malls in the National Capital in view of the coronavirus outbreak, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that all three Delhi Haats at the INA, Pitam Pura and Janakpuri areas will also be shut.

One more case of coronavirus was reported in Telangana on Friday. The Times of India reported that the patient is an 18-year-old girl with travel history with London.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) Derek O'Brien on Friday observed self-quarantine, The Times of India reported, adding that this is because he was sitting beside BJP MP Dushyant Singh who was a party with singer Kanika Kapoor, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday.

The French government on Friday said that the citizens stranded abroad amid the coronavirus pandemic must have patience and that the government is trying to bring them back, CNN reported. There are around 1,30,000 French citizens currently stranded abroad, the report said.

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Friday postponed the tests and interviews of civil services candidates because of the spread of the novel coronavirus in the country.

"The move comes after singer Kanika Kapoor was tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday. According to locals and neighbours, the singer attended over two events hosted in different parts of the city. She is also learnt to have visited a 5-star hotel during her stay there," The Indian Express reported.

The Uttar Pradesh government on Friday announced that all restaurants, hotels, sweet shops, food stalls, cafes, and other eateries will be shut in Lucknow till 31 March.

A 62-year-old woman in Vadodara in Gujarat tested positive for the novel coronavirus, The Indian Express reported on Friday. The total number of cases of the COVID-19 infection in the state is not at 8. The report also said that the woman has travel history with Sri Lanka.

“We increased our ask. Things are constantly shifting and changing!" the government was quoted as saying.

The New York City is likely to run out of essential medical supplies like surgical gowns, coveralls, gloves, and face masks by April CNN reported, adding that the city needs additional supplies of 45 million more

Reports said that Lucknow and Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh will be sanitised after singer Kanika Kapoor tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Friday. The singer attended a few parties in Lucknow after she returned from the US, reports said.

The Indian Express reported that the armed forces said that additional facilities can also be arranged for quickly. "Currently, there are 58 people at the Indian Air Force's Hindon facility, 44 at the Indian Navy's facility, 484 people at the Army's Jaisalmer facility and 82 people at its Manesar facility, who are in quarantine," the report said.

The Indian Armed Forces on Friday said that stand-by quarantine facilities have been set up in Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Visakhapatnam, and Gorakhpur, with a capacity of 1,000 people.

Congress leader Deepender Singh Hooda on Friday said that he was observing self-isolation because he had come in contact with some people who were in touch with singer Kanika Kapoor, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday.

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday said that 12 more people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in the state. There are five cases in Ernakulam, six in Kasaragod and one in Palakkad. There are total 40 Coronavirus positive cases in the state.

Additionally, while the audio falsely attributes such statements to have come from WHO Director in India, WHO India has clarified, "There is no such post in India. WHO India is headed by Representative to India, who is NOT a woman, as said in the audio clip," the tweet by the Press Information Bureau said.

"An audio conversation mentioning WHO sending report to Indian govt regarding lockdown is doing rounds on Social Media. In conversation with PBNS, WHO India said, "This audio is FAKE."

In light of the 'Janata Curfew' on Sunday, 22 March, Bengaluru Metro has decided to keep its services closed, ANI reported.

The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has announced the Odd-Even formula for public transportation including for buses, taxis, auto-rickshaws. There will be no bar for private vehicles, government vehicles and for vehicles hired in hospitals, ANI reported.

Kolkata commissioner of police Anuj Sharma said that two ladies were shifted by the police to the hospital as per the West Bengal Epidemic Disease coronavirus Regulation, 2020 from a housing complex in Ballygunge for not adhering to the protocol of home quarantine after coming back from abroad.

"We also reviewed the progress in bilateral defence cooperation as a part of India-US comprehensive global strategic partnership. India and the United States are committed to further deepen and strengthen the defence cooperation," he said.

"We exchanged views on the grave situation arising out of coronavirus pandemic and expressed confidence that through open communication and mutual support, world can overcome the pandemic.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said that he had spoken to US secretary of defence Mark Esper about the global situation over the coronavirus pandemic.

The Lucknow district magistrate said that city's Taj Hotel will remain closed till further orders after singer Kanika Kapoor, who has tested positive for COVID-19, attended a party in the hotel, News18 reported.

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday said that the state governement will fully support the 'Janata Curfew' called by Narendra Modi on 22 March. "State Transport Corporation buses and public transport will be kept off roads. Metro will also not operate on that day. People should stay at home," he said.

Delhi's Khan Market will observe a "complete lockdown" for two consecutive days on 22 and 23 March in keeping with the 'janata curfew' that Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for.

The Indian Railways on Friday said that suburban services in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, and Secunderabad shall be reduced to bare minimum level only to cater to essential travel requirement on Sunday, 22 March for the 'janata curfew'.

Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur said that two positive cases have been confirmed from Kangra district.

"There will be universal screening for all passengers coming from Australia, the United Kingdom and USA and risk profiling them for either quarantine or isolation based on risk assessment. This is in view of local transmission of the disease, increase in number of cases and deaths being reported in Australia, the United Kingdom and USA," the health ministry said in a notification on Friday.

News18 reported that an FIR was resgistered against Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor, who recently tested positive for COVID-19, in Lucknow, for violating the norms of self isolation.

The Ministry of Home Affairs said that the Centre has taken further preventive measures to achieve social distancing to contain the coronavirus outbreak in India.

The government also reportedly decided to take action against Kapoor, for "hiding her travel history and attended a party after coming from London"

India Today reported that the Uttar Pradesh government has made it mandatory for all those who came in contact with singer Kanika Kapoor to get checked for coronavirus after she tested positive for the infection on Friday. She has attended a few parties since she returned from the UK.

"All the students' hostels are hereby closed and it is directed that students vacate their hostel rooms latest by Monday morning. The duration of this order upto March 31 and likely to be extended in April 2020," the advisory added.

The Jamia Millia Islamia university on Friday issued an advisory for all its staff. "All the teaching staff of the various faculties and department will work from their home henceforth and they are directed to provide reading materials etc for the assignment of each unit on time. This arrangement is upto 31 March, 2020."

California on Friday "shut down" amid projections of 25 million being affected by the novel coronavirus, The Times of India reported.

The number of positive coronavirus cases in India rose to 236 on Friday, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said.

Sangma said that "all public transport, commercial establishments and markets will remain shut to create awareness about the pandemic" among the public.

Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma on Friday announced a 24-hour shutdown from midnight on Saturday and said that it will be observed as 'coronavirus awareness day', The Times of India reported.

That brings the official total of new deaths overall to 4,032 and of cases to 47,021.

Civil Protection Chief Angelo Borrelli announced Friday there were 627 new deaths. The number of new cases also shot staggeringly higher: 5,986 cases.

Italy has recorded its highest day-to-day- rise in the number of deaths of persons infected with COVID-19.

"Today, I have a message for young people: You are not invincible. This coronavirus could put you in hospital for weeks, or even kill you. Even if you don’t get sick, the choices you make about where you go could be the difference between life and death for someone else," WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

The World Health Organisation on Friday warned young people to not be complacent about the coronavirus pandemic.

News18 reported that an FIR was resgistered against Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor, who recently tested positive for COVID-19, in Lucknow, for violating the norms of self isolation.

#CoronaVirusUpdate : Government of India takes further preventive measures to achieve #SocialDistancing to contain the #CoronavirusOutbreakindia . #Covid2019India @HMOIndia @MoHFW_INDIA @DoPTGoI Details 👇 pic.twitter.com/Kur1mQbDC7

The Ministry of Home Affairs said that the Centre has taken further preventive measures to achieve social distancing to contain the coronavirus outbreak in India.

The government also reportedly decided to take action against Kapoor, for "hiding her travel history and attended a party after coming from London"

India Today reported that the Uttar Pradesh government has made it mandatory for all those who came in contact with singer Kanika Kapoor to get checked for coronavirus after she tested positive for the infection on Friday. She has attended a few parties since she returned from the UK.

"All the students' hostels are hereby closed and it is directed that students vacate their hostel rooms latest by Monday morning. The duration of this order upto March 31 and likely to be extended in April 2020," the advisory added.

The Jamia Millia Islamia university on Friday issued an advisory for all its staff. "All the teaching staff of the various faculties and department will work from their home henceforth and they are directed to provide reading materials etc for the assignment of each unit on time. This arrangement is upto 31 March, 2020."

• Those who have travelled recently from the corona affected countries should inform at National/State/ District helpline number and remain under strict home isolation for 28 days from the date of arrival in India, irrespective of whether they are symptomatic or asymptomatic."

• 327 isolation wards in Government and Private Health facilities with capacity of 2472 beds have been identified to deal with any contingency. The state has also identified Quarantine facilities in all the Districts with 1494 rooms including dormitories comprising of 6013 persons accommodation capacity.

• Two labs from Haryana- PGIMS, Rohtak and BPS Khanpur Kalan, have been designated for testing of COVID- 19.

"All Social, Cultural, Sports, Political, Religious, Academic and Family mass gatherings of 200 or more people are banned till 31st March in Haryana. Further it has also been decided that all Cinema Halls, Gyms, Night Clubs shall remain closed till 31st March, 2020.

The Haryana government on Friday released a detailed brief about the situation of coronavirus cases in the state.

California on Friday "shut down" amid projections of 25 million being affected by the novel coronavirus, The Times of India reported.

The number of positive coronavirus cases in India rose to 236 on Friday, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said.

Sangma said that "all public transport, commercial establishments and markets will remain shut to create awareness about the pandemic" among the public.

Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma on Friday announced a 24-hour shutdown from midnight on Saturday and said that it will be observed as 'coronavirus awareness day', The Times of India reported.

That brings the official total of new deaths overall to 4,032 and of cases to 47,021.

Civil Protection Chief Angelo Borrelli announced Friday there were 627 new deaths. The number of new cases also shot staggeringly higher: 5,986 cases.

Italy has recorded its highest day-to-day- rise in the number of deaths of persons infected with COVID-19.

"Today, I have a message for young people: You are not invincible. This coronavirus could put you in hospital for weeks, or even kill you. Even if you don’t get sick, the choices you make about where you go could be the difference between life and death for someone else," WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

The World Health Organisation on Friday warned young people to not be complacent about the coronavirus pandemic.

Coronavirus outbreak LATEST Updates: The World Health Organisation on Friday warned young people to not be complacent about the coronavirus pandemic.

"Today, I have a message for young people: You are not invincible. This coronavirus could put you in hospital for weeks, or even kill you. Even if you don’t get sick, the choices you make about where you go could be the difference between life and death for someone else," WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

India Today reported that the Uttar Pradesh government has made it mandatory for all those who came in contact with singer Kanika Kapoor to get checked for coronavirus after she tested positive for the infection on Friday. She has attended a few parties since she returned from the UK.

The government also reportedly decided to take action against Kapoor, for "hiding her travel history and attended a party after coming from London"

Suburban services in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Secunderabad shall be reduced to bare minimum level only to cater to essential travel requirement on March 22, Sunday.

The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has announced the Odd-Even formula for public transportation including for buses, taxis, auto-rickshaws. There will be no bar for private vehicles, government vehicles and for vehicles hired in hospitals, ANI reported.

The Uttar Pradesh government on Friday announced that all restaurants, hotels, sweet shops, food stalls, cafes, and other eateries will be shut in Lucknow till 31 March.

"The move comes after singer Kanika Kapoor was tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday. According to locals and neighbours, the singer attended over two events hosted in different parts of the city. She is also learnt to have visited a 5-star hotel during her stay there," The Indian Express reported.

Hours after the Delhi government announced the closure of all malls in the National Capital in view of the coronavirus outbreak, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that all three Delhi Haats at the INA, Pitam Pura and Janakpuri areas will also be shut.

"HoHo bus services of tourism department are also closed," he added.

Former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje on Friday said that she and her son Dushyant were observind self-quaratine because they had attended a dinner with singer Kanika Kapoor who tested positive for coronavirus earlier on Friday.

Two more persons have tested positive for coronavirus in Ladakh, taking the number of such patients in the Union Territory to 10, a senior government official said on Friday. In Uttar Pradesh, with a view to check the spread of coronavirus, the Lucknow district administration on Friday ordered the closure of all bars, cafes/lounges, hair salons and beauty parlours with immediate effect.

All malls in the national capital will be closed in view of the COVID-19 threat but grocery and pharmacy stores in them are exempt, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Friday. 'In view of the prevailing situation, we are closing down all malls (except grocery, pharmacy and vegetable shops in them),' Kejriwal tweeted.

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray announced a lockdown of shops and offices in Mumbai, MMR region, Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad, and Nagpur on Friday. He further added that all offices will have to work from home and if that is not possible then they will have to shut their offices. The order is set to come into force from midnight tonight till 31 March.

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Friday that there was no community spread of coronavirus in the country and a defined protocol exists about who needs to go for a test. Lok Sabha on Friday witnessed heated exchanges between Treasury and Opposition benches over claims by a Congress leader that essential commodities are fast disappearing from markets after the prime minister's address to the nation.

Indian Council of Medical Research on Friday said a total of 206 individuals have been confirmed positive among suspected cases and contacts of known positive cases. The government also sets up a WhatsApp helpdesk to fight misinformation amid the virus pandemic.

The latest death in India comes from Rajasthan, where a 69-year-old Italian citizen has died while undergoing treatment at the Fortis Hospital in Jaipur. He had apparently previously 'recovered' from the disease but died later. Meanwhile, three more persons were found positive for coronavirus infection in Maharashtra, taking the number of such cases in the state to 52.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has cancelled the Shobha Yatras and rath yatras it had planned to celebrate on the first Ram Navami post-Ayodhya verdict. Also, four more people have tested positive for coronavirus in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.

The government relaxed the rules on holding physical board meetings in an attempt to reduce physical contact and limit the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak on Friday.

In a notification, the ministry of corporate affairs (MCA) said it has relaxed the requirements of holding board meetings requiring physical presence of directors till 30 June.

“Considering need to take precautionary steps to overcome the outbreak of the coronavirus (Covid-19), the government has in-principle decided to relax the requirement of holding board meetings with physical presence of directors," the MCA said in its notice.

Now, these meetings will be held through video-conferencing or other audio-visual means. The MCA is expected to notify the rules soon.

According to multiple reports, the health secretary is expected to give a press conference at 11 am today amid coronavirus outbreak in India. Fitch Ratings on Friday cut India's growth forecast to 5.1 percent for FY 2020-21, saying the coronavirus outbreak is likely to hit business investment and exports.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in India rose to 195 on Friday, while the number of casualties remains at four. Meanwhile, the government has banned export of all ventilators, surgical/disposable masks and textile raw material used for making masks and coveralls with immediate effect in wake of the outbreak.

The United States warned Americans on Thursday to return home or stay abroad indefinitely, while Senate Republicans unveiled a $1 trillion economic stimulus plan to provide funds directly to businesses and the American public, as the number of coronavirus death in the country hit 200. California’s governor on Thursday issued a statewide 'stay at home' order to residents, telling them to leave their homes only when necessary during the coronavirus pandemic.

India recorded its fourth death due to coronavirus on Thursday. A 72-year-old man from Punjab, who had a history of travelling to Germany via Italy, passed away on Thursday passed away at the Banga community health centre after having severe chest pain. He was already patient was suffering from diabetes and hypertension. The total number of coronavirus cases stands at 169. Nearly 50 cases were reported from the state of Maharashtra.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on Thursday evening over the coronavirus outbreak and the efforts that the government has taken so far to combat it. The prime minister urged the citizens to give up the attitude that the virus cannot affect them, and advocated the efficacy of social distancing. The PM did not go into details about the measures taken by the government to combat the threat.

The two significant points Modi mentioned were the creation of an economic task force and the assurance that food items and essential commodities won't run out while the nation battles the threat of a pandemic.

Modi called citizens to observe Janata curfew (self-imposed curfew) possibly as a drill to test out the success of a lockdown in India, should the need arise.

Narendra Modi said that "resolution and restraint" were the most important principles in fighting the novel coronavirus pandemic. "Resolution and restraint is very important in combat against this global epidemic. As citizens, people need to strengthen their resolve to follow the advisories issues by state and central governments to fight," he said.

The coronavirus pandemic has also affected economies across the world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, adding that the Centre has constituted a 'COVID-19 economic task force' which will take decisions regarding the economy in the duration of fighting the pandemic.

He also appealed to people to give those in service like domestic helps to take days off, and also not cut their pay if they are not able to come to work.

Advocating social distancing to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, Narendra Modi said that the state governments must enforce 'janata curfew' on 22 March. "Avoid travelling out of the house unless it is essential travel," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that while world powers are struggling with the coronavirus pandemic, developing countries like India will find it a big challenge to tackle and curb the infections. "You might think that you are fine and you will continue to roam around, but that is not right according to me. You have a responsibility to your fellow citizens to take care," he said.

Modi also strongly advocated the measure of social distancing, and advised staying away from crowds. He also said that companies must allow employees to work from.

'You have always given me what I've asked for, and today I am here to ask for your time over the next few weeks. It is necessary for every citizen of India to be aware and cautious about the COVID-19 infection, over the next few weeks," Narendra Modi said.

He added, "This crisis has engulfed the entire human race. For the past two months, we have been watching with concern the news about coronavirus spreading across the world."

Iranian health ministry spokesperson Kianoush Jahanpour said on Thursday that an Iranian dies due to the novel coronavirus every 10 minutes. Every hour, at least 50 Iranian are infected, he added in a tweet.

Iran confirmed 1,046 cases of coronavirus bringing the total to 18,407.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said, "Twenty or more people will not be allowed to gather at any place for social, cultural, religious, academics, seminars, conferences purposes in the state." Earlier, 50 or more people were not allowed to gather.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said that all restaurants in the National Capital will be shut in a bid to urge people to stay home as authorities take measures to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. However, he said, that the take away and home delivery services will be available.

"10 confirmed cases have so far been reported in Delhi. Of which, two have been cured. We have 768 beds for quarantine purposes, of which 57 are occupied. We have 550 isolation beds," Kejriwal said.

The Government of India issued an advisory on Thursday saying that no scheduled international commercial passenger flights shall be allowed to land in India from 22 March for one week.

A fourth patient of the novel coronavirus has succumbed to the infection in India, reports said. The victim was reportedly a 70-year-old man in the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar who had travel history with Germany and Italy, India Today reported.

Prasar Bharati on Thursday said that a purported government notice claiming that restricted movement will be implemented in the country is fake news. "This press release being circulated on Social Media is NOT from India and NOT for India," the tweet said.

The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir government on Thursday suspended the inter-state bus service as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease.

The order passed by the regional transport officer of Kashmir read, " To migitate the transmission of COVID-19 in Union Terrirtory of Jammu and Kashmir, it is hereby ordered that no bus service/ mini bus service/ maxi cab service/ auto passenger service shall ply in Srinagar district with immediate effect till further orders."

The statement further said that no public transport shall enter Srinagar district from the north, south or central district of Kashmir division."

So far, three people have tested positive in the Jammu region.

Amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, the Noida Police Commissionerate on Wednesday ordered the imposition of Section 144 in Gautam Budh Nagar to restrict gathering of people.

The Noida Police Commissionerate said in a tweet, "In view of the emergency situation arising out of threat of coronavirus, and following Section 144 of CrPC, it is announced that no social, political, cultural, religious, sports and business gatherings shall be allowed in Gautam Budh Nagar district till 5 April, 2020."

Lending its support to the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic, WhatsApp on Wednesday announced two initiatives: the launch of Coronavirus Information Hub in partnership with the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, and UNDP, and a $1 million donation to the Poynter Institute's International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN).

As coronavirus cases continue to rise globally – infecting over 1,98,000 people and claiming more than 7,900 lives worldwide – the messaging platform on Wednesday said WhatsApp Coronavirus Information Hub at whatsapp.com/coronavirus would provide simple, actionable guidance for health workers, educators, community leaders, non-profit entities, local governments, and local businesses that rely on WhatsApp to communicate.

Amid coronavirus outbreak, Kerala government and the opposition have shown unity and come together to fight the crisis together. Setting aside their political differences, Kerala chief minister and Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala have decided to hold a joint press conference addressing the local self government heads on how to manage the coronavirus pandemic.

Pinarayi, who has been hailed for his efforts to manage and curb the fast-spreading virus, reviewed the preparations taken by the state against the pandemic and stressed upon the need to tighten vigil. Kerala has reported the second highest confirmed cases. Pinarayi, along with health minister KK Shailaja, has held daily press conferences at 7 pm for the last 8 days.

Kerala has already reported 25 positive cases and home quarantined 17,743 people so far. Besides, around 18,472 people are under surveillance, of which 268 are undergoing treatment in hospitals.

The ICSE board on Thursday postponed Class 10 and 12 examinations due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, officials said. The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) Chief Executive Gerry Arathoon said the exams have been postponed till 31 March.

On Wednesday however, he had said the exams will be conducted as per the schedule after the CBSE announced it has postponed exams till 31 March.

Two women tested positive for coronavirus in Mumbai metropolitan region on Thursday, taking the number of such cases in Maharashtra to 47, officials said.

While one woman had returned from the United Kingdom, another one had come back from Dubai, they said.

"A 22-year-old woman from Mumbai tested positive for Covid-19. She had returned from the UK. Another woman, a resident of Ulhas Nagar, had returned from Dubai. She is 49- year-old," an official said.

According to Health Ministry, the number of people infected with the highly contagious novel coronavirus has risen to 166, ANI reported. The number of confirmed cases comprised 141 Indians and 25 foreigners.

India has recorded three deaths due to COVID-19 so far. The government has given several advisories asking people to avoid crowded places and stay at home as much as possible in order to prevent the spread of the disease.

A 20-year old man who travelled by train from Delhi to Chennai tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday, becoming Tamil Nadus second COVID-19 patient, over ten days after the first case surfaced in the state, Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar said.

Incidentally, the first patient, a 45-year old engineer, has been discharged from hospital after his recovery, the Minister announced.

On the latest case, he indicated the patient did not have any history of foreign travel, describing him as a domestic case.

The youth, hailing from Delhi was currently in the isolation ward at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) in Chennai and being monitored closely, he said adding efforts would be launched immediately to trace those whom he had come into contact in recent days.

The number of positive cases of coronavirus in India on Wednesday rose to 151, which included 25 foreign nationals and 126 Indians.

Meanwhile, in a written reply in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said the total number of Indians infected by coronavirus abroad was 276 — 255 in Iran, 12 in UAE, five in Italy, and one each in Hong Kong, Kuwait, Rwanda, and Sri Lanka.

Giving a state-wise break up of the confirmed COVID-19 cases in India, officials said Delhi has so far reported ten cases which include one foreigner, while Uttar Pradesh has recorded 16 cases, including one foreigner.

Maharashtra has 42 cases, including three foreigners, while Kerala has recorded 27 cases which include two foreign nationals.

Karnataka has 11 coronavirus patients, whereas, the number of cases in Ladakh rose to eight while in Jammu and Kashmir the number of cases was three. Telangana has reported six cases which include two foreigners.

Rajasthan has also reported four cases including that of two foreigners. Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Uttarakhand and Punjab have reported one case each.

In Haryana, there are 17 cases, which include fourteen foreigners. According to the ministry's data, 14 people have been discharged so far, including three patients from Kerala who were discharged last month.

Meanwhile, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has postponed all examinations from 19 March to 31 March. The board also directed the suspension of evaluation work till 31 March.

Swiss firm gets licence to conduct tests

The Swiss firm Roche Diagnostics India received the licence for conducting coronavirus tests after approval from drug regulator DCGI, making it the first private firm to get such permission after the government decided to allow accredited private labs to test for COVID-19, a senior health ministry official said.

According to a senior official, the DCGI is now assessing giving licence to another private diagnostic firm, bioMérieux, which has also sought approval to conduct tests for coronavirus.

The official said two Indian diagnostic companies — Trivitron Healthcare and Mylab Discovery Solution — have also sought approval from the DCGI for the coronavirus testing kits developed by them.

Three more cases reported in Karnataka

In Karnataka, the number of COVID-19 cases reached 14 on Wednesday, with three more people testing positive. With this, the government has extended the lockdown announced last week to 31 March as it stepped up efforts to combat the spread of the disease which has already claimed a life in the state.

Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa convened an emergency cabinet meeting to discuss the impact of COVID-19 and further measures to tackle the outbreak. The cabinet decided to earmark Rs 200 crore as "immediate expenses" to contain the spread, and constitute a task force comprising four ministers for monitoring the situation on a daily basis, and review measures.

The state government had announced lockdown of malls, cinema theatres, pubs and night clubs for a week, with effect from last Saturday.

Yediyurappa had also issued instructions to stop all kinds of exhibitions, summer camps, conferences, fairs, marriage, sports and engagement events, and birthday parties state-wide for a week from Saturday. The chief minister on Wednesday said these curbs would continue till 31 March.

Army reports first case

The Indian Army reported its first case of coronavirus after a 34-year-old soldier of Ladakh Scout regiment tested positive, prompting the force to strengthen its check and prevention mechanism and suspend war games and training activities.

The soldier from the Ladakh Scout regiment tested positive for the virus after he came in contact with his father, who had returned from a pilgrimage in Iran by an Air India flight on 20 February and tested positive for COVID-19, army sources said.

A resident of Chuhot village in Leh, the soldier was on leave from 25 February and rejoined duty on 2 March, sources said, adding he was quarantined on 7 March and tested positive on 16 March. The soldier's brother has also tested positive, sources said.

This prompted the army to further strengthen its check and prevention mechanism by taking additional steps, including checking soldiers for flu symptoms on their return from leave and cancelling non-essential travel and conferences.

Impact on travel

Senior railway officials informed a parliamentary panel that more than 60 percent tickets were cancelled in March so far due to the outbreak while GoAir said it has terminated contracts of expat pilots amid curtailed operations due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways also announced reduction in its flights to India, two days after the government stated that passengers coming from UAE from 18 March onward would be compulsorily quarantined for 14 days.

With a surge in demand for soaps, floor cleaners and thermal scanners, Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said the Centre is closely monitoring the prices of these items. Normally, the ministry keeps track of prices of 22 essential commodities but recently, it has included face masks and hand sanitisers under the Essential Commodities Act.

Indians stranded in Iran

Giving the details of Indians in Iran, one of the worst affected countries by the novel coronavirus, V Muraleedharan in his written reply said the nationals include about 1,100 pilgrims mainly from Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir and Maharashtra.

There are also nearly 300 students primarily from Jammu and Kashmir, about 1,000 fishermen, including from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, and others who are on a long-term stay in Iran for pursuing their livelihood and religious studies, he added.

Asked about steps taken by the Centre to help Indians stranded in Iran due to the coronavirus outbreak, Muraleedharan said the government has made focussed efforts for the safe return of Indians from that country.

A team of six Indian health officials has been deputed to Iran in order to set up testing and sampling facilities there, he said.

Muraleedharan said that 1,706 samples have been taken, including from pilgrims, students and other Indians stranded in Iran. These are tested at medical facilities including the National Institute of Virology, Pune, he said.

Iran reports biggest single-day rise in deaths

Iran reported its single biggest jump in deaths from the new coronavirus on Wednesday as another 147 people died, raising the country's overall toll due to the virus to 1,135.

The nearly 15 percent spike in deaths, amid a total of 17,361 confirmed cases in Iran, marks the biggest 24-hour rise in fatalities since officials first acknowledged cases of the virus in Iran in mid-February.

Still, even as the number of cases continues to grow each day, food markets were still packed with shoppers on Wednesday and highways were crowded with traffic as families traveled between cities ahead of the Persian New Year, Nowruz, on Friday.

Meanwhile, desperate travellers choked European border crossings Wednesday after countries implemented strict controls to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus, which has now infected more than 200,000 people worldwide and killed more than 8,000.

In releasing the new figures, Johns Hopkins University also said more than 82,000 people recovered from the virus, which causes only mild or moderate symptoms such as fever and cough for most people, although severe illness is more likely in the elderly and those with existing health problems.

Italy has been the second hardest-hit country with more than 31,000 cases, behind more than 81,000 in China.

With inputs from agencies