india

Updated: Apr 10, 2020 20:01 IST

India on Friday reported 6,761 Covid-19 cases with the death toll climbing to 206 in the country. In the last 24 hours, 37 deaths have been reported and 896 new infections, the largest ever increase in single day cases. This is not only the largest ever single-day jump in the number of Covid-19 patients, it is also the highest number of deaths reported in 24 hours.

Earlier in the day, Punjab became the second state in the country after Odisha, to extend the nationwide lockdown imposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March. The lockdown was scheduled to be lifted on April 14 midnight but will now continue in place, in Punjab and Odisha at least, till April 30.

Here are the top 10 Covid-19 related news of the day:

1. There is no community transmission of the deadly pathogen Covid-19 in the country till date, but citizens need to remain alert and follow all possible healthcare guidelines, the Union health ministry has said.

2. At least 146 government laboratories are testing samples for Covid-19 and 67 private laboratories have been given approval to conduct tests to diagnose the infection, according to health ministry data.

3. India is in the final stages of framing a protocol for conducting clinical trials for convalescent plasma therapy, which uses antibodies from the blood of cured patients, to treat severely-ill Covid-19 patients, a senior ICMR official said on Friday.

4. Twelve more people have tested positive for Covid-19 in West Bengal on Friday. The total number of active coronavirus cases in the state currently stands at 89, West Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiv Sinha has said.

5. Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope has sought the Union government’s permission to start coronavirus testing laboratories in Nanded, Jalna, Aurangabad, Latur and Amravati districts in the state. He made the demand during a meeting with Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan through video conferencing. Tope said the rise in the number of coronavirus patients in Maharashtra was a cause for concern, and had demanded that the Centre provide more PPE kits and N-95 masks. Maharashtra, so far, has reported the highest number of coronavirus positive cases.

6. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked the Centre to inform it within two weeks of the arrangements that are being made for mentally ill people roaming on the streets during the nationwide lockdown. In a statement, the NHRC said, it has taken cognisance of a complaint on the alleged violation of human rights of mentally afflicted people and asked the Union Home Ministry to respond within two weeks.

7. United States lawmakers have urged China to shut down all “wet markets” amid the global coronavirus pandemic.

8. Tamil Nadu has reported one more coronavirus death taking the toll reaches 9 in the state. According to news agency PTI, Tamil Nadu reported one more death due to coronavirus, taking the total to nine. Total Covid-19 cases in the state are 77 positive cases.

9. Rajasthan reported 57 new Covid-19 positive cases on Friday – the maximum on a single day – as the overall count in the desert state rose to 520. The state’s Covid-19 cases have been doubling rapidly. They first phase doubled from 100 to 200 cases in three days between April 1 and April 4. Later, it doubled again from 200 to 400 cases between April 4 and April 9. Ramganj, a neighborhood in Jaipur, has emerged as a Covid-19 hotspot in the state with 15 cases over the past two weeks.

10. The Punjab government has said that the total number of coronavirus cases in the state climbed to 151 with 21 more people contracting the infection. A Jalandhar resident, who tested positive for coronavirus, died on Thursday, taking the total number of Covid-19 related deaths in the state to 11, an official said. Among the 21 fresh cases, 11 were reported in Mohali district, of which 10 were from Jawaharpur village alone. Eight cases were reported in Pathankot and one each in Sangrur and Jalandhar, according to a medical bulletin of the state government.