The number of coronavirus cases in the country crossed the 3,000 mark on Saturday and now stand at 3,374. The number of active Covid-19 cases in the country is at 3,030 while the number of people who have recovered from the infection stands at 266. As many as 77 people have been killed by Covid-19.
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Delhi continue to grapple with the rise in coronavirus cases.
Here are the key developments:
1. As directed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country will observe 9 minutes of blackout tonight at 9 pm.
2. In a release by the power ministry on Saturday, the government said that the move is a voluntary one and applies only to residences. The call is only to switch off residential lights and does not apply to household appliances, fans, et cetera. Hospitals, public utility services, government and essential services will continue to work. The ministry also clarified that there will be no effect on the grid due to the move.
3. A Union health ministry plan has outlined how regions with large outbreaks or multiple clusters of the coronavirus disease could be walled in, charting out what may be the first official road map to keep the disease in check by focussing curbs and surveillance on hot spots while other areas return to some degree of normalcy once the nationwide lockdown ends later this month.
4. The railways is in the process of preparing plans to resume passenger and mail express train services after the 21-day lockdown period, according to documents reviewed by Hindustan Times.
5. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has set a fresh protocol for healthcare workers to start with a rapid antibody-based blood test for Covid-19.
6. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday chaired a review meeting of all the groups. Countrywide preparedness in terms of availability of hospitals, proper isolation and quarantine facilities, and disease surveillance, testing and critical care training were reviewed at the meeting.
7. At least 1,023 cases of Covid-19 in India are linked to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in New Delhi, the Union health ministry announced on Saturday, adding that authorities had traced nearly 22,000 other people who were connected to the religious event that has emerged as the biggest hot spot of the infection in the country.
8. On Saturday, Delhi health minister Satyendar Kumar Jain said that nearly 250 of Delhi’s total Covid-19 cases have links with Markaz Nizamuddin.
9. Low-cost carrier AirAsia India will be opening its flight bookings from April 15, after the lockdown is lifted on April 14, at 23.59.
10. The maximum percentage of coronavirus disease positive cases, at about 41% in the country, have been reported among people between 21 and 40 years old, while the most deaths have occurred among people above 60, shows the government’s age profile analysis.
The country entered the twelfth day of the 21-day coronavirus lockdown that will end on April 14.
