Coronavirus: Cases Soar to 4,281, Toll Now at 111; Male Accounts for 73% Deaths

On Monday morning, the number of active coronavirus cases in hospitals jumped to 3,666 from a total confirmed cases of 4,067, among whom 291 have been cured, according to Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The death toll due to COVID-19, disease caused by the novel coronavirus, now has reached 109 in the country.
Providing a gender breakup of the deaths due to COVID-19 in India, Health Ministry while briefing the media informed on Monday that males account for 73 per cent of the deaths, while female for 27 per cent.
Lav Aggrawal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry, confirmed that 693 COVID-19 cases have been reported since Sunday – the highest single day spike in number of positive cases that the country has witnessed so far.
Among fresh cases in the country, a 14-month-old boy, whose parents are casual labourers with no recent travel history, tests positive for contagious coronavirus in Gujarat's Jamnagar district, news agency PTI reported.
Meanwhile, railways has converted 2,500 coaches into isolation wards, achieving half of its target of delivering 5000 such coaches in the first phase as part of its efforts to supplement the government's measures to fight coronavirus. With the conversion of around 2,500 coaches, 40,000 isolation beds are now ready for use, PTI reported railways as saying in a statement.
“Once the prototype was approved, conversion action was started quickly by Zonal Railways. On an average, 375 coaches are being converted by Indian Railways in a day. The work is being carried out at 133 locations in the country,” it said.

Here are the live updates:

6:45 PM: After 11 fresh cases of novel coronavirus were reported in Haryana, the state's count has rose to 87, PTI reported on Monday.

6:28 PM: The Tamil Nadu government on Monday confirmed 50 new coronavirus cases, of whom 48 were those who had returned from New Delhi’s Nizamuddin Markaz. With this, the total number of confirmed virus cases in the state has jumped to 621.

6:16 PM: Mumbai recorded 57 fresh cases of novel coronavirus, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation confirmed on Monday. With this, the total number of confirmed cases in Mumbai alone has reached 490, of which 34 have died so far.

6:13 PM: COVID-19: Cases in Uttar Pradesh Touch 300-mark
After 27 fresh cases of novel coronavirus were reported in Uttar Pradesh, the state count has rose to 305, PTI reported.

6.10 PM: Coronavirus Cases Soar to 523 in Delhi; 330 From Nizamuddin Markaz

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday confirmed that the total number of coronavirus cases in the national capital now has reached 523, of which 330 are from Nizamuddin Markaz.
The past 24 hours saw 20 fresh cases and one death on Sunday, said Kejriwal.
He said that 25 COVID-19 patients are being treated in ICU and another 8 are on ventilator support, Kejriwal thanked the central government for allocating 27,000 PPE kits for Delhi.

5:37 PM: Uttar Pradesh: BJP’s Mahila Morcha Chief Booked for Resorting to Celebratory Firing

The Uttar Pradesh police has booked the BJP’s Mahila Morcha president of Balrampur district for allegedly firing in the air on Sunday night, when people across the country lit earthen lamps and candles on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to express solidarity with the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak, PTI reported.
The move prompted UP BJP''s Mahila Morcha unit to remove Manju Tiwari from her post with immediate effect.
The police booked Manju Tiwari, the president of the BJP Mahila Morcha unit of the district, under section 286 of the Indian Penal Code (negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance) after her video, purportedly showing her firing in air went viral on social media.

5:30 PM: Kerala HC Allows Cat Owner to Go Out to Buy Food for Pets

The Kerala High Court on Monday allowed a cat owner’s plea seeking to permit him to go out in his car to buy food for his pets amid the lockdown to prevent spread of novel coronavirus,  PTI reported.
Considering the plea filed by Prakash, who owns three pet cats, a Division Bench of the High Court comprising Justices A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and Shaji P Chaly observed that animal food and fodder were covered under essential items.

4.40 PM: The Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday said that 1,750 out of total 2,083 foreigners who are Tablighi Jamaat members have been blacklisted till now.

3:55 PM:  The Assam governmen ist considering starting a permit system for people willing to enter state after the lockdown ends, the state's minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
He also said that cases will be filed against Tablighi Jamaat attendees from Assam who fail to report for testing by today.

3:40 PM: Supreme Court issues guidelines for hearings through video-conferencing across courts during Covid-19 pandemic

3:16 PM: COVID-19: AIIMS RDA Writes to PM Over Targeting of Doctors for Raising Genuine Concerns

Residential Doctor’s Association of New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday over targeting of healthcare workers – doctors, nurses and other supportive staff – for raising genuine concerns related to the preparedness to combat COVID-19.
“It is the responsibility of the government to ensure that these ‘soldiers’ are heard, their opinion respected, rather than humiliated,” the letter said.

2:43 PM:Set Up Mental Health Helplines: UGC Directs Universities, Colleges

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has directed all universities and colleges to set up mental health helplines to address psychosocial concerns of students during the lockdown imposed to combat coronavirus, news agency PTI  reported on Monday.

The commission has suggested that there should be regular mentoring of students through interactions and appeals to remain calm and stress-free.

2:39 PM: Fresh Cases Reported in Karnataka; State Count Now at 163

Karnataka State government on Monday confirmed 12 new COVID-19 cases in the state taking the total number of infections in state at 163 now.

2:01 PM: Mumbai: Hospital Shuts After 26 Nurses, 3 Doctors Test Coronavirus Positive

Wockhardt Hospital in Mumbai has been temporarily shut and declared a containment zone after three doctors and 26 nurses tested positive for the contagious novel coronavirus, reported NDTV.
According to the report, entry and exit to the hospital are banned till all the patients admitted at the hospital test negative twice. More than 270 patients and nurses are being tested.

1.52 PM: Punjab: Poor Banging ‘Thalis’ to Lodge Protest

Poor people in parts of Punjab banged “thalis” on their rooftops to register their protest against the state government for “failing” to provide them ration, reported The Tribune.
According to the report,  farm labourers, the people who were hit hardest by the lockdown, demanded ration, medicines, preventive material such as masks and sanitisers.

1.40 PM: ‘Staggered’ Return to Normalcy: Districts With No Cases to Get Priority?

As the nation enters into the last week of 21-day nationwide lockdown, officials in multiple states have suggested to relax curbs on movement and commercial activity in districts with no COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, cases, reported Hindustan Times.
According to the report, officials in three states including Rajasthan, Haryana, and Maharashtra, have favoured relaxing curbs in districts free of infections, which reportedly could be the “first phase” of the easing process.

1:30 PM: Survey Shows 42% Have No Ration Left for the Day: Report

Based on a survey of as many as 3,196 migrant construction workers amid the 21-day coronavirus-induced nationwide lockdown, 42 per cent among them revealed that “they had no ration left even for the day, let alone the duration of the lockdown,” reported Indian Express.
The survey conducted by the non-governmental organisation Jan Sahas, the telephonic survey also found that if the lockdown continued beyond 21 days, 66 per cent of the labourers said that they will not be able to manage their household expenses beyond a week.

1:15 PM: Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said today that he will give up one meal in response to a call given by BJP president J P Nadda to party workers on its foundation day to show solidarity with people facing hardships during the lockdown.

1:00 PM: The University Grants Commission has directed all universities and colleges to set up mental health helplines to address psycho-social concerns of students during the lockdown imposed to combat coronavirus.

12:15 PM: The Central Zoo Authority asked zoos across the country to monitor animals 24X7, collect samples in suspected cases, after a tiger in a US zoo tested COVID-19 positive. All zoos have been advised to be on high alert, especially mammals like cats, ferrets and primates should be carefully monitored, the CZA said.

12:00 PM: India's efforts to combat coronavirus have set an example,  Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, addressing BJP workers. The maturity shown by people in this lockdown is unprecedented, we got to see our collective strength on Sunday evening, the PM said. We are among countries which understood this pandemic's seriousness and took one decision after another in time to combat it, PM Modi added.

11:50 AM: A 62-year-old woman died of coronavirus in Vadodara. The toll in Gujarat reached 12, according to officials.

11:30 AM: India handled the COVID-19 situation comparatively better than developed nations,  RSS Joint General Secretary Manmohan Vaidya has said. To tackle COVID-19 outbreak, India's leadership took some decisive steps, which got public support, he added. From starting helplines to feeding poor and daily wagers, RSS workers helped 25.5 lakh people during lockdown, according to the RSS leader.