Coronavirus India Updates: Total Cases At 20,471, Death Toll At 652

The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in India crossed 20,000 on a day where it also saw a high number of recoveries.

India reported 1,486 new cases over the last 24 hours taking the total in the country to 20,471, according to the health ministry's update at 5 p.m. This includes 3,960 who've recovered and 652 deaths.

Over the last 24 hours, 700 people have recovered while 49 have died.

While it took 76 days for India to report its first 10,000 cases, the next 10,000 have come in just 7 more days.

Global Update:

Globally, total cases topped 2.5 million and deaths exceeded 175,000, according to John Hopkins data.

The U.S. saw its biggest daily tally of new coronavirus infections in almost two weeks while Singapore, once a standard bearer for taming the virus, reported more than 1,000 cases for a second day.

Track latest news updates and developments on how the coronavirus situation is evolving in India here:

India added 1,486 new cases in teh last 24 hours taking the total to 20,471.

• Active cases: 15,859
• Cured/discharged/migrated: 3,960
• Deaths: 652

Source: Health Ministry (April 22, 5 p.m.)

The Indian Council of Medical Research has sent a new protocol for using rapid antibody tests to all states, the health ministry said in a media statement today.

The ministry said rapid tests are largely to be used as a surveillance tool. The rapid antibody test results are dependent on field conditions, it said.

Antibody tests cannot replace the RT-PCR tests to diagnose Covid-19 cases, it said.

Other highlights:

• ICMR to help states in the collection of data to assess the scope and extent of the utility of the rapid antibody test in field conditions.
• The Government of India will conduct a telephonic survey where citizens will be contacted through their mobile phone from the number 1921, through NIC.
• Ministry requests all citizens to participate to help get proper feedback on the prevalence and distribution of Covid-19 symptoms.

Covid-19 cases crossed the 800-mark in Andhra Pradesh, reaching 813 as 56 new cases were added in the state in the last 24 hours ending Wednesday morning.

The coronavirus toll also rose to 24 while as many patients had recovered and been discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours, a latest Covid-19 bulletin said.

It said 5,757 samples were tested during the period, of which 5,701 turned negative.

Kurnool and Guntur districts continued to maintain a worrisome trend as they added 19 new cases each, aggregating 203 and 177 respectively, the top two in the state.

Though the bulletin did not give any details about the new patients, sources in the Covid-19 Command Control Centre here said they were the secondary contacts of the Tablighi Jamaat attendees.

Guntur district also reported two more deaths in the last 24 hours, taking its tally to eight, the highest in the state.

At the same time, eight coronavirus patients got cured and discharged from hospital in Guntur, five in Anantapuramu, four each in SPS Nellore and Kadapa, two in Krishna and one in Visakhapatnam.

The total number of patients discharged in the state now increased to 120.

AP now has 669 active coronavirus cases.

Sources: PTI

Notwithstanding the government go-ahead, some industry associations in Punjab on Wednesday said they would prefer not to open their factories on health concerns of their employees and asked the government to provide loans and cash credit limits to industries during this time of crisis.

Punjab Beopar Mandal general secretary Sunil Mehra said that state government had announced that the industries could restart from April 20 onwards. “But, conditions for the same are very strict,” he said.

Industries can take responsibilities like paying salaries, arranging transportation for labour, “but how can employers take responsibility of health of workers? The government itself should take responsibility of the health of the industrial workers,” he said.

DS Chawla, President, United Cycle and Parts Manufacturers Association said the time is not right to open factories as there is a great risk of people getting infected with Covid-19.

Chawla said a meeting of Ludhiana industrialists was held here on Monday to discuss this issue. There was no enthusiasm amongst them to open their industrial units.

“We do not have much raw material and transport is also not functional. Industry is facing acute financial crunch. How can the industry run," he asked.

Punjab Beopar Mandal's Mehra further said that government must extend full support to trade and industry, if it really wants to extend any support otherwise the industrialists would find it better to stay at home instead of getting their units functional during the lockdown period.

Mehra said the efforts made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh have yielded results in checking the spread of coronavirus in the state. But regretted that the state power utility was issuing electricity bills during the lockdown period.

Rather, the government should provide loans and cash credit limits to industry and trade during this time of crisis, he said.

The Punjab government on Monday had said that the industrial activity can function in non-containment zone area in line with the guidelines of the ministry of Home Affairs.

Eleven different categories of industrial establishments have been allowed to operate with the condition that in case the industrial establishment employs 10 or more persons, it shall make arrangements for stay of workers within its premises as far as possible and/or adjacent buildings.

The transportation of workers to work place shall be arranged by the employers in dedicated transport by ensuring social distancing.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Industries minister Sunder Sham Arora said the industrial units which want to start operations subject to compliance of the guidelines issued by the department of Home affairs and Justice, Punjab can apply online on Industries and Commerce Department's site and start operations.

A dedicated web link has been created to facilitate the operationalization during curfew period, said Arora adding the concerned general managers of District Industries Centres have been authorized by respective Deputy Commissioners to issue the permissions.

The provision of permission for construction activities to be granted by the District Industries Centre, wherever authorized by Deputy Commissioners is also available through this portal.

The provision of SMS alert to investor at the time of submission and approval of application has also been made in the above portal, he said in an official release here.

Source: PTI

The government has notified reporters that the daily press briefing - hosted by the Health Ministry and the ICMR - will not take place today.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Wednesday said an employee of the ministry who attended office on April 15 has tested positive for Covid-19.

All colleagues, who came in contact with the employee, have been asked to go into self isolation as a precaution, it said.

"An employee of the ministry who had attended office on 15 April, 2020, has tested positive for Covid-19 on 21st April. All necessary protocols are being stringently followed on the premises," the ministry said on Twitter. "Government of Delhi is seized of the matter. They are taking appropriate steps as per the laid protocol for contact tracing and risk profiling," it said.

Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, in a tweet said, "We stand by our colleague at Ministry of Civil Aviation who has tested positive for Covid-19 and have extended all possible medical help and support." "Those in contact have also been asked to follow the laid down procedures. I wish him strength and speedy recovery," he said.

India has been under lockdown since March 25 to arrest the spread of novel coronavirus, which has infected around 20,000 people in the country. More than 600 people have died due to the disease.

The Puducherry government on Wednesday said Chief Minister V Naryanasamy, his ministerial colleagues, MLAs and MPs would be tested for coronavirus on the premises of the Assembly here on April 23.

Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao told reporters here that the medical test would be held between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

on Thursday and test results would be available by April 25.

"We will use the RTPCR equipment to conduct the test," he said.

Stressing the need for such a test for the people's representatives, the Health Minister said they had been moving about in various places to ascertain whether the social distancing was adhered to by the public.

"To be on safe side the test had been planned now for people in public life."

The government had stayed the use of Rapid Kits received last night from the Centre for testing the Covid-19.

"The ICMR has now directed the government to refrain from using the kits in view of the kits being not up to the mark.

"We will take steps once we get clearance from the Centre on using the kits," Rao added.

Puducherry had established a good record of having only three positive cases who were under treatment in the Indira Gandhi Government Medical college hospital.

"There would be no relaxation of the norms as we have to wait for nearly 10 days for the lockdown to come to an end," the Minister said.

He feared that if restrictions were relaxed, patients from neighbouring States, which were in red zone would troop into Puducherry and its outlying regions.

Hence, the territorial government had come out with a plan to associate the JIPMER to take care of patients at the border points here.

"Only emergency cases from neighbouring districts of Villupuram and Cuddalore would be attended in JIPMER while patients with normal and non serious ailments could be turned away at the border points," he said.

According to the health department, door to door surveillance had been conducted in the Union Territory covering 2,51,381 families which meant 9,54,226 persons had been covered out of the total nearly 13 lakh population.

Source: PTI

The number of coronavirus cases in Gujarat rose to 2,272 after 94 more people tested positive for it in the state on Wednesday, a health department official said.

Ahmedabad reported 61 new cases, Surat-17, Vadodara- eight, Aravalli-five, Botad- two and Rajkot- one, principal secretary (health) Jayanti Ravi said.

The state has so far reported 2,272 coronavirus positive cases and 95 deaths. Till now, 144 people have been discharged after recovery.

There are total 2,033 active cases. Of these, 13 patients are on ventilator support, while the condition of 2,020 is stable, the official said.

The state government has so far tested 37,059 samples, including 2,516 in the last 24 hours, she said.

Source: PTI

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday interacted with a group of doctors and representatives of the Indian Medical Association and appreciated their good work besides assuring them security, officials said.

This comes amid reports of attacks on healthcare workers and assaults on some doctors engaged in Covid-19 duties in different parts of the country.

The home minister interacted with the doctors and the IMA through video-conferencing, a home ministry official said.

Shah appreciated their good work and assured them full security, he said.

The home minister appealed to them to not do even a symbolic protest as the government is with the doctors, the official said.

The IMA was planning to stage protests against assaults on some doctors and healthcare workers engaged in Covid-19 duties.

There have been reports of doctors being abused, beaten and denied entry into residences.

Families of at least two doctors, who succumbed to the novel coronavirus in Shillong and Chennai, had faced opposition while performing their last rites as the locals claimed that burying them in their localities may lead to the spread of the infection.

Source: PTI

Shops selling educational books and electric fans, services of bedside attendants of senior citizens and public utilities, including recharge facilities for prepaid mobile phones have been allowed during the lockdown period.

The orders were issued by the Home Ministry on Tuesday night after receiving some queries with regard to exemptions of specific services and activities allowed through the guidelines issued so far.

The home ministry also said bread factories and flour mills located in urban areas can restart operations during the ongoing lockdown to combat the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Shops selling educational books for students and electric fans will be allowed to open during the lockdown, which is scheduled to end on May 3.

Bedside attendants and care givers of senior citizens residing in their homes and public utilities, including recharge facilities for prepaid mobile connection will be allowed to offer services, the ministry said in its order.

Food processing units such as bread factories, milk processing plants, flour mills, dal mills etc., located in urban areas will be allowed to function during the lockdown.

Facilities for export or import such as pack houses, inspection and treatment facilities for seeds and horticulture produce, research establishments dealing with the agriculture and horticulture activities have been exempted from the purview of the lockdown.

Inter and intra-state movement of planting materials and honey bee colonies, honey and other beehive products will also be allowed to function, the order said.

Forest offices, forestry plantation and related activities, including silviculture operations, are allowed during the lockdown.

However, the ministry made it clear that social distancing for offices, workshops, factories and establishments must be ensured.

The home ministry also allowed sign-on and sign-off of Indian seafarers at Indian ports and their movement for the aforesaid purpose as per a standard operating protocol.

It said that change of crew of a ship (seafarers) is an important measure for operation of merchant ships.

The SOP has been formulated to streamline the sign-on and sign-off of Indian seafarers at Indian ports for merchant shipping vessels, the ministry added.

For sign-on, the ship owner or recruitment and placement service agency will identify the Indian seafarers for joining a vessel.

The seafarers will intimate their travel and contact history for the last 28 days to the ship owner or RPS agency by email, as per procedure laid down by Director General of Shipping.

The seafarer would be examined by a DGS-approved medical examiner, as per the guidelines prescribed for this purpose.

At the same time, the seafarer shall also be screened, and his travel and contact history examined for the last 28 days; seafarers found to be asymptomatic for Covid-19 and otherwise suitable may be processed for sign-on.

The local authority in the area where the seafarer resides will be intimated about his clearance for sign-on and for issue of a transit pass from the place of residence to the place of embarkation on the shipping vessel.

The transit pass for such movement by road, for the seafarer and one driver, may be issued by the government of the State or Union Territory where the seafarer resides.

For sign-off, the master of a vessel, coming from any foreign port, or a coastal vessel from any Indian port, while arriving at its port of call in India, shall ascertain the state of health of each person on board the vessel and submit a Maritime Declaration of Health to the health authorities of the port and to the port authorities.

In addition, the information required by the local health authorities of the port, like temperature chart, individual health declaration, etc. shall also be provided by the master as per the directives of the health authorities of the port.

Port health authorities shall grant pratique to the vessel prior to berthing as per necessary health protocols.

The Indian seafarer arriving on the vessel would undergo the Covid-19 test for confirmation that he or she is negative for the infection.

After disembarking and till the time the seafarer reaches the testing facility within the port premises, it will be ensured by the ship owner that all safety precautions as per standard health protocol are observed.

Till the time test reports of the seafarer are received, they shall be kept in the quarantine facility by the port or the state health authorities.

If the seafarer is tested as positive for Covid-19, he or she will be dealt with as per the procedures laid down by Health Ministry.

For the seafarer tested negative and signed off, the local authority in the area where the seafarer disembarks will be intimated about his or her clearance for sign-off, and for issue of a transit pass from the place of disembarkation to the place of his or her residence.

The social distancing and other hygiene norms, as per standard health protocol, would be followed by the vehicle transporting the seafarer to his destination.

The lockdown was first announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 in a bid to combat the coronavirus pandemic. It was later extended till May 3.

Source: PTI

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has demanded that the Centre issue guidelines by this month-end on sending the migrant workers to their native places in the wake of the coronavirus-enforced lockdown.

Speaking to the central team led by additional secretary Manoj Joshi through video conference on Tuesday evening, Thackeray said his government has opened shelter camps for over six lakh migrant labourers and they are being looked after well.

But, these people want to go back to their native places and are also protesting some times, he pointed out.

"If the central government feels the coronavirus spread will be more from April 30 till May 15, it should consider if the stranded labourers can be sent back to their homes before that. If it is possible, guidelines in this regard should be issued," Thackeray said.

The Centre should consider if the stranded labourers can be monitored "end-to-end" and quarantined after they reach their homes to ensure there is no spread of the coronavirus, Thackeray said, and urged the Union government to take a timely decision.

The chief minister said 80 per cent of the coronavirus patients in the state are asymptomatic and wondered what could be the reason for it.

He also expressed the need to study what steps are being taken in Dubai to contain the disease.

"We all know what is happening in the U.S., but need to study what steps are being taken in Dubai. The coronavirus entered Maharashtra through these two places," he said.

Thackeray also reiterated the demand for more personal protective equipment, ventilators and other medical equipment from the Centre.

He also sought the Centre's guidance for construction of hospitals by the Army on war-footing, if needed.

Thackeray also sought relaxation of central government rules to provide food grains to those who don't have a ration cards.

Source: PTI

The West Bengal government has said "it is not a fact" that there was no cooperation with the Central team deputed to assess the Covid-19 situation in the state and gave an assurance that it will abide by all Union government orders on lockdown.

The assurance came hours after the Centre accused the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government of obstructing a Central team deputed to assess the coronavirus ground situation.

In a letter to Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, West Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha said it was not a fact that the two Inter Ministerial Central Teams have not been provided with any cooperation by the state government since he had two meetings with one team and also was in touch with the other. "This is to convey my highest assurances for the implementation of the orders of central government issued under the Disaster Management Act as well as the directions of the Honb'le Supreme Court," he wrote.

A home ministry spokesperson welcomed the West Bengal government's assurance of cooperation to the two visiting teams.

Source: PTI

India extending the nationwide lockdown by nearly three weeks is unlikely to stem the surge in coronavirus infections, the economic and humanitarian crisis will exacerbate due to the slow response by the government so far, according to Fitch Solutions.

"We at Fitch Solutions have revised down our forecast for India's FY20-21 real GDP growth to 1.8 percent, from 4.6 percent previously," it said in a note on Wednesday. "The key drivers behind our revision is slow and weak fiscal response and a worsening of the Covid-19 outbreak domestically, which we expect to cause both private consumption and investments to contract," Fitch Solutions said.

"India is nowhere near the peak of the infection given its large population of 1.3 billion," it said. While India's lockdown has been extended to May 3, Fitch Solutions said it believes "this will fail to stem the continued surge in infections and also fail to flatten the infection curve."

Source: PTI

Around 28,000 people from across West Bengal have been booked under different sections of the IPC for violating lockdown norms since "March-end", Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha said. "During the period, around 3,000 vehicles have also been impounded in connection with the non-adherence of safety restrictions," he said.

Meanwhile, Kolkata Police on Tuesday arrested at least 839 people in the city for defying lockdown rules, not wearing masks while stepping outside and spitting in the open. "Till 8 pm, 616 people were held for deliberate violation of the curbs, 198 for not wearing masks and 25 for spitting in public places," a senior police officer said.

Source: PTI

The plan to use anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine for treating Covid-19 patients has received a setback with more deaths being reported among those who were given the drug, according to a report. Another report suggested that there was insufficient clinical data to either recommend or oppose the use of the much touted drug for treating those infected with the deadly virus.

President Donald Trump, who has been aggressively promoting the use of hydroxychloroquine in the treatment of Covid-19 patients, said that he would look into the reports. His administration has stockpiled more than 30 million doses of hydroxychloroquine, a large chunk of which has been imported from India.

Trump was responding to a question on a study released by a group of scientists on use of hydroxychloroquine with or without antibiotic azithromycin for 368 Covid-19 patients. The unreviewed study submitted to New England Journal of Medicine for publication and posted online found no evidence that use of hydroxychloroquine, either with or without azithromycin, reduced the risk of mechanical ventilation in patients hospitalised with Covid-19.

An association of increased overall mortality was identified in patients treated with hydroxychloroquine alone, said the study that was funded by the National Institute of Health. NIH in its report 'Therapeutic Options for Covid-19 Currently Under Investigation' said that there are insufficient clinical data to either recommend or oppose using chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine for treatment of Covid-19.

If chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine is used, clinicians should monitor the patient for adverse effects, especially prolonged QTc interval, it said. The panel of NIH experts recommended against the use of the combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin because of the potential for toxicities.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen M Hahn said that no final decision has been taken as yet. "I've mentioned from this podium and in other venues before, what FDA is going to require is data from clinical trials, randomised clinical trials, hydroxychloroquine/placebo, to actually make a definitive decision around safety and efficacy," he told reporters.

Source: PTI

The progression of Covid-19 cases in India, though slower than many other countries, has happened fairly quickly over the last few weeks. Here's what the timeline looks like.

• 0-5,000 cases: 70 days
• 5,000-10,000 cases: 6 days
• 10,000-15,000 cases: 4 days
• 15,000-19,984 cases: 3 days

The Gautam Buddh Nagar administration on Wednesday asked media houses located in Noida and Delhi to send details of their personnel who need to travel between the two cities during the lockdown.

"Media houses in Noida and Delhi should prepare a list of their representatives who stay in Delhi and work in Noida or stay in Noida but work in Delhi. The list should be e-mailed by 12 p.m. on April 22," the administration said in a statement. "Media representatives who live and work in Noida and do not need to travel to Delhi should not be included in the list," the advisory said, adding that such media personnel can move around in Noida if they have a press identity card issued by their organisation.

The administration had banned the movement of people between Noida and Delhi, except those involved in Covid-19 related services like ambulances, goods transportation and media, from Tuesday night.

Requesting the support and cooperation from media houses in the fight against the deadly virus, the administration said, "Please try to keep the names as few as possible."

Source: PTI

Of the seven states with more than a thousand cases so far, Delhi and Gujarat have crossed the 2,000-mark while Maharashtra has now crossed the 5,000-mark.

• Delhi: 2156
• Gujarat: 2178
• Madhya Pradesh: 1552
• Maharashtra: 5218
• Rajasthan: 1659
• Tamil Nadu: 1596
• Uttar Pradesh: 1294

These seven states account for more than 78 percent of the country’s Covid-19 cases.

Telengana with 928 cases is likely to be the next state to cross the threshold.

India added 1,383 new cases over the last 24 hours taking the total number of cases to 19,984.

• Active cases: 15,474
• Cured/Discharged/Migrated: 3,870
• Deaths: 640

Source: Health Ministry (As of April 22, 8 a.m.)