Coronavirus India Updates: Total Covid-19 Cases Cross 56,000; Nearly 1,900 Dead

The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in India crossed the 56,000-mark today as the country reported over 3,000 cases for the second straight day.

India reported 3,390 new cases in 24 hours, according to the Health Ministry’s 8 a.m. update today, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 56,342. This includes more than 16,540 people cured and 1,886 people dead.

The country has added over 20,000 cases in the first eight days of May alone.

To contain the spread of coronavirus in Surat, Gujarat, the city’s civic authorities on Thursday announced that all shops selling vegetables and fruits will remain closed in the city from May 9 - 14. The announcement came a day after Ahmedabad civic authorities ordered closure of all shops, except those selling milk and medicines, for a week.

Global Update:

U.S. fatalities from the novel coronavirus topped 75,000 and the World Health Organization said as many as 190,000 people in Africa could die if containment measures aren’t properly implemented. Globally, total cases passed 3.8 million while deaths topped 269,000, according to John Hopkins data.

Track all the news updates on the coronavirus situation in India here:

The Vashi APMC markets, a key hub for Mumbai and adjoining areas’ food supply, will be shut from May 11 to May 17 to contain the rapid spread of Covid-19 in the city.

All five markets at Vashi APMC will remain shut and be disinfected.

India may expand the scope of countries from where citizens will be repatriated, ANI reported citing sources.

Mumbai is inovoking a colonoial era making it compulsory for private doctors to sign up for minimum two weeks duty at any state-run hospitals.

Letters have been sent to 75,000 doctors with private practice in Mumbai. Defying the order could mean prosecution and imprisonment under the Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897 and losing their license to practice medicine.

The first batch of 168 Indian students, stranded in Bangladesh due to the coronavirus-linked global travel restrictions, left for home on Friday on board a special Air India flight, officials said here.

The evacuation flight carrying the students from here will land in Srinagar directly.

More such flights are also being readied by the authorities to facilitate other Indians as part of the Operation Vande Bharat - A homecoming', India's massive repatriation operation to bring home its citizens stranded abroad.

In a bid to limit the movement of people in containment zones, the civic body in Maharashtra's Pune city will distribute ration kits to 70,000 families in the hotspot areas from Friday onwards, an official said.

As of Thursday, the Pune Municipal Corporation has over 2,140 Covid-19 cases, of which 1,600 were reported from Bhavani Peth, Dhole Patil Road, Kasba-Vishrambaug, parts of Shivajinagar and Yerwada areas.

"We want people in the containment zones to stay indoors and not venture out even to buy essentials. We will distribute 1 lakh ration kits to 70,000 families in these areas," municipal commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad said.

"Community workers and civic employees will distribute these kits from Friday onwards," he added.

Apart from ration kits, the PMC also plans to provide sanitisers and one lakh masks to residents of containment zones.

Source: PTI

Keen to revive the severely- hit tourism sector in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the Odisha government is planning to come out with a package for promotion of various destinations in the state to woo domestic travellers in the post lockdown scenario, an official said.

Chief Secretary AK Tripathy held a meeting with the officials concerned on Thursday, and directed them to prepare an incentive scheme to attract private investment in the hospitality and tourism industry which is considered to be a labour-intensive service sector.

"Domestic tourism is the core focus in the post lockdown phase as this segment is expected to revive faster than the others," Tripathy said.

The government has decided to prioritise the development projects in tourist destinations like Rambha and Satpada clusters in Chilika, Bhitarkanika national park, Chandrabhaga and Talsari beaches, he said.

He also directed the department to make a detailed operational plan involving various government agencies and key stakeholders.

"The comprehensive development of Buddhist circuit and Shamuka project near Puri were also discussed in the meeting," tourism department secretary Vishal Dev said.

He said the department has made a holistic assessment of Covid-19 impact on the tourism sector. "There were cancellations of bookings due to the lockdown. All the stakeholders will need support from the financial institutions," Dev said.

He said the government will organise road shows in metros and tier-II cities across the country to attract domestic tourists.

"A special campaign will be taken up to promote the tourism sector with organising Odia food festivals across six cities," Dev added.

Source: PTI

Despite being in lockdown for over a month now, India’s reportage of fresh cases is only increasing.

The country has reported 23,292 fresh cases in May alone, as of today 8 a.m.

Here’s the timeline to show how the pace of increase in cases has quickened.

• 0-5000 cases 70 days
• 5000-10000 cases —— 6 days
• 10000-15000 cases ——4 days
• 15000- 20,000 cases —— 4 days
• 20,000 - 25,000 cases —— 3 days
• 25,000 - 30,000 cases —— 3 days
• 30,000 - 35,000 cases —— 3 days
• 35,000 - 40,000 cases —— 2 days
• 40,000 - 45,000 cases —— 2 days
• 45,000 - 50,000 cases —— 2 days
• 50,000 - 56,342 cases —— 2 days

Total confirmed cases in India rose to 56,342 on Friday morning, with 3390 of these cases being reported in the last 24 hours, according to data made available by the Health Ministry.

• Active cases: 37916
• Cured/discharged/migrated: 16540
• Deaths: 1886

The country saw 103 deaths and 1273 recoveries in the last 24 hours.

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