LIVE! Italy overtakes China's coronavirus death toll

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Thu, 19 March 2020

Italy overtakes China's coronavirus death toll

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23:37 Coronavirus could kill millions if allowed to spread like wildfire: UN chief

The world is "at war" with a virus, which if allowed to "spread like wildfire" would kill millions of people, UN chief Antonio Guterres said on Thursday and called for a coordinated, decisive and innovative policy action from the world's leading economies to combat the pandemic.

"We are facing a global health crisis unlike any in the 75-year history of the United Nations -- one that is spreading human suffering, infecting the global economy and upending people's lives," Guterres said in a first of its kind virtual press conference on the COVID-2019 pandemic.

Warning that a global recession of record dimensions is "a near certainty", the UN Secretary General cited International Labour Organisation estimates that workers around the world could lose as much as $3.4 trillion in income by the end of this year.

"It has been proven that the virus can be contained. It must be contained. If we let the virus spread like wildfire -- especially in the most vulnerable regions of the world -- it would kill millions of people," he said.

The coronavirus pandemic has sickened more than 210,300 people in at least 145 countries and as of Wednesday evening, at least 8,809 people have died, more than half of them outside China, where the epidemic first began in the city of Wuhan.

23:12 Italy overtakes China's coronavirus death toll

Italy on Thursday overtook China's coronavirus death toll, with 427 new fatalities taking its total since the first case was registered in February to 3,405.

China has officially reported 3,245 deaths since registering the first infection at the end of last year.

22:39 Nirbhaya: HC says can't review death warrant

Three of the four death-row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case moved the Delhi High Court Thursday evening challenging the trial court order declining to stay their execution scheduled for early morning tomorrow.

The convicts' lawyer Advocate AP Singh lists various cases pending before different forums including divorce petition of Akshay's wife, plea before the ICJ, criminal appeal in the HC in the robbery case, a petition in the HC against the election commission (Convicts argued their mercy petition was rejected when the Model Code of Conduct was in place in Delhi, making minister Manish Sisodia ineligible to reject the petition).

However, Justice Manmohan said these issues have been rejected by the SC. "They have no relevance. The Election Commission has nothing to do here. Your judgment has attained finality. We cannot sit and review this judgment. We cannot say that the death warrant will cease to exist or will not take place."

22:31 UK entering period of great concern: Queen

The Queen has issued a message to the nation in which she says the UK is entering a period of great concern and uncertainty.

The statement was issued by Buckingham Palace after she began her Easter break earlier than planned.

Her message says: At times such as these, I am reminded that our nations history has been forged by people and communities coming together to work as one, concentrating our combined efforts with a focus on the common goal.

We are enormously thankful for the expertise and commitment of our scientists, medical practitioners and emergency and public services; but now more than any time in our recent past, we all have a vitally important part to play as individuals - today and in the coming days, weeks and months.

Many of us will need to find new ways of staying in touch with each other and making sure that loved ones are safe. I am certain we are up to that challenge. You can be assured that my family and I stand ready to play our part.

22:22 US approves anti-malarial drug to treat COVID

The US has approved the anti-malarial drug chloroquine for use as a treatment against the new coronavirus, US President Donald Trump said on Thursday.

"We're going to be able to make that drug available almost immediately, and that's where the Food and Drug Administration has been so great," Trump told reporters.

"They've gone through the approval process -- it's been approved. They took it down from many, many months to immediate. So we're going to be able to make that drug available by prescription."

Three of the four death-row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case moved the Delhi high court on Thursday evening challenging the trial court order declining to stay their execution scheduled for early morning on Thursday.

The plea was mentioned before the registry officials who put it up before the Chief Justice of the high court who marked it to the bench headed by Justice Manmohan.

The trial court on Thursday afternoon dismissed the plea of -- Akshay Kumar Singh, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma -- seeking to stay the death warrants.

They, along with Mukesh Singh, are scheduled to be hanged on Friday morning at 5.30am.

21:30 Guj reports 1st coronavirus cases; 2 infected

For the first time, two positive cases of the novel coronavirus, one of them a woman, were detected in Gujarat, said officials on Thursday as it

joined a growing list of states affected by the infection.

While one of the infected patients is from Rajkot, the other is from Surat, they said, adding both of them had come from abroad recently.

"Two suspected coronavirus cases of Rajkot and Surat are positive. Our teams have already taken necessary steps, including quarantine of all the contacts," the state health and family welfare department said in a tweet.

Samples of a young woman from Surat and a man from Rajkot came positive for the novel coronavirus after their samples were sent to the NIV, Pune for confirmation, the officials said.

On Wednesday, the health department had said these samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology after local labs' report came inconclusive.

"There are two suspected cases for which result in our labs is inconclusive so sample has been sent to NIV, Pune. As part of precaution, we are following all protocols for suspected cases such as contact listing and quarantine of contacts" the department had tweeted.

After the results came positive, authorities in both the cities swung into action and are taking necessary steps.

In Rajkot, 17 persons who came into contact with the infected person have been put in a quarantine facility, said district health officer P P Rathod, adding screening of the area where the person lives is going on.

In Surat, authorities have stopped the entry of state transport buses of Maharashtra into the district and also halted bus services to the neighbouring state from Surat in an attempt to stop the spread of the virus.

-- PTI

The Congress on Thursday said it will support every effort of the government in the battle against the coronavirus.

Senior spokesperson of the opposition party Ajay Maken suggested creation of more testing facilities and conducting more tests in the country, while noting that there should be no shortage of any protective equipment for those engaged in combatting the virus.

He also pitched for creation of new containment zones and treatment facilities, besides increasing the number of ICU beds in view of the coronavirus outbreak.

"The Congress party and its workers will stand by the government in all its endeavours to fight the coronavirus. We will help spread the word on preventive measures. We will also organise any emergency service, if needed," Maken told reporters.

-- PTI

Prince Albert II of Monaco has tested positive for coronavirus, the royal palace says.

His condition is not a cause for concern, according to a palace statement reported by French media.

20:37 Don't panic, no scarcity of commodities: PM

PM Modi has ended his address to the nation. During his address he asked his countrymen to follow a Janata Curfew on Sunday from 7 am to 9 pm.

He also said:

>> I appeal to all not to go into panic buying to store essential commodities. Steps being taken to ensure that there is no scarcity of essential commodities

>> I request the countrymen to avoid visiting hospitals for routine check ups. If you have appointment for any non-essential surgery, please postpone for one month. We should keep in mind that pressure should not come on hospitals

>> For last 2 months, millions are working day and night in hospitals and airports and those serving others by not taking care of themselves. On Mar 22 at 5 pm, we should stand on our doorways,balconies,in our windows and keep clapping hands and ringing the bells for 5 mins to salute and encourage them

20:27 PM asks for people to defer elective surgeries

The PM has announced a Janata Curfew on March 22 from 7 am to 9 pm.

Here's what else he had to say.

>> If possible, please call at least 10 people every day and tell them about the 'Janta Curfew' as well as the measures to prevent coronavirus

>> On Mar 22 at 5 pm, we should thank people like doctors, medical personnel, cleaning staff, for their service

>> Postpone elective surgeries by a month, avoid routine check-ups to ease pressure on health services

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is addressing the nation on coronavirus.

>> Government of India is keeping a close watch on the track record of the spread of Corovnavirus

>> Resolution and restraint is very important in combat against this global epidemic. As citizens, people need to strengthen their resolve to follow the advisories issues by state and central governments to fight coronavirus.

Restrain is compulsory to protect ourselves and remain healthy. I request that for the coming weeks people should go out of their homes only if essential

>> On March 22, from 7 am to 9pm, all countrymen have to follow 'Janta Curfew'

20:10 We are not safe from coronavirus: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is addressing the nation on the coronavirus pandemic that forced countries to close down borders and implement stringent steps to curb its spread.

>> The world is passing through a huge crisis, more countries affected than World War 1 and 2

>> 130 crore Indians have faced the corona scare. Every Indian has tried to adopt precautionary measures. But in the past few days, it seems we have evaded the crisis. The thought that we are safe from the pandemic is not correct. We all Indians need to be alert

>> Govt of India is keeping a close watch on the track record of the spread of #Corovnavirus

The government on Thursday said one Indian who tested positive for coronavirus has died in Iran while the other citizens infected with the disease are being provided treatment and taken care of by the Iranian government.

"We have evacuated 590 people from Iran where the situation is very severe. The Indians infected with coronavirus in Iran have been segregated and taken care of very well by the government there. We believe they will recover and we will bring them back," a senior MEA official said, adding that 201 Indians were evacuated from Iran on Wednesday.

The official said closely knit families required some persuasion and counselling during the process of segregation to prevent the spread of the contagion.

"Some pilgrims and students are still there and our embassy and mission are in control (of the situation)," he said.

-- PTI

19:25 2337 people in J-K under home quarantine

The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Thursday said it has put a total of 3,146 travellers, including those in contact with suspected coronavirus cases, under surveillance while 2,337 people remain under home quarantine.

According to the administration's daily media bulletin on coronavirus, 356 people have completed their 28-day surveillance period and so far four tested positive for the novel coronavirus in the union territory.

It said 156 samples were sent for testing, of which 144 tested negative, four positive, while reports of eight people are awaited. The adminstration advised people to not panic and practice social distancing to stop and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

"Public in general is therefore advised to avoid unnecessary travel and use of public transport; avoid crowded places and large gatherings, do not spit in public. People must take basic precautions for personal hygiene; frequent hand washing with soap and water; and observing coughing and sneezing etiquette," the bulletin said. It also asked people to strictly follow advisories issued by the government. -- PTI

Image: Doctors in protective gear visit the Khanyar locality of Kashmir where a patient tested positive for coronavirus. Pic: Umar Ganie

Indian High Commission in Singapore: Over 90 Indian transit passengers stranded in Singapore due to travel restrictions in India are on their way home. Quick response from Indian Government to permit them to return; High Commission officers at airport to assist them.

The Union health ministry has issued a standard operating procedure for movement of international passengers, returning from coronavirus-affected countries, at the Delhi airport.

In view of reports about a few incidents of ruckus being created by international passengers at the Delhi airport during the last few days, the ministry stated that people returning from the novel coronavirus-affected countries would be first escorted by airline staff to the health counters for initial thermal screening. If any passengers shows any symptoms of the COVID-19 disease, he or she would be isolated and moved to a designated hospital, the ministry noted in a press release issued on Wednesday. After thermal screening, asymptomatic passengers will be moved to designated immigration counters with passports and a copy of the self-reporting form.

Airline staff in the plane and on the ground would have to ensure that the arriving passengers have filled their self-reporting forms properly, it said.

Currently, India has put a ban on arrival of all passengers -- including Indians --from Europe, Afghanistan, UK, and various other countries.

Moreover, India has also announced that passengers coming from UAE, Qatar and various other countries must remain in quarantine for 14 days.

The ministry stated that once the asymptomatic passengers clear immigration, their passports would be retained by immigration officials.

Passengers in batches of 30 will be handed over to an escort team led by a CISF officer who would also be holding the passports of each passenger.

"The passports shall not be handed over to the passengers, at any cost," the ministry said, adding once luggage is collected, the passengers would be moved to a designated triage area manned by Delhi government officials.

"There would be a control room at the triage area and five screening counters manned by medical officers and para-medical staff deputed by Delhi government," the ministry noted.

At the assigned counter, the passports of the entire batch will be handed over by the team lead to the medical officer in-charge of the counter.

"Here the passengers would be screened and those without any risk factors would be sent for home quarantine after returning their passports, a home quarantine advisory and collecting a declaration from them. They must be told to remain strictly under home quarantine, or else face penal action, as per the rules," the ministry stated.

"The possibility of stamping of passengers, as done in Maharashtra, with home quarantine stamps would be explored," the minister added.

The high risk passengers identified for quarantine at the facilities would be first asked to fill up a declaration opting for paid hotel facility or the government quarantine facility (based on availability) and "subsequently would be quarantined as per availability list of quarantine facilities given by the state government", it stated. -- PTI

Amid the political crisis in Madhya Pradesh, the Supreme Court on Thursday ordered a floor test in state Assembly to be held tomorrow.

A bench of the apex court, headed by Justice DY Chandrachud said the floor test would be held by show of hands in accordance with the law and it should be completed by 5 pm on Friday.

The court observed that the state of uncertainty must be resolved efficiently and the Assembly proceedings should be video graphed properly.

"The proceedings would be video graphed properly. The trust vote would be conducted by showing the hands. If 16 MLAs want to come to the Assembly. Both Karnataka DGP and Madhya Pradesh DGP should provide security," the bench said.

The top court was hearing the petition filed by former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and other BJP leaders seeking floor test in Madhya Pradesh Assembly claiming that the Congress government in the state has lost the majority.

The development came after 22 Congress MLAs tendered their resignation after Jyotiraditya Scindia, a prominent face of the Congress, resigned and joined the BJP. -- ANI

Image: Former MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, "This govt is not just a govt which has lost the majority but this is a govt of brokers which has cheated the people of Madhya Pradesh. This Govt will lose the floor test tomorrow."

18:47 Delhi govt drops numbers at gatherings to 20

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said that not more than 20 people will be allowed to gather at any place for social, cultural, religious, academics, seminars, conferences purposes in the state.

"Not more than 20 people will be allowed to gather at any place for social, cultural, religious, academics, seminars, conferences purposes in the state," said Kejriwal at a press conference.

On March 16, he had said that gathering with more than 50 persons excluding weddings will not be allowed in the capital.

The Chief Minister also said, "We have decided to close restaurants in Delhi till March 31.""While eating at restaurants will be prohibited but take away of foods or delivery of food will continue," he said.

He said that all buses, bus terminals and metro stations are being disinfected.

"While all state buses, Inter-State Bus Terminals and metro trains are being disinfected on a daily basis, from now the private vehicles will also be disinfected at every bus depots from 10 am to 6 pm daily free of cost," he added.

Kejriwal also said that people coming from abroad and have been asked to be in quarantine are being stamped at the airport.

"As there are instances of such people fleeing home, we have started stamping people who have been asked to remain in home quarantine upon their arrival in India," he said.

He further said that if such persons don't keep themselves in quarantine, then the government will be forced to arrest them and lodge FIR against them.So far, a total of 169 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the country. Four persons have died from the disease. -- ANI

Image: Union Minister Smriti Irani sanitizes her hands after arriving for the Group of Ministers meeting on Coronavirus at Nirman Bhawan, in New Delhi on Thursday. Pic: ANI

The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said that it is moving fast on proposals announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's video conference with SAARC leaders which was recently held with an aim to chalk out a joint strategy to fight the coronavirus pandemic which has gripped the entire world.

"The emergency fund is up and running. We've received many requests from other SAARC countries in the form of masks, gloves etc. The quantum of assistance requested so far as crossed USD 1million," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said during a weekly briefing.

Kumar stressed that the crisis of such magnitude does not recognise borders and it also requires a very coordinated response the countries need to cooperate at every regional as well as global level.

"It was in this spirit that the PM decided to get the initiative of getting all the SAARC leaders together and to closely cooperate how to address the pandemic," he stated.

The ministry further noted that supplies to Bhutan and Maldives have already been dispatched and requests from other SAARC countries are under various stages of progress.

"The implementation of the initiative of the Prime Minister is in our top priority. If we could address the situation properly it would be a good example of our cooperation," Kumar said.

Prime Minister Modi proposed the creation of a COVID-19 emergency fund based on voluntary contributions from all the countries, with India making an initial offer of USD 10 million for the fund during his interaction with the leaders of the SAARC countries through video conference on Sunday.

The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday announced that it is planning to evacuate the next batch of Indians from Italy this weekend.

"We are planning to evacuate the next batch of Indians from Italy this weekend, further details are being worked out with the civil aviation ministry," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in a weekly briefing.

A special Air India flight evacuated 211 students and seven compassionate cases from Milan in northern Italy and reached Delhi on Sunday.

All the evacuees have been quarantined for 15 days at the ITBP's Chhawla facility and their blood samples have been collected by the doctors for testing.

"If found negative, the second sampling will be done on 14th day of the quarantine period and if that also results as negative, then all these 218 people will be released from the ITBP Centre," the ITBP said.

More than 60 million people are living under an increasingly unbearable lockdown that is growing tighter by the day in Italy.

The stores that remain open earlier are also told to close down and police are patrolling in ever-greater numbers, chasing families out for walks back into their homes and ensuring no one is outside without a valid reason.

18:12 COVID-19 updates at this hour

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has chaired a high-level meeting to review the ongoing efforts to contain COVID-19. He emphasised on actively engaging with individuals, local communities and organizations in chalking out mechanisms to fight the virus.

Government of Himachal Pradesh: Entry of both domestic and foreign tourists in the state is banned till further orders.

West Bengal Government has announced to provide Rs 5 lakh insurance each to 10 lakh government medical staff across the state till 15th April.

Vistara to temporarily suspend international operations from 23rd March to 15th April.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal corporation on Thursday ordered the closure of shops on different roads of the city on alternate days till further orders in view of COVID-19 pandemic.

In exercise of the power conferred under section 2,3 and 4 of the Epidemic Disease Act 1897, the Assistant Municipal Commissioner of BMC has ordered the closure of shops on alternate days of the week in Prabhadevi, Worli and Lower Parel in order to avoid crowding and implement social distancing.

All shops and establishments with the exception of medical stores, grocery shops, fuel stations and banks will be covered in this order.

The shops and establishments on the south-bound roads in Prabhadevi, Worli and Lower Parel will be closed on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The north-bound roads will be closed on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

The BMC has also ordered that any person who fails to implement the closure orders will be liable for penal action under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code. -- PTI

Image: Staff wearing masks at a private club that has been converted into a quarantine facility in Ahmedabad.

Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar on Thursday dismissed media speculations that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will announce a lockdown in view of coronavirus outbreak during his address to the nation at 8 pm.

Shekhar called the speculations "incorrect", stating that it will create unnecessary panic in the minds of people.

"Some media outlets are speculating that PM Modi will announce a lockdown in his address. This information is incorrect. It will also create unnecessary panic in minds of people, which is the last thing we need in times like this," he tweeted.

The Prime Minister is expected to talk about issues relating to COVID-19 on Thursday at 8 pm and the efforts to combat the pandemic.Earlier in the day, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said it would be disappointed if the government did not announce a total lockdown for a period of 2-4 weeks.

"What will the Prime Minister announce at 8 pm today? I will be disappointed if the PM did not announce a total lockdown, at least of all towns and cities, for a period of 2-4 weeks," Chidambaram tweeted. He asserted that "anything less will be letting down this country."

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Modi chaired a high-level meeting to review the ongoing efforts to contain COVID-19 in India. So far, a total of 169 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the country. Three persons have died from the disease. -- ANI

Image: Clearly, the one-metre distance is not feasible to be maintained in public buses.

The government on Thursday refuted reports regarding any restriction on the movement of people in the aftermath of coronavirus outbreak.

"Claim: A Press Release regarding movement restriction is widely getting circulated on #WhatsApp claiming to be of Government of India. #PIBFactCheck: No such Press Release has been issued by @PMOIndia," PIB tweeted.

Several state governments have issued directions to shut down malls, gyms and other places of public gathering in order to contain the spread of coronavirus.

Many airlines including Air India and Vistara have cancelled their flights on international routes. So far, a total of 169 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the country. -- ANI

Government of India notifications on the coronavirus pandemic:

-- No scheduled international commercial passenger flights shall be allowed to land in India from March 22 for one week.

-- State governments shall issue appropriate directions so that all citizens above 65 (other than for medical assistance) except for public representatives /govt servants/medical professionals are advised to remain at home.

-- State governments are being requested to enforce work for home for private sector employees except those working in emergency/essential services.

-- All children below 10 should be advised to stay at home and not to venture out.

-- Railways and civil aviation shall suspend all concessional travel except for students, patients and divyang category.

Coronavirus death toll hits 767 in Spain, 30 percent jump in 24 hours. Since last Sunday, the country has only been testing either those with acute respiratory infection who need to be hospitalized or essential workers, meaning the recently confirmed cases are serious, reports say.

Spain is the fourth-worst affected country in the world by the pandemic and has been in lockdown since last Saturday evening.

On Wednesday, a director of the Spanish police force confirmed in a press conference that 73 people have been detained for not obeying the emergency law, which forbids people from leaving their homes for non-essential reasons.

Land borders with EU countries have also been established, and in over 24-hours, the government reported that 834 people have been denied entry to Spain.

On Tuesday, Spains Prime Minister announced the largest economic stimulus in the countrys history to deal with the economic impacts of the virus -- valued at up to $219 billion.

Image: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez speaks on the coronavirus disease in an almost empty chamber at the parliament in Madrid on Wednesday. Pic: Reuters.

Maharashtra Energy Minister Nitin Raut said on Thursday that he has asked the state power distribution company to ensure uninterrupted electricity for the convenience of those who are working from home.

With Maharashtra recording the highest number of coronavirus patients in the country (47 so far), the state government has asked private firms and organizations to allow employees to work from home or online till March-end. Lakhs of people work in Mumbai and Pune in various sectors such as the information technology, research, education, manufacturing, entertainment and services, Raut said in a statement.

Commuting for work by public transport exposes them to the threat of virus infection and hence they have been advised to work from home, the minister noted. He, therefore, has asked 'Mahavitaran', the state power utility, to avoid unnecessary power cuts, he said. If a power cut is necessary for maintenance, the supply should resume as quickly as possible, Raut said. -- PTI

The India Mission, in collaboration with health authorities here, has set up a wellness facility in Qom to take care of coronavirus-infected pilgrims.

"The Embassy in cooperation with health authorities in Qom set up a wellness facility to take care of and undertake 24/7 supervision of infected Indian pilgrims," the Embassy of India in Iran tweeted on Thursday."

The hygienic facility, surrounded by greenery, has ample space for the pilgrims to walk around. Two full-time and eight part-time Indian student volunteers are helping out dedicated Iranian medical personnel in the effort," it added.

Iran has been hit hard by the novel coronavirus, and things may get far worse, health officials have warned.

The death toll in Iran from COVID-19 infections surged past 1,000 on Wednesday after the largest single-day rise in the number of deaths since the infection broke out in the Middle East country, The Washington Post reported. -- PTI

Image: A wellness facility for quarantine of evacuees from Iran, in Jaisalmer.

In view of coronavirus outbreak, air carrier SpiceJet on Thursday announced to suspend the majority of its international operations from March 21 till April 30. The suspended flights will be resumed as soon as the situation normalises.

SpiceJet's Kolkata to Dhaka flight will continue to operate as per schedule. The Chennai-Colombo flight will restart from March 25 while the Delhi-Dubai and Mumbai-Dubai flights will resume from April 16, it said.

On an average basis, the air carrier operates 597 flights to 62 destinations, including 53 domestic and 9 international ones. Singapore, Dubai, Colombo, Kathmandu and Bangkok are some of the international destinations that the SpiceJet connects to.The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has said the global air transport industry could see 113 billion dollars of revenue losses for the passenger business in 2020 as novel coronavirus snowballs into a public health emergency.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will take part in the rituals for shifting of the Ram Lalla idol to the new makeshift structure on March 24, just a day before the commencement of ''Navratri''.

He will also participate in the ''Pran-Pratishtha'' rituals along with saints and seers in Ayodhya city.

The idol will be shifted from the makeshift tent to another location situated on the Ram Janmabhoomi campus, which will pave way for the construction of the grand Lord Ram shrine.

The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to live broadcast the entire programme from Ayodhya city for the general public.

Notably, the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has informed that the date for the 'bhoomi poojan' of the Ram Temple will be announced after April 2. -- PTI

Seven years after the execution of Afzal Guru, Tihar Jail on Thursday prepared the ground to hang the four men convicted in the Nirbhaya gangrape-murder case after several dummy runs and officials brushing up on details specified in the jail manual.

Mukesh Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar Singh (31) are scheduled to be hanged on Friday at 5.30 am for the savage gangrape and murder of a 23-year-old physiotherapy intern on the night of December 16, 2012. This is the first time that four men will be hanged together in Tihar Jail, South Asia's largest prison complex that houses more than 16,000 inmates.

A senior prison official said Pawan Jallad, a hangman from Meerut, reported to the Tihar Jail administration on Tuesday evening to prepare for the exercise. According to the jail manual, the jail superintendent will oversee the testing of the ropes and also inspect the gallows a day before the execution. This will be followed by a dummy execution -- a dummy or a bag of sand weighing 1.5 times the weight of the prisoner will be hanged and dropped between 1.830 and 2.440 metres to test the rope.

The execution, specifies the Delhi Prison Rules 2018, will take place in the presence of the superintendent, deputy superintendent, medical officer in charge, resident medical officer and the district magistrate or additional district magistrate.

A guard of not less than 10 constables, warders and two head constables, head warders or an equal number from the prison armed guard, will also be present, it states. The families of the prisoner will not be allowed to witness the executions. All other prisoners will be kept locked till the exercise is over and the bodies removed from the prison.

The manual specifies that a medical officer prepares a report four days ahead of the date of execution, mentioning the length of the drop to be given to the prisoner who is to be executed. Two spare ropes for each prisoner sentenced to death are kept in reserve. After testing, the rope and other equipment will be locked and sealed in a steel box and kept in charge of deputy superintendent, it states. If the prisoner wants, a priest of his faith may be allowed.

On the morning of the execution, the prisoner will be visited by senior officials, including the superintendent, the district magistrate/additional district magistrate and the medical officer, in his cell.

Any documents, including the will of the prisoner can be signed and attested in the presence of the superintendent and the district magistrate or additional district magistrate. Just before entering the gallows-enclosure, a cotton cap with flap will be put on the prisoner's face so he can't see the gallows, according to jail rules. The wardens will hold the prisoners and withdraw following a signal from the superintendent. After that, the hangman draws the bolt, the manual states. -- PTI

Both the Central Railway and Western Railway have decided to suspend the services of air-conditioned local trains in Mumbai from Friday in view of the coronavirus outbreak.

A WR spokesperson said that AC locals would be canceled till further notice. Ordinary train services would replace them, he said. A CR spokesperson said AC local services on Thane-Vashi-Panvel trans-Harbour corridor will be suspended till March-end.

The WR operates 12 AC services between Churchgate and Virar, which are often crowded during peak hours. The CR operates 16 services of AC local on trans- Harbour corridor every day. PTI

16:06 Maha govt to act against quarantine violators

Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said on Thursday that police have been asked to take action against those who violate the mandatory quarantine amid the coronavirus outbreak in the state.

Instances of persons, many of them with recent travel-history to a foreign country, ignoring the advice of home isolation have come to light in the last few days. "There have been complaints of people who are under mandatory quarantine period violating the norms and going out in public. I have asked the police to initiate action against them under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897," the minister said.

"There have been instances of people running away from the quarantine facility or not staying at home even after being asked by the health department officials," he said. "The people returning from foreign tours are put under mandatory quarantine as a precaution. But there have been reports of people flouting quarantine which poses a serious threat to the health of other people," he added.

The Centre on Thursday decided to allow 50 per cent of its employees to work from home and the remaining to attend office every day besides implementing different time slots for working hours, in its effort to further check the spread of coronavirus.

The Heads of Department may ensure that 50 per cent of Group B and C employees are required to attend office every day and the remaining 50 per cent staff should be instructed to work from home, a Personnel Ministry order said.

"All HoDs are advised to draft a weekly roster of duty for Group B and C staff and ask them to attend office on alternate weeks. While deciding the roster for the first week, HoDs are advised to include officials who are residing in close proximity to their office or use their own transport to travel to the offices," it said.

Further, the working hours for all employees who attend office on a particular day should be staggered, the order said. It is suggested that three groups of employees may be formed and they are asked to attend office at three time slots -- 9 am to 5.30 pm, 9.30 AM to 6 pm and 10 AM to 6.30 pm, the ministry said. PTI

15:14 Maha COVID-19 cases 49, two on ventilator

The number of coronavirus cases in Maharashtra rose to 49, said state Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Thursday, adding that two infected persons have been put on ventilator. Tope added that Chief Ministers of all the states as well as State Health Ministers will talk to Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow at 4 pm, through video conferencing on the pandemic.

"The total number of positive cases reaches 49 in Maharashtra. Two patients who have tested positive for Coronavirus are on ventilators at Kasturba Hospital," said Tope.

Maharashtra is the worst-hit state from coronavirus in the country.

Tope said that there are six pathology labs in Maharashtra where tests for coronavirus is being conducted and state government is in talks with the Centre to allow private labs to conduct tests.

As of this morning, the total number of coronavirus cases in the country reached 169. No fatality has been reported in the last 24 hours in the country. Three people have so far died of the infection in the country.

Meanwhile, in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus, Nagpur District Collector ordered the shut down of liquor shops, restaurants and paan shops till March 31 with an immediate effect. Authorities also shut down all parks and gardens of Nagpur Metropolitan Region Development Authority till March 31. -- ANI

Image: A screen is installed at the Churchgate Station displaying preventive measures against the coronavirus, in Mumbai on Wednesday. Pic: ANI

14:27 Listen up, all parents with young children

Finally some good news among doomsday prophecies. Dr Ravi Malik, Chairman of Media Cell, Indian Association of Pediatrics, has this to say: "Generally, most of the respiratory viruses specifically affect the children and mortality is more among them but this is not true for COVID-19. There is no need to fear, it is a preventable disease."

Image: People at International Airport wear protective masks against the spreading of Coronavirus, in Kolkata on Thursday. Pic: ANI

14:23 GOM meeting on coronavirus underway

Union Ministers S Jaishankar, Hardeep Singh Puri, Dr Harsh Vardhan, Ashwini Choubey and others arrive for Group of Ministers meeting on Coronavirus at Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi.

More details on what Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray said at a televised briefing today, apart from staying at home.

"People should not panic. But they should not step out of their homes unnecessarily... Crowding in public transport system has gone down, but it has to stop completely. We don't wish to take the drastic step of shutting down the public transport. But non-essential travel must stop," the Maharashtra CM said.

Medical staff, police personnel, NGOs, staff of public transport were working round-the-clock to deal with the situation, he said. "When they are fighting for you, can't you stay indoors and help them deal with the crisis? The government can stop public transport. But we don't wish to do it. People should work from home and stop venturing out," he said.

The chief minister said he had spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the coronavirus situation and he had assured all cooperation to the state.

"I discussed with him the steps being taken by the state and the support required from the Centre," he said. People should follow the rules and directives issued by the government to tackle the prevailing situation, he added.

"It is wrong to hide your travel history and venture out after coming back," he said. Thackeray likened the medical staff treating the coronavirus patients to soldiers.

"I haven't seen the 1965 or 1971 wars, but experienced them. I was very young. But I remember that after hearing the sirens people would run to take shelter. Lights at homes would be switched off to prevent the enemy fighter jets from locating the areas. It is said enemy jets had entered the Mumbai airspace in 1971. But our bravesoldiers dealt with the intrusion firmly," he said.

"The official machinery is similarly dealing with the prevailing situation with firmness and they need your support and cooperation," he said.

The government and the official machinery is prepared to tackle the crisis. There is adequate medical staff, equipment and essential commodities, he said.

Thackeray said the virus has come from other countries. "When you arrive here and are self-quarantined, it is with trust that you are allowed to stay at home. But venturing out and spreading the virus is wrong," he said.

War can be won with determination and not by getting frightened and panic, he said. The chief minister said that testing facilities were being increased. He also asked the people not to believe in rumours. "Listen to only what the government is telling you and nobody else," he said. "Maharashtra is a fighter and will defeat the virus," Thackeray said. -- PTI

13:52 MEA briefing on coronavirus at 4 pm today

As South Africa pacer Dale Steyn says, the coronavirus disease seems to be to the only topic of conversation these days. In keeping with that sentiment, here's an update:

India: The Ministry of External Affairs to hold a media briefing on Coronavirus, at 4 pm today in Delhi.

Maharashtra: Total number of positive cases reaches 49 in the state, says Rajesh Tope, State Minister of Public Health and Family Welfare. Two patients who have been tested positive for Coronavirus are on ventilator at Kasturba Hospital, Mumbai.

Delhi: All schools will remain closed for all the students, Heads of Schools, teaching and non-teaching staff from 19th March to 31st March. Evaluation work of annual exams are to be carried by concerned teachers from their homes, says the Government of Delhi.

Punjab: 43 Indians who arrived last night through Attari-Wagah Border have been sent to quarantine facility in Amritsar. Parijeet Kaur Johal, Civil Surgeon says, "29 have travel history of Dubai and 14 are students studying in Pakistan. Medical reports sent to state government."

Image: Going solo: Empty BEST buses mirror a bus stand in Mumbai. Pic: Sahil Salvi

Now, that some of us in India are working from home, a survey reveals what professionals actually think of this facility.

A survey has revealed that majority of professionals believe the outbreak has adversely impacted their way of working.

Around 63 per cent of respondents affirmed that the novel coronavirus or Covid-19 pandemic has influenced their way of working and about 33 per cent said they have shelved their business travel plans due to this, a TimesJobs survey titled 'Coronavirus and its impact on jobs' has revealed. The survey was done among 1,256 working professionals from different industry verticals across the country.

Further, the survey revealed that 27 per cent of respondents claimed that the IT sector will be worst hit by the spread of the virus, followed by the import and export sector (stated 23 per cent of respondents).

While, 13 per cent of respondents said the healthcare sector and the aviation sector will be most impacted by the Coronavirus outbreak, it added. The survey respondents also said this outbreak will impact professionals working specifically in the marketing and sales, operation and production domains.

A majority (67 per cent) of the surveyed professionals stated that jobs at the multinational companies will be most vulnerable during the time. Almost 45 per cent of professionals claimed that the spread of Covid-19 will have a negative impact on the hiring activities across different industry verticals, it added. -- PTI

13:39 In a 1st, Mumbai dabbawalas to suspend service

Mumbai's famed tiffin suppliers, the dabbawalas, on Thursday said they are suspending their services till March 31 in view of the coronavirus situation. Subhash Talekar, spokesperson of Mumbai Dabbawala Association on said the service will remain suspended from Friday as a precautionary measure. Talekar said Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has appealed not to crowd on local trains to contain coronavirus and hence responding to his appeal their association decided to suspend the tiffin delivery service.

The dabbawalas have never stopped delivery unless stopped by the forces of nature -- Mumbai floods.

13:36 Nirbhaya convict Mukesh's plea at 2:30 pm

Supreme Court agrees to hear a petition filed by one of the death row convicts in 2012 Delhi gang-rape case, Mukesh Singh at 2.30 pm today. All four convicts are to be hanged tomorrow at 5:30 am as per March 5 death warrant.

13:14 Do not step out of your homes, urges Maha CM

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday urged the people of the state not to step out of their homes in order to help contain the spread of coronavirus. "People should not step out of their homes," Thackeray said in his brief televised address. The chief minister also said that he has spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the coronavirus situation and he has assured all possible help to the state.

"We all have to take precautionary measures, avoid unnecessary travelling. The situation is not critical but it is worrisome," Thackeray said.

Image: An almost empty CSMT station this morning. Pic: Sahil Salvi

Six passengers who returned from Singapore recently and have 'home quarantine stamp' on their hands, were deboarded from Saurashtra Express at Borivali Railway Station today, Public Relations Officer, Western Railway, Maharashtra, says. This is the second consecutive incident to be reported.

Just yesterday, four Germany-returned passengers with 'home quarantine' stamp on their hands were de-boarded from the Bandra Terminus-Delhi Garibrath Express train at Palghar station, around 100 kms from Mumbai, on Wednesday after co-passengers raised an alarm, the Western Railway said.

The four passengers were de-boarded from coach number G4 and G5 of 12216 Garibrath at Palghar station when travel ticket examiner and co-passengers raised an alarm after seeing the stamp on their hands, a Western Railway spokesperson said.

12:54 IOA confident of on-time Tokyo Olympics

Skepticism is sweeping through the world but the Indian Olympic Association on Thursday backed the IOC's assertion that the upcoming Tokyo Olympics will weather the COVID-19 pandemic and be held on time without a glitch.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Tokyo Games organisers are adamant that the Games will start on July 24 as scheduled despite the coronavirus pandemic crippling health care systems and destroying economies across the world.

"The coronavirus is creating havoc throughout the world but we are hopeful it will be contained in one or two months. It has already been controlled in China, the epicenter of the disease, and we are expecting the Olympics to be held without any hindrance on its scheduled time," a senior IOA office-bearer told PTI. "But having said that IOC is our parent body, we will have to abide by what the IOC decides. If the IOC says the Olympics will go on we will have to participate irrespective of any threat," he said.

The IOC's stance has angered many athletes, who have accused it of putting them at risk. Some officials have also expressed their apprehension. Responding to the criticism, the world body on Wednesday conceded that there are no easy solutions for the current situation.

The pandemic, which has caused more than 8,000 deaths since being discovered in China, has wreaked havoc on Olympic preparations of athletes, including those from India. Several qualifiers have been suspended and training trips abroad are off the table thanks to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

The IOA admitted that country's preparations have been hit hard but should the Games happen, it is nonetheless expecting an unprecedented double digit medal haul from the athletes.

The Indian rupee weakened further and fell below 75 level against the US dollar on Thursday amid sharp rise in coronavirus cases in the country and weak domestic equities. Forex traders said market participants are concerned that rise in coronavirus cases, which has touched 169 in the country according to the Health Ministry, could weigh on the economy.

The rupee which opened on a weak note at 74.96 at the interbank forex market, lost further ground and touched a low of 75.12 against the US dollar, registering a decline of over 86 paise over its last close.

The local unit had settled at 74.26 against the US dollar on Wednesday. Traders said there is a sense of anxiety among investors as they see the global as well as domestic economy plunging into a deep crisis due to coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic that has killed nearly 9,000 and sickened lakhs of people around the globe. Moreover, the steep decline in domestic equities and sustained foreign fund outflows further dampened the sentiment, they said. -- PTI

Image: Fewer vehicles are seen plying at Marine Drive following the coronavirus pandemic in Mumbai, yesterday. PTI Photo

Mukesh Singh, one of the four death-row convicts in the Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case, Thursday moved the Supreme Court, challenging a Delhi High Court order which rejected his claim that he was not in the national capital when the crime was committed on December 16, 2012. The high court on Wednesday said there were no grounds to interfere in the detailed and reasoned order of the trial court. On Tuesday, the trial court dismissed Mukesh Singh's plea and asked the Bar Council of India to appropriately sensitise his counsel. On March 5, the trial court issued fresh warrants for hanging on March 20 at 5.30 am of all convicts in the case '" Mukesh Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Sharma (26) and Akshay Singh (31). PTI

The Supreme Court on Thursday suggested that Madhya Pradesh Assembly Speaker NP Prajapati should interact with the rebel Congress MLAs through video link or the court can appoint an observer to allay the fear that the legislators are in captivity. However, the Speaker refused to accept the top court's proposal.

A bench comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and Hemant Gupta said it can create conditions to ensure exercise of volition of the rebel MLAs is truly voluntary.

"We can appoint an observer to Bengaluru or some other place so that the rebel MLAs can connect with the Speaker through video conferencing after which he can decide," the bench said.

It also asked the Speaker whether any inquiry was made on the resignation of the rebel MLAs and what decision has he taken on them. Senior advocate A M Singhvi, appearing for the Speaker, said the day court begins to give time-bound direction to the Speaker, it will be constitutionally problematic.

The counsel appearing for Governor Lalji Tandon told the bench that Chief Minister Kamal Nath was "sitting aside" in the turn of events and it is the Speaker who is "leading the political battle" in court.

The bench asked all the parties how does the decision of a Speaker in matters of resignation and disqualification of MLAs affect the floor test. It said the constitutional principle that emerges is that there is no restraint on trust vote because of resignation or disqualification being pending before the Speaker. It said, therefore, the court will have to flip around and see whether the Governor acted beyond the powers vested in him. -- PTI

Image: The rebel Congress MLAs in Bengaluru

The ISKCON Temple (The International Society for Krishna Consciousness) in Sector 33, Noida will live stream aartis for devotees as the temple has been closed from March 19 until March 31 as a precautionary measure to avoid the spread of coronavirus.

"The ISKCON Temple has been closed till March 31 and depending on the situation, we will inform when the temple will open. For regular devotees, we've made arrangements for live streaming the Aarti which will be performed by those residing inside the temple," said Vanshidhar Prabhu, the President of ISKCON Temple, Noida.

"We have advised everyone to stay at home so that they stay healthy. Around 1000-2000 devotees visit the temple on a daily basis, they've been asked to stay at home as a precautionary measure and they are happy with our decision," said Prabhu.

According to the Ministry of Health, the total number of people infected by the coronavirus in the country is now 169.

Till now, Maharashtra has the highest number of cases among all the states with 45 positive coronavirus cases, followed by Kerala at 27. -- ANI

Image: A priest wearing a mask performs the Ganga aarti as a precuationary measure against coronavirus, at Dashashwamedh Ghat, in Varanasi on Wednesday. Pic: ANI

Despite the World Health Organisation calling for more tests to curtail the spread of coronavirus, a test that can determine COVID-19 positive cases in six to eight hours seems to be stuck in a bureaucratic back and forth between the central health ministry and the Brihanmumbai Muncipal Corporation.

"ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) came back saying that only the local civic body has the authority to give approvals and that will be guided by the Union health ministry. When they (Union health ministry) give approval, the local civic body, which in our case is the BMC, will give approval," says Dr Arunima Patel, partner, iGenetics Diagnostics, a Mumbai-based testing laboratory, which claims that its PCR-based testing can detect a COVID-19 positive test in six to eight hours.Dr Patel tells Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com, what the PCR test is about, how they validated this test and why the BMC is likely to give approvals to all accredited labs to conduct COVID-19 tests.

Read the interview here

Nearly 25 million jobs could be lost worldwide due to the coronavirus pandemic, but an internationally coordinated policy response can help lower the impact on global unemployment, according to a UN agency.

In its preliminary assessment report titled "COVID-19 and world of work: Impacts and responses", the International Labour Organization (ILO) calls for urgent, large-scale and coordinated measures across three pillars - protecting workers in the workplace, stimulating the economy and employment, and supporting jobs and incomes. The ILO said these measures include extending social protection, supporting employment retention (i.e short-time work, paid leave, other subsidies), and financial and tax relief, including for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. It also proposes fiscal and monetary policy measures, and lending and financial support for specific economic sectors.

The economic and labour crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic could increase global unemployment by almost 25 million, the ILO said. "However, if we see an internationally coordinated policy response, as happened in the global financial crisis of 2008/9, then the impact on global unemployment could be significantly lower," it added.

The report provides different scenarios of how unemployment and underemployment will be impacted due to the coronavirus. Based on different scenarios for the impact of COVID-19 on global GDP growth, the ILO estimates indicate a rise in global unemployment of between 5.3 million ("low" scenario) and 24.7 million ("high" scenario) from a base level of 188 million in 2019. By comparison, the 2008-09 global financial crisis increased global unemployment by 22 million.

Underemployment is also expected to increase on a large scale, as the economic consequences of the virus outbreak translate into reductions in working hours and wages.

Self-employment in developing countries, which often serves to cushion the impact of changes, may not do so this time because of restrictions on the movement of people (eg service providers) and goods, it said. The note said that falls in employment also meant large income losses for workers to the tune of between USD 860 billion and USD 3.4 trillion by the end of 2020. This will translate into falls in consumption of goods and services, in turn affecting the prospects for businesses and economies. -- PTI

Growing concern over the spread of coronavirus was evident at the local government medical college in Yavatmal, Maharashtra, where laundry service staff refused to wash clothes from the isolation ward which has three Covid-19 patients and another four under observation.

The ward staff on Monday gave the isolation ward clothes like bedsheets, curtains etc for cleaning to the 'dhobi', who also washes clothes of other wards.

However, people responsible for cleaning the clothes refused to wash the clothes belonging to isolation ward fearing infection from them. "We fear that we will catch the coronavirus infection if we touch these clothes," said Ashok Chaudhary, a washerman. PTI

And the other important story of the day, apart from our ongoing reports on the coronavirus pandemic is an update on the Nirbhaya case.

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed the curative petition of Pawan Gupta, one of the convicts in the 2012 Delhi gang-rape and murder case, who had moved apex court against the dismissal of his review plea.

In his petition, Pawan has claimed that he was juvenile at the time of the crime in 2012.

This comes as Gupta, along with three other convicts -- Mukesh Singh, Akshay Singh Thakur, and Vinay Sharma -- are scheduled to be hanged on March 20 at 5.30 am.

Three of the four death row convicts in the Delhi gangrape case, including Gupta, had also approached the International Court of Justice earlier this month, seeking a stay on the execution of their death sentence. -- ANI

11:48 1st COVID-19 cases in Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh

A 23-year-old woman, who returned from London, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the first confirmed case of the deadly infection in the Union territory, an official said on Thursday.

The sample of the woman, a resident of Sector 21, was tested at the testing centre at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, the official said.

"The sample of the woman, who returned from London, has come positive," PGIMER Director Jagat Ram told PTI.

Ram, however, said she was admitted to a local hospital in Chandigarh and her condition was stable, adding that it was the first confirmed COVID-19 case in Chandigarh.

In Chhattisgarh, a 24-year-old woman, who had recently returned to Raipur from London, has tested positive for coronavirus, making her the first confirmed case in the state, health officials said on Thursday.

The woman and her parents, who reside in the state capital, have been admitted to an isolation ward at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences Raipur, they said.

"The woman, who studies in London, had returned home via Mumbai airport on March 15. After she complained of cold and cough, her sample was collected for testing on March 17," Medical Superintendent of AIIMS Raipur Dr Karan Peepre told PTI.

"Her sample tested positive for the infection late Wednesday evening," he said.

After her report was received, she and her parents were immediately admitted to AIIMS and kept under observation in the isolation ward, Dr Peepre said, adding that the condition of the woman was stable.

The samples of her parents were also sent for testing and their reports are awaited, he said. -- PTI

Actors Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal have postponed their wedding to later half of the year amid the coronavirus pandemic, the spokesperson for the couple announced on Thursday.

Richa and Ali were scheduled to tie the knot in April, with reportedly many of their guests flying in from the US and Europe for the ceremony.

"Given the current scenario and the unfortunate turn of events owing to the COVID-19 pandemic globally, Ali Fazal and Richa Chadha have decided to postpone their wedding functions to the later half of 2020 tentatively.

"They wish for everyone to be healthy and safe and at no cost would want their friends, families and well wishers to be affected," the spokesperson for the actors said in a statement.

The number of novel coronavirus cases in India rose to 169 on Thursday.

The pandemic has led to the cancellation of various events, award functions, interviews and shooting schedules in the country. To contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, film bodies in India decided to put shootings of films, TV shows and web series on hold till March 31. -- PTI

Former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi takes oath as Rajya Sabha MP.

10:40 ICSE board, NIOS suspend exams

In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, the National Institute of Open Schooling has suspended all examinations till March 31, 2020.

In a notice, NIOS chairman Amit Khare said the situation will be reviewed on March 31 and the future course of action decided. More information can be had on www.nios.ac.in, he said.

The ICSE board has also postponed class 10, 12 examinations due to the coronavirus threat, officials said.

Railways on Thursday cancelled 84 more trains, which will not operate between March 20 and March 31 in view of coronavirus and low occupancy, officials said.

With this, the total number of cancelled trains has climbed to 155.

The national transporter had cancelled around 99 trains on Wednesday night.

"All passengers having tickets in these trains are being informed about it individually," the official said. -- PTI

10:38 Yes Bank case: Anil Ambani appears before ED

Reliance Group Chairman Anil Ambani on Thursday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate in Mumbai in connection with a money-laundering probe against Yes Bank promoter Rana Kapoor and others, officials said.

The agency is expected to record the statement of the 60-year-old Ambani under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Ambani's nine group companies are stated to have taken loans of about Rs 12,800 crore from the bank that reportedly were under "stress". -- PTI

10:35 Ranjan Gogoi to take oath as RS MP

Former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi arrives at Parliament to take oath as Rajya Sabha MP at 11 am today.

10:24 2 Mumbai women test positive for coronavirus

Two women tested positive for coronavirus in Mumbai metropolitan region on Thursday, taking the number of such cases in Maharashtra to 47, officials said.

While one woman had returned from the United Kingdom, another one had come back from Dubai, they said.

"A 22-year-old woman from Mumbai tested positive for Covid-19. She had returned from the UK. Another woman, a resident of Ulhas Nagar, had returned from Dubai. She is 49- year-old," an official said.

With this, the total number of coronavirus positive cases in the state has climbed to 47, the official added. -- PTI

09:53 Coronavirus cases in India rise to 169

The novel coronavirus cases in India rose to 169 on Thursday after 18 fresh cases were reported from various parts of the country, according to the health ministry.

The cases include 25 foreign nationals -- 17 from Italy, 3 from the Philippines, two from the UK, one each belonging to Canada, Indonesia and Singapore.

The figure also includes three deaths reported from Delhi, Karnataka and Maharashtra so far.

"The total number of active COVID 2019 cases across India stands at 151 so far," a health ministry official said, adding that 15 others have been cured/discharged/migrated while three have died.

Urging people to maintain calm and follow the safety guidelines, Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates has said countries that do a good job in testing of the deadly coronavirus and shut down could bounce back both economically as well as on the health front in weeks.

"If a country does a good job with testing and shut down, then within 6-10 weeks it should see very few cases and be able to open back up," Gates said on Wednesday in response to a question during his rare appearance at Reddit, a social media site which is popular among the younger generation.

He said a combination of testing and social isolation clearly works.

"The current phase has a lot of the cases in rich countries. With the right actions including the testing and social distancing (which I call 'shut down'), within 2-3 months the rich countries should have avoided high levels of infection," Gates wrote in response to another question.

"I worry about all the economic damage but even worse will be how this will affect the developing countries who cannot do the social distancing the same way as rich countries and whose hospital capacity is much lower," he said.

He said the Gates Foundation has committed up to USD 100 million to help with the COVID-19 response around the world, as well as USD 5 million to support his home state of Washington, which after New York is one of the most hit by the coronavirus.

The foundation, Gates said, is working with all the groups who make diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines to make sure the right efforts are prioritised.

"We want to make sure all countries get access to these tools. We donated USD 100 m in February for a variety of things and we will be doing more.

"One priority is to make sure that there is enough manufacturing capacity for therapeutics and vaccines. We have other efforts like our education group working to make sure the online resources for students are as helpful as they can be," he said. -- PTI

The Food and Drugs Administration personnel raided a hand sanitiser manufacturing unit in Mumbai suburban, Nahur, and seized substandard sanitisers worth Rs 25 lakh, officials said.

The sanitisers were manufactured illegally and were being exported without any valid licence and necessary permissions, officials said on Wednesday.

Officials had received specific information about the manufacturing unit, where hand sanitisers were manufactured without proper licence from the FDA, an official said.

FDA officials also raided another facility where sanitisers were manufactured by using floor cleaning chemical, the official said.

Officials seized around 1,000 bottles of sanitisers and raw material during the raid, he said. -- PTI

The number of commuters on suburban trains of the Western Railway reduced by over 8 lakh on Tuesday, the day chief minister Uddhav Thackeray appealed to people to avoid non-essential travel in view of the coronavirus outbreak in the state.

According to WR, on Tuesday 32.60 lakh passengers travelled on their suburban trains as against 40.75 lakh on Monday (down 8.15 lakhs).

"The number of commuters reduced by around 25 per cent," said Ravinder Bhakar, chief spokesperson of WR.

On Tuesday, Thackeray had appealed to people to avoid train and bus journey if not necessary, while clarifying the government does not want to stop suburban services to contain the coronavirus spread.

Suburban services are the lifeline of Mumbai and daily over 80 lakh commuters commute by them.

Though exact passenger count on Central Railway's suburban trains was not available, a senior official said the number of passengers could have reduced by 7-9 lakh on Tuesday.

The Maharashtra government on Wednesday decided to reduce public transport commuter count by at least 50 per cent as part of measures to avoid crowding and enforce social distancing. -- PTI

Photograph: Sahil Salvi/Rediff.com

08:54 Italy reports 475 new deaths due to COVID-19

Italy on Wednesday reported 475 new deaths due to coronavirus which has claimed thousands of lives worldwide, reported Al Jazeera.

The total cases in Italy have now topped 35,000 with virus claiming over 2500 lives in the European country.

Globally, more than 2 lakh people have been infected with the virus while the death toll has crossed 8000.

The number of cases of the virus continued to surge with the virus spreading to all states in the United States.

According to New York governor, Andrew Cuomo, total positive cases in the New York state are 2,382, including 1,008 new cases.

The US State Department said it is suspending routine visa services in most countries.

"In response to #COVID19, @StateDept is suspending routine visa services in most countries. Routine visa services will resume ASAP but we are unable to provide a specific date at this time. Check embassy/consulate websites for current operating status," tweeted US Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs.

Earlier, President Donald Trump announced that the federal government will deploy a US Navy hospital ship to New York city to treat non-coronavirus patients as hospitals been cramped with COVID-19 patients.

Trump said that an additional ship will also be deployed to an undisclosed location on the West Coast as well. -- ANI

08:40 No new COVID-19 cases in China for 1st time

China on Thursday said no new domestic cases of the coronavirus were reported for the first time in the country, three months after the deadly virus broke out in Wuhan.

China's National Health Commission in its daily report on Thursday said no new domestically transmitted cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were reported on the Chinese mainland on Wednesday.

It, however, said 34 new confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported but they were all from those arriving from abroad.

Wuhan, which bore the brunt of the virus since it broke out in December last year, also reported zero cases on Wednesday, marking a notable first in the city's months-long battle with the deadly virus, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The Health Commission of the Hubei Province said the total confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus disease in Wuhan and Hubei remained at 50,005 and 67,800 respectively on Wednesday.

The NHC said with 34 confirmed cases from the people arriving from abroad, the number of imported cases in China rose to 189.

Of the 34 newly imported cases, 21 were reported in Beijing, nine in the Guangdong Province, two in Shanghai, one in the Heilongjiang Province and one in the Zhejiang Province, it said.

China so far has reported a total of 80,928 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 of which 3,245 died, while 70,420 patients were discharged after treatment. -- PTI

08:12 2 US Congressmen test positive for coronavirus

Two United States lawmakers on Wednesday were confirmed positive of the coronavirus as the number of deaths due to the deadly virus crossed 150 in America, while about 10,000 people have been infected.

Republican Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart from Florida became the first American lawmaker to have tested positive for the coronavirus, a deadly disease for which the health community is struggling to find a vaccine and a treatment.

According to his office, Diaz-Balart developed symptoms, including a fever and a headache, last Saturday and on Wednesday he was notified that he has tested positive for the COVID-19.

Diaz-Balart has quarantined himself in his apartment in Washington DC.

"I want everyone to know that I am feeling much better. However, it is important that everyone take this extremely seriously and follow CDC guidelines in order to avoid getting sick and mitigate the spread of this virus," he said in a statement.

"We must continue to work together to emerge stronger as a country during these trying times," Diaz-Balart said.

Democratic Congressman Ben McAdams said he developed mild cold-like symptoms last Saturday and he has now tested positive for the deadly virus.

"My symptoms got worse and I developed a fever, a dry cough and laboured breathing and I remained self-quarantined. On Tuesday, my doctor instructed me to get tested for COVID-19 and following his referral, I went to the local testing clinic for the test. Today I learned that I tested positive," McAdams said.

"I am still working for Utahns and pursuing efforts to get Utahns the resources they need as I continue doing my job from home until I know it is safe to end my self-quarantine. I'm doing my part as all Americans are doing to contain the spread of the virus and mitigate the coronavirus outbreak," he said.

The report of the two Congressmen testing positive for coronavirus came as the deadly virus spread to all the 50 states of the US with confirmed infection of nearly 10,000 people. At least 150 people have died so far from the coronavirus in the US.

Health experts fear the number to increase significantly in the coming days and weeks.

President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency and on Wednesday he roped in the country's military to address the once-in-a-century public health challenge. -- PTI

00:40 Will go to Bengaluru if needed: Kamal Nath

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister is mulling to go to Bengaluru to meet 16 rebel MLAs currently staying at a resort there, as his government is on a shaky ground following the resignation of these and six more legislators.

Talking to reporters here in response to a query, Nath said, "If needed I will also go to Bengaluru."

Nath's party colleague Digvijaya Singh on Wednesday failed to meet the rebel MLAs in Bengaluru.

High drama unfolded as Singh staged a protest near the resort in Bengaluru, where the legislators are staying.

He accused the police of not allowing him to meet the MLAs.

A source close to Kamal Nath said that he (CM) had already tried to contact Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa over phone to visit Bengaluru, but could not get through.

22 legislators have revolted against the Congress-led government in the state and put in their papers last week.

Of them, the resignation of six legislators has been accepted. Congress spokesperson Bhupendra Gupta alleged that the saffron party has held their MLAs hostages in Bengaluru in a bid to pull down the MP government.

"They are not allowing our leaders to meet the MLAs. Our minister, Jitu Patwari, had also gone there, but he was manhandled," he alleged.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has sought to distance itself from the revolt in the Congress saying that it was the fallout of the infighting within the party's rival factions in th state.

State BJP chief, V D Sharma, said his party had nothing to do with the rebels in the Congress.

The Kamal Nath government plunged into crisis after Jyotiraditya Scindia quit the Congress, after which 22 MLAs loyal to him resigned in Madhya Pradesh last week.

Buoyed by the revolt in the Congress, the BJP has been vociferously seeking a floor test in the assembly.

The Speaker has so far accepted resignations of six of the 22 MLAs, bringing down the effective strength of the House to 222 and the new majority mark at 112.

The opposition BJP has 107 MLAs. After the MP assembly was adjourned on Monday till March 26, the BJP petitioned the Supreme Court seeking a direction from it for an early floor test. -- PTI

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