Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked people to observe Janata curfew on Sunday, the protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act,National Register of Citizens and National Population Register will continue, said the Shaheen Bagh protesters on Saturday.

"If PM Modi wants us to be safe from coronavirus, then he should have withdrawn CAA, NPR and NRC. We will hold our protest tomorrow too," Salima, one of the protesters at Shaheen Bagh, said. 

She also said that the protesters are following all precautionary measures at the protest site.

"Here, the women maintaining the social distance of more than 1 metre and using hand sanitisers and phenyl to maintain cleanliness in the protest site," said one woman, who is a member of the Indian Federation of Trade Union.

"Having Janata curfew for one day will not stop the spread of coronavirus as the government failed to take necessary precautions like closing airports much before," she added.

Echoing the same sentiments, Ritu Kaushik, another protester, said: "If the government was serious enough to stop the spread of coronavirus, then it should have intensified its checking at the airports."

As many as 306 international travellers were admitted in quarantine facilities in Mumbai on Saturday in connection with the novel coronavirus outbreak, said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

 

It said 811 people were checked in OPDs while 138 were admitted in isolation wards as a precautionary measure for suspected exposure to the virus.

 

Out of the nine people who tested positive for the coronavirus on Saturday, eight are Mumbai residents, and six have international travel history.

 

The BMC also said Rs 1.15 lakh was collected as fines from 115 persons for spitting in public. 

Congress president Sonia Gandhi urged people on Saturday not to panic in view of the coronavirus outbreak and said the country will not bow down to this painful crisis.

 

She suggested a host of measures to help those affected due to the coronavirus and said a comprehensive, sector-wise relief package was required to be announced by the government to support those hit by its economic fallout.

 

In a statement, Gandhi urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government to increase the number of testing facilities across the country and make public the details of hospitals and medical facilities through a dedicated portal.

 

She also pitched for a special budgetary allocation for enhancing the facilities to combat the virus.

 

"Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. A comprehensive, sector-wise relief package needs to be announced forthwith by the government, including necessary tax breaks, interest subvention and deferment of liabilities. For the salaried class, the government and the RBI must consider a deferment of EMIs," the Congress chief said.

 

She called for special financial incentives for those manufacturing protective gear to combat the virus.

 

Gandhi said COVID-19 was a huge setback for millions of daily wage earners, MGNREGA workers, ad-hoc and temporary employees, labourers, farmers and those in the unorganised sector.

The Bihar government on Saturday ordered shutting down of bus services, restaurants and banquet halls across the state till March 31 to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus, officials said.

   

However, home delivery and take home services of restaurants will remain functional, a health department order said.

 

The state government, invoking the Bihar Epidemic Diseases, COVID-19 Regulations, 2020, said the restrictions have come into force with immediate effect.

 

"The decision was taken for prevention and control of the outbreak of epidemic disease namely COVID-19 in the state," Health Department Principal Secretary Sanjay Kumar said in the order.

 

No coronavirus case has been reported in Bihar so far, Health officials said.

 

Transport Secretary Sanjay Kumar Agarwal said both city and interstate buses will not ply till March 31 in the wake of the coronavirus.

 

"All types of government and private city buses and interstate buses will not ply till March 31," Agarwal said.

 

City buses will stop plying from Saturday, while interstate bus services will be suspended from Sunday, he said.

 

The state government had on March 18 shut all shopping malls, gymnasiums, spas and swimming pools across the state till March 31 in view of the coronavirus outbreak.

 

It has also restricted all mass gatherings except marriages and directed shops and restaurants to disinfect the facilities twice a day, besides providing customers with hand sanitisers.

 

The state government had on March 13 ordered closure of all educational institutes, movie theatres, parks, zoos and museums till the month-end.

 

A total of 520 people who returned to the state from coronavirus-hit countries since January 11 till date have been placed under home quarantine, they added.

"This trial by media needs to stop," Sonam Kapoor wrote in her Instagram story, defending singer Kanika Kapoor, who continues to face severe backlash on the Internet. 

And within minutes, found her feed flooded with trolls sending hate messages. 

Kanika Kapoor is being criticised for not going into quarantine immediately after returning from the UK and having attended a party in Lucknow. The Bollywood singer announced she tested positive for coronavirus on Friday, creating panic among guests, including several politicians, who also attended the dinner. 

In a tweet on Saturday afternoon, Sonam Kapoor lodged her support for the singer and wrote: "Hey guys, Kanika Kapoor came back on the 9th. India was not self-isolating but playing Holi." Ms Kapoor flew to Mumbai from London on March 9 and travelled to Lucknow two days later. She said she started getting symptoms only recently and not soon after she touched down from UK."

Sonam and her husband Anand Ahuja also recently returned from London are are currently in self quarantine.

A section of the Internet showered her with rude messages, asking the actress to resign from Twitter for a while. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held a video conference with representatives of pharma companies and told them that this was the time to boost production.

The companies assured Prime Minister Modi that India has enough supplies of all essential pharma commodities and there is no reason to worry. 

Chemists and pharma companies also gave an assurance to the PM that they will work on this crisis with the government to ensure that supply chains remain working 24/7 and the nation comes first for them.

This meeting assumes significance as the total number of positive cases of coronavirus in the country has climbed to 283. 

Twenty-two Congress legislators, including six ministers, who earlier tendered their resignations amid a political crisis in Madhya Pradesh as Jyotiraditya Scindia jumped ship to the BJP.

Jyotiraditya Scindia was present at the moment when they met BJP party president J P Nadda. Apart from him, two key leaders of Madhya Pradesh -- Narendra Tomar and Kailash Vijayvargiya were also present.

After the 22 MLAs deserted the Kamal Nath government, the veteran Congress leader resigned from his post just ahead of a crucial floor test.

It all started with Scindia's disenchantment with the Congress. In his resignation letter to Congress's interim President Sonia Gandhi, Scindia wrote: "While my aim and purpose remain the same as it has always been from the very beginning, to serve the people of my state and country, I believe I am unable to do this anymore within this party."

He even accused his former party of living in denial.

Describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for a 'Janta' curfew on Sunday as the need of the hour, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has asked everyone in the country to support it and encourage others to join the movement to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

   

In a series of tweets, Shah also asked all citizens to express gratitude to those who are working round the clock to keep the country safe and healthy amid the pandemic.

 

"Prime Minister @narendramodi ji's appeal for a Janta Curfew is need of the hour. As #IndiaFightsCorona, let us do our bit to defeat COVID-19. Stay indoors on 22 March from 7am to 9pm. Encourage your friends and relatives too. This is our movement, we will win, together!," he said.

 

Shah also said no one should forget to show support and gratitude on Sunday at 5 pm for the people who have been constantly working to keep the country safe and healthy.

 

"Come out in your balconies with your family and cheer for them! Your applause can make a big difference!," he said.

 

The PM on Thursday called for 'Jant'a curfew on March 22 from 7 am-9 pm, saying no citizen, barring those in essential services, should get out of house.

The Reserve Bank of India on Saturday said it has extended regulatory restrictions on Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank for three more months till June 22, 2020.

   

The RBI had put a six-month regulatory restriction on the bank on September 23, 2019, after finding out certain financial irregularities, hiding and misreporting of loans given to real estate developer HDIL.

 

"It is hereby notified for the information of the public that the validity of the directive dated September 23, 2019, as modified from time to time, has been extended for a further period of three months from March 23, 2020 to June 22, 2020, subject to review," the RBI said in a release.

 

It could be noted that unlike in the case of commercial banks, the RBI has no powers to draw up an enforceable scheme of reconstruction of a cooperative bank.

 

"Nevertheless, in the interest of the depositors and the stability of the cooperative banking sector, the RBI, in consultation with various stakeholders and authorities, is trying to work out a scheme for revival of the bank," the release said.

 

The restriction on PMC included barring the bank from lending and accepting fresh deposits.

 

The RBI also superseded the board and the management of the bank and appointed an ex-RBI official as the administrator at the bank.

Six-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton says he is self-isolating but will not get tested for coronavirus as others need attention more than him.

   

The 35-year-old Briton said he decided to self-isolate because he had been at the same function in London that actor Idris Elba and Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau's wife Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau attended earlier this month.

 

Elba and Gregoire-Trudeau subsequently both tested positive for COVID-19.

 

"I want to let you know that I am doing well," Hamilton said in a statement. 

 

"There has been speculation about my health, after I was at an event where two people later tested positive for coronavirus.

 

"I have zero symptoms and it has now been 17 days since I saw Sophie and Idris. I have been in touch with Idris and happy to hear he is OK.

 

"I did speak to my doctor and double checked if I needed to take a test but the truth is, there is a limited amount of tests available and there are people who need it more than I do, especially when I wasn't showing any symptoms at all." Hamilton has been in isolation since last Friday.

 

The start of the Formula One season has been wiped away by the pandemic with races in Australia, Bahrain, Vietnam, China, Netherlands and Spain shelved and the iconic Riviera showpiece in Monaco cancelled.

A KLM flight from Amsterdam to New Delhi was turned around midair, an official and a passenger said after apparent confusion about India's coronavirus regulations.

Because of the pandemic, India has imposed a bar on flights from Europe and from Sunday a one-week complete ban on all incoming international commercial flights comes into force.

Passengers on the KLM flight, which had been due to arrive in Delhi early on Saturday, included a pregnant woman who needed medical treatment on returning to Amsterdam.

The aircraft was told late on Friday "to return to its point of departure due to operational reasons while it was still airborne", the official said.

"Delhi does not have permission to land (planes) so we don't know why KLM decided to fly out from Amsterdam despite a clear advisory from the Indian government," said the official.

One of the 120 or so passengers, also speaking anonymously, said the announcement that they were going back was made over Russia around four hours into the flight.

Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has tested negative for coronavirus. This is the first report which has come; the second report is expected tomorrow. 

Vasundhara Raje had attended a party in Lucknow which was attended by singer Kanika Kapoor, who returned from London and later tested positive for coronavirus. 

The former Rajasthan chief minister has now tested negative.

Delhi Chief Minister holds a press conference in the fight against coronavirus. 

Here are the highlights from his address:

>> No gathering with more than 5 people allowed

>> 50 pc buses won't ply on Delhi roads during Janta curfew

>> Extremely concerned about daily wagers, labourers amid coronavirus crisis; don't want anyone to sleep on an empty stomach

>> Pension for elderly, widows, specially-abled being doubled in view of coronavirus outbreak

>> Food to be provided for homeless in Delhi's night shelters

>> No lockdown in Delhi for now, but will have to do it if need arises

The Mumbai Metro One will suspend its operations on Sunday to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for 'janata' curfew in wake of coronavirus outbreak.

 

The transport body announced the move through its official Twitter handle @MumMetro.

 

"In continuation of our fight against #Covid19 and in support of Hon'ble PM's appeal of #JanataCurfew, #MumbaiMetroOne suspends operations on 22/03/2020 (Sunday) for the entire day, to encourage people to stay at home and make 'Janta Curfew' an unprecedented success," it said.

 

The Mumbai Metro One, which runs between Ghatkopar and Versova, is widely used by Mumbaikars to cut travel time between western and central suburbs.

 

Maharashtra has so far recorded 63 positive cases of Covid-19, the highest in the country.

Railways issued an advisory on Saturday relaxing refund rules for passengers who had booked tickets to travel between March 21 and April 15 in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak in the country to avoid crowding on trains and encourage social distancing.

   

The order states if a train is cancelled by Railways for journey period March 21-April 15, refund across counter can be taken on submission of ticket up to 45 days from the date of journey instead of the present three hours.

 

In case a train is not cancelled but the passenger desires to cancel his journey, Ticket Deposit Receipt  can be filed within 30 days from date of journey at the station, instead of present three days.

 

TDR can also be submitted to the chief commercial officer for getting the refund within 60 days of filing of TDR subject to verification from train chart, instead of extant rule of 10 days, the order stated.

 

For passengers who want to cancel tickets through 139, can get refund across the counter within 30 days from the date of journey instead of up to scheduled departure of the train.

Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal on Saturday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering probe against Yes Bank promoter Rana Kapoor and his family members, officials said.

   

They said Goyal's statement will be recorded by the investigating officer of the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act at its office in Ballard Estate in Mumbai.

 

Jet Airways' loan exposure to the crisis-ridden Yes Bank is about Rs 550 crore.

 

Goyal was first summoned by the central probe agency on March 18 but he cited the reason of tending to an ill relative for skipping the summons. 

 

He was given a fresh time and deposed Saturday, they said.

 

The agency initiated action against Kapoor and his family members and raided him soon after the Reserve Bank imposed a moratorium on the "stressed" Yes Bank earlier this month.

 

Normal banking operations for Yes Bank customers were re-started on Wednesday.

 

Kapoor, 62, was arrested by the ED in Mumbai on March 8 and at present he is in judicial custody.

The government has capped maximum retail price of hand sanitizer at Rs 100 per 200ml bottle till June 30 this year amid sharp rise in the prices of this product amid the coronavirus oubreak.

   

Similarly, price of a 2 ply (surgical) mask has been capped at Rs 8 and that of 3 ply (surgical) mask at Rs 10 till June 30, Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said in a statement.

 

"The price cap has been imposed taking into account the sharp increase in prices of raw materials used in making of face masks and hand santizer," Paswan said.

 

Earlier this month, the government had declared sanitizers and masks 'essential commodities' to prevent hoarding and price manipulation of such goods.

 

On March 19, the government had placed price limits on alcohols used in making hand sanitizer. 

The Goa government on Saturday imposed Section 144 in northern part of the state to help contain the spread of coronavirus.

"Any person contravening this order shall be punishable under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code," the order read. 

People residing in Goa are not allowed to take any procession or staging any demonstartion on the road, street or thorugh fare. They are also not allowed to hold any public meeting.

The Indian Council of Medical Research on Saturday said that the total number of positive cases of coronavirus now stands at 271 in the country. 

With six new coronavirus positive cases being reported in Gujarat on Saturday, the number of infected persons in the state has gone up to 13, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said.

 

These patients are being treated in hospitals at Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot, Patel told reporters in Vadodara.

 

"Thirteen positive cases of coronavirus have been reported in Gujarat so far. Of them, twelve have history of travel abroad," he said.

 

A man from Gandhinagar, who had recently visited a foreign country, tested positive for coronavirus, and is being treated at an isolation ward in a hospital in Ahmedabad, he said.

 

A 52-year-old man with travel history to Sri Lanka had tested positive in Vadodara earlier in the day.

A couple was deboarded from a Delhi-bound Rajdhani train on Saturday after co-passengers observed a home quarantine seal on the husband's hand, the Railways said Saturday.

   

Officials said the Delhi-based couple boarded the Bangalore City-New Delhi Rajdhani at Secunderabad Saturday morning.

 

When the train reached Kazipet in Telangana at 9:45 am a co-passenger noticed the quarantine mark -- authorities are putting on suspected coronavirus cases -- on the husband's hand when he was wash his hands. Other co-passengers then informed the TTE on board the train, the national transporter said.

 

The train was briefly detained and the couple was taken to a hospital. The coach was completely sanitised in Kazipet and was locked, officials said.

 

The air conditioning was also switched off.

 

The train left for its destination at 11.30 am.

In an appeal to Indians, Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted an awareness video on his personal Twitter handle on Saturday afternoon.

"Minute precautions can make monumental impacts and save many lives. Saw this interesting video on social media. If you have such videos that can educate people and spread awareness on battling COVID-19, please do so using #IndiaFightsCorona," tweeted the PM.

Novel coronavirus cases in India rose to 258 on Saturday after 35 fresh cases were reported in various parts of the country, according to the health ministry.

Among the 258 are 39 foreign nationals, including 17 from Italy, three from the Philippines, two from the UK, one each belonging to Canada, Indonesia and Singapore.

Kenny Rogers, the Grammy-winning country-pop pioneer who dominated the charts during the Seventies and Eighties, has died aged 81.

A family representative said he passed away peacefully at home from natural causes.

Rogers was best-known for ballads including The Gambler, Coward of the Country, and Lucille. He once said he believed his ballads say what every man wants to say and that every woman wants to hear. 

In 2013, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and received a Lifetime Music Award from the Country Music Association that same year.

He was married five times and had five children.

Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor, who tested coronavirus positive on Friday, has said that she did not try to skip any screening, adding that she had to be after the authorities to get the test done. 

Kanika is being blamed for negligence, not practising social distancing and even attending parties despite having returned from London earlier this month.

Lucknow Commissioner of Police, Sujeet Pandey confirmed that an FIR was lodged at Sarojini Nagar police station under Indian Penal Code section 188, 269, 270 on the complaint of Chief Medical Officer, Lucknow. 

He said two more FIRs are likely to be registered in the matter at Hazratganj and Gomtinagar police stations, for her three different gatherings in the area, post her return from London on March 11.

Asked if she hid in the bathroom to escape screening when she arrived in India from London on March 9, Kanika told Times of India in an interview, "There are these silly rumours that I hid in the washroom to skip screening. Tell me, how is it possible for a person to skip screening at immigration while coming on an international flight? I was properly screened at the Mumbai airport and I stayed in the city for a day. But since everything was closed and no work was happening (because of the industry lockdown due to the coronavirus spread), my parents suggested I come home. So I reached Lucknow on March 11 by the morning flight. And one can check, at that time there was no advisory issued by the government on anyone travelling from abroad to be under self-quarantine. So how can one expect me to do it, especially when I had been screened and had no health issues till I left Mumbai? In fact, I developed the symptoms only four days ago."

About attending social gatherings and even hosting parties, Kanika clarified she did not host a party. "I never hosted a party. I attended a small birthday bash, which Vasundhara Raje ji has also tweeted about. There were several politicians there, including Dushyant Singh, but it wasn't as big a gathering as it is being made out. It was a small one where I was a guest, not the hostess. For this, too, I've given the health officials names of all those who were at the party," she further said.

The total number of coronavirus positive patients in Maharashtra has risen to 63 with 11 more positive cases reported in the last 24 hours, officials said.

 

Of the 11 new cases, 10 are in Mumbai and one in Pune, they said on Saturday.

 

Officials said seven patients were admitted to Kasturba hospital, one each at Saifee hospital, Nanavati hospital and HN Reliance hospitals in Mumbai

 

A coronavirus positive patient has been admitted to Naidu hospital in Pune, officials said.

 

Earlier this week, a Covid-19 patient died in Mumbai.

National carrier Air India will send a 787 Dreamliner aircraft to Rome on Saturday afternoon to evacuate Indians stranded there amid the coronavirus crisis.

   

The Centre issued a statement on Thursday that no international flights would be allowed to land in India from March 22 onward for a period of one week.

 

An Air India official said the flight to Rome would take off from the Delhi airport around 2:30 pm.

 

The flight will evacuate all Indians stranded in Rome and return to Delhi on Sunday morning, the official added.

The Indian Council of Medical Research revised its strategy to fight the spread of the new coronavirus on Saturday, saying all hospitalised patients with severe acute respiratory illness, shortness of breath and having fever and cough will now be tested for COVID-19 infection.

 

The new ICMR guidelines also said asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts of a confirmed case should be tested once between day 5 and day 14 of coming in his/her contact.

The apex body for biomedical research revised its strategy in view of a spurt in coronavirus cases in the country this week. The new strategy aims to contain the spread of infection more effectively and to provide reliable diagnosis to all individuals meeting the inclusion criteria of COVID-19 testing.

Till now, all asymptomatic individuals who undertook international travel in the last 14 days and developed symptoms, all symptomatic contacts of laboratory-confirmed cases and all symptomatic health care workers were being tested for the infection as per the guidelines.

The coronavirus cases rose to 258 on Saturday in India with fresh cases being reported from various parts of the country.

India has so far witnessed cases of COVID-19 mostly related to travel and local transmission from imported cases. 

Community transmission of the disease has not been documented till now.

Once community transmission is documented, the above testing strategy will undergo changes to evolve into stage-appropriate testing strategy, ICMR said.

Advisory for testing are being reviewed and updated periodically.

The testing strategy is reviewed by the National Task Force constituted by Secretary DHR & DG, ICMR and Chaired by VK Paul, a member of the NITI Aayog. -- PTI 

The United Nations has called on all nations to stop the use of capital punishment or put a moratorium on it, a day after four men convicted of gang-raping and murdering a 23-year-old woman were hanged in India.

 

Seven years after the rape and murder of the young medical student, who came to be known as 'Nirbhaya', sent shock waves across the country, the four convicts - Mukesh Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar Singh (31) - were hanged to death on Friday at 5.30 am in New Delhi's Tihar Jail.

 

Responding to the hanging, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres' spokesperson  Stephane Dujarric said the world organisation calls on all nations to stop the use of capital punishment or put a moratorium on it.

 

"Our position has been clear, is that we call on all States to halt the use of capital punishment or at least put a moratorium on this," Dujarric said at the daily press briefing on Friday.

 

The horrific gang-rape and murder of the physiotherapy intern on December 16, 2012, who came to be known as Nirbhaya, the fearless, had seared the nation's soul and triggered countrywide outrage.

 

This was the first time that four men have been hanged together in Tihar Jail, South Asia's largest prison complex that houses more than 16,000 inmates.

 

The executions were carried out after the men exhausted every possible legal avenue to escape the gallows. Their desperate attempts only postponed the inevitable by less than two months after the first date of execution was set for January 22.

 

The execution of the four convicts brings the curtains down on the case that shook not just India but also the world with the details of its brutality The widespread protests subsequently paved the way for a change in India's rape laws. -- PTI 

As demand for hand disinfectants skyrocketed due to coronavirus outbreak, brewers and distillers across Europe are using their production facilities to make hand sanitizer.

BrewDog, Leith Gin, Verdant Spirits and Pernod Ricard have ramped up production of hand sanitizer, CNN reported. 

Sanitizers are becoming scarce due to a massive spike in demand due to the coronavirus epidemic, which has claimed over 10,500 lives worldwide.

Coronavirus, which first emerged in the Wuhan city of China, has spread to the whole world. 

The epicenter has now shifted from China to Europe, where the death toll in Italy surpassed that of China. 

BrewDog announced it would start making hand sanitizer at its brewery in Scotland.

"We are determined to do everything we can to try and help as many people as possible to stay safe. It's time to keep it clean," tweeted the company.

Another Scottish company, Leith Gin, also made an announcement Tuesday.

"We have suspended spirit production and are making high strength hand sanitizer for those in need in our local community," tweeted the company.

The distillery also appealed for donations of small plastic bottles to use as packaging.

Meanwhile, the beverage company Pernod Ricard based in France said it would donate 70,000 liters of pure alcohol to produce hand sanitizer.

Early this week, French luxury giant LVMH has announced that its production facilities would start manufacturing large quantities of hydroalcoholic gel. -- ANI

Over 800 persons have been kept under home quarantine in Maharashtra's Aurangabad district, amid the coronavirus outbreak, a senior official said on Saturday.

A major chunk of these are students of a local college, where one of the lecturers tested positive for Covid-19 last week, she said.

"Although only one positive case of coronavirus was recorded in Aurangabad, the number of people quarantined has exceeded 800," Aurangabad Municipal Corporation Health Officer Dr Neeta Padalkar.

As many as 849 people have been put on 14-day mandatory quarantine till March 19 and of these, 58 are Indians with travel history abroad and 17 are foreign nationals, she added.

Maharashtra has recorded at least 52 cases of coronavirus infection so far. -- PTI 

As India's week-long ban on international commercial flights comes into effect on March 22, the Indian Embassy in the United States has advised its nationals to stay safe and isolated to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

A total of 230 people have died in the US due to the fast-spreading coronavirus pandemic by Friday evening. The number of confirmed cases has jumped to over 18,000. 

Coronavirus cases have been reported in all the 50 States in the US and District of Columbia as well as Puerto Rico.

According to the Johns Hopkins coronavirus tracker, the death toll from the virus globally has risen to 11,397 with more than 275,427 cases reported in over 160 countries and territories.

In its first COVID-19 advisory for Indian nationals in the US, the embassy on Friday urged them to stay safe and isolate themselves within their residential premises and follow the advisories updated on the US Centers for Disease Control.

"Please follow social distancing norms and avoid any non-essential local travel. Approach the local health department officials in case you or your family member(s) experience any of the symptoms mentioned in the CDC website," the embassy said.

For extension of visa in the US during this restriction period, please refer to the website of US Citizenship and Immigration Services, it said.

The Indian embassy in Washington, DC and its diplomatic missions in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Houston, and Atlanta have been running a round-the-clock helpline service for its citizens, Indian students and those who had plans to travel to India. -- PTI

In the wake of coronavirus pandemic, IKEA has closed its store in Hyderabad from today till further notice.

"In the interest of the safety of our customers and co-workers, we are temporarily closing the IKEA Hyderabad store for the public with effect from March 20, 3 pm until further notice," read an official statement of IKEA.

IKEA in the statement also said that the public can continue shopping from their online portal.

"If you are in Hyderabad, Mumbai or Pune, you can still continue shopping at IKEA.in," it added. -- ANI

Novel coronavirus cases in India rose to 258 on Saturday after 35 fresh cases were reported in various parts of the country, according to the health ministry.

 

Among the 258 are 39 foreign nationals, including 17 from Italy, three from the Philippines, two from the UK, one each belonging to Canada, Indonesia and Singapore.

The total figure also includes four deaths reported from Delhi, Karnataka, Punjab and Maharashtra.

"The total number of active COVID-19 cases across India stands at 231 so far," the ministry said, adding that 23 others have been cured/discharged/migrated while four have died.

Delhi has, so far, reported 26 positive cases, which include one foreigner, while Uttar Pradesh has recorded 24 cases, including one foreigner.

Maharashtra has 52 cases, including three foreigners, while Kerala has recorded 40 cases, which include seven foreign nationals.

Karnataka has 15 coronavirus patients. The number of cases in Ladakh rose to 13 and Jammu and Kashmir four. Telangana has reported 19 cases, which include 11 foreigners.

Rajasthan has also reported 17 cases, including that of two foreigners. Gujarat has reported seven cases so far.

Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Uttarakhand have reported three cases each.

West Bengal, Odisha and Punjab each reported two cases while Puducherry, Chhattisgarh and Chandigarh reported one case each.

In Haryana, there are 17 cases, which include 14 foreigners. -- PTI

Twelve more persons have tested positive for COVID-19 in Kerala, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Friday.

Of the new cases, six persons are from Kasaragod, five from Ernakulam and one from Palakkad. 

Total 40 persons have tested positive for COVID-19, out of them three have been discharged, the chief minister said.

There are 44,390 people under surveillance in the state. 

Of these, 44,165 are in isolation at home and total of 225 people are hospitalized.

Vijayan said, "On Friday, 56 people were admitted. 13,632 people have now been admitted into isolation. 5570 people were excluded from surveillance as they were not infected with the virus. Out of the 3456 samples tested, 2393 results returned negative."

"The five British tourists who had been staying in Munnar, and later in Ernakulam, have been diagnosed with the disease. One person who returned to Palakkad from the UK has also tested positive for the novel coronavirus," the chief minister said.

Vijayan said the new cases in Kasargode were caused by a person who recently returned from abroad and who did not follow the self-quarantine measures. 

He took a flight to Karipur and stayed there for a day. 

From there he took a train to Kasargod.

In the following days, he attended several public events without taking any precautions, including a football game and a ceremony at home.

Two MLAs in Kasargod have also come under surveillance. 

Both had physical contact with the infected patient via handshake and hugging. -- ANI

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told pubs, bars, restaurants, gyms and other social venues to shut down from Friday night and stay closed as part of stricter lockdown measures to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, which has claimed 177 lives in the United Kingdom.

 

Addressing his daily briefing from 10 Downing Street in London, the UK PM said the new rules would be enforced strictly and the situation would be reviewed on a month by month basis.

"We are collectively telling cafes, pubs, bars, restaurants to close tonight as soon as they reasonably can, and not to open tomorrow. Though to be clear, they can continue to provide take-out services," Johnson said.

"We're also telling nightclubs, theatres, cinemas, gyms and leisure centres to close on the same timescale. Now, these are places where people come together, and indeed the whole purpose of these businesses is to bring people together. But the sad things is that today for now, at least physically, we need to keep people apart," he said.

Johnson said that following his announcement, some people may be tempted to go out on the town on Friday night for one last time but urged them not to do so.

"You may think you are invincible, but there is no guarantee you will get mild symptoms, and you can still be a carrier of the disease and pass it on to others. So that's why, as far as possible, we want you to stay at home, that's how we can protect our NHS (National Health Service) and save lives," he said.

The announcement will come as a massive blow to businesses, already struggling with lower footfalls. 

Alongside the shutdown announcement, Johnson was joined by his Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, who unveiled a massive wage boost for people who find themselves facing hardship. 

The UK's Indian-origin finance minister announced that the government would cover 80 per cent of wages for the country's struggling workers.

"We are going to help workers of all kinds to get through this crisis. Supporting you directly in a way that government has never been done before, in addition to the package we have already set out for business," Johnson said.

"And of course these measures are intended to be temporary and of course I am confident that, in time, the UK economy is going to bounce back," he added.

He admitted that the new stringent social distancing measures were tough on the "freedom-loving instincts of the British people" but stressed that the country would collectively beat the virus. -- PTI

The United States has announced the closure of its northern border with Canada and the southern border with Mexico for all non-essential travel from March 21.

While US-Mexico border closure announcement was made on Friday, that with Canada was done on Tuesday. 

The closure would go into effect on March 21.

"The United States and Mexico have agreed to restrict nonessential travel across our shared border. Both our countries know the importance of working together to limit the spread of the virus to ensure the commerce that supports our economy continues to keep flowing," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters at a White House press conference.

The Acting Homeland Security Secretary Wolf Chad said the US has reached an agreement with both Canada and Mexico to limit non-essential travel across their land borders.

"Neither of these agreements with Canada or Mexico applies to lawful trade or commerce. Essential commercial activity will not be impacted," Chad said.

"We will continue to maintain a strong and secure economic supply chain across our borders. A few examples of essential travel include but certainly are not limited to individuals traveling for medical purposes to attend educational institutions, for emergency response, public health services, and individuals engaged in lawful cross-border trade," he said.

The US, Chad said, is also working with both Canada and Mexico on initiating joint action on individuals seeking entry between their ports of entry.

The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) has directed to suspend entry of all individuals to the US without proper travel documentation.

"That's for both the northern and southern border. CDC director has determined that the introduction and spread of the coronavirus in the departments border patrol stations and detention facilities presents serious danger to migrants, our frontline agents, and officers and the American people," Chad said.

Pompeo said the State Department has issued level four global travel advisory. This means that US citizens should avoid all international travel. In countries where commercial departure options remain available, US residents should immediately return to the country unless they're required to remain abroad for an extended time.

"If you choose to travel internationally, your travel plans may well be severely disrupted," he said. -- PTI

China reported no domestically transmitted coronavirus cases for the third consecutive day even as seven more fatalities have been confirmed, taking the death toll in the country to 3255.

 

No new domestically transmitted cases of COVID-19 were reported on the Chinese mainland for the third day in a row on Friday, China's National Health Commission said on Saturday. 

 

On Friday, seven deaths and 36 new suspected cases were reported on the mainland, with all the deaths reported from virus epicentre Hubei Province and its capital Wuhan, it said.

 

The overall confirmed cases on the mainland had reached 81,008 by the end of Friday, which included 3,255 who died, 6,013 patients still undergoing treatment, 71,740 patients who had been discharged after recovery, the NHC said. 

 

The commission said that 106 people were still suspected of being infected with the virus.

 

The NHC said 41 new confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland on Friday from the people arriving from abroad, taking the total number of imported cases to 269. 

 

While reporting about a steady increase in imported cases, the NHC did not specify whether the infected persons were foreigners or Chinese nationals returning from abroad.

 

China has imposed strict quarantine measures for all those returning from other countries. 

 

Of the imported cases on Friday, 14 were reported in Beijing, nine in Shanghai, seven in the Guangdong Province and four in the Fujian Province.

 

Provinces of Zhejiang, Shandong and Shaanxi each reported two cases and Sichuan reported one.

 

By the end of Friday, 256 confirmed cases including four deaths had been reported in Hong Kong, 17 confirmed cases in Macao and 135 in Taiwan including two deaths, the NHC said. -- PTI 

A staffer in the team of United States vice president Mike Pence has tested positive for the coronavirus, making him the first White House personnel to have been infected by the deadly disease that has so far claimed the lives of 230 people in the country.

 

"This evening we were notified that a member of the office of the vice president tested positive for the coronavirus," Katie Miller, press secretary to vice president, said in a statement.

 

Neither President Donald Trump nor Vice President Pence had close contact with the individual, she said.

 

"Further contact tracing is being conducted in accordance with CDC guidelines," Miller said.

 

This is the first case of a White House staffer being tested positive for the deadly virus. 

Last week, Trump had tested for the coronavirus but the result was negative.

 

The White House has instituted strict provisions for entry of individuals within its premises. Members of the presidential physicians' team and secret service take temperature of every individual who enter the premises. 

 

The seating arrangements in the White House briefing room has been rearranged to maintain social distancing. -- PTI 

More than a quarter of a million cases of the new coronavirus have been recorded across the globe, according to a tally compiled by AFP.

   

There have been at least 256,296 infections reported in 163 countries and territories, and 11,015 deaths.

 

China, where the virus first emerged in December, has registered 80,976 cases including 3,248 deaths. Italy has suffered the most deaths, 4,032, out of 47,021 cases.

 

The number of diagnosed cases reflects only a fraction of the actual number of infections as many countries test only those with the most severe symptoms.