The World Health Organization said Monday it had "temporarily" suspended clinical trials of hydroxychloriquine as a potential treatment for COVID-19 being carried out across a range of countries as a precautionary measure.

The decision came after the publication last week of a study in the Lancet indicating that using the drug on COVID-19 patients could increase their likelihood of dying, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual press conference.

Tedros said that the executive group of the so-called Solidarity Trial, in which hundreds of hospitals across several countries have enrolled patients to test several possible treatments for the novel coronavirus, had as a precaution suspended trials using that drug.

"The Executive Group has implemented a temporary pause of the hydroxychloroquine arm within the Solidarity Trial while the safety data is reviewed by the Data Safety Monitoring Board," Tedros said.

"The other arms of the trial are continuing," he stressed.

Hydroxychloroquine is normally used to treat arthritis but pronouncement from public figures including US President Donald Trump -- who announced last week he is taking the drug -- has prompted governments to bulk buy the medicine.

The World Health Organization is warning of a second peak -- not necessarily a second wave -- of coronavirus cases. 

During a media briefing on Monday, Dr Mike Ryan, executive director of WHOs Health Emergencies Programme, said right now, we are Right in the middle of the first wave, globally."

We're still very much in a phase where the disease is actually on the way up," he added.

We need to be also cognisant of the fact that the disease can jump up at any time. We cannot make assumptions that just because the disease is on the way down now that it's going to keep going down, and the way to get a number of months to get ready for a second wave -- we may get a second peak in this way, Ryan said.

Ryan warned that a second peak or wave could come during the normal influenza season, which will greatly complicate things for disease control.

Maria Van Kerkhove, a WHO infectious disease epidemiologist, said all countries need to remain on high alert here. All countries need to be ready to rapidly detect cases, even countries that have had success in suppression. Even countries that have seen a decline in cases must remain ready.  

Van Kerkhove said if given the opportunity, the virus will start an outbreak.

A hallmark of coronaviruses is its ability to amplify in certain settings, its ability to cause transmission or super spreading events. And we are seeing in a number of situations in these closed settings. When the virus has an opportunity, it can transmit readily," she said.

West Delhi BJP MP Parvesh Verma targeted the Gandhi family on Monday, saying Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra should be "quarantined" till the lockdown ends in order to stop them from triggering "panic" among people already hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

  

The Congress retaliated to Verma's assault, asking the Bharatiya Janata Party to answer people over the issues of migrant workers' plight and "unplanned lockdown", instead of personal attacks on its leaders.

Verma said since the lockdown was imposed in the country on March 25, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were "finding faults" in it and triggering panic among people, who are already facing challenges on many fronts.

"Now they have started declaring the lockdown as a failure and triggering panic at a time when people are already troubled due to the disease and loss of livelihood. I think they should be quarantined till the lockdown ends for working  like a virus," Verma said.

The top Congress leadership has been critical of the Narendra Modi government's handling of the pandemic and more so after lakhs of migrant workers started moving from urban centres to their home states across the country.

Filmmaker Karan Johar on Monday said two members of his household staff have tested positive for COVID-19 and are currently under quarantine. 

  

In a statement, Johar said that the building has been sterilised after Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation was informed about the same. 

"I'd like to inform you that two members of our household staff have tested positive for COVID-19. As soon as the symptoms were detected, they were put under quarantine in a section of our building. The BMC was informed immediately, and the building has been fumigated and sterilised by them as per the norms," he said. 

The filmmaker said the family members and other staff are currently not showing any symptoms but have taken swab test, the result of which was negative. 

"But will remain in self-isolation for the next 14 days for the safety of everyone around us. We stand by our commitment to safeguard everyone and have ensured that all measures prescribed by the authorities have been strictly adhered to.

"We will also ensure that the best treatment and care is provided to them during the illness, and we're sure that they will be fighting fit soon. These are difficult times but by staying in our homes and taking the right precautions, there is no doubt in my mind that we can defeat this virus. Stay home everyone and stay safe," he added. 

As of Monday, Maharashtra reported 2,436 new COVID-19 cases and 60 deaths, taking case count to 52,667 and fatalities to 1,695.

Japan is set to expand its travel ban list to 111 countries effective Wednesday, now including the United States, India, and South Africa, the government ministries said.

The ban list, which will add 11 more countries this week, forbids foreign nationals who stayed in those countries from entering Japan, to protect against the spread of coronavirus. 

Japanese citizens are still allowed to enter the country, although they will need to go through medical tests and self-quarantine for 14 days.  

The travel ban expansion comes after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe lifted the countrys nationwide state of emergency earlier today. It lasted almost a month. 

A total of 2,436 more people in Maharashtra have tested positive of coronavirus, taking the total count of cases in the state to 52,667.

The state reported 60 deaths due to the disease on Monday. "A total of 2,436 new patients of COVID-19, 60 deaths and 1,186 discharged were recorded in Maharastra today. The total number of positive cases in the state rises to 52,667, including 1,695 deaths and 15,786 discharged," a state Health Department release said.

As per the latest update by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of coronavirus cases in the country stands at 1,38,845, including 77,103 active cases.

A moderate earthquake, measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale, struck India's northeast region at about 8.15 pm on Monday. 

Initial reports suggest the earthquake's epicentre lay in Manipur. 

Tremors were also felt in Guwahati and other parts of Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram.

BJP MP Narayan Rane on Monday met  with Maharashtra Governor B S Koshyari and demanded imposition of President's rule in view of the Shiv Sena-led state government's "failure" in tackling the coronavirus pandemic.

Rane told reporters that the Maha Viks Aghadi government of the Sena, the NCP and the Congress has messed up the administrative affairs in the time of the unprecedented crisis.

"This government lacked the capacity to run a government. Maharashtra should be put under President's rule. The governor should step in," he said.

Rane, a Rajya Sabha MP, said Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray was inexperienced who cannot steer administration and the police force effectively.

"The condition of hospitals run by the state government and civic bodies is pathetic," the former chief minister said.

He said military should take charge of these functions and help in improving the situation on the healthcare front.

Maharashtra, which continues to be the epicentre of the coronavirus infection, has so far reported 52,667 cases and 1,695 deaths, the highest in the country.

India saw resumption of domestic flights on a substantial basis on Monday after a gap of two months even as various state governments expressed reluctance to open up their airports in view of rising cases of coronavirus.

While around 630 flights were cancelled due to states' restrictions, 532 flights carrying 39,231 passengers operated on Monday, said Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. 

The first flight on Monday was from Delhi to Pune at 4.45 am and civil aviation authorities ensured strict regulations were followed by airlines and passengers equally. The first flight from Mumbai was to Patna which took off at 6.45 am. However, a large number of flights were cancelled amid confusion as states differed in the set regulations meant for airline passengers.

Airlines were jittery in resuming services as different states have put in place separate norms and conditions for quarantining passengers arriving there by domestic flights. Some states have decided to put passengers in mandatory institutional quarantine while several others have talked about putting them under home quarantine.

Himachal Pradesh Cabinet on Monday authorised all District Magistrates in the State to extend the order issued by them under Section 144 (1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure up to June 30 in view of the coronavirus crisis.

"The Cabinet authorised all the District Magistrates of the State under the proviso of Sub-Section (4) of Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 to extend the order issued by them under Section 144 (1) of the Code up to 30th June 2020," said the Information and Public Relations Department of Himachal Pradesh government in a statement on Monday. 

Following the Cabinet decision, Hamirpur Deputy Commissioner Harikesh Meena announced that the regulations under Section 144 of CrPC imposed in Hamirpur district are extended to June 30.

Himachal Pradesh has so far reported 203 cases of COVID-19, including 63 cured patients and three deaths.

The Cabinet, in its meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, also decided to allow the private schools to charge only tuition fee for the lockdown period.

Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda was at the centre of a controversy on Monday after he did not undergo quarantine on arrival from Delhi by a flight in Bengaluru as stipulated, but defended it, saying he came under the exempted category being in-charge of pharmaceuticals, an essential sector.

The Karnataka government came to his defence and said the Centre had issued orders exempting such people handling essential sectors from quarantine norms.

The minister, also Bengaluru North MP, drove off in an official car with out undergoing institutional quarantine as mandated by the Karnataka government for air travellers coming from high COVID-19 prevalence states after arriving in Bengaluru by a commercial airline flight, services of which resumed after two months.

It triggered a controversy with several people taking to social media accusing him of violating norms while others saying rules are only meant for citizens and not for VVIPS, including ministers.

The standard operating procedure (SoP) issued by the government mandates passengers coming from high COVID-19 prevalence states -- Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh -- to go for paid institutional quarantine for a period of seven days.

Defending himself, Gowda said he being a Minister in- charge of Department of Pharmaceuticals, which comes under essential supplies, he is under the exempted clause and hence has been allowed to proceed.

"...you need people to work for the control (of COVID-19) right? If you say no one should come out can you stop this? As a pharma minister I need to check production, supplies, and ensure it reaches last point, it is my responsibility," the Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister told reporters.

"I come under the exemption clause and I have the exemptions...Arogya Setu App on my phone also shows I'm safe. After checking every things we conduct ourselves in a responsible way. Modi (PM Narendra Modi) also wont spare us, if we move around according to our wish," he added.

State Minister S Suresh Kumar, who is spokesperson for COVID-19 in Karnataka said, "He (Gowda) is exempted in his capacity as a minister handling pharma sector.....orders has already been issued by the central government (in this regard)."

Gowda, who later held a meeting with state Ministers and officials, also said his body temperature was checked before he left the airport.

The minister said he has not come in contact with any one and there were only 11 passengers in the flight.

The senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader also said though he could have opted for a special flight much before, he waited for domestic flights to resume as 'I am not a person who misuses things'.

According to the SoP, at the end of the seven days, the passengers coming from these six states would be sent to home quarantine if they test negative for COVID-19.

Those coming from other states have been asked to follow 14 days of home quarantine.

In special cases involving businessmen coming for urgent work, they are permitted without quarantine if they produce negative test report of COVID-19 from ICMR approved laboratory obtained within two days ahead of their travel date.  -- PTI

China's first unmanned helicopter drone designed to fly in plateau areas and capable of firing and conducting reconnaissance from a high altitude has made its maiden flight and could be deployed along the country's borders with India, according to reports in the official media in Beijing.

The AR500C unmanned helicopter, which has the ability to relay communication from a high altitude, could help safeguard China's southwestern borders with India in Tibet, the state-run Global Times reported.

The drone, developed by the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), successfully made its maiden flight on Wednesday at an AVIC base in Poyang in East China's Jiangxi Province.

During the flight, it conducted several manoeuvres including hovering, horizontal and vertical moves, according to state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV).

The Global Times report on Sunday said the AR500C, China's first unmanned helicopter designed to fly in plateau areas, can take off at an elevation of 5,000 metres and has a ceiling of 6,700 metres.

It has an endurance of five hours, maximum speed of 170 km an hour and a maximum take-off weight of 500 kg.

The helicopter's main missions include reconnaissance and communication relay, but when equipped with additional devices, it can also run electronic disruption, target indication, fire strike, cargo delivery and nuclear radiation and chemical contamination reconnaissance, an AVIC statement said.

The maiden flight of AR500C came at a time when China-India border tensions have been flaring up, the report by the Global Times, run by China's ruling Communist Party, said.

India on Thursday rejected China's allegations that the Indian troops crossed over to the Chinese side of the frontier in Ladakh and Sikkim, asserting that New Delhi has been taking a responsible approach towards border management.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said it was the Chinese side that recently undertook activities hindering India's normal patrols in the areas.

Fang Yonghong, technology director at AVIC's helicopter branch said that the helicopter can be easily controlled via a keyboard and a screen.

Compared to a traditional fixed-wing drone, a drone helicopter does not require a large airstrip with long runways, making it more flexible to deploy, Chinese air defence expert Fu Qianshao was quoted as saying by the report.

The Chinese military already operates the Z-8G, China's first large transport helicopter with a focus on plateau operations.

It can take off from 4,500 metres above sea level and has a ceiling of more than 6,000 metres and lift troops and supplies to high-altitude areas, it said.  -- PTI

Over 15 lakh stranded migrant workers have returned to Uttar Pradesh from different parts of the country on board 1,174 trains till now, a senior state government official said in  Lucknow on Monday.

A total of 24 lakh people have returned to the state so far in buses, trains and other modes of transport, Additional Chief Secretary (Home and Information) Awanish Awasthi said.

"Till Monday 2 pm, as many as 1,174 trains have come to UP, through which 15.62 lakh migrant workers have arrived. Buses are operating from Rajasthan and Haryana.

"So far, around 24 lakh people have come to UP through trains, buses and other modes of transport," he said.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has reviewed the return of migrants to the state, Awasthi said.

"The UP chief minister has directed that the 'Migration Commission' be renamed as 'Kamgar Shramik: Sewayojan evam Rojgar Kalyan Aayog'.

"This commission will work to provide employment to the labourers, while keeping in mind the skill-mapping and skill development of the labourers. The CM also directed that the constitution of the commission should be ensured in the next couple of days," he said.

The official also informed that the UP chief minister would undertake inspection of emergency services in the hospitals.

Police patrolling is going on and there is peace in the state, he said, adding that people celebrated Eid from their homes.

Awasthi said 57,449 FIRs have been lodged for violation of lockdown so far.  -- PTI

A pigeon, suspected to be trained in Pakistan for spying and wearing a ring with alphabets and numbers written on it, was captured by locals of Manyari village near the India-Pakistan international border in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Monday.

According to the border police, the villagers have handed over the pigeon to the officials and an investigation has been initiated in the matter.

"We don't know where the bird has come from. It was caught near the fence on our side. We have found a ring on the bird's feet. There are some numbers written on the ring," Senior Superintendent of Police of Kathua, Shailendra Misra told ANI in Kathua on Monday.

He said that the police is examining where the bird has come from and what the alphabets and numbers on the ring mean.

"There is an operations group in Jammu which takes care of these cases (related to infiltration). They have been intimated about the development. They are also looking into the matter," Misra said.

Birds allegedly being used for the purpose of espionage have been seized in Jammu and Kashmir in the past.  -- ANI

Dust and thunderstorms are likely over several parts of north India on May 29-30, bringing the much-needed relief from the intense heatwave, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday.

Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and parts of Uttar Pradesh have been experiencing blistering heat for days with temperatures soaring over 45 degrees Celsius in some places.

The IMD had on Sunday issued a red colour-coded alert for north India for May 25-26 when the prevailing heatwave conditions are expected to peak.

Kuldeep Srivastava, head of the Regional Meteorological Department of the IMD, said due to a western disturbance and easterly winds, dust storm and thunderstorm activity is likely over Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on May 29-30.

The wind speed is also likely to be around 50-60 kilometres per hour during this period, Srivastava said, adding that this will bring relief from the intense heat.

A western disturbance is a cyclonic storm that originates in the Mediterranean Sea and travels across Central Asia. When it comes in contact with the Himalayas, it brings rains to the hills and the plains.

Heat wave conditions over some parts and severe heat wave conditions at isolated pockets are very likely over Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, East Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha during May 25-27, the IMD said in its daily bulletin.

Heat wave conditions are also likely in isolated pockets over Punjab, Chhattisgarh, interior Odisha, Gujarat, Madhya Maharashtra, Marathawada, interior Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar and Jharkhand during next 2-3 days.

"Due to prevailing dry north-westerly winds over plains of northwest India, central India and adjoining interior parts of eastern India, present heatwave conditions very likely to continue to prevail over these areas till May 28 with peak intensity on May 25 and 26," the IMD said in its daily bulletin.   -- PTI

Amid tensions due to Pakistan sponsoring cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, Border Security Force (BSF) on Monday did not send sweets to Pakistan Rangers at the Wagah Border on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.

However, BSF troops exchanged sweets with the Bangladeshi troops deployed at the India-Bangladesh border.

Since the last few occasions, BSF has not been participating in the customary exchange of sweets at the Attari-Wagah border in Punjab which used to take place on Republic Day, Independence Day, Eid, Diwali among other events.

On Diwali too, BSF did not accept sweets from Pakistan side and had also not sent them sweets on Republic Day and the new year.

"Pakistan continues to back terrorism even when the world is threatened by COVID-19. We have not offered them sweets on Eid this time and will reconsider offering them in future too if they refuse to stop terrorists coming to India from their soil," a senior BSF official said.

Eid-ul-Fitr marks the conclusion of the holy month of Ramzan, which is a month of fasting and prayer for the Muslim community.

This year, Eid is being celebrated amid the extended nationwide lockdown enforced to contain the spread of COVID-19. -- ANI

People could be seen drinking water while standing under tree shades to avoid high temperatures. Animals and birds could also be seen searching for water for relief from the heat.

Dust and thunderstorm have been predicted for later in the week by India Meteorological Department.

The weatherman on Sunday predicted that the temperature in Delhi for the next four days would oscillate between 45 degrees Celsius and 46 degrees Celsius and after that, the region is expected to be battered by rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms. -- ANI

"Lockdown extensions aren't just economically disastrous, as I had tweeted earlier, but also create another medical crisis," Mahindra said in a tweet. 

He was referring to an article that highlighted "the dangerous psychological effects of lockdowns & the huge risk of neglecting non-COVID patients". Mahindra, who had earlier proposed a comprehensive lifting after 49 days of lockdown, further said, "The choices aren't easy for policy makers but a lockdown extension won't help". 

He said, "The numbers (coronavirus cases) will continue to rise & the focus must be on rapid expansion of field hospital beds with oxygen lines". 

He further said, "The army has enormous expertise in this". On March 22, before the government announced nationwide lockdown, Mahindra had proposed such a move expressing concerns over reports that India was likely to have already reached stage 3 of coronavirus transmission. PTI

Considering the importance of hygiene and sanitisation during the coronavirus pandemic, Salman said he decided to launch a sanitiser as the first product under the brand. 

"Launching my new grooming & personal care brand FRSH! @FrshGrooming," the actor posted on his Twitter page alongside a video in which he can be seen introducing the brand. The "Bharat' star said other products will also be launched soon and can be purchased from http://frshworld.com. The products will also be available at various stores across the country once the supply begins.  --  PTI

PS. It may interest you to know that Rishi Sunak is Infosys co-founder NR Naryana Murthy's son-in-law. 

Domestic flight operations have resumed today across the country after two months of suspension except in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.

All scheduled commercial passenger flights were suspended in India following the Centre imposed lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus.

The Airports Authority of India on Thursday issued Standard Operating Procedures for airports as part of preparations for the recommencement of domestic commercial flight operations.

According to the SOPs, airports have been advised to ensure that passenger seating arrangement is done in such a manner so as to maintain social distancing among passengers by blocking those seats that are not to be used, with proper markers or tapes. 

All passengers also must compulsorily be registered with the Aarogya Setu app on their phones as per the directives.Besides this, alternate check-in counters should be used to avoid congestion. The airport staff must be provided PPE kits, face masks etc, and they should also be provided with hand sanitisers. -- ANI

"In the last 24 hours, 635 new COVID-19 cases have been reported in Delhi, taking the total number of cases to 14,053. Total of 231 people have been discharged in the last 24 hours," the bulletin stated.

"The death toll due to the virus reaches 276. Total 7,006 are active cases in Delhi," it further stated.

Three new coronavirus containment zones were identified in Delhi taking their total number in the national capital to 90 as on Monday. So far, 41 zones have been de-contained in the city.

At present, the Chinese Army has diverted its troops carrying out a massive exercise on their side of the LAC and deployed them at short notice across the Line of Actual Control in the areas under the Indian Army's 81 and 114 Brigades deployed to counter the Chinese assertions from Daulat Beg Oldie and adjoining areas.Sources in the Indian Army said that the Chinese have moved in troops and heavy vehicles across the Line of Actual Control near the Pangong Tso lake and finger area and are well within the Indian territory.

In the Galwan Nala area, the Chinese have walked in with troops from its road head nearly 10-15 km from the Indian post KM120 there who have pitched tents and are stationed close to it.Sources said the Chinese have been building their roads in the area opposite to the Indian positions for which objections were also raised from Indian side but they continued building infrastructure.

In the Galwan area, the Indian Army has been building a bridge near the Indian patrolling point 14 near Galwan Nala over which the Chinese raised objections and have increased their presence there.

At any time, the Indian post KM120 has 250 troops including men from both the Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police as convoys pass through there but now the post has been reinforced with men and equipment to counter the Chinese aggression there.

India is also using the airfield in the Daulat Beg Oldie sector to ferry in troops from the reserves and other areas to match the Chinese strength in the Eastern Ladakh sector.

Sources said an old proposal is being revived to build an airfield close the Indian position along a road in the DBO sector where the Chinese won't be able to monitor the aerial movement on the Indian side.

In other areas of eastern Ladakh under the 70 brigade, in Himachal sector and the central sector of the LAC including the border with Uttarakhand, the Indian Army has increased the presence of its troops and patrolling to check any attempts by the PLA to transgress in other areas.

Sources stressed that as per the assessment on ground, the way Chinese have increased their troops on the ground, the own side was caught in for a surprise for a brief period.

The ground commanders and the senior leadership are talking to Beijing to resolve the standoff at the earliest but not much progress has been made due to the rigid stand taken by the Chinese. -- ANI

Wheat procurement target has been set at 40.7 million tonnes for the 2020-21 marketing year. Although the wheat marketing year runs from April-March, the bulk of procurement is normally done in the first three months. 

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on August 15, the number of invitees is expected to be pruned from the usual 3500 or so that comprises diplomats, military officials and civil servants, the sources said. 

Also, nearly 36 per cent of such companies are likely to witness a temporary shutdown, according to the report by BOTT Travel Sentiment Tracker in partnership with seven national associations like IATO, TAAI, ICPB, ADTOI, OTOAI, ATOAI and SITE. 

The report said that 81 per cent travel and tourism companies have lost their revenue up to 100 per cent while 15 per cent of the companies have witnessed it slide up to 75 per cent. 

The BOTT Travel Sentiment Tracker survey was done online with over 2,300 travel and tourism business owners and company representatives across the country over a period of 10 days. 

"The pandemic has hit the travel and tourism sector hard with as many as 40 per cent companies facing the risk of complete shutdown in the next 3 to 6 months while another 35.7 per cent might go for a temporary shutdown," it said. 

The survey report further revealed that 38.6 per cent travel companies are going for job cuts and another 37.6 per cent of the companies are considering the option with uncertainty looming large. 

"The travel and tourism sector is going through a very bad phase. It has taken a severe beating due to the COVID-19 outbreak with lakhs of people dependent on it suffering immense losses and job cuts," the report said. 

This survey has further confirmed fear that travel companies are staring at partial and complete shutdown in addition to job cuts, adjustment of workforce in form of pay cuts, deferment of salaries and termination of contracts, according to the survey. 

"This is an unprecedented situation and the government should extend some relief for the survival of thousands of companies," Travel Agents Association of India president Jyoti Mayal said.

As per the survey, 73 per cent travel companies have gone for adjustment of workforce including pay cuts, deferment of salaries, termination of contracts, while 67 per cent have gone for steps like reduction of overheads. About 49 per cent are deferring their capital expenditures and interestingly, 41.6 per cent companies are introducing new services. -- PTI

"The class 10, 12 exams will now be conducted at over 15,000 exam centres across India. Earlier, CBSE was slated to hold exams at only 3,000 centres," the minister said. 

The decision has been taken to ensure social distancing at exam centres and minimise travel for students. The HRD ministry has already announced that students will appear for exams at schools in which they are enrolled rather than external examination centres. According to home ministry guidelines, there will be no exam centre in COVID-19 containment zones. PTI 

Cuomo on Sunday announced that the state's Blue-Ribbon Commission, chaired by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, will also focus on improving telehealth and broadband access using new, innovative technologies. 

Out of the total affected persons, 18 have died due to the infection and 678 have recovered so far, Maharashtra Police said.

According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Maharashtra has reported 50,231 coronavirus cases. Out of the total cases, 14,600 patients have been discharged. The number of deaths due to COVID-19 in the state now stands at 1,635. -- ANI

The researchers from Northwestern University in the US said the findings, though early, could help inform how pregnant women should be clinically monitored during the pandemic. 

"Most of these babies were delivered full-term after otherwise normal pregnancies, so you wouldn't expect to find anything wrong with the placentas, but this virus appears to be inducing some injury in the placenta," said Jeffrey Goldstein, assistant professor of pathology at Northwestern University. 

"It doesn't appear to be inducing negative outcomes in live-born infants, based on our limited data, but it does validate the idea that women with COVID should be monitored more closely," Goldstein said. 

This increased monitoring might come in the form of non-stress tests, which examine how well the placenta is delivering oxygen, or growth ultrasounds, which measure if the baby is growing at a healthy rate, said study co-author Emily Miller, assistant professor at Northwestern University. "Not to paint a scary picture, but these findings worry me," Miller said. -- PTI

India witnessed the highest ever spike of 6,977 positive cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of COVID-19 to 1,38,845, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. -- ANI

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal media briefing on the Covid-19 situation in the national capital. 

-- Till yesterday, there were 13,418 positive cases of COVID19. Out of this 6540 have recovered and 6617 are active cases. 

-- We have issued a show-cause notice to a private hospital that denied treatment to a patient who tested positive for COVID19. It is the hospital's duty in such a case to provide an ambulance to the patient and take them to a COVID hospital. 

-- The situation is under control in Delhi though I admit that COVID-19 cases are increasing slowly. Most of the cases have mild symptoms or are asymptomatic and being treated at home. 

-- Cases have increased in Delhi due to relaxations in lockdown. But there is nothing to worry about unless the mortality rate or the number of serious cases rises rapidly. If people contract the virus and recover, then there is nothing to worry about.

"Is it because the RSS-backed BJP is not in power in Maharashtra?" the Marathi daily asked. Koshyari, who is the chancellor of universities in Maharashtra, last week asked Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to resolve the issue of conduct of final year university exams in the state "without any further delay in the larger interest of students". 

In a letter to CM, Koshyari said "not conducting the final year examinations by universities amounts to breach of the University Grants Commission guidelines". The governor also took strong objection to a letter written by state Higher and Technical Education Minister Uday Samant to UGC, recommending cancellation of final year exams. Koshyari asked Thackeray to issue suitable instructions to Samant for his "unwarranted intervention". 

Defending Samant, the Sena said the minister had expressed his opinion about the examinations, but Koshyaris stand is to go ahead and conduct the exams. 

"The RSS-backed students' wing ABVP has already opposed holding exams in the current period in Gujarat and Goa. Then, why Koshyaris demand is in stark contract with ABVP. Is it because the RSS-backed BJP is not in power in Maharashtra?" the Uddhav Thackeray-led party wondered. These examinations are important for the future of 10 lakh students in the state, but it cannot be held by jeopardising their health, it said. -- ANI

After quashing coronavairus outbreak in less than 50 days, Ardern floated the idea of having a four-day workweek which has been implemented in some countries.

In a Facebook video last week, Ardern said, she was seeking creative ways to stimulate domestic tourism help the industry recover as the country begins to reopen with strict border measures still in place, The Washington Post reported.

"I've heard lots of people suggesting we should have a four-day week," she said. "Ultimately, that really sits between employers and employees."

"I've heard lots of people suggesting we should have a four-day week," she said. "Ultimately, that really sits between employers and employees.""I'd really encourage people to think about that if you're an employer and in a position to do so," Ardern said, "if that's something that would work for your workplace."

A total 3,856 patients have recovered and 3,420 have been discharged. There are 3,081 active cases in the state as of now, they said. Jaipur had recorded maximum 78 deaths and 1,826 positive cases in the state followed by 24 deaths and 1,224 cases in Jodhpur, according to state government data. 

Image: Migrants families travel on horse carts to reach Jaipur on Friday. Pic: ANI

Update on India's most awaited season that holds the reins of the economy -- the monsoon forecast. 

Rajendra Kumar Jenamani, head of Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre, says India has seen the highest temperature of this year at 47.6 in the last two days. The heatwave will start subsiding from May 28 as easterly winds will start blowing in northern parts of the country.

"Rain accompanied by thunderstorm will start occurring from May 29 due to easterly winds in the northern parts of India and the temperature is expected to go down to 40 degrees Celsius.

"Southwest monsoon is expected to arrive over Kerala coast between June 1 and June 5 & is likely to reach Mumbai between June 15 and 20." 

A paper published by the Imperial College London estimated that the number of people infected by COVID-19 in the UK as of March 30 was between 800,000 to 3.7 million. The official case count then was just 22,141. Even the more conservative actual estimate of 800,000 is 36 times higher than the reported count.Without a vaccine and an effective treatment, we may never get back to life as it used to be.

With new cases in the US and Europe declining, they are starting to gradually re-open their economies.Singapore has started to re-open some but limited businesses and social activities ahead of the official "circuit breaker" end date of June 1. 

There will however not be a sudden relaxation of the lockdown rules on that date - only a very gradual and controlled return to some form of normalcy which the government say will take months.

One of the activities that have not ceased during the lockdown is the search for a vaccine in the city-state which is a leading centre in the region for medical research.

Singapore was involved in the international clinical trial of the Gilead Sciences drug Remdesivir which was initially developed to treat Ebola. Around 100 patients in Singapore were enrolled in the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease led international trial which had about 1,000 patients taking part globally. 

The trial showed that Remdesivir significantly improved recovery prospects of COVID-19 patients.Singapore biotech firm Tychan in partnership with the Singapore Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), is working with Chugai Pharmaceutical of Japan on a monoclonal antibodies drug.

On the vaccine front, the Singapore Duke-NUS Medical School is working with Arcturus Therapeutics on its mRNA (messenger Ribonucleic Acid) vaccine which has been shown to be highly effective in pre-clinical studies.

RNA vaccines use a relatively new technology that works by introducing an RNA with specific information into the human body that will produce the antigen (a protein from the pathogen) which will then stimulate the immune system to fight the disease.

Another Singaporean biotech firm Esco Aster is developing a chimeric vaccine with US company Vivaldi Biosciences. Chimeric vaccines work by replacing genes from the target pathogen for similar but safe genes from a closely related organism. 

India's Pune-based Serum Institute is not only India's largest biotech company but one of the world's largest. It has the capacity to produce 1.5 billion doses of vaccine annually. It is currently working on three projects to produce COVID-19 vaccines - one is with UK's Oxford University, another with US-based biotech Codagenix, and it is also working on its own vaccine. To save time, it is taking the risk of preparing part of its facilities to be ready to produce between 20-40 million doses as soon as in September although one or more of the vaccines being worked on may not succeed in clinical trials or be approved by health authorities.

Usually, a factory is prepared for manufacturing a vaccine only after the vaccine has been approved as the equipment and set-up needed to produce different vaccines can be quite different. This process can take up to 6 months or more.

It is with this "running in parallel" concept in mind that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is funding factories to prepare for 7 different vaccines in the hope that it will save time and lives when a vaccine is ready. -- ANI

"36 years of SAARANSH! He was just 28 years old when he made his debut in this iconic role of a school teacher who has lost his son in an act of senseless violence," the 'Sadak' director tweeted.

"Thank you, Anupam for helping me birth this heartbreaking inspired creation. @AnupamPKher #Saaransh," his tweet further read.

Veteran actor Anupam Kher's debut flick - 'Saaransh' - won him his first Filmfare award in the best actor category.

The film revolved around the sequence of events in the life of a retired school teacher and his wife after their son loses his life in a mugging.

Helmed by Bhatt, the film also features actors Soni Razdan, and Rohini Hattangadi. -- ANI

In a three minute-long video posted on Twitter on Sunday by Das, the man is seen charging at the comedian, asking him to wear a mask, step inside his house and even forcefully sneezing on him. The man in the video also comes close to the actor to hit him, saying "Don't laugh I'll give you one blo**y slap" and that he wishes his dead parents would "haunt" Das. 

Explaining his side, the actor said he was helping his friend, who lives three houses away from him, by providing him dinner during the lockdown when the incident happened. He said the duo waited for the dinner to get cooked 15 feet away from each other, with Das being on his doorstep and his friend being outside. 

"I live on the ground floor. We've got a little sit out. At 10pm a neighbour came by, because we had cooked dinner for them too. We do that with them and also some of the others within the complex. We gave him a chair fifteen feet away, fully socially distanced. My neighbour had a can of coke from his house, a mask on, which he had pulled down to have a smoke. 

"I was on the outdoor sit out area of my house, neighbour was in the complex, fully socially distanced. Five minutes later, this happens. This man is not my landlord, he lives on the first floor of the annex building. He is upset because my landlord inherited the house I live in and he didn't," the "Hansmukh" actor said in the statement. 

Das said the man in the video does not own his doorstep, sit-out, or his house and he wondered if what the man did would qualify as harassment. "I'm not sure if an old man threatening to assault me, or sneezing on me, or asking his dead parent to haunt me qualifies as harassment. But this is a little ridiculous. 

"And before this turns into him going to the media, as he has done before, and I've sat through it quietly... I'm not normally one for drama.. I'm sorry but this crossed the line. How's your lockdown going?" he added. 

On Monday morning, Das released another statement "after a crazy night of zero sleep" to express his gratitude and an apology to the people concerned. "Thank you for all your support. Family and I are safe. In fact all our neighbours came by to make sure of it..." he began. 

Das apologised to his followers that his "personal drama" showed up on their screens. Dismissing the incident as "lockdown behaviour", the actor claimed that the man in question has been harassing him, his wife, his staff and many people in his housing society for "eight months".

"We have tried polite conversation, legal notices, regarding these episodes before, telling him categorically we would post it, letting it go, everything. I finally posted it on my social media because if not, I knew he would do it yet again. "Truthfully, I was just really angry last night. We took it quietly for eight months, and something different was needed," he said. -- PTI 

A total 154 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours till Monday 8 am. The number of active COVID-19 cases climbed to 77,103 while 57,720 people have recovered and one patient has migrated, the ministry said.  

"Thus, around 41.57 per cent patients have recovered so far," a senior health ministry official said. The total confirmed cases includes foreigners. Of the 154 deaths reported since Sunday morning, 58 were from Maharashtra, 30 from Delhi, 29 from Gujarat, nine in Madhya Pradesh, eight from Tamil Nadu, six from Uttar Pradesh, four from Telangana, three each from Rajasthan and West Bengal, two from Bihar and one each from Punjab and Uttarakhand.  

Of the total 4,021 fatalities, Maharashtra tops tally with 1,635 deaths followed by Gujarat at 858 deaths, Madhya Pradesh at 290, West Bengal at 272, Delhi at 261, Rajasthan at 163, Uttar Pradesh at 161,Tamil Nadu at 111 and Andhra Pradesh at 56. 

The death toll reached 53 in Telangana, 42 in Karnataka and 40 in Punjab. Jammu and Kashmir has reported 21 fatalities due to the disease, Haryana has 16 deaths while Bihar has registered 13 and Odisha has seven deaths. Kerala, Jharkhand and Assam have reported four deaths each so far. Chandigarh, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh each have recorded three COVID-19 fatalities each while Meghalaya has reported one fatality so far, according to the ministry data.  

According to the ministry's website, more than 70 per cent of the deaths are due to comorbidities. PTI

The new normal: One step forward, two back. 

Delhi: Passengers onboard Delhi-Bhubaneswar Vistara flight were seen wearing face shields as a precautionary measure against COVDI19. BJD MP Anubhav Mohanty on board the flight said "I was in Delhi since the Parliament's Budget session. Now, I am returning to my state Odisha."

A senior Congress leader who is a minister in the Maharashtra cabinet has tested positive for novel coronavirus, sources and a Health official said on Sunday.

The minister has been travelling between Mumbai and his home district in Marathwada frequently, he said.

"He contracted the infection a few days back and is now undergoing treatment," the official said.

Earlier, NCP leader and Housing Minister Jitendra Awhad had tested positive for coronavirus. 

He recovered after remaining admitted in a hospital in Mumbai for more than two weeks. 

The United States on Sunday announced that it will provide $6 million aid to Pakistan to support its effort in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

US ambassador to Pakistan, Paul Jones, in a video message said that the aid money will strengthen Pakistan's "response by expanding training for healthcare workers who take care of patients in hospitals with severe cases of coronavirus; preventing the spread of coronavirus in healthcare facilities and providing a fourth mobile lab to test and treat Pakistanis living in virus hotspots".

Jones in the message also expressed good wished for Pakistan on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.

"I would like to congratulate all Pakistanis on the completion of Ramazan," said Jones.

Jones also thanked Islamabad for its recent delivery of medical supplies as a gesture of friendship and partnership between the two countries.

The embassy said that the US government has now committed a total of $21 million since it declared Pakistan a 'priority country for coronavirus response'. -- PTI 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday extended greetings on Eid-ul-Fitr, hoping that the special occasion furthers the spirit of compassion and harmony.

 

"Greetings on Eid-ul-Fitr. May this special occasion further the spirit of compassion, brotherhood and harmony. May everyone be healthy and prosperous," the prime minister said. 

Indian skies opened up for domestic passenger services from Monday after a gap of two months, with Delhi-Pune and Mumbai-Patna flights were among the first to take off, aviation industry sources said.

   

All scheduled commercial passenger flights have been suspended since March 25 when the government imposed a nationwide lockdown to curb the coronavirus pandemic.

 

Both the flights were be operated by IndiGo on Monday morning. 

It was announced last Thursday that one-third of pre-lockdown domestic flights will operate from Monday. 

All international scheduled commercial passenger flights remain suspended. 

Three-time Olympic gold medal-winning hockey legend Balbir Singh Sr died in Chandigarh on Monday after battling multiple health issues for over two weeks.

   

The iconic player was 95 and is survived by his daughter Sushbir and three sons Kanwalbir, Karanbir, Gurbir.

 

"He died at around 6:30 this morning," Abhijit Singh, Director Fortis Hospital, Mohali, where he was admitted on May 8 said. 

 

Balbir Sr was in a semi-comatose state since May 18 and had developed a blood clot in his brain after being first admitted to the hospital for bronchial pneumonia with high fever.

 

One of the country's greatest athletes, Balbir Sr was the only Indian among 16 legends chosen by the International Olympic Committee across modern Olympic history.

 

His world record for most goals scored by an individual in the men's hockey final of the Olympics still remains unbeaten. -- PTI