The Union Health Ministry on Saturday revised its discharge guidelines for COVID-19 , stating that only patients with severe illness need to be tested (through a swab test) and a negative report obtained before discharge.
Worldwide, the virus has infected at least 3.9 million people and killed more than 2,70,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University based on data reported by governments.
The Hindu has brought out a multi-language e-book on essential COVID-19 information, in addition to covering the developments related to the coronavirus pandemic as it unfolded. Here is a collection of our daily cartoons on COVID-19 .
Here are answers from experts on your queries about the virs, a list of State Helpline numbers , a State-wise tracker for COVID-19 cases, deaths and testing, and a map of confirmed cases in India.
Here are the latest updates:
West Bengal Home Seceratary accuses Railways of misleading tweet
'Railway tweet misleading, incorrect. All 8 trains approved, communicated to states concerned on Friday,' said West Bengal Home Seceratary on migrant trains.
- PTI
Discrepancies in COVID-19 figures of Bengal and Union governments
Amid the raging controversy over alleged mishandling of the COVID-19 situation and “hiding of figures” by the Trinamool Congress administration in West Bengal, discrepancies have been noticed in the novel coronavirus figures presented by the health authorities of the state and the Union governments.
As per the latest bulletin by the health department on Saturday, the state has reported 1,786 COVID-19 cases and 171 deaths of people infected with the virus. However, the authorities have attributed only 99 fatalities to the contagion and the rest to comorbidities where coronavirus was incidental.
- PTI
Two flights from Oman and Kuwait with 362 stranded Indians reach Kerala
Two flights carrying 362 people from Oman and Kuwait arrived at the international airport here on Saturday night as part of India’s ‘Vande Bharat Mission’ to bring home its nationals stranded in various countries due to the COVID-19 lockdown.The passengers arrived on two Air India Express flights.
- PTI
COVID-19: UP records 8 more deaths, 163 fresh cases
Uttar Pradesh reported eight more coronavirus-related deaths on Saturday, taking the State's number to 74 as 163 new COVID-19 cases surfaced in the state, officials said. Five fatalities were reported in Agra and one each in Aligarh, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Meerut districts, a Health Department bulletin issued here said.
- PTI
Vande Bharat Mission: Air India Flight from Kuwait lands in Hyderabad airpoirt
Air India Flight AI 988 from Kuwait to Hyderabad Airport has landed at 10.07 PM with 163 passengers, including two infants on board. This flight is the first to be landed at RGIA and is part of Vande Bharat Mission, which involves 64 flights bringing back over 15,000 Indians stranded in different parts of the world.
Tripura records 17 new cases
Tripura recorded 17 new COVID-19 cases taking total to 136. They are service personnel of 86th battalion of BSF based at Ambassa in Dhalai district. Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb who is also health minister informed 132 active cases. Two recovered and two transferred out.
Active cases in Rajasthan stand at 3,708
Three deaths - 2 in Jaipur and 1 in Churu - reported in Rajasthan today, taking the COVID-19 related death toll in the State to 106. A total of 129 COVID-19 positive cases detected in 14 districts today. The tally of positive cases in Rajasthan is now 3,708. Of them, 2,162 have recovered and 1,895 have been discharged from hospitals. As of now, the State has 1,440 active cases, says Medical & Health Department .
Six more COVID-19 positive cases in Bihar take the total number to 595. The cases are reported from Munger, Begusarai, Vaishali and Bhojpur district
Active cases in U.P. stand at 1,800
The death toll in UP climbed to 74, with 8 new deaths. Five deaths in Agra, taking the toll in the city to 21, and one each in Meerut, Gautam Buddha Nagar and Aligarh, according to the state health department. Now 71 out of 75 districts of U.P. have reported COVID-19 positive cases. One case each in Lalitpur Hamirpur and Farukkhabad.
Active cases in U.P. stand at 1,800. Lucknow has now only 70 active cases , while Agra has 455.
Maharashtra COVID-19 tally 20,228 after 1165 new cases; death toll 779
Maharashtra on Saturday reported 1165 new coronavirus patients, taking the tally of COVID-19 cases in the state to 20,228.
With 48 deaths, the State has recorded the highest number of deaths in a single day, taking the death toll to 779, said a health department official/
Mumbai recorded 722 more cases pushing the tally to 12, 864.
62 fresh coronavirus infections in CRPF, active cases 231
The country’s largest paramilitary force CRPF reported 62 fresh coronavirus infections on Saturday from a single Delhi-based unit, officials said.
The total number of active cases in the 3.25 lakh-strong force now stands at 231, they said.
Two personnel have recovered from coronavirus while one succumbed to the infection.
Over 1 lakh COVID-19 tests in Karnataka; 41 new cases reported
Karnataka has crossed the “milestone” of one lakh COVID-19 tests, the government said on Saturday as the state reported 41 new coronavirus positive cases, taking the total number of infections to 794.
“Karnataka crossed 1 lakh #COVID19 tests milestone.Our fight against Corona will continue with more zeal. We are boosting our testing capacity to have 60 labs by end of this month and will be able to conduct 10,000 tests per day,” state’s Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar said in a tweet.
A total of 1,03,098 samples were tested so far, out of which 4,160 were tested on Saturday alone, the health department said in its bulletin.
COVID-19 cases rise to 7,797 in Gujarat
Gujarat adds 394 new infections and 23 new deaths, increasing the tally to 7,797 cases and 472 deaths. As many as 219 patients recovered and discharged, increasing the recovery to 2091.
Tamil Nadu reports 526 new cases
As many as 526 persons test positive for COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu today. The total number of cases in the State has reached 6535. While four more deaths were registered, 219 persons were discharged.
Testing capacity for COVID-19 scaled up to 95,000 per day: Vardhan
The testing capacity for COVID-19 has been scaled up to around 95,000 tests per day and a total of 15,25,631 tests have been conducted so far across 332 government and 121 private laboratories, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Saturday.
Dharavi reports 25 new cases
Twenty-five more COVID-19 cases were recorded in Dharavi today pushing the tally in the slum pocket to 833. The area also recorded one more death pushing the death toll to 27. Till date, 222 patients from Dharavi have recovered and gone home.
Global death toll nears 275,000
The novel coronavirus has killed at least 274,617 people since the outbreak first emerged in China last December, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP on Saturday.
More than 3,946,130 cases were registered in 195 countries and territories . Of these, at least 1,293,700 are now considered recovered.
Global death toll nears 275,000
Evaluation for class 10, 12 board exams to be done at home by teachers
The evaluation for class 10, 12 board exams will be done by teachers at their homes and 3,000 schools have been identified as exam centres to deliver the answer sheets to them, Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ said on Saturday.
He said 1.5 crore answer sheets of already conducted class 10, 12 exams will be delivered to teachers. “From the 3,000 schools, these copies will go the evaluators and evaluation will begin tomorrow. Teachers will evaluate from home and we will be able to complete the process in 50 days,” he added.
Evaluation for class 10, 12 board exams to be done at home by teachers
Delhi reports 224 new cases
224 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Delhi, taking the total number of cases to 6,542, according to a health bulletin by the Delhi government.
Of the 6,542 cases, 2,020 people have recovered and there are 4,454 active cases. The new cases were reported between 4 p.m. on May 8 to 12 a.m. today.
First repatriation flight from London takes off for Mumbai
The first Air India flight from the UK, scheduled as part of the Vande Bharat Mission to repatriate Indians stranded overseas due to the coronavirus lockdown, took off from London’s Heathrow Airport on Saturday and will land in Mumbai in the early hours of Sunday.
Around 250 Indian students and tourists were seen queuing with their luggage at the airport from early on Saturday as they prepared for the journey home.
COVID-19 cases rise to 589 in Bihar
Four more COVID-19 positive cases in Bihar take the total number to 589 in the state. All four male from Nalanda, Siwan and Arwal districts.
Odisha reports five new cases
Five new COVID-19 positive cases were detected in Odisha's Ganjam district taking the State's total to 294 on Saturday. As many as 68 persons have recovered while number of active cases now stands at 224 in the State.
11 more die of COVID-19 in West Bengal; toll rises to 99
Eleven more COVID-19 fatalities have been recorded in West Bengal, raising the death toll in the state to 99, Home Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay said on Saturday.
At least 108 more people have tested positive for the virus in the state, taking the number of confirmed cases to 1,786, he said.
Six more ITBP personnel test positive taking total to 100
Six more ITBP personnel test COVID-19 positive in the past 24 hrs, total-100 so far, all in Delhi
COVID-19 cases rise to 585 in Bihar
Three more COVID-19 positive cases from Muzaffarpur in Bihar, all male, taking the number in the state to 585
One more person tests COVID-19 positive in Meghalaya
One more person has tested positive for COVID-19 in Meghalaya, taking the total number of cases in the state to 13, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said on Saturday.
Of the total 13 COVID-19 cases, only two are active including the fresh case in Shillong.
“Unfortunately we have another positive case in Shillong. Its a person working in the same house. As a precaution health department was retesting all the primary contacts and in the process we found this positive case. The person is safe and healthy and showing no symptoms,” the chief minister tweeted.
Three more private hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients in Delhi
Amid a spurt in coronavirus cases in the national capital, the Delhi government has roped in three more private hospitals with a total of 150 beds to treat COVID-19 patients.
In an order issued on Saturday, Delhi Health Secretary Padmini Singla declared Fortis in Shalimar Bagh, Saroj Medical Institute in Sector 19, Rohini and Khushi Hospital in Dwarka for admitting confirmed or suspected cases.
The three hospitals will have 50 isolation beds each.
Meghalaya government too increased the excise duty on liquor by 25%.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma defended the hike and said it is expected to fetch the cash-strapped government an additional revenue of Rs. 130 crore annually.
Tamil Nadu moves SC against HC order barring counter sale of alcohol
The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday moved the Supreme Court challenging a Madras High Court order for closure of state-run liquor outlets on the ground that there was total violation of guidelines meant to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Madras High Court had on Friday ordered closure of liquor outlets noting that there were huge crowds and no social distancing was being maintained by tipplers. It, however, allowed doorstep delivery of booze through online mode.
COVID-19 death toll rises to 12 in Amravati
The number of COVID-19 fatalities in Maharashtra’s Amravati district rose to twelve on Saturday with the death of a 53-year-old man at the COVID facility.
The deceased, a resident of Masanganj locality in the city, tested positive for coronavirus on Friday night.
“There are now 60 active patients at the COVID ward. While five have been recovered, another patient was referred to Nagpur,” an official said. - PTI
Kolkata Municipal Corporation forms special committee to contain COVID-19 spread in city
A special committee has been formed by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation for containing the spread of COVID-19 in different parts of the city.
Chairperson, caretaker board of administrators of the civic body and Municipal Affairs minister Firhad Hakim, former deputy mayor Atin Ghosh, four community medicine experts and KMC health officials are members of the newly formed committee.
The panel was formed after Hakim assumed charge as chairperson of the caretaker board of administrators (BOA) of the KMC on Friday.
Four more test positive for COVID-19 in Uttarakhand
Four more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Uttarakhand on Saturday taking the total number of coronavirus cases in the state to 67.
The cases were reported from Udham Singh Nagar district.
With this, COVID-19 cases in Uttarakhand have risen to 67 out of which 46 patients have been discharged after recovery and one has died.
Woman dies of COVID-19 in Indore; toll reaches 87
A 55-year-old woman died of COVID-19 in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore district on Saturday, taking the toll in the region to 87, an official said.
A COVID-19 patient died on Thursday after undergoing treatment at a city hospital for 10 days, chief medical and health officer (CMHO) Praveen Jadia said.
With 53 persons testing positive for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, the count in the district has reached 1,780, of which 732 patients have recovered from the infection.
One more person tests COVID-19 positive in Puducherry
A 37-year-old Puducherry man, who worked at the Koyambedu market in Chennai, tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, taking the total number of active novel coronavirus cases in the Union Territory to three.
The man had returned to his native village in Sellippet three days ago. He underwent the test for novel coronavirus at the Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Research Institute after he fell sick on Friday, Minister for Health Malladi Krishna Rao told reporters.
Bihar reports two more COVID-19 positive cases. The fresh cases were reported from Arwal district. This takes the total number in the state to 582. - Amarnath Tewary
COVID-19 victim cremated on the banks of Yamuna river
The funeral of a 33-year-old man, who died of COVID-19, was held on the banks of Yamuna river in Firozabad after locals refused to allow the cremation at Chharbagh.
When the Health Department’s ambulance carrying the man’s body reached Swarg Ashram in Chharbagh on Friday evening, residents came to know about the cremation and they started protesting. Police were called in to bring the situation under control.
“The police personnel pacified the protesters and allayed their fears over the spread of the infection. To ensure that situation does not deteriorate further, the last rites were held on the banks of Yamuna river,” City Magistrate Pankaj Singh said. - PTI
Migrant workers protest at Kudankulam
Migrant workers protesting near the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project on Saturday
Tension prevailed at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) site on Saturday as a cross-section of migrant contract workers resumed their protest urging the contractors and the KKNPP administration to take immediate steps to send them back to their hometowns in the wake of COVID–19 pandemic.
During the May 4 agitation, the protesters were asked during the talks to register their names online if they wanted to return to their hometowns. Around 3,300 persons, mostly from Jharkhand and Bihar registered. Since no formal announcement from the KKNPP was made about the migrant workers’ journey to their hometowns, the agitation resurfaced in the contract workers’ sheds on Saturday.
Three dead in AP
Andhra Pradesh has reported 43 new cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of cases to 1930. Three people have succumbed to the pandemic.
There are 999 active cases in the State, which includes 26 from Gujarat and one from Karnataka.
Assam hikes excise duty on liquor
The Assam government on May 9 increased excise duty on liquor that will see retail prices go up by 25%.
The move, aimed at generating additional revenue of ₹1,000 crore for the State exchequer, came a fortnight after fuel prices were raised by almost ₹6 per litre.
The State Cabinet had, through video conferencing, expressed concern over an 80% drop in revenue collection due to the COVID-19 lockdown.
The Cabinet also followed Uttar Pradesh in approving labour reforms in a bid to increase the scope of employment.
36 new cases in Karnataka, total infections at 789
Thirty Six new COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in Karnataka, taking the total number of infections in the state to 789, health department said on Saturday.
“36 new positive cases have been reported from last evening to this noon....Till date 789 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed. This includes 30 deaths and 379 discharges,” the department said in its mid-day situation report.
The 36 new cases include 12 from Bengaluru urban, seven from Bhatkal in Uttara Kannada, five from Davangere, three each from Bantawal in Dakshina Kannada, Chitradurga and Bidar, and one each from Tumakuru, Davangere and Vijayapura.
Ivanka Trump’s personal assistant tests positive for coronavirus
Ivanka Trump’s personal assistant has tested positive for the deadly coronavirus, making her the third White House staff member to be infected from COVID-19, a media report said on Saturday.
The assistant, who works in a personal capacity for U.S. President Donald Trump’s daughter, has not been around her in several weeks, the CNN reported.
She has been teleworking for nearly two months and was tested out of caution, the report quoted a source as saying.
She was not symptomatic. Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner both tested negative on Friday, the person familiar with the matter told the U.S. news channel. The development comes a day after President Trump confirmed that Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary Katie Miller had tested positive for the coronavirus.
- PTI
3,340 Keralites return home through Walayar
As many as 3,340 Keralites returned home through Walayar checkpost in the last 24 hours, the biggest number to reach the State after the borders were opened for returnees on Monday last.
Long queues were formed at Walayar as vehicles carrying Keralites stranded in other States continued to head towards their homeland. People were being allowed entry only through Walayar checkpost. Police have closed all other border checkposts in the district.
Rajasthan registers 57 new cases
Fifty-seven new COVID-19 positive cases were detected in Rajasthan today, taking the State's tally to 3,636, said the State Medical and Health department on Saturday.
According to the update, the highest number of 20 cases were reported in Udaipur, followed by 15 in Jaipur and 11 in Ajmer. A total of 2,021 patients have recovered in the State and 1,771 have been discharged from hospitals.
The State has 1,512 active cases at present, it added.
Police, migrants clash in Gujarat's Surat
In an incident of police-migrant clash, hundreds of migrants in Mora village near Surat’s main industrial zone Hazira gathered on Saturday demanding that they be allowed to return to their hometowns immediately.
The police had to use tear gas to disperse the group.
With 390 more people testing positive for COVID-19 and 24 fatalities, the total number of cases in Gujarat climbed to 7,403 and the death toll reached 449 on Friday. Of the total coronavirus cases in the State, 5,260 have been reported from Ahmedabad district alone.
Commercial Street, adjoining roads shut down
Commercial Street and adjoining roads now wear a deserted look, what with the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) ordering closure of all shops and commercial establishments.
An order to this effect was issued by the BBMP’s Joint Commissioner (East zone) on Friday. Apart from Commercial Street, the other roads that have been shut are: Narayana Pillai Street, Dharmaraja Koil Street, OPH Road, Jain Temple Road, Jumma Masjid Road, Evening Bazaar Road and Mir Obedulla Road. All these roads come under the jurisdiction of Shivajinagar (92) and Sampangiramanagar (110) wards.
Only severe COVID-19 patients to be tested before discharge: Union Health Ministry
Union Health Ministry has revised its discharge guidelines for COVID-19 stating that only patients with severe illness need to be tested (through a swab test) and lab-negative report obtained before discharge. This latest guideline adds that other category of patients, including very mild, mild, pre-symptomatic and moderate cases need not be tested before discharge. The two-page revised guidelines replaces the previously existing rule where patients (lab confirmed case) were discharged after two negative tests on day 14 and 21. The guideline states that this revised discharge policy is aligned with guidelines on the 3-tier Covid-19 health facilities and the categorisation of patients based on clinical severity — mild, moderate and severe.
Another COVID-19 positive case was detected in Bihar, bringing the total number of cases in the State to 580.
The latest patient is an 18-year-old male from Sheikhpura district.
365 Kashmiri students to return home from Bhopal in 18 buses
to the lockdown will be sent back to their native places in air-conditioned buses from Bhopal on Saturday, an official said.
As many as 365 Kashmiri students stuck in different districts of the State will return home in 18 AC buses from Bhopal, a public relations department official said.
The students are currently accommodated in a private school in Gandhinagar locality of Bhopal, he said, adding that they will leave at around 2 p.m. on Saturday.
WB govt not allowing trains with migrants to reach State: Amit Shah writes to Mamata
West Bengal government is not allowing trains with migrants reaching the State, said Union Home Minister Amit Shah to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday.
Mr. Shah said that the Central government has helped more than 2 lakh migrants reach their hometowns.
"Migrants from West Bengal are also eager to reach home. Central government is facilitating this, but we are not getting the expected support from West Bengal," wrote Mr. Shah in a letter to the CM.
He said that the West Bengal government is not allowing trains to reach the State.
"This is injustice to the West Bengal migrant labourers. This will create further hardship for them," he wrote in the letter.
China reports 15 new asymptomatic coronavirus cases
China has reported 15 new asymptomatic coronavirus cases, taking their total to 836 while one new imported COVID-19 infection was confirmed, health officials said on Saturday.
According to China’s National Health Commission (NHC), as for Friday 836 asymptomatic cases, including 63 from overseas, were still under medical observation.
The NHC said one imported case of coronavirus was reported on Friday and 15 new asymptomatic cases, all domestic ones, were confirmed in the country.
Most of the asymptomatic cases were being reported from first coronavirus epicentres Hubei province and its capital Wuhan where no confirmed cases were reported for the 35 days, the local health commission said.
- PTI
95 deaths in the past 24 hours, says Health Ministry
India has registered 3,320 new COVID-19 positive cases and 95 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to an update from the Union Health Ministry on Saturday, a slight decrease from Friday's count.
With this, the total number of cases in the country is now 59,662, according to Union Ministry data. Of this, 39,834 are active cases. As many as 1,981 people have succumbed to the infection while 17,847 people have been cured.
While the government is pushing the use of India's contact tracing app Aarogya Setu, advocacy groups are arguing that there should be more transparency on the inner workings of the app. Why?
COVID-19 deaths in Italy exceed 30,000
The number of people in Italy who’ve died with COVID-19 infections has topped 30,000. The Health Ministry registered 243 deaths on Friday, bringing the total of those who died in the country to 30,201.
Italy was the first country in Europe with a major outbreak of the coronavirus. Authorities say many more likely died with the infection at home or in nursing homes without being diagnosed.
With 1,327 more cases registered in the 24-hour period ending Friday evening, Italy now tallies 217,185 confirmed coronavirus infections.
Some 11,000 more people have recovered from the illness than are currently positive for the infection.
- PTI
Odisha reports 17 new cases
In Odisha, 17 new COVID-19 cases have been reported, taking the State tally to 287.
Ganjam district is leading the table with 83 cases. Three of the cases were detected in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district.
Five Bihar Military Police personnel test positive
Five Bihar Military Police (BMP) personnel on Saturday tested positive for COVID-19, which took the total number of infected people in the State to 580.
The development comes after a head constable (havildar) of 4th battalion earlier tested positive for COVID-19.
