170 districts identified as hotspots, says Health Ministry
Nearly one in five districts in India is a hotspot, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday, a day that saw at least 1,036 COVID-19 infections. The government said it had classified every district into a hotspot, potential hotspot or a green zone. Of India’s 736 districts, 170 were ‘hotspots’, defined as places with at least 15 confirmed infections or where there was an exponential rise in cases. There were 207 ‘potential hotspots,’ Lav Agrawal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said at the daily media briefing.
India takes ambiguous position on U.S. defunding of WHO
India on Wednesday refused to criticise the United States defunding of the World Health Organisation (WHO), saying that it was currently occupied with the domestic campaign to defeat the coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) pandemic. A source indicated that India was not inclined to immediately join the controversy that erupted after the President Donald Trump declared a “halt” to American funding of the WHO.
Students need not pay college fees till lockdown is lifted, says AICTE
Colleges should not demand fee payments from students until the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown is lifted, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) said on Wednesday.
Coronavirus | No barricades for canine patients
They were pitted against a deadline, but 63-year-old Yesupadam and his daughter Priya had not anticipated that when they urgently brought Raja and Rosy to the Veterinary Hospital at Vepery in Chennai from across the border in Andhra Pradesh.
Army asks personnel to use Aarogya Setu app
The Army has asked all serving personnel to download and use the Aarogya Setu application with precautions until the novel coronavirus outbreak lasts.
Trump says U.S. likely 'passed the peak' of coronavirus cases
Donald Trump said Wednesday the United States is past the worst of the coronavirus pandemic and that he will announce guidelines for reopening the economy on Thursday. “It is clear that our aggressive strategy is working,” he told a news conference. “The battle continues but the data suggests that nationwide we have passed the peak on new cases.”
U.S. coronavirus death toll tops 30,000, New Yorkers told to wear masks
The U.S. coronavirus death toll - the highest in the world - surged past 30,000 on Wednesday after doubling in a week, while the hardest-hit state of New York ordered residents to wear masks in certain settings to combat the pandemic.
Coronavirus lockdown | Airlines start selling domestic flight tickets
In anticipation of no blanket extension of a lockdown across the country after May 4, airlines have started domestic flight ticket sales again. A look at airline websites and online ticketing portals on Wednesday revealed that — despite the new social distancing norms, including an empty middle seat, an earlier than usual closure of check-in counters and extended ground halts periods for sanitisation — air fares were low to attract passengers.
Coronavirus | BCCI postpones IPL indefinitely
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has formally informed the eight Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises that the 13th edition of the T20 league has been “indefinitely postponed” due to COVID-19.
Railways to refund ₹1,490 crore for cancellation of 94 lakh ticket bookings
Indian Railways will forgo around ₹1,490 crore in revenue as it is refunding the amount towards cancellation of a whopping 94 lakh ticket bookings made by passengers prior to the imposition of the nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
