India records largest single-day spike of 1,752 cases; toll hits 723
Over 9 lakh persons are under active COVID-19 surveillance in India, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday, as the total number of cases reached 23,452. The death toll stood at 723.
Also read |191 cases, 15 deaths in Gujarat|Maharashtra records 394 new cases, tally 6,817
Coronavirus | U.S. President Donald Trump says he spoke ‘sarcastically’ about injecting disinfectants
President Donald Trump on April 24 played down a furore over his suggestion that people could try injecting disinfectants to fight the novel coronavirus, claiming he was being sarcastic.
Also read | FDA warns of heart risks with Trump-promoted malaria drug | Uproar after Trump suggests ‘injecting disinfectant’ as cure
Madhya Pradesh runs out of RNA extraction kits
Madhya Pradesh is fast running out of automated RNA extraction kits and staring at a Statewide shortage in two to three days time in the wake of glitches in the supply chain. The kits, having twice as much output than manual ones, are used in the process to test a sample for COVID-19.
Also read | Shopian records 38 fresh coronavirus cases in four days | In Kolkata, IMCT raises questions on tests, ventilator facility
Reshuffle likely in key departments
The Union government is expected to appoint secretaries in key departments and effect a reshuffle in the Central administration as more than seven secretaries are scheduled to superannuate this month.
No plan to ease fiscal deficit targets
Despite the strain on government finances due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no credible proposal to amend the legislation meant to control the fiscal deficit, Chairman of the 15th Finance Commission N.K. Singh said.
Audit panel confirmed 18 COVID-19 deaths, says West Bengal
Hours after the Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) asked for details of the procedure followed by the committee of doctors from West Bengal to audit COVID-19 deaths and sought an interaction with it, the West Bengal government released the number of COVID-19 deaths the audit committee has looked into so far.
In pictures |Day 31 of the coronavirus nationwide lockdown
Interview | South Asia needs a humanitarian response to the COVID-19 pandemic: Ranil Wickremesinghe
As the world combats the deadly coronavirus pandemic, Sri Lanka’s former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe underscores in an interview the need for a collective response in South Asia, focussing on both, health and economic revival.
Serum Institute eyes COVID-19 vaccine by October
City-based Serum Institute of India has said that it expects the vaccine for coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) developed by the University of Oxford in the market by October or November provided the safety and efficacy of the product is established during trials.
Also read | Chinese firms stand by test kits
Foodgrain stock will last till next March, says FCI chief
The stock of foodgrains available with the Food Corporation of India is “comfortable” to manage the situation till March next year, but it would be an exaggeration to hold that the stock is “far in excess” of the buffer stock requirement, which should include additional allocation, according to D.V. Prasad, Chairman and Managing Director of the FCI.
Decision on Puri Rath Yatra after May 3
The managing committee of the Shree Jagannath Temple, Puri, will decide on holding the Rath Yatra after May 3, keeping in mind the revised guidelines for restrictions to be issued by the Union and Odisha governments.
Rajnath asks forces to avoid financial resources’ wastage
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday asked the armed forces to spend financial resources by avoiding wastage in view of the economic burden imposed by coronavirus ( COVID-19 ), the Defence Ministry said in a statement.
Chidambaram asks govt. to facilitate travel of migrant workers
Former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on Friday asked the government to facilitate the travel of migrant workers to their hometowns under strict conditions of health and safety.
Also read |Uttar Pradesh to bring back migrant workers in phases
