India registered a record daily high of 6,510 new cases on Friday, with Maharashtra accounting for nearly half of it. The State registered 2,940 cases.
Data from State health departments show that there have been a total 1,24,525 confirmed cases with 69,140 active infections and 51,666 recoveries country-wide. Fatalities increased by 148, to take the total death toll to 3,720.
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 , a list of State Helpline numbers , a live-tracking of State and nation-wide cases.
Here are the latest updates:
17 new cases in Assam
Assam recorded 17 new cases over the 70 reported earlier in the day to take the total number of cases in the State to 346. All of them had a travel history. The State now has 282 active cases and four deaths along with 57 recoveries.
- Rahul Karmakar
10:20 p.m. | Tripura
16 new cases in Tripura
Tripura recorded 16 new cases taking the total tally to 191. They were returnees from Maharashtra. Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb requested travellers to adhere to quarantine instructions and cooperate with the government.
- Syed Sajjad Ali
288 new cases in U.P.
Uttar Pradesh reported 288 fresh cases in the State over 24 hours, including 32 in Jaunpur, 25 in Rampur, 18 in Sultanpur and 17 in Noida. The death toll rises to 155, while cases go up to 6017. The active cases stand at 2456.
However, 1423 migrant workers who returned to UP during lockdown have tested positive so far, while 7.4 lakh are under surveillance.
- Omar Rashid
7 deaths, 248 new cases in Rajasthan
Rajasthan on Saturday reported seven deaths - two each in Jaipur, Kota and Nagaur and one in Chittorgarh - to take the COVID-19 related mortality figures in Rajasthan to 160.
A total of 248 new COVID-19 positive cases were detected in the State today, taking the tally to 6,742. Of the total number of patients, 3,786 have recovered and 3,352 have been discharged. As of now, the State has 2,796 active cases, said the Medical & Health Department.
9 deaths, 201 new cases in M.P.
Madhya Pradesh on Saturday recorded 201 new COVID-19 cases, taking the count to 6,371. Nine persons died of the illness on the day.
While Indore, Bhopal and Burhanpur recorded two deaths each, Khandwa, Dhar and Sagar reported one death each. The State-wide death toll climbed to 281 on the day. As regards to recoveries, 178 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovering from the illness. So far, 3,267 patients have been cured, says the State Directorate of Health Services
1 death, 25 new cases in Telangana
Telangana detected 52 new cases and one death on Saturday. Total cases so far stands at 1,813. Today 25 were discharged and the active cases in the State are 696, according to the health bulletin.
80 new cases in J&K, six new cases in Ladakh
As many as 80 more people, including a doctor, tested positive for COVID-19 in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, taking the total number of cases in the union territory to 1,569, officials said.
While 21 of these cases are from Jammu, 59 are from the Kashmir region, they said.
The 80 fresh cases include a doctor from Srinagar who is posted in Bandipora and a pregnant woman from Kulgam, according to the officials.
There are 774 active cases in the union territory -- 609 in Kashmir and 165 in Jammu. A total of 774 patients have recovered, they said.
The union territory has recorded 21 COVID-19 related deaths so far.
Days after Ladakh was declared coronavirus free, six fresh cases have come to light in the union territory over the past three days with almost all of them having a travel history outside the Himalayan region, officials said on Saturday.
- PTI
60 deaths, 2608 new cases in Maharashtra
Maharashtra recorded 2608 new cases on Saturday, the second highest single-day jump. The positive tally is now 47,190. Sixty deaths were recorded in the State, pushing the death toll to 1577. In Mumbai alone, 40 deaths were recorded, increasing the death toll now to 949. Mumbai recorded 1566 new cases, the third highest jump. Tally now 28,817.
As many as 821 patients were discharged today in the State, taking the total to 13,404 discharged in Maharashtra.
- Jyoti Shelar
82 more COVID-19 positive cases were reported in Bihar on Saturday, taking the total number to 2345. All cases are from Darbhanga, Madhepura, Rohtas, Arwal, Aurangabad, Bhagalpur and Banka districts.
- Amarnath Tewary
27 deaths, 396 new cases in Gujarat
Gujarat reported 396 new cases and 27 deaths on Saturday, according to the health bulletin. 289 were discharged as well. The total positive cases stand at 13,669, as many as 6169 have been discharged and the active cases stand at 6671.
The death toll has risen to 829.
With 277 new cases, Ahmedabad’s COVID-19 case tally crosses 10,000 while 24 new deaths increased the fatality count to 669 in the city.
- Mahesh Langa
Sikkim reports first positive case
Sikkim reported its first COVID-19 case on Saturday when a 25-year-old student, who recently returned from Delhi, tested positive for the disease, a senior official said.
The sample of the student was sent to North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri for testing. The report came back positive, Health Department Director General-cum-Secretary Pempa Tshering Bhutia told reporters.
The student, who hails from Rabangla in South Sikkim district, is undergoing treatment at Sir Thutob Namgyal Memorial (STNM) Hospital here, he said.
The student was in Delhi to prepare for competitive examinations.
- PTI
5 migrant workers test positive in Chhattisgarh
Five migrant workers tested positive for novel coronavirus in Chhattisgarh on Saturday, taking the COVID-19 tally in the State to 177, officials said.
Of the five, four are from Raigarh district while one is from Jashpur, the latter recording its first COVID-19 case in the process, an official said.
They had returned recently from Maharashtra and were in quarantine centres since, he added.
"All five were admitted in Raigarh Medical College Hospital. With the addition of five cases, the COVID-19 count in the state has reached 177, though the number of active cases is 115, as 62 have been discharged after recovery," he added.
- PTI
16 new cases in Punjab
Punjab recorded 16 fresh COVID-19 cases on Saturday taking the tally to 2,045, according to an official statement. The Health department said the major chunk of new cases, four and three, were reported from Amritsar and Patiala districts. The active cases are 136 and 1,870 patients have so far been cured, it added.
In the Union Territory of Chandigarh, six fresh Covid-19 cases surfaced, taking the tally to 225.
- Vikas Vasudeva
80 new cases in Odisha
Odisha registered 80 new COVID-19 positive cases on Saturday taking the State’s tally to 1269.
The 1269 positive cases were detected after conducting tests on 1,18,446 samples, said the State government. Of the total, 497 persons have recovered. Thus, active cases stood at 765. Seven persons have so far died of COVID-19.
- Satyasundar Barik
One death reported in Srinagar
A woman from Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district who had tested positive for COVID-19 died at a hospital in Srinagar on Saturday, taking the union territory's death toll to 21, an official said.
The woman, 55, from Botengo area of south Kashmir's Anantnag died at Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), hospital Medical Superintendent Dr. Farooq Jan said.
He said the woman was suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with sepsis. She died of multiple organ failure. She was admitted to SKIMS on May 6 in a critical condition and had tested positive for COVID-19, he said.
- PTI
62 new cases in Kerala
Coronavirus cases continued to see a surge in Kerala with 62 people, including 49 returnees from abroad and other States, testing positive on Saturday, while more than 91,000 are under observation.
With this addition, coronavirus cases in the state have touched 794 while those under treatment are 275.
Thirteen, including seven health workers—three from Palakkad, two each from Kannur and Kozhikode-- have been infected through contact.
While 18 of the infected have come from various countries-- UAE (9), Saudi Arabia (3), Kuwait (2), Muscat, Qatar, Maldives and Singapore (one each), 31 have come from other states-- Maharashtra (13), Tamil Nadu (12), Gujarat (2), Karnataka (2), Uttar Pradesh and Delhi (one each).
With the increase in cases causing a big worry to the state, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had on Friday said that Kerala cannot close its doors on its own people.
Only three of the infected have been cured and discharged from hospital and 515 have recovered, a press release quoting Health minister KK Shailaja said.
- PTI
Narendra Modi discusses COVID-19 situation with Sri Lankan President, Mauritius PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday discussed the situation arising out of the coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) pandemic with Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth.
Sri Lanka is fighting COVID-19 effectively under Rajapaksa’s leadership, Mr. Modi wrote on Twitter.
No sporting event in India in near future, have to live with new normal of sports behind closed doors: Rijiju
Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday said India will not host any international event in the immediate future and fans will have to learn to live with the new normal of sporting activities happening behind closed doors in the post COVID-19 world.
Mr. Rijiju’s statement gains greater significance in the context of the suspended IPL, which the BCCI wants to host in October-November in case the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia is postponed.
“We have been working for quite some time now to resume sporting activities but before that we have to think about practice and training. We are not going to have a tournament kind of situation immediately,” Mr. Rijiju was quoted as saying by India Today .
Tamil Nadu reports 759 new cases, 5 deaths
Tamil Nadu reported another surge in positive cases on Saturday, with 759 new cases and 5 more deaths, taking the death toll to 103. Today 363 were discharged, taking the total recoveries to 7491.
The State now has 15,512 total cases.
- Serena Josephine
216 new cases in Karnataka
Karnataka on Saturday reported 216 positive cases and one death, taking the death toll to 42 and the total cases to 1959. Eleven were discharged today, taking the total discharged to 608 and the number of active cases stands at 1307, according to the State health bulletin.
Today, 442 passengers were screened at airports.
11 T.N. firefighters recover from COVID-19, report for work
P. Anand and S. Elango, both firefighters with the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services, tested positive for COVID-19 recently. After treatment, the two, along with nine of their colleagues, joined duty on Saturday. From Sunday, they will again be on the road spraying disinfectants to keep the city safe.
Since the lockdown began on March 24, over 7,000 TNFRS personnel have been involved in spraying disinfectants in 30,000 places and over two lakh streets in State. In Chennai alone, the firefighters have disinfected 3,300 places including government hospitals.
A total of 31 firefighters in the State were infected with the virus and out of them, 25 are from Chennai. Eleven of them have recovered and rejoined duty on Saturday.
At least 18 police personnel have died in Maharashtra
At least 18 police personnel, including an officer, have died of COVID-19 in Maharashtra so far, an official said on Saturday.
As many as 1,671 personnel, including 174 officers and 1,497 other staffers, have contracted the deadly infection so far, the official said, adding that the Mumbai police had accounted for the highest number of infections and casualties in the department.
At least 42 police officers and 499 constables, who had tested positive for COVID-19, have recovered from the infection so far, he added.
- PTI
Unused COVID coaches used in Shramik special trains
We had prepared Covid Care centre coaches with 80,000 beds in 5,000 coaches. Since they are not being used right now, we have decided that 50% of these coaches can be used in Shramik special trains, says Chairman, Railway Board.
We have stopped unreserved journey in view of social distancing.
We are continuously studying demand patterns and will introduce more passenger trains gradually, he says.
We have kept normal fares. No fare has been increased. We had reduced some concessions before Lockdown to encourage need based travel. That still applies, he says.
Railways starting 200 express trains from June 1
As a part of efforts to bring normalcy in train operations, we are starting 200 mail express trains from June 1, says Chairman, Railway Board.
We have permitted counter bookings as well, he says adding that about 1000 counters have been opened.
Indian Railways will operate 2,600 more Shramik Special Trains in the next 10 days. This decision is going to benefit around 36 lakhs stranded migrants, he says.
On Shramik trains charges, 85% borne by Centre, and 15% by States as fare. Railways and States have reached an agreement. In the beginning, some States reimbursed passengers after they reached destinations and in some cases NGOs bore the charges, he says.
Shramik trains will continue to run till they are required and needed, he adds.
Tamil Nadu leads in COVID-19 preventive measures, says Chief Minister
Refuting charges made by Opposition leader M.K. Stalin, Chief Minister Edappadi.K. Palaniswami said that Tamil Nadu leads in COVID-19 preventive measures in the country.
Talking to media persons after holding a review meeting on COVID-19 preventive measures and the Kudimaramathu works in Salem at the District Collectorate, Mr. Palaniswami said, “Opposition leader Mr. Stalin says that the government has failed in preventing the spread of COVID-19 disease. Tamil Nadu leads in preventive measures in the country. Medical experts and those who underwent treatment are appreciating the government’s measures. Anybody could get affected with the virus. In India, Tamil Nadu leads in testing and we have the highest number of labs in the country at 67 labs.”
The Odisha Government imposed a 50% ‘Special Covid Fee’ on maximum retail price of liquor before allowing home delivery of liquor in the State from Sunday.
Railways ferried around 32 lakh migrants since May 1
The Railways has ferried around 32 lakh migrant workers on board 2,570 Shramik Special trains since May 1.
Out of the 2,570 trains, 505 are yet to reach their destination, while 2,065 trains have completed their journey.
According to data with the Railways, Uttar Pradesh (1246) has received the highest number of Shramik Special trains, followed by Bihar (804) and Jharkhand (124). Among the originating states, Gujarat (759) has used the most services to send migrant workers home, followed by Maharashtra (483) and Punjab (291).
Goa seeks permission for antibody testing for flyers
Considering the resumption of domestic flight services on Monday, Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane has requested the Civil Aviation Ministry to permit coronavirus antibody testing for passengers upon their arrival.
At least 15 flights are scheduled to arrive at the Goa International Airport at Dabolim in South Goa on Monday. - PTI
Identity cards of legislators in Madhya Pradesh will now be recognised as the valid e-pass for travelling amidst the coronavirus lockdown,
Manipur to imprison returnees failing to undergo quarantine
Migrants returning to Manipur from various parts of the country and abroad who fail to undergo mandatory quarantine will be arrested and put in jail, Chief Minister N Biren Singh said, as the northeastern state logged over two dozen COVID-19 cases in a little over a month of being declared coronavirus-free.
“This is a very serious issue. Returnees flouting the protocol will be arrested and put in jail,” Singh told reporters on Friday.
“Our primary task is to prevent community spread of the disease,” the chief minister said.
As per the latest count, Manipur has logged a total of 27 coronavirus cases out of which two have recovered.
591 cases reported in Delhi in past 24 hours
591 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Delhi in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of cases to 12,910, according to a health bulletin released by the Delhi government on Saturday.
This is the second-highest number of cases reported in a day in the city.
Also, 23 more deaths have been reported, taking the total number of deaths to 231. But all the deaths did not happen in the past 24 hours.
Of the 12,910 cases, 6,267 people have recovered and there are 6,412 active cases.
53 fresh cases in Assam
Assam detected 53 fresh COVID-19 cases on Saturday, taking the total number of positive cases in the State to 319.
All patients have a travel history. The active case count is 258. Fifty four people have recovered so far, and four have succumbed to the infection.
Singapore reports 642 new COVID-19 cases
Singapore has reported 642 new COVID-19 cases, a majority of them foreign workers living in dormitories, taking the total number of infections in the country to 31,068, the Health Ministry said on Saturday.
Six of the patients are either Singapore citizens or permanent residents (foreigners), it said.
Among the new 642 cases, 636 are foreign workers living in dormitories. The total number of infections has gone up to 31,068, the ministry said in its daily update. - PTI
196 new cases in Karnataka
A total of 196 new COVID 19 positive cases were reported in Karnataka on Saturday. With this the total number of cases in the State stands at 1,939.
Two new deaths have been reported in the State.
While one of the deaths in Dakshina Kannada is attributed due a non-COVID-19 reason, another death is of a 32-year-old man from Bengaluru Urban. According to the media bulletin by the Department of Health and Family Welfare, the patient was admitted to a designated hospital on May 19 with complaints of breathing difficulty. The bulletin stated that he had comorbid conditions and died on Saturday due to cardiac arrest.
With this, the total number of deaths in Karnataka due to COVID-19 stands at 42. Two patients who tested positive for COVID-19 have died due to non-COVID-19 reasons, says the bulletin.
Majority of the new 196 cases reported in the State include those who have returned from Maharashtra.
Long wait for the train...
More than 15,000 migrants wait at Bengaluru's Palace ground for boarding the special trains on May 23, 2020. The crowds extended more than 2 km along the airport road from the morning with no access to food or water.
Case count in Bihar goes up to 2,310
Bihar has registered a total of 2,310 COVID-19 cases, health department officials said. A total of 61,220 tests have been done so far.
Of the fresh cases, the highest number was reported in Buxar (13), followed by Khagaria (nine), Gaya (seven), East Champaran (six), five each in Bhagalpur, West Champaran and Sitamarhi, three each in Begusarai, Muzaffarpur and Munger and one each in Arwal and Kaimur districts, they said.
Congress releases documentary on Rahul Gandhi’s interaction with migrant workers
The Congress on Saturday released a documentary film on Rahul Gandhi’s interaction with a group of migrant labourers last week, demanding justice for such workers who are walking hundreds of kilometres to their homes amid the coronavirus lockdown.
At the end of the documentary, Gandhi says the government should immediately give ₹7,500 to the 13 crore needy families through direct cash transfer.
Complete lockdown in Bengaluru on Sunday
There will be a complete lockdown on Sunday in the city, with all shops and commercial establishments closed. In a video message on Saturday, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner B.H. Anil Kumar said the conditions and restrictions on Sunday will be similar to that under coronavirus lockdown 1.0.
Urging citizens to remain indoors, he said the complete lockdown in the city was being imposed, as per directions of Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa.
Three employees of Cadila Pharma die of COVID-19
Three employees of Cadila Pharmaceuticals’ Dholka-based plant near here in Gujarat have died of coronavirus infection, the company said on Saturday.
The deceased were part of the company’s production and packaging departments, a spokesperson said.
Earlier this month, at least 26 employees of the pharma firm’s manufacturing unit in Dholka had tested positive for the deadly virus. - PTI
266 total cases in Assam
In Assam, the total number of COVID-19 positive cases rises to 266.
Of this, 205 are active cases. Four people have died of the infection and 54 have recovered so far.
Salons, beauty parlours can function from Sunday in Tamil Nadu, except in Chennai and containment zones
The State government on Saturday allowed salons and beauty parlours to function across Tamil Nadu, except within the Chennai police limits and COVID-19 containment zones, from Sunday between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
In a statement, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami said, salons and parlours cannot engage employees living in containment zones and air conditioners should not be used.
West Bengal asks Railways not to send migrant trains to State till May 26 in view of Cyclone Amphan
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee writes to Railways asking them not to send Shramik Special trains to state till May 26 in view of cyclone Amphan.
District admins involved in relief, rehab works after cyclone Amphan; it won’t be able to receive special trains for next few days, wrote the CM.
Puducherry's case count touches 41
With three more COVID-19 cases reported in Puducherry on Saturday, the total number of virus infected persons in the Union Territory has gone up to 41.
Of the total number of patients, 13 have recovered. As of now, Puducherry has 28 active cases.
80 new cases in Odisha
Eighty new COVID-19 positive cases have been reported from Odisha, taking the State’s total count to 1,269 on Saturday.
While 71 persons staying in institutional quarantine centres tested positive, two were detected from home quarantine. Seven cases were from community.
Record jump in COVID-19 cases, 137 more deaths
The number of novel coronavirus infections saw the biggest spike in India with 6,654 new cases in the last 24 hours, taking the tally to 1,25,101 on Saturday, while the death toll due to the pandemic rose to 3,720 after 137 more fatalities, the Union Health Ministry said.
The active cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) rose to 69,597, while 51,783 people have recovered and a patient has migrated, according to the ministry bulletin.
- PTI
First Sharamik Special train for Nagaland ferries over 1,400 people from Chennai
The first Nagaland-bound Shramik Special train from Chennai with 1,477 stranded people has reached the Dimapur railway station here, an official said.
The special train had left the southern metropolis on Tuesday night and arrived here on Friday evening, he said.
The returnees walked through two disinfectant tunnels at the station, the official said. According to official sources, the people from three districts — Dimapur, Mon and Peren — have been quarantined at various centres here while others were sent to quarantine facilities in Kohima. - PTI
4 more Mumbai returnees test positive in Himachal; tally 173
Four more people who returned from Mumbai tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Mandi district, taking the number of cases in Himachal Pradesh to 173 on Saturday, a health official said.
The four cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) include three members of a family. They were already in a quarantine centre, Chief Medical Officer Jeevanand Chauhan said.
Just three zones of Chennai account for over 3,000 cases
Three zones of the Chennai Corporation — Royapuram, Thiru Vi Ka Nagar and Kodambakkam — have reported more than 1,000 cases of COVID-19 each, out of a total of 9,364 cases in the city as on Friday.
On a more positive note, with over 3,000 residents returning from COVID-19 care centres and hospitals after treatment, the Corporation has removed 517 areas from the list of containment zones in the city. The areas were removed as no positive cases were reported in them for the past 14 days.
Another death in Bihar, total toll now 11
The death toll in Bihar touched 11 on Saturday after the cause of death of a 22-year-old migrant was confirmed as COVID-19.
The man from Khagaria district died within few hours of his arrival from Noida, near Delhi. He was tested positive after his death.
Total number of active cases in Bihar so far is 1,526, and 629 people have recovered. The State has tested 58,905 samples in seven laboratories.
ICMR issues revised advisory on use of hydroxychloroquine
A revised government advisory on Friday recommended use of hydroxychloroquine as a preventive medication for asymptomatic healthcare workers working in non-COVID-19 hospitals, frontline staff on surveillance duty in containment zones and paramilitary/police personnel involved in coronavirus infection related activities.
As was mentioned in the earlier advisory, the drug against the infection is also recommended for all asymptomatic healthcare workers involved in containment and treatment of COVID-19 and household contacts of laboratory confirmed cases.
China reports no new cases for first time since January
China on Saturday reported zero new coronavirus infections for the first time since it started reporting data in January, a day after Communist Party leaders celebrated “major achievements” in the virus fight.
The virus first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year , but cases have dwindled dramatically from the peak in mid-February as the country appears to have brought the virus largely under control.
Brazil jumps to world No. 2 in coronavirus cases, behind the U.S.
Brazil became the world No. 2 hotspot for coronavirus cases on Friday, second only to the United States, after it confirmed that 3,30,890 people had been infected by the virus, overtaking Russia, the Health Ministry said.
Brazil registered 1,001 daily coronavirus deaths on Friday, taking total deaths to 21,048, according to the Health Ministry.
