Coronavirus India latest updates, 07 April: Maharashtra becomes first state to report more than 1,000 cases
Coronavirus India Updates: The number of COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra has increased to 1018 after the state reported 150 new cases on Tuesday. With this, Maharashtra has become the first state in the country to report more than 1000 novel coronavirus cases. Of the 150 new cases, 116 are from Mumbai, 18 from Pune, three each from Ahmednagar, Nagpur and Aurangabad, two each from Thane and Buldana, and one each from Satara, Ratnagiri and Sangli, news agency PTI reported quoting an official.
The total number of cases across the country has climbed to 4789 while the death toll has increased to 124, the Union Health Ministry said in its latest briefing on Tuesday. A total of 352 people have recovered from the virus. Tamil Nadu is behind Maharashtra in terms of the number of cases with 690 and is closely followed by Delhi (576).
Joint Secretary in the ministry Lav Agarwal said cluster containment strategies and action plans for outbreaks, which are amenable to management, are giving required results in some areas like Agra, Gautam Budh Nagar, Bhilwara, East Delhi and Mumbai.
Centre ‘thinking’ of extending lockdown after April 14
Following requests from several state governments and experts, the Cente is considering extending the nationwide lockdown after its ends on April 14 to stem the transmission of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), government sources said. “A lot of state governments as well as experts are requesting the Central Government to extend the lockdown. The Central Government is thinking in this direction,” sources said.
View of an empty Red Fort area in New Delhi on Tuesday. (Express Photograph by Tashi Tobgyal)
At least seven states, which together have reported 1,367 coronavirus cases—almost one-third of the total cases across the country—had indicated on Monday that they would continue to have some restrictions in place even after the 21-day lockdown ends on April 14. Read more here
India agrees to export Hydroxychloroquine after Trump warning
On Tuesday, New Delhi moved to partially lift the ban on the export of Hydroxychloroquine — the anti-malaria drug that Trump has repeatedly touted as a “game-changer” in the fight against COVID-19. Trump has hinted there would be retaliation if India does not lift its ban on its export. Earlier in the day, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said the anti-malaria drug would be supplied to “some countries” which are “badly affected” by COVID-19.
“Like any responsible government, our first obligation is to ensure that there are adequate stocks of medicines for the requirement of our own people. In order to ensure this, some temporary steps were taken to restrict exports of a number of pharmaceutical products. In the meanwhile, a comprehensive assessment was made of possible requirements under different scenarios,” Srivastava said.
Srivastava said the restrictions have been largely lifted after confirming the availability of medicines for all possible contingencies.
MEA: “We will also be supplying these essential drugs to some nations who have been particularly badly affected by the pandemic. We would therefore discourage any speculation in this regard or any attempts to politicise the matter.” #CoronavirusOutbreak @IndianExpress
— Shubhajit Roy (@ShubhajitRoy) April 7, 2020
Hydroxychloroquine tablets are recognised as a prophylactic for those on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19 — doctors, nurses, paramedics, and first responders — and can be used to treat patients.
‘Stop govt ads, vista work, transfer money to PM relief fund’: Sonia Gandhi
On the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with leaders of various political parties, Congress president Sonia Gandhi Tuesday wrote to him suggesting a series of “austerity measures” to divert funds for battling the coronavirus outbreak. She asked the Prime Minister to suspend the Rs 20,000 crore Central Vista beautification and construction project and impose a complete ban on advertisements on media for a period of two years.
Sonia Gandhi asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to suspend the Rs 20,000 crore Central Vista beautification and construction project.
The Prime Minister had spoken to Gandhi on Sunday seeking her party’s cooperation for the measures that his government is taking to contain the coronavirus outbreak. He had also asked her to give suggestions to meet the COVID-19 challenge. Read more here
Kerala task force recommends four-phase easing of lockdown
A task force of experts constituted by the Kerala government has recommended gradual, phase-by-phase relaxation of the Covid-19 lockdown measures post April 14, while keeping a close eye on the number of new infections in the state. The 17-member task force headed by former chief secretary KM Abraham submitted the report to chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram Monday evening, based on which the state government is likely to formulate its response to the Centre on the subject of how and when the lockdown must be lifted. Read more here
Arvind Kejriwal unveils ‘5T’ plan for Delhi to fight COVID-19
A technician from Dr Dangs Lab demonstrates before the media sample collection process for COVID-19 tests with the help of a dummy, in New Delhi. The Lab has initiated a drive-through COVID-19 testing facility while trying to ensure maximum safety and minimum exposure for the subject and health care staff during sample collection. (PTI Photo)
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Tuesday unveiled a five-point plan to tackle the coronavirus outbreak after speaking to experts and doctors. The “5Ts”, Kejriwal said, include testing, tracing, treatment, teamwork and tracking and monitoring of the virus.
The Delhi government will start conducting rapid anti-body tests, as recommended by the ICMR, in areas identified as coronavirus hotspots, Kejriwal said, taking into account a possibility of up to 30,000 active cases in the city. Read more here
STATUS OF PPE Kits in Delhi :
✅ 1,25,000 PPE Kits ordered by Delhi Govt
✅ 27,000 PPE Kits from Centre
✅ 4,000 Current stock in Delhi
✅ 4,000 donated by individuals, corporate
4,000 new PPE kits to arrive daily from above 1.25 lac new kits ordered pic.twitter.com/WnqWMrFwpO
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) April 7, 2020
Rajasthan reports 24 new cases
Rajasthan recorded 24 more cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, taking the total number of virus cases in the state to 325. The state is working on a “staggered” exit strategy with curbs in “high risk zones” The virus has so far claimed six lives in the state. However, officials maintain that deaths occurred due to co-morbidity — more than one illness or disease occurring in one person at the same time. “24 new cases have come up today, including in Jaipur, Jodhpur, Banswara and Churu districts. All have contact and travel history,” Additional Chief Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh said.
While there were nine cases in Jodhpur, Jaisalmer saw 7 cases. Banswara recorded 4 cases, Jaipur (3) and Churu (1). He said the total number of coronavirus positive cases in the state has risen to 325. The entire state, which has been under lockdown since March 22, is conducting a massive survey and screening to trace the contagion.
Two new COVID-19 cases in Mumbai’s Dharavi
Two more persons have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Dharavi, taking the total number of such cases in the slum area to seven, a civic official said on Tuesday. The two men, aged 80 and 49 years, hail from Dr Baliga Nagar locality of Dharavi and are close contacts of a 30-year-old woman who earlier tested positive for the virus, the official said. Earlier, four others from Dharavi had also tested positive for the disease. One of them, a 56-year-old man died while undergoing treatment at a hospital on April 1.
Two fresh cases of COVID-19 found in Dharavi. Father and brother (a 80-year old and 49-year old) of a 30-year women whose results had come positive tested positive on Tuesday.
Further contact tracing of new cases in progress.@IndianExpress— laxman singh (@Laxmantweetsss) April 7, 2020
Four Dharavi localities – Dr Baliga Nagar, Vaibhav apartment, Mukund Nagar and Madina Nagar – have been demarcated as containment zones and civic officials have been regularly spraying disinfectants in those areas. Considered as Asia’s biggest slum, Dharavi houses 15 lakh people, making it one of the most congested areas of the city.
Residents overlook as BMC civic workers undertake a sanitisation drive at Dr Baliga Nagar, Dharavi. (Express photo by Nirmal Harindran)
States in no hurry to ease lockdown
Even as India plans an exit strategy to end the 21-day lock down, as many as seven states, which together have reported 1,367 coronavirus cases so far — indicated that they would continue to have some restrictions in place. While Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao said he was in favour of extending the lockdown in his state, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, UP, Assam, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand indicated that they would not fully lift the restrictions after next Tuesday.
The Karnataka Government indicated on Tuesday it’s too early to take a call now on lifting the nationwide lockdown but said it’s in favour of its extension in COVID-19 hotspots in the country by at least an additional two weeks. “We need to see for another few days before taking final call,” Medical Education Minister Sudhakar K, who is in-charge of all matters related to COVID-19, told ‘PTI’ when asked if the State is in favour of the rollback after the 21- day period ends on April 14. The Minister opined that the decision on its withdrawal should be based on the COVID-19 pandemic situation at the time in terms of number of cases and response to the outbreak.
Railway hospitals in Karnataka begin operations for COVID-19 treatment
In a bid to strengthen the public healthcare system in Karnataka to combat the coronavirus pandemic, the South Western Railway (SWR) has begun operations in railway hospitals in the state which includes over 150 dedicated beds to treat COVID-19 patients and 20 others to treat critical cases across the state. In Bengaluru, the Divisional Railway Hospital has been converted to a dedicated COVID-19 hospital with 50 beds and six Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds for those tested positive.
INDIAN EXPRESS
