States impose prohibitory orders to arrest spread of COVID-19; Read more
New Delhi, Mar 21: Notwithstanding all the preventive and precautionary measures, the coronavirus is spreading to newer areas attacking more and more people. The count in India crossed 230 on early Saturday with new 40 cases identified. This is the highest increase registered in a single day since the outbreak of COVID-19.
Globally it has affected 265,495 people across 150 countries with the death toll of 11,147. Italy has registered 627 deaths overnight taking the total number of coronavirus victims to 4032 followed by China with 3253, Iran 1433, Spain 1043, France 371, the USA 210, the U K 177, South Korea 94, Switzerland 54, and Germany 53.
The Union Health Ministrysaid today that 6,700 contacts of the 223 positive cases in India are being monitored. Of the four deaths, it said the average age of the deceased is 64-years, with all of them having other medical complications as well. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said that India has not reached the state of community transmission.
Maharashtra has imposed complete lockdown in four major cities of Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, and Pimpri-Chinchwad from Friday midnight. All borders are seized and ordered residents of these four cities to remain confined to their homes till March 31. All workplaces are also closed and employees are told to work from home. Most IT companies are following this rule.
But for the essential services such as transport, hospitals, groceries and medical stores all other establishments will be closed. Delhi government has also ordered the closure of all malls and shops but for those of medical and groceries. Kerala and Telangana have postponed the board examinations,
The Prime Minister has given a clarion call to all the citizens to follow a day-long ‘Janata Curfew’ from 7 am to 9 pm on Sunday to break the chain of the coronavirus. Following the PM’s appeal, the railways have decided to cancel all the train services on Sunday.
Rajasthan recorded six new cases on Friday. Out of these five have tested positive from Bhilwara and one from Jaipur taking to the total number of cases to 23 in Rajasthan.
In Karnataka, the state government has ordered hotels and restaurants to only open for the takeaways and online facility and stop all dining facilities. The government has also imposed a ban on jatras, urs, and any such religious gatherings to ensure social distancing.
Bengal registered its third coronavirus patient. A 23-year-old woman who traveled to Scotland was found positive with coronavirus. She has been shifted to the isolation ward of Infectious Disease and Beleghta General Hospital.
Meanwhile, Ola has suspended shared taxi rides to avoid any infection of COVID-19. In a statement, Ola said that the ‘Ola Share’ category has temporarily been canceled to limit the spread of COVID-19.
“The health and safety of our driver-partners and customers are of utmost importance and we have taken several steps in this regard to ensure the highest levels of hygiene are maintained in the vehicles on the platform. The temporary suspension of Ola Share services is an attempt to encourage social distancing for all cases of essential travel for citizens,” Ola said.