1. India has recorded the biggest single-day spike on Monday evening after the Union health ministry confirmed 17,656 coronavirus cases. There have been 1,553 new cases in the last 24 hours, according to the ministry. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that Covid-19 cases in the country were doubling every 7.5 days as compared to 3.4 days before the imposition of the lockdown.
  2. Mumbai has recorded 155 new cases of the coronavirus on Monday, taking the total number of cases in India’s worst-hit city to 3,090. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has said that 84 more patients recovered from the disease and were discharged from hospitals, taking the count of recoveries to 394.
  3. The governments of Delhi, Punjab and Karnataka have said that they will not allow any relaxations till the lockdown ends on May 3. Several other states on Monday began to allow some economic activity in parts that were designated as non-hotspots or areas least affected by Covid-19.
  4. The Centre has warned that the coronavirus situation is “especially serious” in Mumbai, Pune, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata and some places in West Bengal, adding that violation of lockdown guidelines can lead to spread of the infection. Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee has questioned the Centre’s move to send special teams to assess lockdown.
  5. The Centre wrote to the Kerala government to object to the alleged dilution of lockdown guidelines as the state allowed buses to operate in cities and opening of micro, small and medium enterprises in municipal areas. However, the state said there was some “misunderstanding” and denied any dilution. In a separate letter, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla asked all states and Union Territories to strictly comply with the government guidelines.
  6. The West Bengal government alleged that the testing kits supplied by the Indian Council for Medical Research were faulty and often giving inconclusive results. The defective kits are forcing officials to opt for multiple tests and thus delaying the process, the state health department said.
  7. The Union Health Ministry issued an advisory against the spraying of disinfectants on people to contain the coronavirus spread, saying it is physically and psychologically harmful. The advisory noted the harmful effects that chlorine present in the disinfectant can have on humans.
  8. At least 53 journalists in Mumbai have tested positive for Covid-19, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation officials. This number is expected to increase.
  9. Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said the state is now coronavirus-free as both patients have recovered.
  10. China said that India’s new rules for Foreign Direct Investment from specific countries violated the World Trade Organization’s principle of non-discrimination and were against free trade. Last week, the Centre had tightened norms for Foreign Direct Investment in India from neighbouring countries, with a view to curb “opportunistic takeovers or acquisitions” of Indian companies due to the coronavirus pandemic.
  11. Globally, the toll from the coronavirus pandemic crossed 1.66 lakh and more than 24.17 lakh declared cases have been found in 185 countries and territories since the disease first emerged in China late last year, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker.