1. India on Monday recorded the biggest single-day increase of 5,242 new coronavirus cases, taking the country’s tally of infections to 96,169, according to the figures from the health ministry. With 157 deaths in the last 24 hours, the toll rose to 3,029. The cases in Maharashtra rise to 35,058 after 2,033 people tested positive on Monday. The toll climbed to 1,249. Mumbai has so far reported 21,152 cases.
  2. Several states on Monday announced relaxations, including opening up public transport, in the fourth phase of the nationwide lockdown to control the spread of Covid-19. These were mostly in line with the Centre’s guidelines. A day after extending the nationwide lockdown till May 31, the Centre said states and Union Territories cannot dilute restrictions despite the relaxations in the guidelines.
  3. It is now no longer compulsory for employers to pay their staff wages during the period of the coronavirus-forced lockdown, even if their establishments remain shut. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs on Sunday issued an order countermanding any orders issued by the National Executive Committee under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, from Monday onward.
  4. The Indian Council of Medical Research on Monday revised its testing strategy for the coronavirus to allow tests for asymptomatic, direct and high-risk contacts of confirmed cases. These contacts will be tested once between days five and 10 of coming into contact with the patient, instead of between day five and 14.
  5. India along with 61 nations have called for an “impartial” evaluation of the World Health Organization’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. According to a draft resolution proposed for the 73rd World Health Assembly meeting beginning Monday, the countries will seek to identify how the Sars-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19 was transmitted from animals to humans.
  6. The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday accepted Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi’s proposal to deploy 1,000 buses to bring in migrant workers stuck at the state border. Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Awanish Awasthi wrote to Gandhi and asked her to provide details of the 1,000 buses and their drivers without delay.
  7. Former Finance Minister P Chidamabaram on Monday expressed disappointment at the Centre’s economic package of Rs 20-lakh crore, claiming that it actually amounted to only Rs 1.86 crore, or 0.91% of the Gross Domestic Product. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman provided the contours of the package in five tranches last week.
  8. The United States-based multinational investment bank Goldman Sachs has predicted that the Indian economy will experience the worst recession ever after its already weakened state was further dragged down by the countrywide lockdown to contain the coronavirus pandemic. This is the third time that Goldman Sachs has slashed its forecast for India’s economic growth for 2020-’21.
  9. Food delivery company Swiggy on Monday announced that it will lay off 1,100 employees, or nearly 14% of its total workforce, as the weeks-long nationwide lockdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak severely affected the demand for online food ordering.
  10. Globally, Covid-19 has infected more than 47.13 lakh people and claimed over 3.15 lakh lives, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker.