Top 10 coronavirus updates: Maharashtra’s tally crosses 65,000; malls to open in lockdown 5.0
A look at the biggest Covid-19 developments of the day.
- Maharashtra on Saturday reported 2,940 new coronavirus cases, taking the state’s tally to 65,168. The toll reached 2,197 with 99 more deaths. Delhi’s tally rose to 18,549 with 1,163 new cases and the toll rose to 416 with 18 more fatalities. Tamil Nadu, meanwhile, reported 856 new cases and six deaths. The state’s tally rose to 21,184 and the toll reached 160.
- The Centre extended the nationwide lockdown to contain the coronavirus pandemic till June 30, but said that all activities will restart in a phased manner outside containment zones. The first phase of this reopening, called Unlock 1, will focus on economic activities.
- The Union health ministry said that India’s coronavirus recovery rate had reached an all-time high of 47.4% as 11,264 patients were “cured” in a day. However, India’s coronavirus tally rose to 1,73,763 on Saturday morning as the country recorded 7,964 new infections in 24 hours. This is the highest daily rise in infections so far. The toll is at 4,971. India is now the ninth worst-hit country, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker.
- An Air India flight from Delhi to Moscow returned midway after the airline’s ground team found out that one of the pilots had tested positive for the coronavirus. The flight’s crew members have been placed under quarantine. The plane did not have any passengers and was heading to Moscow to bring back stranded Indians citizens as part of the Vande Bharat mission.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that migrant workers and labourers have suffered “tremendously” during the coronavirus pandemic and the countrywide lockdown enforced to contain it. In his letter to the nation on completing a year of his second term in office, Modi assured the people that his government was working hard to tackle the health crisis.
- At least two Ministry of External Affairs officials tested positive for the coronavirus. One of the officials works in the Central Europe division while the other is a part of the ministry’s Legal and Treaties division.
- Data released by Railway Protection Force showed that nearly 80 migrant workers died of starvation or heat between May 9 and May 27 while travelling on special trains to their native places.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Office on Friday refused to provide details about the PM CARES Fund – created to tackle the coronavirus pandemic – to a Right to Information applicant, saying that the reserve was not a “public authority” under the RTI Act. Opposition parties have also raised questioned about the fund’s transparency.
- United States President Donald Trump said his country would terminate its relationship with the World Health Organization, after weeks of accusing the agency of helping the Chinese government cover up the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.
- The number of coronavirus cases across the world reached 59,68,693 while the toll rose to 3,65,796, according to the Johns Hopkins University. The United States, Russia and Brazil are the three worst-hit countries.