Top 10 coronavirus updates: Delhi’s count crosses 22,000-mark with 1,298 new cases in one day
A look at the biggest Covid-19 developments so far.
- India reported 8,171 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, including 204 more deaths. The total number of cases stood at 1,98,706, and the toll rose to 5,598. India is now the seventh most-affected country in the world.
- The number of coronavirus cases in Delhi rose to 22,132 after 1,298 cases were reported in the last 24 hours. The toll due to the outbreak is 556.
- The Centre said that India’s recovery rate is now 48.07% and that fatality rate has continuously declined. “It was 3.30% on April 15, 3.25% on May 3, it went down to 3.15% on May 18 and it is now 2.82%,” Joint Health Secretary Lav Agarwal said at a press conference. He added that it is one of the lowest in the world.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India will be back on the track of economic growth after the lockdown to contain the coronavirus pandemic is over. He added that the task to boost and stabilise the economy must continue along with the fight against the health crisis.
- India’s unemployment rate in May remained very high at 23.5%, but a total of 2.1 crore jobs were added as the labour market conditions improved last month, showed data released by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy.
- Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu took part in a religious procession in Chitradurga district with hundreds of supporters, in complete violation of the physical distancing guidelines to fight the coronavirus outbreak. A video of the procession was widely shared on social media.
- The Delhi High Court said it would monitor the Arvind Kejriwal-led government’s order on disposal of the bodies of coronavirus patients. The High Court had last week taken note of reports on lack of facilities to cremate those who died of Covid-19 and of bodies piling up in the mortuaries.
- Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched a mobile application to help people find hospital beds and ventilators for coronavirus patients. Kejriwal added that people should call a helpline number in case hospitals deny them beds.
- The Centre requested the Bombay High Court to dismiss a petition seeking that the donations and expenditure of the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund, or PM CARES fund – created to tackle the coronavirus pandemic – be made public.
- Globally, the coronavirus has infected more than 62.65 lakh people and claimed over 3.75 lakh lives as of Tuesday morning, according to the Johns Hopkins University.