Top 10 Covid-19 updates: India revises toll to 7,200; West Bengal, Mizoram extend lockdown
A look at the biggest developments of the day.
- The number of coronavirus cases in India crossed 2.5 lakh on Monday. The cases rose to 2,56,611, after 9,983 new infections were reported. The toll was increased to 7,135 in the health ministry’s morning update, but was revised to 7,200 in the evening.
- Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal issued an order against the Aam Aadmi Party government’s decision to reserve state-run hospitals, and some private ones, for residents of the Capital. Baijal directed the government and medical authorities in Delhi to ensure that no patient is denied treatment.
- Tamil Nadu reported 1,562 new cases, taking the state’s overall count to 33,229. Of these, 15,413 cases are active and 286 patients have died so far. Maharashtra, on the other hand, reported 2,553 fresh cases and 109 deaths. The state’s tally rose to 88,528 and the toll reached 3,169.
- Mizoram announced the extension of lockdown in the state for two weeks, starting from Tuesday. West Bengal, meanwhile, extended the statewide lockdown till June 30.
- Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will be tested for the novel coronavirus on Tuesday. Kejriwal went into self-quarantine today after he developed a few symptoms. Meanwhile, his deputy Manish Sisodia said a meeting of the State Disaster Management Authority will be held to figure out whether community spread had started in the Capital. Delhi’s tally rose to 29,943, including 874 deaths.
- The Delhi High Court asked the state government and the Indian Council of Medical Research to reply to two pleas challenging the health department’s decision to exclude asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic patients from coronavirus testing.
- Congress President Sonia Gandhi urged the Centre to depoliticise the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, “in this hour of need” of the people. The Bharatiya Janata Party hit out at Gandhi saying that it had had done away with corrupt practices related to the MGNREGA while the Congress had “freely looted” people during its regime.
- Union Home Minister Amit Shah hit out at Opposition parties for criticising the Centre over its response to the coronavirus crisis and asked them what they had done to provide relief to the people.
- The Arvind Kejriwal government on Sunday issued a list of documents that would make a person eligible to be treated for the coronavirus at all state government and private hospitals in the city. On Sunday, Kejriwal had announced that given the Covid-19 situation in the city, beds would be reserved only for residents.
- Globally, the coronavirus has infected more than 70.65 lakh people and claimed over 4.04 lakh lives so far, according to the Johns Hopkins University.