10.57 pm: The Delhi government says more than 20% beds will be reserved for coronavirus patients in 22 private hospitals.

10.54 pm: Delhi withdraws special coronavirus tax on alcohol.

10.52 pm: Uttar Pradesh reports 389 new cases. The state’s overall count rises to 11,335. The toll stands at 301.

10.51 pm: Rajasthan’s coronavirus tally rises to 11,245.

9.12 pm: Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal says that the Centre, state governments and local administrations must work together to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

9.00 pm: The Eiffel Tower will reopen to the public on June 25, AFP reports.

8.42 pm: Gujarat records 470 new coronavirus cases, taking the state’s tally to 21,044. The toll rises to 1,313.

8.32 pm: Ahmedabad reports 331 new cases, according to PTI. The city’s tally rises to 14,962. The toll rises to 1,066 with 27 new deaths.

8.30 pm: The number of coronavirus cases in Mumbai crosses 50,000.

8.21 pm: New cases reported today:

West Bengal: 372 new cases, tally rises to 8,985; toll at 415.

Haryana: 355 new cases, tally rises to 5,209; toll at 45.

8.15 pm: Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal speaks on his order to override the Arvind Kejriwal-led government’s decision to reserve hospital beds for the residents of the Capital.

8.13 pm: The Mumbai civic body dismisses reports that bodies of six coronavirus patients have gone missing from various hospitals so far, PTI reports. “In five such incidents, deceased have been identified and their relatives have been informed or necessary action taken as per protocol with the help of police,” the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation says in a press release.

8.07 pm: A 59-year-old Delhi Police sub-inspector dies of the coronavirus, PTI reports. He was posted in North East Delhi.

8.04 pm: Minister of Human Resource Development Ramesh Pokhriyal says the Centre is working on a plan to reduce school syllabus and teaching hours amid the coronavirus crisis.

8.01 pm: Maharashtra’s coronavirus tally crosses 90,000.

7.59 pm: Senior Congress leader Ajay Maken moves the National Human Rights Commission’s, seeking the reservation of 70% of the hospital beds in Delhi for coronavirus patients, PTI reports.

7.51 pm: Himachal Pradesh’s Director General of Police Sanjay Kundu and 30 other security personnel quarantine themselves after a man who met the top cop last week died of the of coronavirus, PTI reports. The police seal their headquarters in Shimla.

7.47 pm: Prime Minister Narendra Modi discusses the coronavirus crisis with Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte.

7.44 pm: Jammu and Kashmir’s overall count of coronavirus cases rises to 4,346.

7.40 pm: Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Buddh Nagar district reports 38 new coronavirus cases, according to ANI. The district’s tally rises to 691. The toll stands at 10.

7.36 pm: China on Monday recorded 24 new coronavirus cases, PTI reports, quoting the country’s National Health Commission.

7.33 pm: A Delhi government panel suggests using Pragati Maidan, Talkatora Stadium, Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium and Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium as makeshift Covid-19 facilities, PTI reports.

7.30 pm: Spain makes wearing protective face masks in public compulsory, AFP reports.

7.26 pm: The Delhi Police arrest four people for organising a birthday party with 38 guests at a restaurant in Rajouri Garden, PTI reports.

7.23 pm: The Goa government says it will allow hotels in the state to reopen only after ensuring that they are following all safety guidelines.

7.21 pm: Five people, all returnees from other states, test positive for the coronavirus in Nagaland, according to PTI. The state’s tally rises to 127.

7.17 pm: The authorities in Ghaziabad have stepped up the checking of people entering the district from Delhi, PTI reports. Only people carrying valid movement passes, identity cards and those engaged in the supply of essential services will be allowed to enter from all 10 entry points with East and North East Delhi.

7.13 pm: Nepal records 323 new coronavirus cases, taking the country’s overall count to 4,085, PTI reports. The toll rises to 15 with one new death.

7.09 pm: The Bombay High Court directs the Centre to consider putting a cap on the prices of protective N95 masks, PTI reports.

7.08 pm: Andhra Pradesh reports 147 new coronavirus cases. The state’s tally rises to 3,990 and the toll reaches 77.

7.04 pm: The International Cricket Council confirms interim changes to the game’s playing regulations, which include the ban on the use of saliva to shine the ball and allowing home umpires in international series.

Read here: Saliva ban, Covid-19 substitutions in Tests: Here are interim changes for cricket confirmed by ICC

6.54 pm: Tamil Nadu records 1,685 Covid-19 cases and 21 deaths. The second worst-hit state in the country after Maharashtra, now has a total of 34,914 cases and 307 deaths, ANI reports, citing the state health department.

6.49 pm: Karnataka records the first coronavirus positive case in Chamarajanagar district, which is a green zone, The Indian Express reports. The state now has a total of 5,921 cases.

6.40 pm: Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal says he held an all-party meeting to discuss the coronavirus situation in the national Capital and contain the spread of the virus, ANI reports. “Discussed issues relating to the availability of beds for Covid-19 patients, extensive testing, swift ambulance response among other things.”

6.28 pm: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tests negative for the coronavirus, says Aam Aadmi Party’s spokesperson Raghav Chadha.

6.23 pm: Ladakh’s Leh district reports five more coronavirus cases, taking the total number in the union territory to 108, PTI reports. Meanwhile, 147 new Covid-19 cases reported in Andhra Pradesh, taking the total number to 3,990, ANI reports, citing state health department.

6.19 pm: Six people in Sikkim test positive for the coronavirus, taking the total number of cases in the state to 13, an unidentified health official tells PTI. They have now been placed under quarantine.

6.15 pm: The Supreme Court asks Maharashra, the country’s worst-hit state during the coronavirus pandemic, to be more vigilant and make concerted efforts in identifying and sending stranded migrants back to their native place, PTI reports. The apex court says there were “huge lapses” by the Maharashtra authorities in dealing with the matter.

6.09 pm: Kerala records 91 new coronavirus cases, ANI reports. There are a total of 1,231 active cases in the state.

6.03 pm: Four Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration personnel quarantined after one of the three people they nabbed last week test positive for the coronavirus, PTI reports. The officials raided a godown in Maharashtra’s Thane district and seized gutkha and tobacco products.

5.56 pm: A 40-year-old police personnel dies of the coronavirus in Maharashtra’s Palghar district, PTI reports. So far, a total of 33 police personnel, including two officers, have tested positive for Covid-19 in the district, Palghar Police Public Relations Officer Sachin Navadkar says.

5.51 pm: Railways introduces automated ticket checking and managing access during the coronavirus pandemic.

5.49 pm: Tanzanian President John Magufuli claims the country is free from the novel coronavirus “by the grace of God”, CNN reports. He urges people to continue taking precautions.

5.37 pm: After Supreme Court directs the Centre and state governments to identify stranded migrant workers and transport them back to their hometowns within 15 days, Indian Railways asks states to provide residual demand for ‘Shramik Special’ trains by June 10, PTI reports.

5.35 pm: Meghalaya Chief Minister’s Office says the government has decided to put on hold the reopening of religious institutions that was previously decided for June 14. A meeting will be held again with religious organisations at the end of this month, reports ANI.

5.32 pm: The Ministry of Railways says Indian Railways has informed state governments that it will continue to provide ‘Shramik Special’ trains within 24 hours of states’ demand, reports ANI.

“So far, more than 4,347 ‘Shramik Special’ services have been operated by Indian Railways to transport approximately 60 lakh persons to their destination states,” the Ministry of Railways says. “Shramik trains are being run since 1st May 2020.”

5.30 pm: Coronavirus cases in Himachal Pradesh rise to 437. Covid-19 has killed five people in the state, ANI reports, citing state health department.

5.29 pm: Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party chief Adesh Kumar Gupta says all parties, except a few, agreed that the chief minister’s decision of not testing asymptomatic patients and reserving beds for Delhi residents was wrong, reports ANI.

5.15 pm: Qatar will start lifting coronavirus restrictions under a four-phase plan starting on June 15, reports Reuters. In the first phase, mosques can reopen and flights can depart.

5.08 pm: More than 50,000 people in the United Kingdom have died after contracting the coronavirus, reports CNN. This is more than any country except the United States.

5 pm: Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu says the state government has decided to do away with institutional quarantine for those who return from Maharashtra and instead will enforce strict home quarantine for 14 days, reports PTI.

4.52 pm: A 59-year-old Delhi Police personnel has died due to coronavirus-related complications at the Army Base hospital, reports The Indian Express. This is the fourth casualty in the Delhi Police.

4.45 pm: Bahujan Samaj Party National spokesperson Sudhindra Bhadoria says the Centre and state governments have failed to tackle the coronavirus pandemic and in providing relief to people amid the lockdown, reports ANI. “We saw the manner in which the stranded migrant have lost their lives while returning home,” he adds. “The women and children have suffered.”

4.33 pm: Two people have tested positive for the coronavirus in the Union Territory of Daman, which was till now in green zone, reports PTI. Both the patients came from Mumbai.

4.25 pm: Bharatiya Janata Party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia and his mother Madhavi Raje Scindia have tested positive for the coronavirus, says Union minister Som Prakash. They have been admitted to Max Hospital in Saket, according to PTI.

4.22 pm: Delhi BJP chief Adesh Kumar Gupta has requested Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal to make new quarantine centres as cases continue to increase in the national Capital.

4.10 pm: A total of 1,871 Mumbai Police personnel have contracted the coronavirus so far, reports ANI. Of these, 853 have recovered and 21 have died.

4.04 pm: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweets video of a journalist in Delhi, who is heard saying that his entire family has tested positive for the coronavirus and two of them have died. “For the millions of my sisters and brothers like Ajay, we share your pain,” says Gandhi. “We will do everything to protect you. We will overcome this together.”

The journalist in the video is identified as Ajay Jha, according to NDTV. “Everyone is [virus] positive in my house,” he says in the video. “In 10 days, two have died. My wife’s father died and two days ago, her mother also died in this house. The body was kept for a long time, but no one picked it up...”

4 pm: Uttarakhand’s coronavirus tally has risen to 1,488 after 77 more people tested positive for the infection.

3.50 pm: The district magistrate of South East Delhi has served a notice for pursuing a “conspiracy to defame the Muslim community” by arbitrarily keeping the Nizamuddin area in Delhi sealed for more than 65 days, even after no new cases of the coronavirus were reported. The area was declared a containment zone on March 30.

Read here: Residents of Nizamuddin serve legal notice to Delhi authorities for ‘targeting muslims’

3.45 pm: Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy says Class 10 examinations in the Union Territory stands cancelled, adding that all the students will be promoted to the next class, reports ANI.

3 pm: The coronavirus might have been spreading in China as early as August last year, reports Reuters, citing Harvard Medical School research based on satellite images of hospital travel patterns and search engine data. However, Beijing has dismissed the report as “ridiculous”.

2.52 pm: Manipur reports 10 new coronavirus cases, taking the state’s total to 282, according to PTI.

2.44 pm: Odisha records 146 fresh coronavirus cases, taking the total cases in the state to 3,140, according to ANI.

2.40 pm: Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal says he has advised “timely action” regarding the ramping up of physical infrastructure and human resource-related requirements “considering possible scenarios” of the coronavirus spread. He chaired a crucial meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority with Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Health Minister Satyendar Jain to chart the way forward to rein in the pandemic.

Baijal adds that he has given directions for thorough contact tracing of affected persons and testing as per ICMR guidelines for Covid-19 “without any deviation”.

2.36 pm: The Pakistan Supreme Court has asked the government to take the worsening coronavirus situation in the country seriously and make a uniform national legislation to contain the spread of the infection, reports PTI. “We are also feeling the heat in this court as two judges have tested positive,” says Chief Justice Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed.

2.30 pm: Bihar reports 117 new coronavirus cases, taking the total number of cases in the state to 5,364, according to ANI.

2.22 pm: The Centre has deployed high level multi-disciplinary teams to 15 states/Union Territories that have high number of coronavirus cases to provide assistance, says a press release.

“The three-member teams are composed of two public health experts/epidemiologists/clinicians and a senior joint secretary level nodal officer for administrative handholding and improving governance,” adds the statement. “These teams are working in the field and visiting health care facilities to support the state health department in implementation of containment measures and efficient treatment/clinical management of cases within the districts/cities.”

2.15 pm: The Madras High Court directs the Centre and Tamil Nadu government to state whether it is possible for them to bear the cost of treatment for coronavirus patients in private hospitals, reports News18. The court also questions if there is a mechanism in place to take action on complaints regarding overcharging by private hospitals.

2.08 pm: Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain has said that half of the new coronavirus cases in Delhi cannot be traced to any source, reports PTI. “Epidemiologically, community transmission is third stage of the infection... In Delhi, of the new cases being reported, nearly half of the cases, the source of infection is not known,” he says when asked about community transmission of the infection.

Also read: No community spread in Delhi, says deputy CM even as health minister raises concern

2.05 pm: Assam reports 33 new coronavirus cases, taking the state’s tally to 2,868.

1.59 pm: As many as 187 new Covid-19 infections have been reported in Jharkhand on Tuesday, according to PTI. This takes the total number of cases in the state to 1,330. Tuesday’s number is the highest increase in case numbers in the state in a single day.

1.57 pm: Shah says that the Centre is willing to allocate Rs 6,000 crore per farmer if the West Bengal government sends a list. “Why are you stopping your farmers from receiving help from the government?” he asks Banerjee.

1.53 pm: Union Home Minister Amit Shah lashes out at the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government. He claims that migrant workers returning to West Bengal will never forget Banerjee’s statement calling “Shramik Special” trains “Corona Express”.

1.50 pm: A 38-year-old patient has escaped from a government hospital in Maharashtra’s Aurangabad district, PTI reports. This is the second such incident in the district in three days.

1.45 pm: Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal says that after receiving a lot of requests from parents and teachers, the ministry is contemplating the option of reducing the syllabus and instructional hours for the 2021-’22 academic year, ANI reports.

1.38 pm: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation modifies its lockdown guidelines. It allows shops to be functional for the full working hours from Monday to Saturday, except market complexes and malls, ANI reports.

1.26 pm: All 26 members of the family of a man who was diagnosed with Covid-19 in Jaipur have been found infected, ANI reports. All individuals have been shifted to hospital.

1.02 pm: Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia says there will be 44,000 cases by June 15. He adds that by July 31, the case count will go up to 5.5 lakh.

1.01 pm: A Central Industrial Security Force official dies, taking the total number of deaths in the paramilitary force to five, reports PTI. This is the 13th death among the Central Armed Police Forces.

12.59 pm: Tamil Nadu cancels Class 10 and Class 11 exams, reports ANI. Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami says the students will be promoted on the basis of quarterly and half-yearly exam results as well as their attendance. He adds that a decision regarding Class 12 board exams will be taken in a few days.

12.38 pm: Rajasthan reports 144 fresh cases and five deaths. With this, the total number of positive cases in the state is now 11,020 including 251 deaths.

12.35 pm: Himachal Pradesh reports 8 new cases, reports ANI citing the state health department.

12.34 pm: Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia says there is no community spread of Covid-19 in the national Capital as of now, reports ANI. “Officers of central government were present at the meeting and they said that there is no community spread in Delhi as of now so it need not be discussed,” he adds.

12.24 pm: Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan holds a meeting with a Group of Ministers through video conferencing, reports ANI.

12.22 pm: Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and State Health Minister Satyendar Jain attend a State Disaster Management Authority meeting.

12.21 pm: Tripura reports 38 fresh cases, according to PTI. With this, the state’s tally rises to 841.

12.01 pm: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s sample has been collected for Covid-19 test, reports ANI.

11.51 am: Theatre artiste S Varadharajan faces an FIR in Chennai for a video clip where he cited difficulty in finding a hospital bed for his friend who had coronavirus symptoms, reports The Hindu. On Monday, Tamil Nadu Health and Family Welfare Minister C Vijayabhaskar had condemned Varadharajan’s statement and said that action would be taken against him as per the Pandemic Act. “Varadharajan has spread false news at this time when we have a major disaster,” Vijayabhaskar had said.

11.45 am: Actor Sonu Sood was stopped from meeting labourers outside the Bandra Terminus in Mumbai on Monday night, reports PTI. However, the Mumbai Police said Sood was stopped by the Railway Protection Force. “The actor was stopped by the RPF, not by us,” Mumbai’s Nirmal Nagar police station Senior Inspector Shashikant Bhandare tells the news agency. “He wanted to meet labourers who were going to their native place. We have not received any complaint regarding this till now.”

11.33 am: For the first time, Pakistan records over 100 deaths in a single day. According to the Ministry of National Health Services, 105 deaths were reported on Monday as the total number of fatalities stands at 2,172.

11.31 am: Eleven more Kolkata Police personnel have tested positive, taking the total number of infections in the force to 217, reports PTI.

11.26 am: Jain says there is community spread only when Centre admits it. “Community spread is when there are cases in which source [of infection] cannot be ascertained... Almost half of our cases are like this,” he adds.

11.22 am: Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain says they were earlier expecting that the beds in private hospitals would cater to patients up to 15 days but have found that most of the beds reserved for Covid-19 patients have been used in 4-5 days, reports ANI. “We have to further enhance the capacity now,” he adds.

11.20 am: The Supreme Court asks all the states to submit their detailed affidavits on schemes, job creation, and fixes the matter for further hearing on July 8.

11.02 am: In its order, the Supreme Court says in the event of demand for Shramik Special Trains, the Railways will provide trains within 24 hours.

10.59 am: The Supreme Court says migrant workers should be identified and sent home within 15 days, reports PTI. It also asks states to drop all cases of lockdown violation against them.

Also read

Supreme Court orders Centre, states to identify migrant workers, send them home within 15 days

10.46 am: The Odisha government has asked different departments to intensify awareness campaign, reports PTI. In an order, Chief Secretary AK Tripathy asks the officials to use the social media and other traditional modes like TV, radio, leaflets and posters to spread awareness.

10.35 am: The United States National Bureau of Economic Research said on Monday that the American economy entered a recession in February after hitting a peak. This is the first time the economy has gone into recession since the global financial crisis of 2008-’09, as the coronavirus pandemic has forced America to go into lockdown.

Also read

Covid-19: US economy entered recession in February, first time since 2009, says economic panel

10.33 am: The Maharashtra Police say there have been no new case in the force in the last 24 hours.

10.32 am: Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal has called a meeting with all political parties today, reports ANI.

Also read

Coronavirus: Delhi lieutenant governor to hold all-party meeting today to discuss situation

10.28 am: Total number cases in Jharkhand rises to 1,330 including seven deaths, reports ANI citing the state health department.

10.16 am: The Centre issues fresh guidelines for officials and staffers after several officials in various central government ministries and departments tested positive.

10.15 am: The Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park and Rajdhani Vatika in Patna are now open for visitors. The Bihar government has allowed all parks and zoos in the state to open from today with certain precautionary measures.

10.13 am: Devotees visit the Sreekanteswaram Siva Temple in Thiruvananthapuram to offer prayers as it reopens today.

10.11 am: Sikkim reports six new cases, taking the total number of infections in the state to 13, according to PTI.

10.10 am: Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi has urged the Centre to replace the four-decade-old interstate law with a new one to ensure the social security for migrant workers, reports PTI. The Inter State Migrant Labour Act, 1979, covers only labourers hired by registered contractors. But many are left out of the ambit as they are recruited through agents.

10.08 am: BMC Commissioner IS Chahal has blamed some laboratories in Mumbai for late reporting, reports PTI. “Some labs were committing serious crime by submitting reports 18 days later,” he adds. “They deserved to be punished for late reporting.”

10.06 am: The Worli and Dharavi areas of Mumbai, which are hotspots for the novel coronavirus, are now witnessing a continuous decline in the number of daily cases, and an increase in the doubling rate. The Worli suburb has so far reported an average of 35 to 40 cases per day in June, compared with 60 in May. In Dharavi, the average new cases have reduced from 47 in May to 27 in June. The doubling rate of cases has risen to 44 days for Worli and 38 days for Dharavi.

Also read

Covid-19: Dharavi, Worli areas of Mumbai show decline in number of cases, rise in doubling rate

10.05 am: The Madras High Court on Monday said conducting Class 10 board exams were not like opening Tasmac shops during the nationwide lockdown, reports The Times of India. Tamil Nadu plans to conduct the exams from June 15.

9.56 am: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen President and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has completely failed in controlling the pandemic, reports ANI. He also called the lockdown unconstitutional and unplanned. “It was imposed by the Modi government at a time when only around 500 people had contracted the virus. Now there are lakhs of people affected,” he added.

9.54 am: Tablighi Jamaat chief Maulana Saad is yet to submit his Covid-19 test report from a government lab, say the Delhi Police, according to Hindustan Times. Saad has been booked for holding a weeks-long gathering in March, ignoring guidelines prohibiting meetings of more than a certain number of people.

9.51 am: However, Rao says the film industry can resume work but theatres across the state will remain shut.

9.50 am: Telangana cancels Class 10 board exams, reports NDTV. Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao says it will not be possible for the state to organise it because of the pandemic. “All students of Class 10 would be given grades based on marks obtained in internal assessment of their progress and promoted to the next class,” he adds. “The government will decide on examinations to be held for graduate and post-graduate courses based on the situation that will prevail in future.”

9.35 am: India now has 1,29,917 active cases, while 1,29,214 people have been discharged after recovering.

9.30 am: India’s tally rises to 2,66,598, after 9,987 cases are reported in 24 hours. This is the highest single-day rise so far.

The toll increases to 7,466 after 266 deaths are reported in a day.

9.20 am: What happens when a new virus enters one of India’s oldest cities and poorest regions? We bring you a week of dispatches from eastern Uttar Pradesh, as Varanasi, Banaras, Kashi, finally emerge from two months of lockdown.

The boatmen of Banaras blame Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their lockdown losses and are dreading the monsoon season that looms ahead. Read more here.

Also read:

  1. In Kashi, the lockdown has disrupted not just life – but also the business of death
  2. In Varanasi village adopted by Prime Minister Modi, people went hungry during the lockdown

9.10 am: Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal issued an order on Monday directing the state government to test asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts of confirmed cases of the coronavirus, saying that not doing so was a violation of the guidelines issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research.

Read more here:

Covid-19: Test asymptomatic contacts of confirmed cases, Delhi LG tells state government

9 am: Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he will not get tested for the coronavirus, AP reports. The statement came a day after it was announced that a high-ranking member of his administration, who he’d recently been in contact with, was infected.

8.45 am: Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan will conduct a meeting of Group of Ministers via videoconference today, ANI reports.

8.20 am: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday that the handling of the novel coronavirus crisis by the Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra government resembled a “circus”, and not governance.

Read more here:

Coronavirus: Maharashtra’s handling of crisis resembles a ‘circus’, claims Rajnath Singh

8.15 am: Poland will close 12 coal mines for three weeks from Tuesday to curb the spread of the coronavirus, Reuters reports. Nearly 20% of the cases reported in Poland is of miners.

8.10 am: New York City, which was the worst-hit region in the US, opened on Monday as several people returned to work. Nearly 22,000 people died in New York.

8.05 am: Mexico reports 2,999 new coronavirus cases in a day, taking the total tally to 1,20,102 on Monday, Reuters reports. The country’s toll rose to 14,053.

8 am: Qatar will remove lockdown from June 15, Reuters reports. It will be done in four phases.

7.50 am: Several critics accuse Brazil of manipulating coronavirus data instead of showing the actual situation.

7.45 am: Globally, the coronavirus has infected more than 70.97 lakh people and claimed over 4.06 lakh lives so far, according to the Johns Hopkins University. As many as 32.92 lakh people have recovered.

7.40 am: WHO’s top emergencies expert Dr Mike Ryan said countries such as Guatemala in central America were still dealing with rising infections. “I think this is a time of great concern,” he said, urging governments to show strong leadership.

WHO epidemiologist Maria van Kerkhove added: “This is far from over.”

7.35 am: World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday warned that the coronavirus situation was worsening across the world and had not yet peaked in Central America, Reuters reports.

He said that over 1,36,000 cases were reported globally on Sunday and this was “the most in a single day so far”. More than 75% of the cases reported on Sunday came from ten countries in the Americas and South Asia, he added.

“More than six months into the pandemic, this is not the time for any country to take its foot off the pedal,” Ghebreyesus said, adding that many countries in Africa are still seeing a rise in infections.

“At the same time, we’re encouraged that several countries around the world are seeing positive signs,” Tedros said. “In these countries, the biggest threat now is complacency.”

7.30 am: Here are the top updates from Monday:

  • 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.