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Govt Says No Decision On Extending National Lockdown Yet: 12 Updates From Today

Delhi CM Kejriwal announced that his government had prepared a 5-step plan that involved carrying out one lakh coronavirus tests in hotspots.
People wait to collect food at a food distribution on day thirteen of the 21-day nationwide lockdown, at New Ashok Nagar on April 6, 2020 in New Delhi.
Hindustan Times via Getty Images
People wait to collect food at a food distribution on day thirteen of the 21-day nationwide lockdown, at New Ashok Nagar on April 6, 2020 in New Delhi.

The Central government said on Tuesday no decision had been taken on extending the 21-day lockdown which is scheduled to end on April 14, after reports said it had been requested by state governments and experts.

India currently has more than 4,300 coronavirus patients under treatment in the country.

The health ministry’s update on Tuesday evening said there were 4,312 active cases among the 4,789 who had tested positive for Covid-19 in the country.

Maharashtra became the first state with over 1,000 cases.

The death toll rose to 124.

More than 1.34 million people have been reported infected by the novel coronavirus across the world and 76,043 have died, according to a Reuters tally.

What you need to know today:

1. 12,000 Tests Conducted In Last 24 hours, says Health Ministry

The health ministry said 326 persons had been discharged so far after recovering from Covid-19 infection. 12,000 tests had been done in the last 24 hours, the ministry said.

Indian Council of Medical Research’s R Gangakhedkar said that 1,07,006 tests had been conducted till now.

A recent ICMR study showed that if one Coronavirus patient doesn’t follow lockdown orders or practice social distancing, then they can infect 406 people in 30 days, health secretary Luv Aggarwal said.

Indian Railways has prepared 40,000 isolation beds in 2,500 coaches. They are making 375 isolation beds daily and this is going on across 133 locations across the country, he added.

2. Delhi Govt To Start Massive Testing

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal announced that his government had prepared a 5-step plan that involved carrying out one lakh tests in hotspots, similar to South Korea’s mass testing.

Rapid testing will be carried out in Nizamuddin Markaz and Dilshad Garden, Kejriwal said. He also said the Delhi Police has been asked to help ensure people told self-quarantine are actually following rules.

“We have submitted 2,000 numbers of the Markaz members to the police. Based on the tracing of these numbers, we will seal and lock down affected areas,” Kejriwal said at the press briefing.

3. Odisha Reports First Death

Hindustan Times reports that a 72-year-old man from Odisha’s Jharpada is the state’s death due to coronavirus.

The man was undergoing treatment AIIMS, Bhubaneswar and died on Monday, became the state’s first coronavirus disease victim.

The result of his samples came back positive on Tuesday.

4. Centre Says Kerala-Karnataka Border Issue Resolved

The Centre told the Supreme Court that issue of the border between Karnataka and Kerala had been resolved with Karnataka allowing ambulances with patients from Kasargod district to seek treatment in Mangaluru.

5. Sedition Case Against Assam MLA

A sedition case has been filed against Assam MLA Aminul Islam, a member of the opposition in the state. Aminul Islam was arrested for allegedly saying the conditions in the state’s quarantine facilities were “worse than detention centres”, NDTV reported.

6. Two More Test Positive in Mumbai’s Dharavi

Dr Baliga Nagar of Dharavi was sealed after two more people tested positive for Covid-19 there.

Meanwhile, Mumbai Police said it has identified ten people who had stayed in Dharavi after attending the Tablighi Jamaat meeting and then left for Kerala.

The Kerala Police has been appraised of their details, they said.

7. India Lifts Ban On Export Of Hydroxychloroquine After Trump Talks Of ‘Retaliation’

A day after US President Donald Trump said that India could face retaliation if it doesn’t clear the exports of hydroxychloroquine, the Central government said it had lifted its ban on export of the drug “in view of the humanitarian aspects of the pandemic”

On Monday, Trump said that India has been taking advantage of the US on trade for many years and he would be surprised if the country was to stop export of hydroxychloroquine to the US.

Hydroxychloroquine tablet is used to prevent and treat malaria, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, among other ailments. The drug is seen as to offer a viable therapeutic solution to coronavirus, though experts say there isn’t evidence on its efficacy.

8. Suspend Central Delhi Beautification Project, Transfer PM-Cares Funds To PM Relief Fund: Sonia Gandhi Tells Modi

9. Kerala CM Writes To Modi, Maharashtra CM On Nurses Testing Positive In Delhi And Mumbai

The Kerala government requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to look into reports of nurses from the state getting infected with COVID-19 in Delhi and Maharashtra allegedly due to lack of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE).

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has written a letter to Modi seeking his “attention to the situation”, an official said.

Pinarayi Vijayan said in the letter to his Maharashtra counterpart, “Unfortunately, we are now hearing the news that a number of nurses are tested as positive for the coronavirus in your state especially in Mumbai. We are receiving frantic telephone calls from them and their family members. Many of them are informing us that there is a lack of adequate precaution to prevent the contagion of the disease. It is understood that nurses tested positive for COVID 19 and others are accommodated in the same space”

He has urged Uddhav Thackeray to take immediate action to alleviate the concerns of the nurses, many of whom are from Kerala.

10. 10-Month-Old Baby Recovers In Tamil Nadu

The NewsMinute reports that 10-month-old baby, who had tested positive for COVID-19 on March 29 in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore, has recovered and been discharged from the hospital. The child was diagnosed with the virus nine days ago and was being treated at ESI Hospital. The child’s mother, grandmother and their domestic people are among five patients who were discharged on Monday.

11. Boris Johnson Awake And Breathing Without Ventilator In Intensive Care, Says No.10

Boris Johnson was moved to intensive care after his coronavirus symptoms worsened, Downing Street confirmed on Monday evening. Johnson is breathing without a ventilator and is in “good spirits” while being treated in intensive care, Downing Street said.

Foreign secretary Dominic Raab will “deputise where necessary” while the prime minister is battling Covid-19, a No.10 spokesperson said.

12. China Reports No New Deaths For First Time Since Jan

China on Tuesday reported no new coronavirus deaths for the first time since it started publishing figures in January, the National Health Commission said.

Wuhan, a city of 11 million that reported only two new infections in the past fortnight, is due to allow residents to leave the city on Wednesday for the first time since it was locked down on Jan. 23 to curb the spread of the virus.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.