Coronavirus LIVE Update: India's Cases Rise To 59,92,532; 94,503 Dead

US To Temporarily Suspend Immigration

US President Donald Trump tweeted that in lieu of coronavirus and to protect American jobs, he would be signing an executive order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States. No details or technicalities were given.

India Reports 18601 Cases, 590 deaths

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reported 18,601 COVID-19 cases and 590 deaths as on April 21, 2020 in its morning update. These numbers include 14759 active cases, 3251 cured, 1 migrated and the 590 death toll. 

Over its last update, 945 additional cases, and 31 deaths were reported. 

India's Doubling Rate At 7.5

India's case doubling rate is now at 7.5 which means that India's cases are doubling in 7.5 days. 

Eighteen states have a doubling rate slower than India's average. These include Delhi with 8.5, Karnataka with 9.2, Telangana with 9.4, Andhra Pradesh with 9.6, Jammu and Kashmir with 11.5, Punjab with 13.5, Chhattisgarh with 13.8, Tamil Nadu with 14, Bihar with 16. 

Andaman and Nicobar Islands with 20.1, Haryana with 21, Himachal Pradesh with 24.5, Uttar Pradesh with 25.4, Assam with 25.8, Uttarakhand with 26.2, Ladakh with 26.6. 

Kerala and Odisha with a doubling rate greater than 30 are a few of the most well performing states. 

391 New Cases, 16 New Deaths In The Country

India's total number of cases and deaths increased to 17656 and 559 respectively as the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reported 391 new cases and 16 new deaths. 

Along with this, the Ministry reported that 59 districts across 23 states have not reported any fresh new cases in 14 days since the last case. Mahe in Puducherry, Kodagu in Karanataka, and Garhwal in Uttarakhant have not reported any new cases in 28 days. 

Special Teams For WB, Mah, Raj, MP

The Ministry of Home Affairs has constituted six special teams for high risk areas in West Bengal, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. These are areas with increasing number of cases in the country.  

DBT Approves Three Labs For Vaccine Development

The Department of Biotechnology has so far short-listed three companies for funding the development of a vaccine for COVID-19, besides 13 other proposals it received for diagnostics, therapeutics and other interventions to fight coronavirus, a statement said.

The DBT said a multifaceted approach is being adopted to ensure that vaccine companies utilising different platforms and at different stages of development are fast tracked through a research consortium under funding from the National Biopharma Mission, an initiative launched in 2017 to support development of vaccines and drugs.

Newborn In Rajasthan Tests Positive

A newborn baby in Rajasthan's Nagaur district has tested positive for COVID-19. 

"The baby born on Saturday is coronavirus positive. Her mother, father and other family members too are COVID-19 patients," Nagaur chief medical and health officer Dr Sukumar Kashyap said.

Coronavirus Could Trigger Food Crisis: Chinese Agriculture Minister

The global coronavirus pandemic threatens to cause a huge shock to international food trade and trigger a new food crisis, a top agriculture official in China said on Monday.

The comments came as coronavirus outbreaks roiled global agriculture supply chains and upended trade, and after some countries restricted exports of main grains and increased procurement for reserves.

"The fast spreading global epidemic has brought huge uncertainty on international agriculture trade and markets," said Yu Kangzhen, China's deputy agriculture minister

Positive Cases At Afghanistan's Presidential Palace

At least 20 employees at Afghanistan's presidential palace have tested positive for COVID-19, according to a senior government official who asked to remain anonymous because he was not authorized to comment on the subject.

Fitch cuts India's GDP growth rate to 1.8%

Fitch Solutions on Monday cut India's FY21 GDP growth to 1.8% for FY21, citing the worsening domestic situation of the COVID-19 outbreak. These estimates comes as research from domestic and international institutions such as the State Bank of India, IMF, Standard and Poors and the Economist cuts India's growth to these levels. However, India is still expected to outperform other regions in the world, expected to witness economic contraction.