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

Food Ministry Partly Sealed

Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan's office and part of his ministry located in Krishi Bhawan building in Central Delhi has been sealed, after an official in the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying was tested positive for COVID-19.

Zomato, Swiggy Cut Jobs In India

Food delivery aggregators Zomato and Swiggy have laid off 520 and 1,100 employees across the board due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Trump Promotes Use of Hydroxychloroquine

USA President Donald Trump said that he has been consuming the anti-malarial hydroxychloroquine daily even though his government has advised against it. 

The drug should only be administered for COVID-19 in a hospital or research setting due to potentially fatal side effects. Trump told reporters he has been taking the drug, hydroxychloroquine, and a zinc supplement daily ``for about a week and a half now.''

Trump said his doctor did not recommend the drug to him, but he requested it from the White House physician.

Seven Migrants Killed In UP, Maharashtra Road Accidents

Seven migrants were killed in two separate accidents in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. Four migrants were killed and 15 injured in Maharashtra's Yavatmal district after the bus they were traveling in crashed into a truck, reports the Hindustan Times. Three migrants were killed and more than 12 injured in UP's Mahoba district after the vehicle they were traveling in overturned after a tyre burst, reports the Hindustan times.

India's Case Count Crosses 1 Lakh; 3,163 Dead

India's total case count crossed the 1 lakh mark on Tuesday after the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reported an additional 4,970 cases in the last 24 hours. 134 patients died due to COVID-19 taking the death toll to 3,163 while a total of 39,173 patients have been discharged.

India's GDP to contract 45% in June quarter: Goldman Sachs

A Goldman Sachs report has stated that India's GDP is expected to contract over 45% in the June quarter, although it would recover 20% in the September quarter, 14% in the December quarter and 6.5% in March quarter in FY21. It expects a 5% fall in GDP over the course of the year.

ICMR Updates Testing Guidelines

The Indian Council of Medical Research has updated testing guidelines for COVID-19.

The revisions include the testing of frontline workers involved in containment and mitigation of COVID-19 and exhibiting respiratory infetion symptoms along with fever and cough. 

Asymptomatic individuals who have been in direct contact and are at a high-risk to be tested once between day 5 and day 10 of coming in contact. 

All hospitalised patients who develop symptoms along with all the returnees and migrants who have developed symptoms. 

Furthermore, no emergency procedures should be delayed due to tests not being conducted. 

Japan enters economic recession

Japan has slipped into an economic recession for the first time in 4.5 years to its deepest postwar slump, preliminary GDP data released on Monday showed. The economy contracted 4.6% (annualised) in the first quarter of 2020, and is the second successive quarterly fall, after it shrunk 7.3% in October - December 2019.

States Cannot Dilute Restrictions Imposed In Guidelines: MHA

The Ministry of Home Affairs in a statement today said that states and union territories cannot dilute restrictions imposed in the MHA guidelines. The MHA has also stated that states and UTs "may prohibit certain other activities or impose restrictions, as deemed necessary on the basis of ground level analysis of the situation".

Karnataka To Allow All Shops To Reopen; Trains, Buses To Start Operations

Karnataka will allow all shops to reopen while also relaxing travel restrictions within the state, reports Livemint. According to the report, CM B.S. Yediyurappa in a meeting with ministers, said that road state transport corporation buses and private buses will be allowed to operate while all trains running in the state will also be allowed to operate. Sundays will see a total lockdown in the state while strict lockdown measures will be implemented in containment zones.