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

Maharashtra Reports 1008 Cases In 24 hours

Maharashtra reports 1008 new COVID-19 cases and 26 deaths on May 1, 2020, according to the state health department. Total number of cases now stands at 11,506 positive cases and 1879 patients discharged after full recovery till May 1, 2020.

Use Of Arogya Setu App Shall Be Mandatory For All Employees

Under the revised National Directives for COVID-19 management, the use of Arogya Setu app shall be mandatory for all employees, both private and public. It shall be the responsibility of the Head of the respective organisation to ensure 100% coverage of this app among employees reads the notification. 

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Marriages Can Be Attended By 50 people, Funerals By 20: MHA

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines on the extension of lockdown after May 4, 2020, marriages can have a maximum of 50 guests following social distancing, and funeral gatherings can have a maximum of 20 people in attendance.

Liquor Stores And Paan Shops To Be Allowed To Function In Green Zones

Liquor stores and paan shops will be allowed to function in green zones while ensuring minimum six feet distance from each other and ensuring that not more 5 persons are present at one time at the shop according to the Ministry Of Home Affairs guidelines on the extension of lockdown for two weeks after May 4, 2020. 

Activities Not Permitted During The Extension

The new notification by the MHA discussing the guidelines for the extended lockdown have stated the following activities that are not permitted: 

Travel by air, rail, metro and inter-State movement by road; running of schools, colleges, and other educational and training/ coaching institutions; hospitality services, including hotels and restaurants; places of large public gatherings, such as cinema halls, malls, gymnasiums, sports complexes etc; social, political, cultural and other kinds of gatherings; and, religious places/ places of worship for public.

However, movement of persons by air, rail and road is allowed for select purposes, and for purposes as permitted by MHA. 

Timing For Non-Essential Services Fixed

The MHA notification suggested that movement of individuals, for all non-essential activities, shall remain strictly prohibited between 7 pm to 7 am.

Local authorities shall issue orders under appropriate provisions of law, such as prohibitory orders [curfew] under Section 144 of CrPC, for this purpose, and ensure strict compliance.

In all zones, persons above 65 years of age, persons with co-morbidities, pregnant women, and children below the age of 10 years, shall stay at home, except for meeting essential requirements and for health purposes.

Out-Patient Departments (OPDs) and Medical clinics shall be permitted to operate in Red, Orange and Green Zones, with social distancing norms and other safety precautions; however, these will not be permitted within the Containment Zones.

MHA Extends Lockdown For Two Weeks In The Country, 322 New Cases, 5 New Deaths

The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued a press release announcing the extension of the lockdown for a further two weeks under the Disaster Management Act of 2005 as the country reported 322 new cases and 5 new deaths since the Health Ministry's last update taking the number of cases to 35,365 and deaths to1,152. 

Provisions of services will be on the basis of the zone the districts fall into. Green zones are districts with zero cases or no cases in the past 21 days. Red zones will be considered on the basis of active cases, doubling rate of confirmed cases, extent of testing and surveillance feedback from the districts. Districts that are neither red nor green will be classifed as orange

Defence Service Will Express Gratitude To Frontline Workers On May 3

The Cheif of Defense Service General Bipin Rawat in a press conference announced that the defence services will carry out a few activities on May 3. 

The Air Force will fly special planes across the length and breadth of the country and some helicopters will shower flower petals over hospitals. 

Ships across the nation will be lit up on May 3 while the armed forces will allow their bands to play across some hospitals. 

Nanded Gurudwara Sealed

With over a 173 positive cases among Sikh Pilgrims who travelled to Hazur Sahib Sachkhand Gurudwara and Gurudwara Langar Sahib in Nanded, the two gurudwaras have been sealed. 

Sikh pilgrims who were at the Gurudwara were permitted to return to Punjab from April 22. 

Six Shramik Special Trains Across The Country

Based on MHA guidelines and as per the demands received from the various state governments, following Shramik special trains are planned to be run on 01/05/20:

Lingampally to Hatia

Nasik to Lucknow

Aluva to Bhubneshwar

Nasik to Bhopal

Jaipur to Patna

Kota to Hatia