QBullet: PM to Address Nation at 10 AM; Total Cases Rise to 9,352
Catch all the top headlines of the day.
1. PM Modi to Address Nation at 10 AM Today
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation at 10 am on Tuesday, 14 April, the day when the 21-day nationwide lockdown ends, to spell out the future course of action against containing the spread of novel coronavirus.
With the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in India crossing the 9,000-mark on Monday, including 324 deaths, the spread of COVID-19 cases to almost half the districts in the country is likely to weigh on the mind of the Centre in crafting a graded approach.
In a four-hour meeting between PM Modi and state chief ministers on Saturday, a broad consensus had emerged that the national lockdown should be extended by at least two weeks till April-end.
(Source: The Indian Express)
2. India COVID-19 Tally Rises to 9,352
Amid several states including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and others extending lockdown till 30 April, the total number of novel coronavirus cases in the country surged past 9,000 on Monday, 13 April, said Union Ministry of Health and Family welfare.
"Total number of confirmed cases of novel coronavirus are 9,352," the Health Ministry said in a 5 pm update.
According to the latest tally, the coronavirus deaths have surged by 51 in the last 24 hours, taking the total death toll to 324. The earlier tally stood at 273 deaths.
"Till yesterday, we conducted 2,06,212 COVID-19 tests," said Raman R Gangakhedkar, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). He also stressed on the fact that there was no need to worry as the institute has a stock with which they can conduct tests for next six weeks easily.
(Source: Mint)
3. SC Clarifies Free COVID-19 Testing at Private Labs Only for Poor
The Supreme Court on Monday, 13 April, made changes to its order on COVID-19 testing in private labs, saying it should be free for the poorest of the country rather than everybody.
It said testing in private labs should be free for those eligible under the Ayushman Bharat health policy for the poor, something that is already mandated by the government. The court also directed the Centre to issue guidelines within a week listing other categories of economically weaker sections for free testing.
A bench comprising justices Ashok Bhushan and Ravindra Bhat passed the order after hearing submissions on video-conferences.
The order came after solicitor general Tushar Mehta, representing the Indian Council of Medical research (ICMR), filed an affidavit on Monday asking the court to withdraw its 8 April order for the central government to ensure free testing at private labs for all Indians
(Source: Mint)
4. Sonia Gandhi Writes to PM Modi, Seeks Food Entitlements for Poor
In another letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday, 13 April, Congress president Sonia Gandhi urged him to provide 10 kg grains per person free of cost to those who are vulnerable and beneficiaries of National Food Security Act (NFSA) till September this year.
In her letter, Sonia lauded Modi’s decision to provide 5 kg of grain per person in addition to the entitlements under the NFSA and asked him to consider a few suggestions.
Her letter comes a few days after she had written to the Prime Minister suggesting ‘austerity measures’ to divert funds for battling the novel coronavirus outbreak, among others.
(Source: The Indian Express)
5. In Sharpest Daily Spike, 356 New COVID-19 Cases In Delhi
Delhi registered 356 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours on Monday, 13 April, the sharpest single-day spike that took the capital's tally to 1,510. Four more people have died, taking the total to 28, health officials said.
The number of containment zones in the national capital has now increased to 47 after the inclusion of new areas including Sant Nagar and Burari among others, news agency ANI reported.
The Delhi government on Monday launched a massive sanitisation drive in the city's COVID-19 containment areas, declared as red zones, and high-risk zones, identified as orange zones, to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
The administration ran a pilot disinfection drive using hi-tech Japanese spray machines at the Rajinder Nagar Assembly constituency.
(Source: NDTV)
6. Earthquake Felt In Delhi, Adjoining Areas For Second Consecutive Day
Mild tremors were felt in parts of Delhi and adjoining areas on Monday, 13 April. This is the second consecutive day that a low-intensity earthquake hit the national capital, which is under a lockdown to control the spread of the novel coronavirus.
A 2.7 magnitude earthquake hit the city at around 1:26 pm at a depth of 5 km, the National Centre for Seismology said. There were no immediate reports of any damage to property.
On Sunday evening, a quake measuring 3.5 on the Richter Scale – with its epicentre at north Delhi's Wazirabad – shook the city at around 5:45 pm, prompting panic-stricken people to come out of their houses. The tremors were also felt in neighbouring Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad.
(Source: NDTV)
7. Bernie Sanders Endorses Former Democratic Rival Joe Biden for President
Former Vice President Joe Biden, the likely Democratic nominee, was formally endorsed on Monday, 13 April, by longtime rival Bernie Sanders, a move that may help unify a Democratic Party ahead of a general-election matchup against Republican President Donald Trump.
Sanders, the progressive firebrand who last week suspended his presidential campaign, joined Biden in an online campaign event, citing the coronavirus outbreak as a reason for the party to come together.
That made for a stark contrast to 2016, when Sanders waited until the eve of the Democratic National Convention in the summer to support the then-nominee, Hillary Clinton.
(Source: The Indian Express)
8. Nagaland Reports First COVID-19 Case
Nagaland on Monday, 13 April, reported its first COVID-19 case following which several localities and a hospital in Dimapur were sealed.
The man has been admitted to a hospital in Guwahati, Assam for further treatment.
After the person was found positive the entire Marwaripatti and Ghorapatty areas in Dimapur were sealed. As a precautionary measure, Zion Hospital, Dimapur where the patient was earlier admitted has also been sealed. Doctors, nurses, support staff and their family members who came into direct and indirect contact with the patient to be quarantined.
Family members of the patient have already been shifted to the government quarantine centre.
"A man from Nagaland has tested positive for COVID-19. He travelled from Kolkata to Dimapur on 24 March, after which he was home quarantined," the state government said in a statement.
(Source: Mint)
9. Assam Launches Helpline for Residents Stranded
Government of Assam on Monday, 13 April, launched a helpline for the state’s residents who are stranded outside in the lockdown and have no financial means to sustain.
“To help people of Assam stranded in other states we have launched an Assam COVID-19 Helpline No 96-1547-1547. Once people call here, they get an automated response with a link requesting them to submit their details. Upon verification, we shall submit an amount to help them,” state finance and health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted.
“Those who are not able to fill the links themselves, we have a group of young volunteers from Gauhati University,Assam Engineering College and Cotton College who assist these people in filling the details. Volunteers will call back everyone to take details,” he added.
(Source: The Indian Express)
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