1. PM Modi to ‘Share Video Message’ with People Today
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday, 2 April, that he would share a video message on Friday morning, but did not specify further details.
"At 9 AM tomorrow morning, I'll share a small video message with my fellow Indians," PM Modi tweeted in Hindi and English.
Many believe his message could be related to the novel coronavirus crisis.
The PM has addressed the nation twice since the pandemic became a cause for serious concern in India.
(Source: NDTV)
2. Coronavirus Cases Cross 2,000 In India, 53 Dead
The number of COVID-19 cases in the country crossed 2,000 on Thursday, 2 April, with 235 fresh cases being detected within the last 24 hours. The total number of cases across the country is 2,069. Of them, 53 people are dead.
Much of the spike has come from the religious event held in Delhi last month. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has expressed concern that the numbers may go up further as the countrywide contact tracing of the people who attended the event, progresses.
(Source: NDTV)
3. Global Coronavirus Cases Top 1 Million As Pandemic Spreads
The number of officially reported coronavirus cases worldwide topped the one million mark on Thursday, 2 April, signifying a sharp acceleration in the number of infections and deaths over the past few weeks as the COVID-19 pandemic spreads exponentially.
At least 1,000,036 infections have been reported worldwide and 51,178 deaths, according to an AFP tally on Thursday at 1900 GMT.
In the past seven days, as many new cases have been diagnosed around the world as in the 86 days previously. The number of reported deaths has doubled since 27 March. To date, at least 186,000 people are considered to have recovered from the disease.
(Source: NDTV)
4. 7 Arrested For Attacking COVID-19 Health Staff In Madhya Pradesh's Indore
Seven persons were arrested for the alleged attack on health workers in Taatpatti Bakhal area of Madhya Pradesh's Indore city, an official said on Thursday.
A five-member team from the health department had gone to Taatpatti Bakhal on Wednesday to quarantine relatives and acquaintances of a COVID-19 patient, when a mob attacked them with stones, injuring two women doctors.
"Based on the video footage, we identified seven persons who were involved in stone pelting and arrested them," Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Harinarayanchari Mishra told reporters in Indore.
(Source: NDTV)
5. PM Modi Stresses Need for Common Exit Strategy to Lift Lockdown
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday, 2 April, said that the global COVID-19 situation is not yet satisfactory, and hinted at the speculation of a second wave. In a video interaction with the chief ministers of states, he also emphasised the need for a common but staggered exit strategy to lift the lockdown across the country.
“The states and Centre must formulate a common exit strategy to ensure staggered re-emergence of population once lockdown ends,” a government statement quoted Modi telling the chief ministers in the video conference, and he asked the states “to brainstorm and send suggestions for the exit strategy”.
(Source: The Indian Express)
6. 960 Tablighi Foreigners Blacklisted, Visas Cancelled by MHA
The government on Thursday, 1 April, blacklisted 960 foreigners and cancelled their visas after finding out that they were involved in Tablighi Jamaat activities, which was in violation of their visa conditions.
The Home Minister’s Office asked Delhi Police and police chiefs of other states where these foreigners are currently living, to take legal action under the Foreigners Act and the Disaster Management Act.
The Tablighi Jamaat congregation has become a national concern as it emerged to be a hotspot for coronavirus cases, with hundreds of people who attended the meet testing positive.
(Source: The Times of India)
7. Donald Trump Tests Negative On 2nd COVID-19 Test
President Donald Trump announced Thursday, 2 April, that he has taken his second coronavirus test at the White House since the outbreak began and it was again found to be negative.
"I just took it this morning," he told a news conference. "It said the president tested negative for COVID-19."
This was Trump's second test. This time he used a new rapid method that he said took a minute to complete and barely 15 minutes to return a result.
(Source: NDTV)
8. World Bank Approves $1 Billion Emergency Financing For India
The World Bank on Thursday, 2 April, approved USD 1-billion emergency financing for India to tackle the coronavirus outbreak, which has claimed 53 lives and infected over 2,000 others in the country.
The World Bank's first set of aid projects, amounting to USD 1.9 billion, will assist 25 countries, and new operations are moving forward in over 40 nations using the fast-track process, the bank said.
The largest chunk of the emergency financial assistance has gone to India -- USD 1 billion.
(Source: NDTV)
9. Post Lockdown, Entry of International Flights to be Regulated
Resumption of scheduled passengers flights after 14-15 April midnight, unless the lockdown is extended to contain spread of coronavirus, will be a gradual affair. Allowing passengers — mostly Indians stranded abroad — to fly to India will be decided on a country to country (from where they have to return) basis depending on the call taken by the heath and home ministries.
“Even before international flights were suspended on 22 March, there were restrictions on people coming to India (similar to those adopted by many other countries) depending on the corona situation there. Unless the lockdown is extended, the health ministry will decide which all countries are safe enough (corona-wise) to allow people to fly from there to India starting 15 April,” said Aviation Secretary P S Kharola on Thursday, 2 April.
(Source: The Times of India)
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