Coronavirus Outbreak LIVE updates: 20 Indian Navy personnel test positive, several feared infected on INS Angre; global COVID-19 toll crosses 1,50,000
08:10 (IST)
Coronavirus in Kerala Latest Update
Kerala govt issues an order specifying the classification of districts based on the number of cases
Kerala Government issued an order specifying the classification of districts based on the number of cases and disease threat. #COVID19 (17.4.2020) pic.twitter.com/zpApoA52xS
— ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2020
08:07 (IST)
Coronavirus in India Latest Update
Centre says containment ops to be scaled down if no secondary COVID-19 case for 4 weeks
Containment operations will be scaled down if no secondary positive case of COVID-19 is reported from a quarantine zone for at least four weeks after the last confirmed test has been isolated and all his contacts have been followed up for 28 days, the Union Health Ministry said.
According to the ministry's "Updated containment plan for large outbreaks COVID-19", a containment operation (large outbreak or cluster) is deemed to be over 28 days from the date the last case in that zone tests negative.
The closing of the surveillance for the clusters could be independent of one another provided there is no geographic continuity between clusters. However, the surveillance will continue for severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) and influenza-like illness (ILI).
08:00 (IST)
Coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir Latest Update
J&K Police books 7 for concealing travel history
Seven people were detained while they were trying to reach their homes by hiding in trucks amid the COVID-19 lockdown and booked for concealing their travel history in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district on Friday, officials said.
Police have started the process of sending them into quarantine as a COVID-19 prevention measure, they said.
They were apprehended by a police team at the Battal checkpost in the Majalta belt of the district after two trucks were intercepted, the officials said.
All the seven persons, including the drivers of the trucks, were coming from Delhi and they managed to evade police at the Lakhanpur checkpost, they said.
07:56 (IST)
Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Update
Global toll crosses 1,50,000
The number of deaths linked to the novel coronavirus reached 150,000, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally. The death toll is still far short of the so-called Spanish flu, which began in 1918 and is estimated to have killed more than 20 million people by the time it petered out in 1920.
07:50 (IST)
Coronavirus in India Latest Update
20 Indian navy sailors test positive, say reports
About 20 sailors of the Indian Navy have tested positive for COVID-19 at INS Angre in Mumbai, News18 reports.
INS Angre is a shore-based logistics and shore-based support establishment of the Western Naval Command. All the 20 sailors are asymptomatic and have been moved to INHS Asvini in Colaba and are in quarantine.
They stayed in the same block at INS Angre and are said to have been infected by a navy official who tested positive a week ago.
The first case was reported on 7 April at the INS Angre base there. All other persons who came in contact with these affected personnel have also been tested, Navy officials told ANI.
07:47 (IST)
Coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir Latest Update
Army develops COVID-19 helpline app for J&K administration
The Army has developed a mobile application to strengthen the efforts of Jammu and Kashmir administration to contain the spread of coronavirus, officials said on Friday.
COVID-19 Helpline Jammu and Kashmir application will provide useful real-time information to people about the location and contact number of hospitals, control rooms and rapid response teams in their vicinity, they said.
The mobile application is based on integrated information available on Google maps. It also contains information about the red zones, the officials said.
The application also contains relevant information on the preventive and safety measures regarding COVID-19 pandemic to create awareness among people, they added.
07:41 (IST)
Coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir Latest Update
J&K HC asks admin to urgently examine issue of insufficient testing
The Jammu and Kashmir High Court Friday directed the union territory administration to urgently examine the issue of insufficient testing facilities while passing a slew of directions regarding the measures to be taken in the battle against the COVID-19 disease.
Regarding lack of efficient internet facilities in the UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, the high court directed the Secretaries of the respective Home departments to file reports by the next date of hearing, an official release said.
While hearing two Public Interest Litigations pertaining to the issue through video conferencing, a bench of Chief Justice Geeta Mittal and Justice Rajesh Oswal directed that the matter of insufficient testing be urgently examined by the Chief Secretary, UT of Jammu and Kashmir as well as Secretary, Health and Medical Education.
07:37 (IST)
Coronavirus in US Latest Update
US announces $19 billion coronavirus aid for farmers, food buys for poor
President Donald Trump on Friday announced a $19 billion relief program to help US farmers cope with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, including $16 billion in direct payments to producers and mass purchases of meat, dairy, vegetables, and other products.
The US Agriculture Department is partnering with regional and local distributors to purchase $3 billion in such farm goods to be distributed to food banks, churches and aid groups as millions of Americans face unemployment with much of the US economy shut down.
07:27 (IST)
Coronavirus in Bihar Latest Update
Two tests positive for COVID-19 in Bihar, state tally at 85
With two more COVID-19 cases reported on Friday, the total number of positive coronavirus cases in the state climbed to 85, reports ANI.
The contact tracing of two new cases, who were infected with the virus after coming in contact with corona positive patients, is underway.
"Two more persons tested positive for COVID-19 today. They were infected after coming in contact with positive patients. Further contact tracing is underway. Total positive cases in the state stand at 85," said Sanjay Kumar, Principal Secretary Health, Bihar.
07:23 (IST)
Coronavirus in Pakistan Latest Update
429 members of Tablighi Jamaat group test positive n Pakistan
A total of 429 members of a Tablighi Jamaat group have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Pakistan's Sindh province.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said 429 members of the religious group had attended the annual congregation in Raiwand in Punjab province and all of them have had tested positive so far.
He said the members who have tested positive for COVID-19 have been kept in isolation to control the spread of the virus.
"Out of some 4,692 Tablighi Jamaat members in the province, tests have been carried out on some 4,653 so far," he told PTI.
The tally of the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country climbed on Friday to 7,260 with 137 deaths. In Punjab, the number of such cases is 3,300.
07:20 (IST)
Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Update
Cases rise to 1,707 in Delhi; new areas declared as containment zones
The number of novel coronavirus cases in the national capital rose to 1,707 on Friday, with 67 fresh cases and four deaths being reported in a day, according to Delhi government authorities.
With four more fatalities reported, the death toll from COVID-19 in Delhi has jumped to 42, while the number of coronavirus containment zones here were increased to 68. New zones were added in various areas, including in Malviya Nagar and Jahangirpuri, the authorities said.
District Magistrate South Delhi B M Mishra said a zone in Sangam Vihar was contained on Friday after a total of four cases in one house related to the March Nizamuddin congregation were traced.
07:17 (IST)
Coronavirus in India Latest Update
Centre says COVID-19 doubling rate has reduced as cases rise to 13,835
The Union health ministry claimed a decline in the rate of doubling of infections in the last one week even as India witnessed a surge in cases with 1,076 infections and 32 fresh deaths in the last 24 hours, and Gujarat becoming the sixth state to cross the 1,000 mark in confirmed coronavirus cases.
The total number of confirmed cases in the country rose to 13,835 on Friday with toll from COVID-19 disease at 452, as per the last update released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW). Of the total cases, 11,616 are active while 1,766 have been cured/discharged and one has migrated.
Coronavirus Outbreak LATEST updates: Twenty sailors of the Indian Navy have tested positive for COVID-19 at INS Angre in Mumbai, News18 reports. Meanwhile, the number of deaths linked to the novel coronavirus reached 150,000, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally.
The Union health ministry claimed a decline in the rate of doubling of infections in the last one week even as India witnessed a surge in cases with 1,076 infections and 32 fresh deaths in the last 24 hours, and Gujarat becoming the sixth state to cross the 1,000 mark in confirmed coronavirus cases.
The total number of confirmed cases in the country rose to 13,835 on Friday with toll from COVID-19 disease at 452, as per the last update released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW). Of the total cases, 11,616 are active while 1,766 have been cured/discharged and one has migrated.
The number of coronavirus cases in India jumped to 13,835 while toll rose to 452. PTI
However, according to a PTI tally based on reports from states, the total number of confirmed cases in the country is 14,173 while the toll stands at 479.
Meanwhile, even as the Union home ministry updated its containment plan for coronavirus hotspots, Maharashtra, the worst-affected state in the country, relaxed restrictions on sugarcane workers as well as released plans to allow some industrial and commercial activities, including MNREGA works from 20 April in areas that are not marked as containment zones.
Activities related to supply chain of essential goods, whether in manufacturing, wholesale or retail trade of essential goods through local stores, large brick and mortar stores or e-commerce companies, will be also allowed, except in containment areas.
On Friday, the number of confirmed cases in the state crossed the 3,000 mark and toll from the virus inched closer to 200.
Mumbai, Indore worst hotspots
Mumbai once again remained the worst-affected hotspot in the Maharashtra (and the country), with 77 more people testing positive in India's financial capital on Friday. According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the city has 2,120 confirmed cases as on Friday. The number in Dharavi, Asia's largest slum, reached 101 with 15 new infections reported on Friday, PTI reported.
Indore, which is the second worst-affected city in the country (and the worst affected city in Madhya Pradesh), the number of confirmed cases were at 842 while 47 patients have died since the outbreak began less than a month ago. At 5.58 percent death rate, Indore's coronavirus mortality is above the national average, state health officials said.
Gujarat becomes sixth state to cross 1,ooo mark
While Maharashtra continues to lead in terms of total confirmed cases at 3,205 infections, Delhi is the second worst-affected state with 1,640 cases, followed by Tamil Nadu with 1,323 cases, Rajasthan with 1,193 cases and Madhya Pradesh with 1,164 infections.
In Gujarat, the total number confirmed cases reached 1,021 after 92 new cases were reported on Friday, while the death toll reached 38 (the third highest in the country and same as that of Delhi) with the addition of two fatalities, health officials said in Ahmedabad.
State officials attributed the sudden spurt in the cases in Gujarat to intensive surveillance and testing in coronavirus hotspots, including those which have been placed under curfew till 21 April in the walled city of Ahmedabad.
Meanwhile, Karnataka, which recorded 38 new positive cases, its highest single day tally so far, on Friday has scaled up the number of coronavirus tests by five times, state officials said. The state has 353 confirmed cases so far.
Of the total 452 deaths listed by the health ministry on Friday, Maharashtra tops the tally with 194 fatalities, followed by Madhya Pradesh at 57, Gujarat and Delhi at 38 each and Telangana 18.
Tamil Nadu has reported 15 deaths while Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh reported 14 fatalities each.
Punjab and Karnataka reported 13 deaths each.
Rajasthan has registered 11 deaths while West Bengal reported 10 deaths fatalities. Some states have reported less than 10 deaths.
As per the latest updated data from the health ministry, the rate of recovery of COVID-19 patients in India is at 12.7 percent, while the mortality rate of 3.27 percent.
Rate of doubling of cases has slowed, says health ministry
At a daily media briefing about updates on COVID-19 situation, Joint Secretary in the Health Ministry Lav Agarwal maintained that there had been a 40 percent decline in the growth of new cases.
The average growth factor of cases from 1 April stood at 1.2, whereas between 15 and 31 March 15 it was 2.1.
This decline of 40 percent was due to increase in testing, including that of cases with severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) and influenza-like illness (ILI). he said.
The health ministry official also said that the rate at which coronavirus cases were doubling has come down.
"Before lockdown, the doubling rate of coronavirus cases was 3 days. Going by the number of cases in the last seven days, the doubling rate has been 6.2 days. In 19 states and Union Territories the doubling rate is less than the national average." he said
Agarwal also claimed that India has been doing better than many other countries on the outcome ratio, which is the number of recoveries from coronavirus infection versus the number of deaths.
"If 80 percent of the patients in India are recovering and in 20 percent cases deaths are being reported, then by that standard India has been doing a little better than many other nations on the outcome ratio," he said.
He also informed reporters that 1,919 dedicated COVID-19 hospitals with 1.73 lakh isolation beds and 21,800 ICU beds have been readied till now.
In a letter to all chief secretaries and principal secretaries (health) of states, ICMR Director General Dr Balram Bharagava listed the protocol for using the rapid antibody test' in hotspot area for epidemiological studies and surveillance.
India received five lakh rapid antibody testing kits from China on Thursday and these, health ministry officials, said are being distributed to states for districts with high burden of infection.
In case, the state does not have a hotspot, these tests may be used for: any hotspot which may emerge in future or as a surveillance tool for epidemiological purpose in such areas where cases have not emerged so far, the ICMR said.
The ICMR said that 28,542 samples were tested on Friday with the total number of samples tested so far at 3,32,583.
The ICMR also said that it will conduct a study to find the efficacy of BCG vaccine against COVID-19 and till any definitive result is reached it will not recommended the vaccine even for healthcare workers, officials said on Friday.
Maharashtra seeks relief from Centre, allows conditional travel for sugarcane workers
The Maharashtra govt on Friday sought financial aid from Centre. While Maharashtra finance minister Ajit Pawar has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a grant of Rs 10,000 crore for five months, state revenue minister and Maharashtra Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat on Friday demanded a package of Rs 25,000 crore from the Centre to help the state tackle the coronavirus outbreak.
Thorat said that the state is taking care of 7.5 lakh poor and migrant labourers in 6,500 camps.
"We have demanded PPE kits from the Centre but are yet to get them. We want the Centre to give us a package of Rs 25,000 crore as well as Rs 16,500 GST refund to tackle the outbreak," he added.
On Friday, the Maharashtra government relaxed some of the restrictions placed on movement of people, including allowing over one lakh migrant sugarcane workers to return to their native villages amid the lockdown subject to the carrying out of medical tests in connection with the coronavirus outbreak.
A statement released by the office of Social Justice Minister Dhananjay Munde said that the decision will benefit sugarcane workers from Beed and Ahmednagar who are stranded in western Maharashtra, the border areas with Karnataka and other parts of the state.
The statement said those operating these factories will have to get workers and their kin tested and certified, and inform authorities, including gram panchayats, and then obtain requisite permissions for their safe return.
Health ministry updates containment plan, extends wait period to four weeks
The Health ministry said on Friday that containment operations will be scaled down if no secondary positive case of COVID-19 is reported from a quarantine zone for at least four weeks after the last confirmed test has been isolated and all his contacts have been followed up for 28 days.
According to the ministry's "Updated containment plan for large outbreaks COVID-19", a containment operation (large outbreak or cluster) is deemed to be over 28 days from the date the last case in that zone tests negative.
The plan said the authorities will do extensive contact tracing and active search for cases in containment zone, test all suspect cases and high-risk contacts, isolate all suspect or confirmed cases, implement social distancing measures and intensive risk communication as part of the cluster containment strategy.
"The objective of this containment plan is to stop the chain of transmission thus reducing the morbidity and mortality due to COVID-19," the ministry said.
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan also said that the Thiruvananthapuram-based Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Science and Technology in Kerala has developed a low cost diagnostic test kit that can confirm COVID-19 infection in two hours.
The kit can detect coronavirus in 10 minutes, and the sample to result in time will be less than two hours, Vardhan tweeted.
A total of 30 samples can be tested in a single batch in a single machine, he added.
Meawnhwile, Union home minister Amit Shah said the Modi government is leaving no stone unturned to tackle the coronavirus crisis.
"Modi government is leaving no stone unturned in this fight against COVID-19, ensuring minimum disruption in people's lives while planning for a strong and stable India in days ahead," he tweeted.
With inputs from agencies
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British / Pakistani ISIS suspect, Zakaria Saqib Mahmood, is arrested in Bangladesh on suspicion of recruiting jihadists to fight in Syria
• Local police named arrested Briton as Zakaria Saqib Mahmood, also known as Zak, living in 70 Eversleigh Road, Westham, E6 1HQ London
• They suspect him of recruiting militants for ISIS in two Bangladeshi cities
• He arrived in the country in February, having previously spent time in Syria and Pakistan
• Suspected militant recruiter also recently visited Australia
A forty-year-old Muslim British man has been arrested in Bangladesh on suspicion of recruiting would-be jihadists to fight for Islamic State terrorists in Syria and Iraq.
The man, who police named as Zakaria Saqib Mahmood born 24th August 1977, also known as Zak, is understood to be of Pakistani origin and was arrested near the Kamalapur Railway area of the capital city Dhaka.
He is also suspected of having attempted to recruit militants in the northern city of Sylhet - where he is understood to have friends he knows from living in Newham, London - having reportedly first arrived in the country about six months ago to scout for potential extremists.
Militants: The British Pakistani man (sitting on the left) named as Zakaria Saqib Mahmood was arrested in Bangladesh
The arrested man has been identified as Zakaria Saqib Mahmood, sources at the media wing of Dhaka Metropolitan Police told local newspapers.
He is believed to have arrived in Bangladesh in February and used social media websites including Facebook to sound out local men about their interest in joining ISIS, according to Monirul Islam - joint commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police - who was speaking at a press briefing today.
Zakaria has openly shared Islamist extremist materials on his Facebook and other social media links.
An example of Zakaria Saqib Mahmood sharing Islamist materials on his Facebook profile
He targeted Muslims from Pakistan as well as Bangladesh, Mr. Islam added, before saying: 'He also went to Australia but we are yet to know the reason behind his trips'.
Zakaria Saqib Mahmood trip to Australia in order to recruit for militant extremist groups
'From his passport we came to know that he went to Pakistan where we believe he met a Jihadist named Rauf Salman, in addition to Australia during September last year to meet some of his links he recruited in London, mainly from his weekly charity food stand in East London,' the DMP spokesperson went on to say.
Police believes Zakaria Mahmood has met Jihadist member Rauf Salman in Pakistan
Zakaria Saqib Mahmood was identified by the local police in Pakistan in the last September. The number of extremists he has met on this trip remains unknown yet.
Zakaria Saqib Mahmood uses charity food stand as a cover to radicalize local people in Newham, London.
Investigators: Dhaka Metropolitan Police believe Zakaria Saqib Mahmood arrived in Bangladesh in February and used social media websites including Facebook to sound out local men about their interest in joining ISIS
The news comes just days after a 40-year-old East London bogus college owner called Sinclair Adamson - who also had links to the northern city of Sylhet - was arrested in Dhaka on suspicion of recruiting would-be fighters for ISIS.
Zakaria Saqib Mahmood, who has studied at CASS Business School, was arrested in Dhaka on Thursday after being reported for recruiting militants.
Just one day before Zakaria Mahmood's arrest, local police detained Asif Adnan, 26, and Fazle Elahi Tanzil, 24, who were allegedly traveling to join ISIS militants in Syria, assisted by an unnamed Briton.
It is understood the suspected would-be jihadists were planning to travel to a Turkish airport popular with tourists, before traveling by road to the Syrian border and then slipping across into the war zone.
Porous border: It is understood the suspected would-be jihadists were planning to travel to a Turkish airport popular with tourists, before traveling to the Syrian border (pictured) and then slipping into the war zone
Zakaria Mahmood’s arrest came just two days after Bangladeshi detectives revealed they were searching for a London-based ISIS agent who had recruited several young men arrested in recent weeks, according to the Telegraph.
Three alleged recruits were arrested last week, including the son of a retired judge and the other the son of a senior civil servant.
They had been told they would travel to Syria via Turkey posing as followers of Tablighi Jamaat - an Islamic religious study group not affiliated with any terror collective.
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