https://th.thgim.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/ob6ipm/article31684562.ece/alternates/FREE_730/Vijayawada — Wall paintings to spread awareness on wearing masks decorate the walls of Vijayawada. | Photo Credit: K.V.S. Giri

Coronavirus India lockdown Day 64 updates | May 27, 2020

Video of baby tugging at sheet covering dead mother at railway station goes viral

27 May 2020, 03:54 by The Hindu Net Desk

Maharashtra recorded the sharpest rise in the COVID-19 mortality on Tuesday with 97 deaths pushing the toll to 1,792. The State also recorded 2,091 cases taking the tally to 54,758.

While the highest — 39 deaths — were reported from Mumbai, which remains the epicentre of the outbreak, 15 deaths were reported from Thane, 10 from the Kalyan Dombivali region, five from Mira Bhayandar and three from Ulhasnagar. Pune recorded eight deaths, Solapur seven, Aurangabad five, Malegaon recorded three and Nagpur and Ratnagiri recorded one each.

Here is a list of State Helpline numbers. You can track coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates at the national and State levels here.

Also read:Data | The curious case of Gujarat's COVID-19 curve: remained flat throughout May

Here are the latest updates

9.40 p.m. | Uttar Pradesh

5 deaths, 269 new cases in UP

With five new casualties, the death toll in UP goes up to 182 while the total number of cases stand at 6,991, an increase of 269 cases over the past 24 hours, according to the state health department. UP has 2,818 active cases.

Today there were 167 recoveries, with 3,991 total recoveries and discharged. The number of migrant workers who tested positive now stands at 1,820, while 59, 272 samples of such persons, termed "inter-state migrants" by the government, have been collected. More than 9.60 lakh migrant workers are under surveillance of ASHA workers.

UP has so far sent over 2.47 lakh samples for testing, while 83,192 asymptomatic persons have been identified till date.

- Omar Rashid

9.30 p.m. | Rajasthan

3 deaths, 280 new cases in Rajasthan

Three deaths in Jaipur took the COVID-19 related mortality figure in Rajasthan to 173. A total of 280 new COVID-19 positive cases were detected in the State today, taking the tally to 7,816. Of them, 4,562 have recovered and 3,913 have been discharged.

The number of active cases in Rajasthan, as of now, is 3,081, said the Medical & Health Department.

9.00 p.m. | Maharashtra

105 deaths, 2190 new cases in Maharashtra

Maharashtra reported its highest single-day surge in fatalities till date, with 105 Covid-19 deaths on Wednesday taking the State's death toll to 1897, while another big spike of 2,190 new cases taking the cumulative case tally to 56,948.

As many as 964 patients were discharged today, taking the total number of discharged till date to 17,918.

Mumbai's case tally has now crossed the 34,000 mark to reach 34,018 cases, while its death toll stood at 1097. As many as 32 of the new deaths reported today were from Mumbai city, 16 from Thane district, 10 from Jalgaon, nine from Pune district and seven from Navi Mumbai among other parts of the State.

Dharavi reported one of the fewest cases so far in a single day when it reported 18 cases on Wednesday. The area has reported 1639 cases so far.

- Mumbai bureau

8.15 p.m. | Gujarat

Gujarat reports 23 deaths, 376 new cases

Gujarat on Wedneday recorded 376 new positive cases of COVID-19 and 23 deaths, increasing its tally to 938 deaths and 15,205 infections.

- Mahesh Langa

7.45 p.m. | Karnataka

3 deaths, 135 new cases in Karnataka

Karnataka reported 3 deaths and 135 new positive cases on Wednesday, and 17 people were discharged today as well, according to the State health bulletin.

The total positive cases stand at 2418, the total discharges at 781 and the death toll is 47.

7.20 p.m. | Odisha

Odisha to resume private buses from tomorrow

After a gap of over two months, private buses will operate in Odisha from Thursday, the All Odisha Private Bus Owners Association said.

The association in its general body meeting here on Wednesday decided to run buses "in phases" with the State government agreeing to fulfill some of their "genuine demands".

"The state government has fulfilled our three primary demands and assured us that it will pay heed to some others in view of the losses incurred by bus owners due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

"After an unanimous decision among all the stakeholders and keeping in mind the interest of the public, we have decided to run the buses across the State from Thursday," association secretary Debendra Sahoo said.

- PTI

7.10 p.m. | West Bengal

Mamata seeks PM's intervention in railways sending Shramik Special trains to WB

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention on Wednesday in the alleged "whimsical" functioning of the railways in sending Shramik Special trains to West Bengal daily and urged the BJP-led central government not to pursue politics when the State is battling the dual crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic and the trail of destruction left behind by Cyclone Amphan.

The State's infrastructure is "stretched to its limit" following the devastation caused by Cyclone Amphan, she said, adding that West Bengal can receive very few trains carrying migrant workers on a daily basis as of now.

"The State considers the ferrying of a large number of migrant workers by the railways as a big problem for public health. The pressure should be "optimal and well managed", Ms. Banerjee said.

- PTI

7.00 p.m. | Jammu and Kashmir

1 more death in J&K

A 55-year-old man from Srinagar who had tested positive for coronavirus died at a hospital here on Wednesday, taking the COVID-19 related death toll in Jammu and Kashmir to 25, officials said.

The man, hailing from the Fateh Kadal area of the city, died at the Chest Diseases (CD) hospital here, they said.

The officials said the patient was shifted to the CD hospital from SICU SMHS on May 18 as an operated case of exploratory laparotomy with appendicectomy after testing positive for coronavirus.

- PTI

6.45 p.m. | Mumbai

Another Mumbai cop dies, toll in city rises to 13

A 54-year-old head constable posted in central Mumbai became the 13th fatality of the COVID-19 virus in the ranks of the Mumbai Police on Tuesday.

The HC, who was just a few months short of falling in the high-risk age group, was assigned patrol duty in an area that has witnessed a large spike in cases of novel coronavirus patients over the last few weeks. His colleagues said that he was part of a mobile patrolling unit in a containment zone in the city, and was tested on May 20 after he started presenting symptoms.

He tested positive on May 22 and was admitted to a police quarantine facility in Marol the same day. From there, he was first shifted to the National Sports Club of India and then to the BYL Nair Hospital, where he breathed his last on Tuesday evening.

"He was shifted to the Intensive Care Unit on Tuesday and later succumbed to the virus. He used to stay with his family in Thane," one of the deceased policeman's colleague said.

The HC's demise takes the toll in the city to 13 and in the State to 21. So far, 1150 Mumbai Police personnel have tested positive for COVID 19, while the figure in the State has reached 1964 cases.

- Gautam Mengele

6.30 p.m. | Tamil Nadu

6 deaths, 817 new cases in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu reported 817 new positive cases and 6 deaths on Wednesday. 567 people were discharged today. The total positive cases stand at 18,545, the death toll is 133 and 9909 have been discharged till date.

- Serena Josephine

6.00 p.m. | Kerala

40 new cases in Kerala, tally passes 1000

The COVID-19 tally in Kerala crossed the one thousand mark on Wednesday, with 40 people, including 37 returnees from abroad and other States, testing positive for the coronavirus.

The aggregate of cases now has touched 1003, while presently 445 people are undergoing treatment in various hospitals and over 1.7 lakh under observation, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters.

Totally 552 people have been cured and there has been six fatalities.

Kasaragod reported the highest number of cases today-- 10, Palakkad eight, Alappuzha seven, Kollam four, Pathnamthitta three, Wayanad three, Kozhikode two, Ernakulam two and Kannur one, Mr. Vijayan said.

An all party meeting was held on Wednesday in which opposition leaders raised the issue of paid quarantine for expatriates coming from abroad.

Mr. Vijayan said "there was no need for any anxiety on the matter.The poor will not face any difficulty and the quarantine fee will be charged from only those who can afford it."

Some people from abroad are planning to charter flights to bring stranded expatriates, he said.

"We don't have any problem with that. But we need to be informed to make arrangements for them," Mr. Vijayan added.

- PTI

5.45 p.m. | New Delhi

CBSE students who moved States can take board exams there

Class 10 and 12 students who have moved to a different State or district when schools were closed during the COVID-19-induced lockdown can appear for pending board exams only there, Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ announced on May 27.

The Minister said these students will not be required to travel back to the previous board exam centre. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will announce modalities of registrations for such requests, he said.

- PTI

5.15 p.m.

Social distancing norms of 6 ft insufficient, virus can travel nearly 20 ft: Study

Scientists have modelled the spread of infectious droplets from coughing, sneezing, and breathing under different atmospheric conditions, and found that the novel coronavirus can spread up to three times further in cold and humid weather.

According to the researchers, including those from the University of California (UC) Santa Barbara in the US, droplets carrying the virus can travel up to 20 feet, making the current social distancing norms of six feet insufficient to contain its spread.

Based on previous research, they said as many as 40,000 respiratory droplets can be generated by sneezing, coughing, and even normal talking, with initial speeds ranging from a few metres per second to more than a hundred meters per second.

- PTI

5.00 p.m. | Nagaland

5 new cases in Nagaland

Nagaland reported five more COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, taking the total number of people afflicted with coronavirus in the state to nine, state Health
Minister S Pangnyu Phom said.

All of these nine people who tested positive for COVID-19 returned to the state from Chennai on May 22 by a Shramik Special train.

The train brought back 1,328 residents of the state who were stranded in different parts of Tamil Nadu due to the lockdown imposed to check the spread of the virus.

Five returnees from Chennai tested COVID-19 positive this morning. Four are from Dimapur and one from Kohima. With this, we have nine cases in Nagaland," the minister for health and family welfare said in a tweet.

The COVID-19 patients are undergoing treatment at hospitals in Dimapur and Kohima districts, he said.

- PTI

4.45 p.m. | Bihar

Video of baby tugging at sheet covering dead mother at railway station goes viral

Amid several videos highlighting the woes of migrant workers returning to Bihar, a video that has gone viral on social media shows a baby tugging at a sheet of cloth covering her dead mother at a railway station.

The body of the woman is lying on the platform, while two bags stuffed with her belongings are at a distance. The half-naked baby, seemingly unaware of the death of his mother, is seen plying with the sheet partly covering his motionless mother. An elder child with a water bottle in hand too appears for a moment in the video.

The heart-wrenching video is said to be shot at Muzaffarpur railway station in Bihar. No railway official has confirmed it.

However, a local journalist in Muzaffarpur told The Hindu that the woman with her two little children came to the station by a Shramik Special train on May 25 from Gujarat and upon reaching the station, she collapsed immediately.

The woman is said to have boarded the train in Gujarat on May 23.

6-year-old girl dies of snake bite at quarantine centre

A six-year-old girl died of snake bite at a quarantine centre in the district following which three persons have been booked, a senior official said.

The girl was sleeping along with her family on the floor at the quarantine centre for want of beds when the incident occurred in the early hours of Monday, Nainital District Magistrate, Savin Bansal, said.

The girl was taken to the community health centre at Betalghat where she was declared dead, he said.

A vacant school building converted into a quarantine centre in Talli Sethi area of Betalghat is the place where the incident took place.

Sub-inspector (revenue) Rajpal Singh, village development officer Umesh Joshi and assistant teacher Karan Singh have been booked under various sections of the IPC including 304 A (causing death by negligence) in connection with the incident, the DM said.

According to the inmates at the quarantine facility, the family had complained to Rajpal about the risk of snake bite with thick bushes surrounding the centre but he allegedly did not respond.

The family had been quarantined at the school building on its return from Delhi recently.�

People lodged in quarantine centres in hilly areas have been complaining about dirty washrooms and shortage of water supply.

The death of the girl was a result of this mismanagement, other inmates at the centre charged.

- PTI

4.00 pm | New Delhi

A Central Public Works Department employee working in the office of an Additional Director General of CPWD in Nirman Bhavan tested positive for COVID-19 on May 22. He was tested after his status on the Aarogya Setu app changed to red on May 18. - Damini Nath

3.40 pm | Tamil Nadu

Tokens for free June rations to be distributed from May 29

Tokens for free supply of essential rations for family card holders in Tamil Nadu for June, will be distributed at doorsteps between May 29 and 31.

In a an official release on Wednesday, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami said the tokens would bear the specific date and time of when consumers could go to their ration shops and get their supplies from June 1. He urged consumers to follow physical distancing norms and wear face masks while getting their supplies.

All ration card holders in Tamil Nadu would be given essential supplies -- 1 kg of rice, 1 kg of tur dal, 1 litre of edible oil, free of cost for June. Rice card holders would get additional supply, besides the regular supply, he said.

3.15 pm | Karnataka

Four patients test positive even after 14 days of isolation, treatment

The Hassan district administration is worried as four patients, who were found positive to the COVID-19 infection on May 12, remained infected even 12 days after they were hospitalised.

Five people, who had returned from Mumbai, were shifted to hospital and treatment began. They were all asymptomatic. Among them, four have tested positive again, showing no sign of recovery. As per the protocol for treatment, if the two samples taken in a gap of 24 hours after 12 days of isolation tested negative they could be discharged.

All passengers of Alliance Air’s Delhi-Ludhiana flight quarantined after one tests positive for COVID-19

Air India on Wednesday said a passenger who was onboard an Alliance Air flight from the national capital to Ludhiana has tested positive for coronavirus and a total of 41 people, including five crew members, have been quarantined.

Alliance Air, which operates regional flights, is part of Air India.

“A passenger travelling on AI9I837 Delhi-Ludhiana flight of May 25 was found COVID positive on May 26. All the pax (passengers) of this flight are now under quarantine,” an Air India spokesperson said. There were 36 passengers and five crew members in the flight.

2.35 pm | Jammu and Kashmir

Adviser to J&K Lt. Governor quarantined after his family tests positive

The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Wednesday re-allocated the portfolios of R.R. Bhatnagar, adviser to Lt. Governor Girish Chandra Murmu, after his family members tested positive for novel coronavirus.

A government spokesman said the Lt. Governor assigned to adviser K. K. Sharma all duties and functions of the departments allocated to Mr. Bhatnagar, who is under quarantine.

Mr. Bhatnagar was placed under quarantine after his wife and son tested positive for the infection upon their return from New Delhi to Jammu on Sunday. - Peerzada Ashiq

2.25 pm | Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal govt equipped to handle possible spike in COVID-19 cases: Khandu

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Wednesday said the state government is fully equipped to handle a possible spike in COVID-19 cases as more people return from other states.

Mr. Khandu, in a video message, said his government has put in place a robust mechanism with all the standard operating procedures (SoPs) to prevent the spread of the virus.

“I request people not to panic even if there is a rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in Arunachal in the future. I assure that the state government is well prepared and equipped to handle any situation with regard to the virus,” he said.

2.10 pm | Kerala

Liquor sales in Kerala likely from Thursday

The Kerala government is all set to resume the sale of legal alcohol from Thursday.

It hopes to restrict people from queuing up at liquor shops by deploying a mobile phone application, Bev Q. The software enables customers to place their order in advance by mobile and collect the parcels from liquor stores at a predetermined time.

Another death in Karnataka

One more death and 122 coronavirus cases were reported in the State on Wednesday morning, taking the total number of cases to 2,405. This includes 45 COVID-19 deaths, one non-COVID death and 762 discharges.

A 69-year-female patient, resident of Yadgir district and returnee from Maharashtra, was brought dead to the designated hospital in Yadgir on May 20 and she tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday night. The information was released on Wednesday morning.

Of the 122 cases, 109 are returnees from Maharashtra. Kalaburagi, with 28 new cases, reported the highest number of cases on Wednesday. All of them are Maharashtra returnees.

Delhi sees biggest single day jump of cases

792 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Delhi in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of cases to 15,257, according to a health bulletin released by the Delhi government on Wednesday.

This is the biggest single-day jump in the number of cases in the city so far.

Also, 15 more deaths have been reported, taking the total number of deaths to 303. But all the deaths did not happen in the past 24 hours.

Of the 15,257 cases, 7,264 people have recovered and there are 7,690 active cases. - Nikhil M. Babu

'COVID negative' certificate

Goa has made changes to its Standard operating Procedure on people entering the State.

All those arriving in the State must carry a COVID negative certificate or will have to undergo COVID-19 test by paying Rs. 2000 upon arrival in Goa.

There will be no home quarantine option as available before. If positive, the patient will have to get admitted to COVID hospital.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the decision was taken at the cabinet meeting.

12.30 pm | Tripura

23 new COVID-19 cases in Tripura, total rises to 232

Twenty-three more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Tripura, taking the total number of cases in the state to 232.

The number of active cases stands at 65 while 165 people have recovered and have been discharged and two have migrated to other states.

Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb said, among the new cases, 18 people have come from Maharashtra by train.

12.20 pm | Puducherry

New cases in Pondy

Nine COVID-19 cases, including four from Villupuram in Tamil Nadu, were reported in Puducherry on Wednesday.

The five cases in Puducherry were from Solai Nagar, Muthialpet and Reddiarpalayam.

The number of active COVID-19 cases stand at 39 in the UT. The cumulative total aggregates 51, with 12 cured. - Dinesh Verma

12.15 pm | Maharashtra

One more Head Constable, posted with a police station in central Mumbai, was lost to the COVID-19, taking the death toll to 19 in Mumbai. - Gautam Mengle

12.10 pm

Health Ministry issues guidance note on provision of Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health Plus Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) services during and post COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ministry has stated services related to pregnancy care management, newborn care & childhood illness management, immunisation services, management of severe acute malnutrition in children, family planning services, comprehensive abortion care services and adolescent health services as essential.

12.00 noon | West Bengal

West Bengal govt to run buses on 40 routes

The West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC) has decided to run buses on 40 routes from Wednesday, as more government and private offices start functioning amid the coronavirus lockdown.

The buses, including air-conditioned ones, would run on various routes across the city as well as in the suburbs and districts from 7 am to 7 pm.

State government buses will also ply on some routes to and from Nadia, South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas districts.

11.45 am | Karnataka

Karnataka to open temples from June 1

After a closure of more than two months, all Muzrai temples in Karnataka are set to reopen from June 1, after the scheduled end of Lockdown 4.0.

Devotees will be allowed inside temples but social distancing norms are to be followed. Festivals and programmes will not be allowed.

The Chief Minister also launched online booking of puja services offered at 50 ‘A’ grade temples. Some temples have made arrangements for live streaming of pujas and other rituals and delivery of ‘prasada’ and ‘theertha’ to devotees through India Post.

11.15 am | New Delhi

COVID-19 here to stay till 2021, Health expert tells Rahul Gandhi

Global health experts on Wednesday said novel coronavirus is here to stay for more than a year and called for aggressive testing to prevent its spread.

In an interaction with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, health experts Professor Ashish Jha and Professor Johan Giesecke talked about the COVID-19 pandemic as part of the series being aired on Congress social media channels.

While Jha exuded confidence that a vaccine will be available in a year’s time, Prof Giesecke said India should practice a lockdown that is as ‘soft’ as possible, as a severe lockdown will ruin its economy very quickly.

10.45 am | Rajasthan

Two more COVID-19 deaths in Rajasthan

Rajasthan on Wednesday recorded two COVID-19 deaths and 109 new cases of the virus. The number of cases in the state now stands at 7,645 and fatalities at 172.

Of the 109 fresh cases, Jhalawar recorded 64 cases followed by 16 in Kota, 12 in Nagaur, six each in Jaipur and Bharatpur, two in Jhunjhunu and one each in Bikaner and Dausa, officials said.

A total of 3,773 people have been discharged. There are 3,180 active cases in the State.

10.30 am | Delhi

One staffer, 10 inmates in Rohini jail recover

One staffer and 10 inmates of Rohini jail recovered from COVID-19, said prison officials on Tuesday.

Earlier, 16 inmates and four staff members of the same prison had tested COVID-19 positive, they said.

DG(Prison) Sandeep Goel said Head Warder of central jail number 10 had tested positive for the virus on May 15. “He was asymptomatic and had been kept in government quarantine facility in Sonipat. He has recovered,” Mr Goel said, adding that doctors have recommended him seven-day rest.

10.20 am | Odisha

74 cases detected in quarantine centres

76 more COVID-19 positive cases were detected in Odisha pushing the State’s total to 1593 on Wednesday. While 74 of the new cases were detected in quarantine centres, two were from the local community, say Health Department officials.

The number of active cases stood at 853, while 733 were discharged. The death toll remained seven. - Prafulla Das

10.00 am | Maharashtra

Antiviral drug sought for Cabinet minister who has tested positive

A State Cabinet minister and senior Congress leader, who has tested positive for COVID-19, is likely to be the third VIP to get the antiviral drug remdesivir.

The minister, who has many co-morbidities, was shifted to Breach Candy Hospital on Monday from his home town.

Two IAS officers — one admitted to Breach Candy and the other at Lilavati — have already received the drug.

5 more test positive in Meghalaya

Five more persons tested positive for COVID-19 in Meghalaya, taking the total number of active cases in the state to seven, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said on Wednesday.

All the five who tested positive for COVID-19 had returned from Delhi and Haryana recently.

“Five more people who came recently from Delhi-Haryana have been tested positive for COVID19. They are at Corona Care Centre, Shillong and asymptomatic. Total active cases in the state as of now is 7 (2+5),” the Chief Minister tweeted.

With the five new cases, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Meghalaya increased to 20. Twelve persons have recovered from coronavirus while one person had died.

- PTI

9.30 am | Shanghai

China reports 1 new mainland COVID-19 cases vs 7 a day earlier

China reported 1 new confirmed coronavirus case in the mainland as of end-May 26, up from 7 a day earlier, the National Health Commission reported.

It also reported 28 new asymptomatic cases - patients who are infected but do not show symptoms - versus 29 a day earlier.

The new confirmed case was an imported one. The 7 reported a day earlier were also all imported.

The total number of cases to date in the mainland stands at 82,993. The death toll remains unchanged at 4,634.

- Reuters

9.00 am

Hong Kong high school students go back to class

Hong Kong public high school students began attending classes on Wednesday, part of a phased reopening after the financial hub successfully tackled its coronavirus outbreak. Hundreds of secondary schools opened their doors on Wednesday for senior students, the first classes in the state sector since late January.

Younger students will return in stages over the coming weeks, while fee-paying international schools have already restarted classes.

Manipur tally goes up to 41 after two more test positive

The number of persons infected by COVID-19 in Manipur has gone up to 41, with two more persons testing positive, according to official sources on Wednesday morning.

Khoirom Shashikanta, additional health director who is also the government spokesperson, said that out of the 41 cases as many as 37 are active. Four persons had fully recovered.

Brazil daily virus deaths again top 1,000

Brazil reported the highest daily COVID-19 death toll in the world Tuesday with 1,039 people killed, the fifth straight day the country has topped the list.

Latin America's largest country, which has emerged as a new epicenter in the coronavirus pandemic, has seen its daily death toll surge past that of the United States, the hardest-hit country so far.

Four pregnant women among 91 persons tested positive in J&K

At least 91 people were detected with the novel coronavirus infection in J&K on Tuesday, including four pregnant women, taking the total to 1,759 in the Union Territory. One person died due to the infection in the past 24 hours.

“Fifty four cases were detected from the Jammu division and 37 from the Kashmir division. Besides, 24 people have died — 21 in Kashmir division and three in Jammu division. At least, 650 recoveries were also reported,” a government spokesman said.

Palakkad records biggest single day surge with 30 patients

A dizzying number of 30 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the district on Tuesday, the biggest number on a single day since the novel coronavirus was first reported in the last week of March in Palakkad.

While 28 of them had come back from other States and abroad, two were found to be their primary contacts. District and health authorities said that there was a clear pattern in the rise in COVID-19 cases in the district.