Over 200 people in India were tested positive for COVID-19 as of March 20, of which more than 170 are active cases.
On Thursday night, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on the pandemic, and called for a Janata Curfew on March 22 between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. to control the spread of the virus.
COVID-19 | Interactive map of confirmed coronavirus cases in India
We have been covering the developments related to the coronavirus pandemic as it unfolded. Here are answers from experts on your queries about the virus, a list of State Helpline numbers, and a map of confirmed cases in India.
The new 24/7 national helpline numbers are 1075 and 1800-112-545 and 011-23978046. Email: ncov2019@gmail.com
Here are the latest updates:
Vasundhara Raje, son Dushyant Singh go into self-quarantine after attending singer Kanika Kapoor’s party
BJP MP and son of former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, Dushyant Singh, has gone into self-quarantine after attending singer Kanika Kapoor’s party, sources said on Friday.
Ms. Kapoor is the first Bollywood celebrity to test positive for COVID-19 in the country and says she’s under complete quarantine and medical care.
There were reports that the singer landed in Lucknow from the United Kingdom via Mumbai and was admitted in a city hospital after she showed signs of flu. In a statement released on instagram, the 41-year-old ‘Baby Doll’ singer said she developed signs of flu in the last four days.
Mr. Singh was among several socialites present at a party thrown by Ms. Kapoor. Thereafter, he also went to the Parliament.
Ladakh | 3.30 p.m.
Two more test positive in Ladakh
Two more persons have tested positive for coronavirus in Ladakh, taking the number of such patients in the Union Territory to 10, a senior government official said on Friday. Commissioner Secretary (Health) Rigzin Samphel said both the latest cases were from Choshot village of Leh, which was already notified as a containment area by the district administration.
“After the reports of the two patients came positive, they were immediately shifted to an isolation ward in a hospital here by health officials,” Samphel told reporters here.
He said the test reports of 55 more patients, including 11 taken on Friday, were sent to a laboratory in Delhi.
Officials said the condition of all the coronavirus patients in the Union Territory was stable.
– PTI
Odisha
Odisha has put restrictions on assemblage of more than seven persons in public spaces.
Lucknow | 3.15 p.m
Partial shutdown in Lucknow till March 23
All offices, establishments and institutes barring essential services like hospitals, ration shops, medical stores, etc to be shut down in a part of Lucknow till March 23, as per orders of the district magistrate.
The affected area falls within Aliganj, Mahanagar, Indira Nagar, Gudamba and Vikas Nagar of the U.P. capital. Lucknow has reported 8 positive cases, with four new cases today.
– Omar Rashid
Assam
Assam to wire money to each person from State stranded abroad
Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that the State government has advised the state election commission to defer BTC polls, scheduled on April 4, due to COVID-19 pandemic and the need for social distancing.
He added that the Assam government would transfer $2,000 to each person from the State who went abroad in the last 30 days and are stuck/unable to return home.
– Rahul Karmakar
Telangana | 2.50 p.m.
Telangana court tells government to postpone SSC exams
The Telangana High Court on Friday directed the State government to postpone the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exams, which had begun on Thursday, from March 23 to 30. There will be no change in the exam to be held on Saturday.
The first of the annual SSC exams was held on Thursday. The second exam too was conducted on Friday. The exam on March 31 would be held without any change. A division bench of Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice A. Abhishek Reddy gave the interim direction, after hearing a PIL petition seeking deferment of the SSC exams.
The plea was filed by a private educational institute faculty member M. Bala Krishna. Hearing the petition which was moved as lunch motion, the bench sought to know why the Telangana government wanted to go ahead with the exams while the central boards postponed CBSE and ICSE exams. The bench said that already authorities imposed prohibitive orders under section 144 of Cr.P.C. in Karimnagar town after a group of