Uncertainity continues over the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) which was introduced as a game-changer to arrest the spread of COVID-19. With experts questioning the effectiveness of HCQ, a senior health official said the drug was under review “but no decision has been taken to drop it just yet”.
As a part of easing of restrictions in lockdown 4.0, 200 new trains will start plying from June 1, announced the Railways. The new trains would be in addition to the Shramik Special trains, whose numbers too would be increased.
The Hindu has brought out a multi-language e-book on essential COVID-19 information, in addition to covering the developments related to the coronavirus pandemic as it unfolded. Here is a collection of our daily cartoons on COVID-19.
Here are answers from experts on your queries about the virus, a list of State Helpline numbers, a State-wise tracker for COVID-19 cases, deaths and testing, and a map of confirmed cases in India.
Here are the latest updates:
11.20 am | Karnataka
In Karnataka, infection rate highest among those in 20-29 age bracket
Sixty-five percent of those who died in Karnataka due to COVID-19 were aged above 60. And all other patients who lost their lives were aged above 40.
Among those infected, a majority in the State fall under the 20-29 age bracket. As many as 24.7% of the total 1,373 patients tested positive in the State belong to this category.
11 am | Jammu and Kashmir
J&K admin imposes restrictions around quarantine centres in Udhampur
The Jammu and Kashmir administration has imposed restrictions around quarantine centres in Udhampur district where stranded people brought back from other states through special trains have been kept, officials said on Wednesday.
These directions were issued soon after the visit of Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu to the railway station in Udhampur on Tuesday, they said.
– PTI
10.40 am | India
New 24-hour high in COVID-19 cases
India added 5,611 new COVID-19 cases and 140 deaths in the last 24 hours taking the total number of cases in the country to 1,06,750, according to a Wednesday morning update from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
This includes 51,149 active cases and 3,303 deaths.
The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) noted that it has tested 25,12,388 samples so far, of which 1,08,121 were tested in the last 24 hours.
10.30 am | Odisha
74 new cases in Odisha
Odisha registers 74 new COVID-19 positive cases, taking the total number of cases in the State to 1,052. The n