Coronavirus Highlights: No Passenger Trains From Midnight Saturday To 10 PM On Sunday; India Count Rises To 223

Italy overtook China's coronavirus death total and braced for an extended lockdown that could see the economy suffer its biggest shock since World War II.

The Mediterranean country's toll reached 3,405 after it recorded 427 new deaths on Wednesday.

Also Read | Coronavirus Explainer: How Grave Is The Threat And How To Prevent

China has officially reported 3,245 deaths since registering the first case at the end of last year.

In the US, the number of cases of COVID-19 has reached 13,680 and 200 people have died so far, the John Hopkins university said.

India, on the other hand, reported the death of a COVID-19 patient from Punjab, taking the toll in the country to four, the Union health ministry said.

Also Read | Helpline Numbers For Coronavirus In All States, Union Territories Of India

There are 226 COVID-19 cases in India as per the Union health ministry's data after registering fresh cases of the fast-spreading coronavirus, which has killed nearly 10,000 people globally.

Catch all the live updates on Coronavirus here:

9:12 PM: PM Narendra Modi said that the next 3-4 weeks are crucial in efforts to contain the spread of the virus and the most important measure for containment is ‘social distancing’. He requested the Chief Ministers to ensure effective implementation of the same.

8:56 PM: Indian Railways has canceled all passenger trains starting midnight Saturday to 10 pm on Sunday in view of  Janata Curfew called by PM Modi. However, trains that are already running will be allowed to reach their destinations, officials said.

8:20 PM: Lucknow's Taj Hotel, where Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor attended a party, will remain closed till further orders, officials said.

8:02 PM: Two positive cases have been confirmed from Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh, says CM Jai Ram Thakur.

7:47 PM: "Noida metro and city bus services to be suspended on March 22, Sunday," says Ritu Maheshwari, Noida Authority CEO.

7:23 PM: Markets in the national capital will remain closed for three days starting from Saturday to control the spread of coronavirus infection, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) announced on Friday.

Essential good providers including chemists, dairy and general consumer items will remain open, CAIT General Secretary Praveen Khandelwal said.

7:14 PM: 12 more persons have tested positive in Kerala - 5 in Ernakulam, 6 in Kasaragod and 1 in Palakkad. There are total of 40 Coronavirus positive cases in the state, said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

7:02 PM: In response to the 'Janata Curfew' call given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Haryana government on Friday announced to suspend the bus service in the state from 7 am to 9 pm on March 22.

6:58PM: Congress leader Jitin Prasada has put himself under self-quarantine, as he was present in the party attended by singer Kanika Kapoor who has tested positive for Coronavirus.

6:50PM: Army Chief General MM Naravane today reviewed preparations of the force to tackle the virus. As per new Army advisory, 35% officers and 50% Jawans to work from home adhering to home quarantine for a week starting March 23. A second group to proceed on home quarantine from March 30.

6:45PM: The confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has decided today that all markets in Delhi will remain closed for three days  (21-23 March).

6:37PM: Five Imported Cases Of Coronavirus In Kerala | Five United Kingdom nationals who were in isolation ward at a hospital in Kochi have tested positive for coronavirus, said Kerala Minister V S Sunil Kumar. 

6:32PM: Yogi Adityanath Calls For Postponing Events | CM Yogi Adityanath has appealed to postpone all religious, spiritual, social, cultural, and auspicious programmes till April 2 in the state. 

6:30PM: Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Jai Pratap Singh self-isolates himself; he was in the party that was also attended by singer Kanika Kapoor who has tested positive for coronavirus.

6:25PM: Chinese-owned Swedish auto maker Volvo Cars said it would temporarily halt production at its European and US plants in order to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus outbreak.

"Our primary concerns are the health of our employees and the future of our business," CEO Hakan Samuelsson said in a statement.

6:20PM: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said after video-conference with Modi and other chief ministers that she has requested the PM to come up with a plan for unorganised sector, which is suffering due to COVID-19 pandemic.

"Have told PM to stop all international flights to Bengal," she added.

6:15PM: Death toll from coronavirus in Europe tops 5,000, as per AFP tally.

6:02PM: So Far, 245 Trains Cancelled | Railways cancels 90 more trains till March 31; The total number of cancelled trains due to novel coronavirus pandemic climbs to 245, PTI reported.

6:00PM:  Anupam Kher Self-Isolates| Veteran actor Anupam Kher, who returned from the US on Friday, said as a precautionary measure he will be self-isolating himself.

5:55PM: Gujarat Cases Rise To 7 | Two more persons tested positive for coronavirus infection in Gujarat on Friday evening, taking the number of such cases in the state to seven, officials said.

5:50PM: 5 Test Positive In Chandigarh | Till now, 5 individuals have been tested positive for coronavirus in Chandigarh. First case is of a young female (who had returned from England), who was found positive yesterday, said Manoj Parida, Adviser to Administrator Department of Public Relations, Chandigarh. 

Further, three individuals (including her mother, brother and cook), who came in contact with the patient, have also been tested positive. A new case of a woman who was earlier admitted in PGI (returned from UK) has also been tested positive, Parida said. 

5:46PM:  Mosques in Srinagar city and elsewhere in the Valley held short Friday prayers in the wake of coronavirus prevention alert in Kashmir.

5:30PM: Delhi government is closing all three Delhi Haats which are in INA, Pitam Pura and Janakpuri. HoHo bus services of tourism department are also closed.

5:19PM: Cases Climb To 223 | The total number of positive cases of Covid-19 in India now stands at 223 (including 32 foreigners) with four deaths--one each in Delhi, Karnataka, Punjab and Maharashtra, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

5:10PM: Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan and Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday said there was no need for any panic over coronavirus and appealed to citizens to "stay at home" and follow all precautionary measures to prevent its spread.

The Chief Minister gave the slogan "no to panic, yes to precautions" as he directed the official machinery to be on high alert and educate the people.

4:48PM: Kerala MLAs In Self-Quarantine | Two Kerala MLAs go for self-quarantine after learning state's latest COVID-19 man came into contact with them.

4:45 PM: With a view to check the spread of coronavirus, the Lucknow district administration on Friday ordered the closure of all bars, cafes/lounges, hair salons, beauty parlours and eating joints with immediate effect.

4:44 PM: Election to Bodoland Territorial Council in Assam on April 4 deferred due to coronavirus pandemic.

4:29PM: Vasundhara Raje Exposed To Bollywood Singer Who Tested Positive | "While in Lucknow, I attended a dinner with my son Dushyant and his in-laws. Kanika, who has unfortunately tested positive for Coronavirus was also a guest. As a matter of abundant caution, my son and I have immediately self-quarantined and we’re taking all precautions," said Vasundhara Raje, BJP leader and former CM of Rajasthan.

4: 19PM: BJP MP Dushyant Singh goes into self-quarantine after attending Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor's party, sources said. 

4:10PM: Iran reports 149 new coronavirus deaths, raising the total toll to 1,433.

4:02PM: District Magistrate Jammu announced that in continuation of the order dated  March 15, all modes of mass public transport shall cease to ply in the district till further orders. There will be an exception for state road transport corporation buses on listed routes for government employees and travellers in emergency. 

4:00PM: Uttar Pradesh Government has designated 6 hospitals in Lucknow for treatment of coronavirus-- Lok Bandhu Hospital, Civil Hospital, Balrampur Hospital, King George's Medical University, Ram Manohar Lohia hospital and Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences.

3:30PM: Delhi Metro To Stay Closed On Sunday | DMRC says Delhi metro services will be closed on Sunday in view of Janata curfew.

3:15PM: The Delhi Chief Minister said all non-essential public dealing activities will be stopped till March 31, adding that only essential public dealing activities will continue.

3:11PM: Delhi HC seeks Centre and DGCA's stand on plea challenging travel ban from EU, the UK and other countries from March 18.

3:06PM: Indian High Commission in London offers help for Indian nationals stuck in the UK.

3:05PM: Uttarakhand government bans the entry of domestic and foreign tourists into the state, to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.

3:04PM:  Bengal government is creating state emergency relief fund to collect aid from those who wish to donate, says CM Mamata Banerjee.

2:50PM: Traders To Comply With 'Janata Curfew' | Traders across India will keep their establishments shut on Sunday in response to PM Modi's call for a self-imposed 'Janata Curfew', traders' body CAIT said.

2:26PM: Malls To Be Closed In Delhi | Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has said the government is closing down all shopping malls, except for the grocery, pharmacy and vegetable shops in them. 

2:10PM: Maharashtra Closure | As cases in Maharashtra spiked to 52, CM Uddhav Thackeray announced that from today Midnight, all workplaces will remain closed till 31st March in Mumbai, MMR Region, Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad and Nagpur.  Govt offices will operate at 25% attendance.

However, essential services will be open. Local trains, buses will operate, he said, adding that shutting down public transport in Mumbai will be last resort.

2:00PM: Foreign Secretary participated in conference call initiated by US for discussions among some Indo-Pacific countries on coronavirus, says Ministry of External Affairs. Apart from India, US, teleconference on coronavirus included representatives from Australia, South Korea, Vietnam, New Zealand, Japan.

1:40PM: Bhutan has reported the country's second coronavirus case, a female tourist who is the partner of the first infected patient.

1:35PM: Connaught Place to remain closed from 7am to 9pm on 22nd March, says Atul Bhargava, President, New Delhi Traders Association. 

1:32PM: Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik seeks postponement of Census work in country due to novel coronavirus pandemic.

1:30PM: The Jawaharlal Nehru University has asked it's students to vacate hostels amid the coronavirus pandemic and said mess facilities would only be available for the next 48 hours.

1:07PM: A prominent Bollywood singer is among the four people who have been tested positive for coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh today, ANI reported.

12:51PM: Coimbatore To Close Interstate Border | Coimbatore District Collector, Rasamani, says: "Tamil Nadu-Kerala border in Coimbatore will be closed from today evening in the wake of coronavirus."

12:30PM: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram says the war against coronavirus cannot be fought with "moral armaments" and that lockdown is the only solution.

12:20PM: Italian Patient Dies In Jaipur | A 69-year-old Italian tourist who had "recovered" from COVID-19 died at a private hospital in Jaipur, official says.  The tourist had a massive cardiac arrest late on Thursday night and he passed away, SMS Medical College principal Sudhir Bhandari said.

12:15PM:

11:59AM: India Cases Cross 200 | Indian Council of Medical Research: A total of 206 individuals have been confirmed positive among suspected cases and contacts of known positive cases. A total of 14,376 samples from 13,486 individuals have tested for COVID19 as on 20th March, 10am.

11:57AM: Two More Test Positive In Gujarat | Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in Gujarat said two people from Ahmedabad and one from Vadodara have tested positive for coronavirus. The person in Vadodara has a history of travel to Spain, the 2 people in Ahmedabad had travelled to Finland and New York. Total cases in the state now stand at 5.

11:55AM: Delhi Govt advises all private sector offices incl multinational companies, IT firms, industries, corporate offices situated in NCT of Delhi to allow their employees to work from home till 31st March. Also advises the public to remain at home particularly senior citizens&children.

11:51AM: Fresh Cases In Lucknow | Four more people have tested positive in Lucknow on Friday. According to information from the King George's Medical University (KGMU) administration, the total number of cases in the city stands at 9.

11:48AM:  Curfew In Sri Lanka | Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Friday declared island-wide curfew in the country till March 23 morning as a part of preventive measure to contain the coronavirus spread. The island nation has reported 53 cases so far.

11:39AM: India Cases Rise To 196 | With 26 more people testing positive for coronavirus, the total number of Covid-19 cases in India has now climbed up to 195, union health ministry said on Friday morning.

11:35AM: Cannes Delayed | The Cannes Film Festival has been postponed to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The event, which was scheduled for May 12 through 23, might be shifted to June or July, the organisers said.

11:30AM: Maharashtra Cases Rise To 52 | Three people have tested positive for coronavirus -- one each from Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pune and Mumbai. The total number of cases in the state now rises to 52, according to Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope.

11:20AM: New Case In Rajasthan | A couple in Rajasthan, with travel history of Spain, has tested positive for coronavirus in Jaipur. Both returned to Delhi from Spain via Dubai on Tuesday and reached Jaipur by taxi early on Wednesday.

11:14AM: Cases Rise To Three In Andhra Pradesh | One more person tested positive for the coronavirus in Andhra Pradesh, taking the total number of cases in the state to three on Friday. The patient tested positive in Visakhapatnam, officials said.

10:50AM: Concerned over the rapid spread of the deadly coronavirus across the US, an influential group of Indian-American doctors has urged the federal and State governments to enforce a total lockdown and self-quarantine of the entire nation to flatten the curve of COVID-19 infections. The group is called American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) and it has around 100,000 members.

A total of 218 people have died in the US due to the fast-spreading pandemic.

10:30AM: 2nd Case Confirmed In West Bengal | A second person, who has travel history to the UK, tested positive in Kolkata, West Bengal. He was admitted to the Beliaghata ID Hospital in the city on March 19 with symptoms of COVID-19.

9:56AM: Punjab Cases Rise To 3 | A 69-year-old woman, who recently returned from the United Kingdom, has tested positive for coronavirus, taking the total number of cases in Punjab to three. 

8:40AM: The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Pakistan have increased to 454 after Balochistan, Punjab, Sindh, Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa announced an increase in their provincial tallies.

7:58AM: The United States has warned its citizens against any international travel due to the coronavirus pandemic and advised them to come home if possible.

7:55AM: China has reported no new domestically transmitted novel coronavirus cases for the second consecutive day, marking a major turning point in the global battle against the COVID-19 outbreak.

7:52AM: The US has announced an initial aid of $1 million to Pakistan in order to help the country in combating coronavirus outbreak.

7:50AM: Italy Records 427 Deaths: Italy’s death toll due to the coronavirus reached 3,405 after it recorded 427 new death yesterday. With 3,405 deaths, Italy has now overtaken China’s death toll tally.