Coronavirus Highlights: 1,023 Confirmed Cases Linked To Tablighi Jamaat In 17 States: Health Ministry

The total number if COVID-19 positive cases in India has risen to 2,902, while 68 people have died due to the deadly virus, according to data provided by the government.

As many as 647 Coronavirus positive cases found in 14 states in the last two days are linked to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation, the Union health ministry said on Friday.

Meanwhile, the United States recorded nearly 1,500 deaths from COVID-19 between Thursday and Friday, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, the worst 24-hour death toll globally since the pandemic began.

Catch all the highlights from the day here: 

10:04PM: As many as 145 persons were confirmed to have coronavirus infection in Maharashtra on Saturday, taking the number of patients to 635, an official statement said.

7:31PM: Global death toll due to the coronavirus has now  crossed 60,000. 

6:30PM: Seventy four new coronavirus cases have been reported in Tamil Nadu. Total number of cases in the state now stand at 485, says state govt.

5:53PM: Delhi has 40 cases of local transmission out of 445 cases: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal

5:50 PM: Six coronavirus-positive patients have died till now, out of these five were above 60, says Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. 
"I appeal to all elders to stay safe and stay indoors since they are at risk," he said.

4:59PM: 8 more COVID-19 cases detected in UP's Gautam Buddha Nagar district, total rises to 55: Officials.

4:40PM: Around 30% of COVID-19 cases in India linked to one particular place, says Health ministry official in reference to Tablighi Jamaat congregation.

4:35PM: Rigorous contact tracing is going on in 17 states that reported COVID-19 cases related to Tablighi Jamaat, Health ministry official says.

4:33PM: Rate of rise in COVID-19 cases in India less than other countries, says Health ministry official. 

4:30PM: 1,023 COVID-19 positive cases with links to Tablighi Jamaat reported from 17 states till now, says Health ministry.

4:29PM: Condition of 58 COVID-19 patients is critical and they are in Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi, says Health ministry.

4:28PM: 601 COVID-19 cases and 12 deaths have been reported since Friday: Health ministry.

3:45 PM: The Ministry of Power said switching off lights on April 5 will not lead to instability in grid.

"PM Modi has appealed to voluntarily switch off lights between 9:00 p.m to 9:09 pm on April 5. Some apprehensions have been expressed that this may cause instability in grid and voltage fluctuation which may harm electrical appliances. These apprehensions are misplaced," it said.

3:35 PM: A list of officers who came in contact with J Vijay Kumar, Director of Bhopal Health Department who had tested positive for COVID19, have been prepared and they are being placed under quarantine: Bhopal District Collector Tarun Kumar Pithode

3:30 PM: The Odisha administration has sealed Brahmabarada area in Jajpur district and Danagahira in Puri district after detection of COVID-19 positive cases in the area linked to Tablighi Jamaat event.

The Puri district administration has declared Danagahir village in Pipili block as a containment zone.

3:23 PM: "Local industrialists in Gujarat have got successful in making ventilators in 10 days. Ventilators have been certified and tested successfully. I hope there will be no shortage of ventilators in the state now": Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani 

3:21 PM: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath appealed to the members of the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council to donate their one month's salary and Rs 1 crore each to the COVID Care Fund.

3:11 PM: Couple Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone on Saturday pledged their support to the PM-CARES Fund to combat the coronavirus outbreak in the country.

Taking to Twitter, Ranveer wrote: "In times like these, every bit counts. We humbly pledge to contribute to the PM- CARES Fund and hope that you will too. We're all in this together, and we shall overcome. Jai Hind."

3:00 PM: PM Modi directs officials to ensure sufficient production, procurement and availability of essential medical equipment: PMO

2:45 PM: The latest reports of five persons, who were earlier tested positive for coronavirus, find them negative, informed Dr Naveed Shah, Medical Superintendent CD Hospital, Srinagar.

2:40 PM: There are six Coronavirus positive cases (including 3 positive cases from Markaz Nizamuddin) in the state. Total of 257 persons related to Tablighi Jamat in the state have been identified and quarantined: Himachal Pradesh Director General of Police SR Mardi

2:30 PM: "Lifting of lockdown after April 14 depends on people," says Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray. He added, till further notice, no permissions to political, religious and sporting events to be held in Maharashtra.

2:05 PM: A 51-year-old male died on Saturday at a hospital in Villupuram, Tamil Nadu, due to Coronavirus infection, said an official. The state's death toll rises to two.

"He was one of the persons who had gone to Delhi to attend the Tablighi Jamaat conference last month," a health department official told IANS.

2:00 PM: Celebrated Italian shoe designer Sergio Rossi has died at the age of 84 from complications over novel coronavirus. 

1:30 PM:  Railways says it has begun preparing to resume all its services from April 15 after a 21-day suspension of its passenger trains in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

1:25 PM: Three coronavirus positive patients have passed away in Madhya Pradesh; 2 from Indore and 1 from Chhindwara. Death toll in the state has reached 11. There are 158 positive cases in the state (including 11 deaths): State Health Department

1:20 PM: With as many as 47 persons testing positive for coronavirus in Maharashtra, the figure of such patients in the state jumped to 537 on Saturday, officials said.

1:00 PM: Government issues advisory asking people to wear 'homemade face covers' especially when they step out of their houses. Use of masks will help in protecting the community at large from COVID-19, says the government.

12:50 PM: Government has put curbs on export of diagnostic kits with immediate effect: Commerce ministry notification.

12:40 PM: Out of the total 386 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in the national capital, 259 are from Markaz Nizamuddin, said Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain.

12:35 PM: One COVID19 positive case reported from North Lakhimpur District, taking the total number of positive cases in Assam to 25. Today's positive case is related to Markaz Nizammudin in Delhi: Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma 

12:15 PM: The Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan and GB Pant hospitals will be converted into COVID19 management centers with a facility for 2000 patients at the same time: Dr JC Passi, Medical Director, Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan & GB Pant hospitals

11:50 AM: The procurement process for PEEs (Personal Protective Equipment) N95 masks, ventilators is in the advanced stage and these will reach the States soon. There is no shortage as of today: Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan

11:05 AM: One more woman dies of COVID-19 in Ahmedabad; state death toll rises to 10: Official.

10:52 AM: Three Tablighi Jamaat members, including two Bangladeshis, have tested positive for novel coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli where they had gone after attending the Nizamuddin Markaz in Delhi in mid-March, officials said on Saturday. District Magistrate Jasjit Kaur said the three - the third is from Assam - were shifted to the isolation ward of a government hospital at Jhinjhana, Shamli, Friday evening after their test results returned positive.

10:22 AM: Death toll due to COVID-19 rises to 68 in India, number of cases increases to 2,902, according to Health Ministry.

10:05 AM: A 36-year-old COVID19 patient passes away in Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara; total number of positive cases in the state is 155, 9 deaths. 

9:53 AM: UN General Assembly meetings scheduled for the months of April and May have been postponed in the wake of the "rapidly evolving" coronavirus pandemic, but there are no plans as yet to change the dates of the high-level annual UNGA session in September.

9:44 AM: A woman who was first to test coronavirus positive in Bhopal and her journalist father now test negative; discharged from hospital.

9:33 AM: Twenty-five more COVID-19 positive cases confirmed in Agra, taking the total number of cases to 45 in the district: Agra District Magistrate Prabhu N Singh.

8:53 AM: Sixty-year-old coronavirus positive woman with no travel history dies in Rajasthan's Bikaner hospital, say officials.

8:45 AM: Rajasthan reports 12 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, 8 of them linked to Tablighi Jamaat; total 191 now, say officials.