Coronavirus Pandemic: Britain Reports 917 New Deaths, India Toll Climbs To 249

India registered sharpest ever increase in the number of Coronavirus cases and deaths over the past 24 hours. At least 40 people died and deaths 1035 new cases were reported since Friday. India's total number of Coronavirus positive cases have crossed 7,447, the government said.

More than 1.6 million people have been infected around the world and the death toll hit 100,661 on Friday -- nearly 70 percent in hard-hit Europe.

Here are all the major developments from the day:

10:10 PM: The Congress today accused the central government of ignoring the plight of Indians stuck in COVID-19 hotspots abroad and sought immediate measures to safeguard their lives.

9:35 PM: As many as 187 new COVID-19 positive cases and 17 deaths have been reported in Maharashtra on Wednesday, taking the total number of positive coronavirus cases in the State to 1761. 

9:30 PM: Delhi reports 166 new cases of which 128 are from ‘Under Special Operations’. The total number of COVID19 positive cases in Delhi now stands at 1069, death toll 19, says Health Department.

9:00 PM: With one more fatality reported from Bulandshahr, the COVID-19 death toll rose to five in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, while the number of cases climbed to 452 as 19 persons tested positive for the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours.

8:20 PM: COVID-19 death toll in Gujarat rises to 22 with 3 fresh fatalities, says govt official.

8: OO PM: COVID-19 death toll rises to 242, number of cases climbs to 7,529 in India, says Union Health ministry.

7:32 PM: Britain on Saturday announced another 917 deaths in hospital of people testing positive for coronavirus, bringing the country's total toll close to 10,000. The number of new infections from the disease climbed by 5,234, leaving Britain with 78,991 confirmed COVID-19 cases, the health ministry said in its daily update.

7:27 PM: Three more COVID19 patients in Pune passed away today, taking the death toll to 29: Health officials, Pune

7:10 PM: Odisha Council of Ministers asked to resume work in Ministries from Monday: Sources to PTI. Joint Secretary and above rank officers will resume work in ministries from Monday, one third of essential staff need to be present in Ministries, sources said.

6:50PM: According to a tally by news agency PTI, total number of coronavirus cases in India has risen to 8,016, with 261 people succuming to the virus.    

6:09PM: The worldwide number of fatalities from the novel coronavirus pandemic rose to 103,141 on Saturday, according to a tally compiled by AFP from official sources.  

5:49PM: Seventeen more tested positive on Saturday in J&K, taking the total number of COVID-29 patients to 224 in the Union Territory. 

5:30PM: Lockdown can be relaxed in some places; will be stricter in some other places: Uddhav Thackeray.

5:28PM: I told PM Modi that Maharashtra will continue lockdown after April 14. It will continue till April 30: Udddhav Thackeray. 

5:26PM: PM Narendra Modi spoke about extending lockdown  till April 30 in video-conferene with CMs: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.

4:43 PM: Five lakh antibody testing kits ordered by ICMR have not been received yet, says Health Ministry.

4:24 PM: Over 1.7 lakh samples tested in the country so far for COVID-19, of which 16,564 samples were tested on Friday, said an ICMR official.

4:20 PM: "Had there been no lockdown, there would have been 41 per cent spike in COVID-19 cases resulting in 8.2 lakh cases by Apr 15," says Lav Agrawal, Joint Secy, Health Ministry

4:17 PM: "Ministry of Home Affairs has states/UTs to provide police security to doctors and other medical staff in the hospitals and the quarantine facilities where they are working," says Punya Salila Srivastava, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs.

4:11 PM:  "India’s response to COVID-19 has been proactive. We have followed a graded approach. There are 586 COVID-19 dedicated hospitals and more than 1 lakh isolation beds in the country," says Lav Agrawal, Joint Secy, Health Ministry.

3:57 PM: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister tells PM Modi that he is not in favour of withdrawal of lockdown in his state.

3:55 PM: "PM Modi told us that we must not compromise on lockdown and that they are receiving suggestions for extending it for the next 15 days. PM said in next 1-2 days, the Centre will announce guidelines for the next 15 days," said Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on video conference of PM with CMs.

3:48 PM: According to the government sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has agreed to the requests of state chief ministers to extend the lockdown by two weeks.

3:43PM: Some CMs told PM to stop governors, LGs from interfering in the functioning of state governments, said Puducherry CM V Narayanasamy.

3:39PM:  Most CMs sought extension in lockdown during interaction with PM; Modi agreed, saying continuation of lockdown is must, said Puducherry CM Narayanasamy.

3:34PM:  "PM has taken correct decision to extend lockdown. Today, India’s position is better than many developed countries because we started lockdown early. If it is stopped now, all gains would be lost. To consolidate, it is imp to extend it," Kejriwal said in a tweet.

3:33PM: "Most states requested PM Modi to extend the lockdown for two more weeks. The Central Government is considering this request," ANI quotes government sources as saying. 

2:52PM:  Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel urges PM Modi to allow states to carry out economic activities within borders. Baghel called for continuing ban on inter-state road, rail, air facilities.

2:48PM: Death toll due in Dharavi rises to 4 after an 80-year-old man died at Kasturba Hospital.

2:02PM: Madhya Pradesh government allows MLAs to use Local Area Development Fund for purchase of infra-red thermometers, personal protective equipment kits, COVID-19 testing kits, ICU ventilators, face masks, gloves, sanitizers and for setting up of isolation or quarantine wards in their constituencies.

1:30PM:  Seven new positive cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Karnataka, taking the total number of affected in the state to 214, the Health department said on Saturday.

1:10PM: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh suggests extension of national lockdown during PM's interaction with CMs. 

12:40PM: Pakistan is set to receive more medical supplies from its all-weather ally China to fight the coronavirus outbreak in the country where the COVID-19 cases have sharply increased to 4,788 and death toll reached 71. 

12:16PM: With 92 new COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra, state tally reaches 1,666, say Officials.

11:39 AM:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi seen wearing a mask during video-conferencing with the Chief Ministers over COVID-19. Other CMs are also using masks.

11:20 AM: 9 districts of the state have remained free of the virus infection, according to the State Health Ministry. The nine districts with no coronavirus positive patient include Dhule, Nandurbar, Solapur, Parbhani, Nanded, Wardha, Bhandara, Chandrapur and Gadchiroli.

11:15 AM: In view of the "major problem" faced by people in paying last rites to COVID-19 victims, the Delhi Waqf Board has designated one of its graveyards for the burial of those, who have passed away due to the virus.

11:05 AM: West Bengal to impose total lockdown in 10 COVID-19  hots pots including parts of Kolkata, said officials.

10:56 AM:  54 new patients of COVID-19 have been detected in Gujarat; state count rises to 432, said an official.

10:55 AM: Three more cases of coronavirus have been reported in Lucknow on Saturday.

10:22 AM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a video conference with chief ministers at 11 AM and discuss strategies to deal with the pandemic. The PM will also hold discuss on the extension of the onging lockdown.

9:54 AM:  A 71-year-old Mahe resident died at a hospital in Kannur due to coronavirus. He was a chronic kidney patient and was suffering from hypertension.

9:43 AM: At least 3 persons died of Coronavirus in Chandni Mahal area in Delhi in last 3 days. Out of 102 people staying in 13 different religious locations in the area, 52 have tested positive.

9: 22 AM:  New coronavirus deaths in the United States surpassed 2,000 on Friday, the highest tally of fatalities recorded within a day so far.

9:20 AM: Delhi government on Friday declared five more areas in the city as containment zones, taking the total number of Covid-19 hotspots sealed in the national capital to 30.

8:54 AM: Two more cases of coronavirus were reported in Odisha on Friday, taking the total tally of COVID-19 in the State to 50, according to health officials.

8:40 AM: With 40 deaths and 1035 new cases in last 24 hours, India witnesses the sharpest ever increase in a day. The total number of positive cases rises to 7447 (including 6565 active cases, 643 cured/discharged/migrated and 239 deaths, said Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

8:35 AM: Three new cases have been reported in Jharkhand. Total number of positive cases in the state goes up to 17, said Jharkhand Health Secretary Nitin Madan Kulkarni.

8:30 AM: Three more cases have been found in Agra. The total number of positive cases in the city now stands at 92, including 81 active cases, said Prabhu N Singh, Collector and District Magistrate Agra.