India crossed the 17,000-mark for Covid-19 cases while the death toll rose to 543. Of the total 17,265 cases, 14,175 are active, while 2,546 are cured. The numbers come on a day when the country takes the first step towards relaxing restrictions imposed during the lockdown announced by the Centre on March 24 to arrest the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
The government, with an aim to reboot the economy, has allowed activities related to agriculture and horticulture from today because of the approaching harvest season and the potential of bumper wheat crops, plantation work for tea, coffee and rubber, and industries in rural areas, Special Economic Zones and industrial townships.
According to the Union Health Ministry’s data, updated in the morning, the highest number of confirmed cases in the country is from Maharashtra at 4,203 cases, followed by Delhi with 2,003, Gujarat with 1,743, Rajasthan with 1,478, Tamil Nadu with 1,477 and Madhya Pradesh 1,407. The number of Covid-19 cases has gone up to 1,084 in Uttar Pradesh, 844 in Telengana, 646 in Andhra Pradesh and 402 in Kerala. In Karnataka, cases has risen to 390, in Jammu and Kashmir to 350, in West Bengal to 339, in Haryana to 233 and in Punjab to 219.
A 35-year-old doctor has died due to coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad. He was working in CHC hospital in Tajpur and was under isolation from past eight days.Five of his relatives have been sent in quarantine.
Toll collection on National Highways across the country resumed today in line with government directives, a move which is being opposed by transporters. The central government on March 25, had announced temporary suspension of toll collection following directives by the Ministry of Home Affairs in the wake of coronavirus pandemic. National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) as well as highway developers resumed collection at toll plazas.
