Corona Updates You Must Track: India COVID-19 Cases At 1.18 Lakh, New Fare Range For Domestic Flights

As the first week of Lockdown 4.0 is about to end, India’s total confirmed coronavirus case count stands at 1,18,447 with 3,583 deaths. For West Bengal and Odisha, it is a double whammy as both states grapple with COVID-19 cases along with loss of lives and livelihoods due to Cyclone Amphan. The cyclone has killed 72 people in Bengal, including 15 in its capital Kolkata. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit both the states on Friday.

Meanwhile, the Reserve Bank of India on Friday extended the moratorium on all term loans by another three months. Track all important updates related to coronavirus cases as well as Lockdown 4.0 guidelines and measures here:

India cases and toll: India’s COVID-19 tally refuses to show any let-up, with the total cases climbing to 1,18,447 on Friday morning, according to the data shared by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). There are 66,330 active cases while 48,533 have been cured of the illness. The virus has so far claimed 3,583 lives across the country. In yet another single-biggest surge in a day, India reported 6,088 fresh coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours and 148 deaths.

New domestic airfare range: With domestic flight set to resume partial operations from 25 May, the government has fixed an upper and lower limit of fares, which will be effective till 24 August. Further, 40 per cent of the tickets on any flight will have to be sold at below the median price. Seven different price bands have been set based on flight duration. For example, the price band for a flight under 40 minutes has been set at Rs 2,000-Rs 6,000, while for a 180-210-minute-long flight, the ticket fare will range between Rs 6,500 and Rs 18,600.

Where Delhi stands:The national capital, which has seen a partial resumption of activities from Monday, has also simultaneously witnessed a jump in coronavirus cases this week. In the last 24 hours, Delhi has reported 571 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total count to 11,659. While 5,567 people have recovered from the illness, close to 200 people have also lost their lives to it. Besides shops, sport complexes, bigger parks and gardens are also open to public now.  

Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu worst-hit states: In Maharashtra, the total confirmed cases have gone well past the 40,000-mark, with the state reporting 41,642 COVID-19 cases till Friday morning. In the last 24 hours, the western state registered 2,345 new cases, with Mumbai alone accounting for 1,382 cases. The state’s death toll is inching close to 1,500.

Tamil Nadu reported 776 fresh coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, majority in Chennai, taking the state’s tally to 13,967. Another state, which is showing a steady increase in COVID-19 cases is Bihar. The eastern state, which has seen an influx of migrant workers returning home, reported 308 fresh cases in the last 24 hours—total confirmed cases are at 1,982 with 593 recoveries and 11 deaths so far.

Global corona update: On Friday morning, the total confirmed coronavirus cases stood at 51,94,210—of these, 20,81,504 people have recovered while the global toll climbed to 3,34,621, according to worldometer, a website that tracks COVID-19 cases real-time. The US continues to lead the global numbers with 16,20,902 COVID-19 cases and 96,354 deaths.

Brazil’s situation has been worsening; it is now set to overtake Russia as the second worst-hit country by COVID-19. While Russia has reported a total of 3,17,554 coronavirus cases with 3,099 deaths, Brazil has recorded 310,921 cases with 20,082 deaths till Friday. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro could soon sign a $11 billion COVID-19 relief package.

Story of hope: The migrant crisis in the wake of the nationwide lockdown has seen many ordinary citizens come out and offer help. For instance, Vikas Kumar Jaiswal, deputy superintendent and circle officer of the Sadar area in Agra district, and his team of officers have pooled in money from their own pockets to buy slippers for migrant workers, many of whom are walking thousands of kilometres barefoot to reach their homes. Many migrants, who pass through the roads where Jaiswal and his team have set up stalls for collecting footwear, stop by, pick a pair, thank the officers and move on. Read more on this story of kindness here.