Corona Updates You Must Track: States Announce Lockdown 4.0 Rules, India Has Over 1 Lakh Cases Now

India has now become the 11^th country in the world to record 1 lakh or more confirmed cases of coronavirus. As of Tuesday morning, the total COVID-19 count stands at 1,01,139, the number of recoveries is close to 40,000 while 3,163 have lost the battle against the virus.

By Monday evening, most states announced a list of dos and don’ts for Lockdown 4.0 in effect till 31 May. While Delhi government has allowed markets to open on odd-even basis and public transport to run with restrictions, Maharashtra, the ground zero for coronavirus in India, will take it slow with gradual resumption of activities only in green zones as of now.

Track all the important developments related to COVID-19 and Lockdown 4.0 here:

India cases and toll

The total confirmed cases of coronavirus in India stands at 1,01,139 on Tuesday morning, according to the recent data released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). Maharashtra, which reported a little over 2,000 fresh COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, has reported 35,058 confirmed coronavirus cases so far, with 1,249 people succumbing to the illness.

Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Delhi together reported more than 1,200 fresh cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours. Bihar, which has seen thousands of migrant workers return to the state since the last week, has witnessed a spurt in cases—129 new cases have been reported in the last 24 hours and the state’s total confirmed count stands at 1,391.  

COVID-19 tracker/Photo: @MIB_India/Twitter

States come out with new Lockdown 4.0 rules

This time, the Centre has allowed states to come up with a detailed plan for restrictions and relaxations under Lockdown 4.0. In Maharashtra, which has reported the highest COVID-19 cases in the country, there will be no lifting of restrictions, especially in Mumbai and Pune. Green zones, however, will see gradual resumption of activities.

In Delhi, public transport will be resumed, but partially. A bus can carry no more than 20 passengers, while taxis and cabs can have two people and autorickshaws and e-rickshaws can ferry a single passenger in one trip. Spa, salons, swimming pools, cinema halls, hotels will remain closed, while restaurants can provide only takeaway services. Private offices can function at full-strength but work from home should be encouraged. 

Migrant workers unable to return

Fearing a spike in cases of COVID-19, many states are putting curbs on migrant workers’ movement. Karnataka for instance has banned the entry of people from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Kerala till 31 May.

Similarly, Telangana has also stopped issuing passes to its migrant workforce and other stranded people who want to return from Maharashtra, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. According to Centre’s fresh guidelines for Lockdown 4.0, mutual consent between states is required for inter-state movement of buses.

On Sunday, more than 150 migrant workers staged a protest near the Punjab-Haryana border after they were picked by the authorities and sent back to Punjab, reported The Tribune. These workers reportedly had walked over 200 kms and were about to enter Uttar Pradesh when they were stopped by the Haryana Police at the border.  

Global corona update

Coronavirus has hit all the major economies of the world, with the US accounting for maximum confirmed cases so far. While the US’ total COVID-19 count stands at 15,50,294, next in line is Russia with 2,90,678 cases, followed by Spain (2,78,188) and Brazil (2,55,368), according to worldmeter, a website that tracks COVID-19 cases real-time.

Brazil, which has emerged as a global hotspot for coronavirus, saw its president Jair Bolsonaro defying social distancing norms to pose for photographs with supporters and children on Sunday in Brasilia, the country’s capital. The mayor of the country’s largest city, Sao Paulo, has warned that the healthcare system could collapse with a surge in demand for emergency beds, reported BBC.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday said the global body’s handling of the pandemic will be assessed “at the earliest opportunity” even as US President Donald Trump called it a “puppet of China”.