Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Centre tells all departments to pay high priority to public grievances on coronavirus

07:00 PM - Banks are ensuring that their branches remain open and ATMs (automated teller machines) functional with adequate cash amid the nationwide lockdown, according to the Union Finance Minister, here on Monday.

Taking to Twitter, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also said banking correspondents were active.

"All banks are ensuring that their branches are kept open, ATMs filled up & working. Banking correspondents are active. Social distancing is respected & sanitisers are provided where necessary. Just in case, any assistance/clarification is required contact A@DFSFightsCorona," she tweeted.

06:55 PM - A Haryana man suffered 35 per cent burn injuries when he accidentally came in contact with fire in his kitchen while cleaning household items with an alcohol-based hand sanitiser, doctors said.

The 44-year-old man from Rewari was brought to the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital here on Sunday night after the incident.

"The man was at home and cleaning his household items like keys and mobile phone. He was in the kitchen area when at the same time his wife was cooking food. Suddenly, he spilled some sanitiser on his 'kurta'. The fumes from the sanitiser reached the cooking gas source and before anybody could react his 'kurta' caught fire," the hospital said in a statement.

Hand sanitiser is being used at regular intervals by people on recommendation of doctors to ward-off infection from coronavirus that has wreaked havoc globally.

The man was brought to the hospital with 35 per cent burn injuries. The patient suffered burn injuries on his face, neck, front of chest , abdomen and both hands, the doctors said.
 

06:50 PM - What steps UP CM Yogi Aditynath has told officials to take:
1. Community kitchens must be made operational in each and every district of the state, and district magistrates should make teams to inspect these facilities.
2. Efforts should be made to spread awareness through public address system about social distancing.
3. Awareness should also be spread about health department guidelines to combat coronavirus, the statement said.
4. Issue passes (as per the need) to employees of e-commerce companies and blood banks for their smooth movement during the lockdown period.
5. Nodal officers must ensure that they take the call of stranded people, and that their problems are addressed.
 

06:45 PM - The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) has come out with a procedure of handling public grievances related to COVID-19 and all central government departments have been asked to ensure prompt redressal of public grievances related to coronavirus, according to an official order issued on Monday.

All central government departments have been asked to appoint a designated nodal officer for handling public grievances on coronavirus.
 

06:35 PM - The Indian Army on Monday dismissed as "fake" certain messages circulating on social media about likely imposition of Emergency in the country next month to deal with the coronavirus outbreak.

Army officials also said no effort is being initiated to rope in services of retired personnel, the National Cadet Corps and the volunteers enrolled under the National Service Scheme in the wake of the coronavirus crisis

"Fake and malicious messages are circulating on social media about likely declaration of emergency in mid April and employment of #IndianArmy, #Veterans, NCC and NSS to assist the civil administration," the Army's Additional Director general of Public Information (ADGPI) tweeted.

06:30 PM - In Uttar Pradesh, number of samples that tested positive for COVID-19 is 88. 14 patients fully recovered, discharged: UP Principal Secy medical, health.

06:25 PM - Industrialist Harsh Mariwala, along with two non-profits, has set up the corpus to find solutions for fighting the spread of the virus within the next one month. He said he is spearheading a Rs 2.5 crore effort to find solutions to limit the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

06: 20 PM - Indian Railways may be required to convert up to 20,000 train coaches into isolation wards for treatment of COVID-19 patients, the Railway Board has told its zonal units.

In a letter to general managers of zonal railways on Monday, the board has said that initially 5,000 coaches will be converted into isolation wards and asked them to make preparations for it.
 

06:15 PM - NOIDA: Four people, including three of a family, tested positive for coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar on Monday, taking the total cases in the district to 36, officials said.

Those tested positive include the wife (37), sister (25) and son (5) of a man from Accheja village in Dadri area who was detected with the infection on March 28, Health Department officials here said.

Another positive case has come from Ghodi Baccheda village in Greater Noida and the patient is a 21-year-old man, an official said.

06: 00 PM - At this time, stay home as an act of patriotism and don't pay attention to rumours, says Arvind Kejriwal. Those who don't have ration cards will also be given ration by Delhi govt: Kejriwal

We will ensure strict action against those ration dealers who are stealing people's ration: Kejriwal

Delhi government to begin online classes of two subjects for the students of Class 12, says Manish Sisodia.

Students from nursery to class 8th in Delhi will be promoted to next class under no detention policy, says Sisodia.

05:40 PM - Ninety-two new cases and four deaths due to COVID-19 have been reported in India since Sunday, the Health Ministry said on Monday while reiterating that there has been no community transmission of the virus as of now.

Technically, COVID-19 is still in the local transmission stage in the country as there has been no community transmission as of now, Joint Secretary in the Health Ministry Luv Aggarwal said.

Addressing the daily press briefing on the actions taken, preparedness and updates on COVID-19 at 4 pm, Agarwal informed that 92 new cases of COVID-19 and four deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours, taking total cases to 1,071 and the number of deaths to 29.
 

05:20 PM - 46 per cent people believe that the dreaded virus would not touch their family, while 48.3 per cent felt there is a chance they might get infected, a survey revealed on Monday.

The survey conducted by IANS C Voter Gallup International Association Corona on March 26 and 27 found panic among the people over the virus has increased.
On March 17, 39.1 per cent people agreed there is a panic situation but 10 days later, the percentage rose to 48.3 per cent.

05:00 PM - BharatPe has partnered with ICICI Lombard to roll out `COVID-19 Protection Insurance` for shopkeepers. According to the policy, on diagnosis of COVID-19, the policyholder will be paid 100 per cent of the sum insured, irrespective of the hospitalisation expenses.

BharatPe`s endeavour is `first of its kind` product for retailers.

The ICICI Lombard health cover is reasonably priced. The premium starts at Rs 199 provides Rs 25,000 sum insured and value-added benefits, like health assistance and CHAT/virtual assistance, tele-consultation and ambulance assistance, as part of the offering.

It will cover all in the age group of 18-65 years.
 

04:45 PM - The central government has asked automobile manufacturers to use their facilities to produce ventilators to boost the country's capacity of such machines in view of rising COVID-19 cases.

The Health ministry said that the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will begin manufacturing 20,000 N-95 masks per day within the next week.

The ministry informed that over 14,000 existing ventilators are earmarked for COVID-19 patients in various hospitals in the country while there are 11.95 lakh N-95 masks in stock.

Additional 5 lakh masks were distributed during the last two days and 1.40 lakh were distributed on Monday.
 

04:30 PM - On Monday, Mother Dairy supplied around 250 tonnes of fruits and vegetables to its retail stores 'Safal' across Delhi-NCR to meet local demand, which has now stabilised with no panic-buying from customers. Last week, Mother Dairy had doubled its supply of fruits and vegetables in the Delhi-NCR at over 300 tonnes per day, as customers began panic-buying of household essentials after announcement of the 21-day nationwide lockdown. Notably, pruces have also come down of all vegetables including potatoes, tomatoes and cauliflowers.

Mother Dairy, which is a major milk supplier in the national capital region with sales of over 30 lakh litres per day, has started home delivery for senior citizens in few localities of Delhi like Moti Bagh, Defence Colony and Greater Kailash, said Pradipta Sahoo, business head of Safal.