As the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak continues to spread like wildfire across India, at least 39 healthcare workers including doctors, paramedics, and other medical staff at the Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital in New Delhi were quarantined after they were suspected of being contracted with COVID-19. Notably, as many 30 healthcare personnel from this hospital had earlier tested positive for COVID-19.

As less than one week remains for the lockdown to end, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday (April 27) held a meeting with Chief Ministers of different states through video conference to discuss post-lockdown plans amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

Delhi's Arvind Kejriwal, Uttar Pradesh's Yogi Adityanath, Maharashtra's Uddhav Thackeray, Tamil Nadu's E K Palaniswami, Meghalaya' Conard Sangma and Uttarakhand's Trivandrum Singh Rawat attended the meeting.

Union Health Minister Dr Harshvardhan on Sunday said that 283 districts in the country haven't reported a single case of coronavirus till now. He also gave an update on the number of districts that haven't reported any case in the last one to four weeks.

As on date, 283 districts have not reported any COVID cases till date, 64 districts have not reported a fresh case since the last 7 days, 48 districts have not reported a fresh case since the last 14 days, 33 districts have not reported a fresh case since the last 21 days and 18 districts have not reported a fresh case since the last 28 days, he said.

Researchers at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh announced on Sunday said that the use of the Mycobacterium w (Mw) vaccine as an adjunct to the treatment of coronavirus disease (COVID-19)-affected patients will be jointly studied upon, in collaboration with AIIMS Delhi and AIIMS Bhopal. The institute added that the Mw vaccine (heat-killed Mycobacterium indicus pranii) is not a vaccine specifically dedicated to the coronavirus but that it will be used only as an adjunct.

The total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection in India neared the 28,000-mark on Monday, while the death toll had topped the 850-mark on this day. At 9:15 AM on Monday, India's COVID-19 tally stood at 27,892, which includes 20,835 active cases, 6,185 cured, discharged, or migrated patients, and 872 deaths.

According to the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, as many as 1,396 new cases and 48 deaths were reported in the country in the last 24 hours.

While Maharashtra remains the most affected state in India by the coronavirus, state chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said that further decision on the lockdown will be taken only after May 3.

He also thanked people for following the lockdown restrictions amid religious events and further asked them to stay inside their homes and offer prayers for there during the holy month of Ramzan.

As a huge relief to both shopkeepers and consumers alike, the central government on late Friday night allowed the neighbourhood shops in residential areas to function, albeit with adherence to wearing masks and gloves and following social distancing norms.

The order by the Ministry of Home Affairs stated that the lockdown exemption is being extended to shops in residential complexes, neighbourhood, and standalone shops.

India’s economic growth, which was already slowing, has been hit hard by the coronavirus lockdown. Some of the leading indicators only tell the magnitude of its impact.

Power demand, for example, has fallen sharply. From an average of 148,282 megawatts (MW) during March 1-22, demand fell to 122,025 MW between March 23 and April 23, a decline of 17.7 per cent.

The central government had Rs 1.35 trillion in outstanding loans with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) under ways and means advances in the week ended April 17, the central bank said on Friday.

The central government had Rs 1.11 trillion in outstanding loans in the previous week, according to the RBI’s weekly statistical supplement.

A US lawmaker has urged President Donald Trump to suspend the foreign workers programme, including H-1B, as more than 26 million Americans have lost their job because of the coronavirus pandemic.

In a letter to Trump, Congressman Paul Gosar sought additional suspension of the H-1B, H4, L1, B1, B2, Optional Practical Training Program, and further guest worker admissions in order to promote wages and opportunities for American workers during this period of rising unemployment.

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