Coronavirus India: summary of news for Monday 11, 2020
Coronavirus live India updates: cases, deaths and news, 11/12 May
India Covid-19 update: 03:30 IST on Tuesday 12 May (00:00 CEST)
According to the latest figures published by Johns Hopkins University, 4,159,377 cases have been detected worldwide, with 284,883 deaths and 1,433,990 people now recovered.
In India, there have been 70,768 cases confirmed, 2,294 people have died and 22,549 people have recovered from the virus.
India Covid-19 update: 03:00 IST on Tuesday 12 May (23:30 CEST on Monday 11 May)
According to the latest figures published by Johns Hopkins University, 4,159,377 cases have been detected worldwide, with 284,883 deaths and 1,433,990 people now recovered.
In India, there have been 70,768 cases confirmed, 2,294 people have died and 22,549 people have recovered from the virus.
India passes 70,000 confirmed infections
India went past 70,000 people confirmed infected with the coronavirus on Monday, just two days after passing 60,000 cases. There was alarming news from Tamil Nadu, which recorded its worst day yet, with 798 cases.
Across the country the picture was somewhat more encouraging, with the rise in cases falling from Sunday's record high of 4,308 to 3,607.
Four states - Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Delhi - have 66% of all confirmed cases in India.
Monday's death toll was down to 82, after two days at 113.
A total of 22,549 people have recovered from the virus.
India records 10,000 new coronavirus cases in 48 hours
Local media reported a spike in cases in Tamil Nadu state as the country's total number of cases rose to 70,000 from 60,000 in two days.
Relatives wearing facemasks attend the marriage ceremony of of groom Sanjib Mandal and bride Soma Roy at a Hindu temple during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus, in Siliguri on May 11, 2020. (Photo by DIPTENDU DUTTA / AFP)
India looks to ease lockdown even as coronavirus infections jump
(Reuters) India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday the country would look to ease a nearly seven-week lockdown aimed at preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus, despite also reporting its biggest single-day jump in cases.
Modi has faced increasing calls to end his government's stringent lockdown of the nation's 1.3 billion population, with political parties, businesses and citizens saying the containment measures have destroyed the livelihoods of millions that rely on daily wages for sustenance.
On Monday, Modi told the heads of Indian states in a video call the federal government would look at a "gradual withdrawal" of the lockdown, which has been repeatedly extended until May 17.
"We have a twofold challenge – to reduce the transmission rate of the disease, and to increase public activity gradually," Modi said.
"Even as we look at the gradual withdrawal of the lockdown, we should constantly remember that till we do not find a vaccine or a solution, the biggest weapon with us to the fight the virus is social distancing."
Calls for lockdown extension in some states
Despite calls for an easing of the nationwide lockdown, some states are opposed to opening up again prematurely and are similarly not keen on letting railways run through their borders as of Tuesday.
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Chotay Lal, an Indian migrant labourer from the India eastern state of Bihar waits outside a deserted railway station, as India remains under an unprecedented extended lockdown over the highly contagious coronavirus (COVID-19) on May 11, 2020 in New Delhi, India. Indian railways, the fourth largest railway network in the world announced that it would restart limited operations from Tuesday on May 12 after seven weeks with the lockdown still in force. The Indian national rail network is maintaining its freight operations during the lockdown, to transport essential goods. The death toll in India due to coronavirus stands at 2,215 as the country reels under an extended lockdown which was eased last week with relaxations such as opening of standalone shops. (Photo by Yawar Nazir/Getty Images)
Increasing confusion as India's coronavirus cases increase but trains have been allowed to restart. Some of them, however, will not run.
Workers clean a platform at the Howrah Junction railway station after India announced a limited re-opening of its giant rail network beginning on Tuesday, after a nearly seven-week lockdown to slow the spreading of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), on the outskirts of Kolkata India, May 11, 2020. REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri
It's not coronavirus-related but Indian and Chinese troops on border patrols skirmished briefly in the northeastern state of Sikkim neighbouring China, the south Asian nation's defence ministry said on Sunday, blaming "aggressive behaviour on both sides".
Deep mistrust persists between India and China over a festering border dispute that triggered a brief war in 1962, but clashes are rare, though each has often accused the other of intrusions into its territory.
Four Indian soldiers and seven Chinese troops were injured when some exchanged blows in Saturday's confrontation that involved about 150 soldiers, India's Hindustan Times newspaper said, citing a military source.
"Aggressive behavior by the two sides resulted in minor injuries to troops," the defence ministry said in its statement.
"The two sides disengaged after dialogue and interaction at the local level."
Coronavirus in India: list of trains running during lockdown
India announced a limited re-opening of its giant rail network beginning on Tuesday after a nearly seven-week lockdown, despite also reporting its biggest single-day jump in coronavirus cases.
The train's re-opening include:New Delhi station connecting Dibrugarh, Agartala, Howrah, Patna, Bilaspur, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, Secunderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Madgaon, Mumbai Central, Ahmedabad and Jammu Tawi.
Prime Minister Modi has addressed the migrant labourers stuck in different parts of India, the re-opening of the rail system. He says he "understands their need to get home."
"We stressed people should stay where they are. But it's human nature to want to go home and so we had to modify or change our decisions. Despite that, to make sure it doesn't spread and go to villages, that's our big challenge," he said during a meeting with other government officials.
India to restart some passenger trains even though coronavirus infections jump
India announced a limited re-opening of its giant rail network beginning on Tuesday after a nearly seven-week lockdown, despite also reporting its biggest single-day jump in coronavirus cases.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has faced increasing calls to end his government's stringent lockdown of the nation's 1.3 billion population, with political parties, businesses and citizens saying the containment measures have destroyed the livelihoods of millions that rely on daily wages for sustenance.
The shutdown, which has been repeatedly extended to stave off a surge in infections, is in force until May 17. Ahead of that, though, the railway ministry said it would gradually restart passenger services with 15 trains from Tuesday, connecting Delhi to Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and other big cities.
"Thereafter, Indian Railways shall start more special services on new routes," the government said in a statement. The rail network, among the world's largest, carries over 20 million people each day and is the lifeline for people living in far flung corners of the country.
Harishankar Vasudevan dies from Covid-19
The famous Bengal scholar and historian died on Sunday after contracting the Covid-19 virus.
India's train network to restart operations
Indian Railways’ vast train network is to "gradually restart" passenger operations on Tuesday, the country’s railways ministry says.
India breaks 4,000 cases for first time in single day
India registered 4,308 new coronavirus cases on Sunday - the first time so far that the country has posted a single-day rise in infections above the 4,000 mark.
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Modi to hold video conference with state chief ministers
India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, is to speak with the chief ministers of the country's states on Monday to take stock of the nation's response to the coronavirus crisis.
There have been just over 67,000 cases in India so far, with 2,212 deaths.
Coronavirus: the complete guide to the Covid-19 pandemic
Coronavirus: the complete guide to the Covid-19 pandemic
All the information you need to understand the coronavirus and ways to stay safe during the Covid-19 pandemic:
Coronavirus live India: welcome
Hello and welcome to our live, India-focused coverage of the coronavirus pandemic, which has now registered over 4,000,000 cases and 280,000 deaths worldwide.
We'll be looking to bring you the latest developments and statistics in the Covid-19 crisis as they emerge throughout the course of Monday.