Coronavirus India news summary: cases and deaths - 26 May
Coronavirus live India: latest Covid-19 news - 26 May
India Covid-19 update: 02:30 IST on Wednesday 27 May (23:00 CEST on Tuesday 26 May)
According to the latest figures published by Johns Hopkins University, 5,550,399 cases have been detected worldwide, with 348,302 deaths and 2,269,880 people now recovered.
In India, there have been 150,793 cases confirmed, 4,349 people have died and 64,277 people have recovered from the virus.
You can keep up to date on all the latest developments on the coronavirus crisis in India as they unfold with our live blog for Wednesday 27 May.
India to continue hydroxychloriquine treatment
The Indian Council of Medical Research said the controversial malaria drug had caused no side effects in patients and should be used as a preventive treatment for Covid-19.
Delhi braces for locust swarm
India is currently experiencing the worst plague of locusts in the country since 1993. The swarm has destroyed some 50,000 hectares of crops in Rajasthan and is now headed towards Delhi, local media reported.
An Indian rickshaw driver smiles as he waits for passengers on a road, as the country relaxed its lockdown restriction in Delhi. With a slew of guidelines for passengers, India allowed commercial domestic flights to resume operations on May 25 for the first time since imposing a nationwide lockdown on March 25 to curb the spread of coronavirus which has claimed over 4,000 lives in India so far. (Photo by Yawar Nazir/Getty Images)
Indian repatriation drive ongoing
More than 30,000 Indian citizens stranded by the coronavirus crisis have now been flown back to the country on government-chartered planes.
Coronavirus video game spotlights inequality in India
A computer game where players morph into a housemaid in India who tries to dodge the coronavirus and feed her family has opened people's eyes to inequality, one of its creators said on Tuesday.
The "Survive COVID" game brings to life the pandemic's impact on poor families in India as the character tries to avoid infection while she keeps the household fed and safe, with no savings or running water to follow handwashing guidelines.
"We have heard back from several hundreds of people that it has been a real eye-opener," said Vedika Agarwal, head of Chennai-based non-profit organisation Yein Udaan, which created the game together with technology firm XR Labs.
"They make a large part of India's workforce and population so we can't just turn a blind eye ... not just because of our reliance on them but because they are also people who are a part of our society and our country - they need to be looked after."
(Reuters)
"Please don't be complacent"
In this letter published in the media outlet Scroll, Delhi surgeon Dr Ambarish Satwick has exhorted people to guard against being "complacent" in the face of the coronavirus threat.
"No matter who you are and how old you are, do not step out without a mask," he says, adding: "Treat every person you meet as an asymptomatic coronavirus carrier."
A boy jumps into a canal to cool off on a hot summer day in New Delhi, India. Some areas of northern India are experiencing summer temperatures. Palam's temperature hit 46.2.
India has low coronavirus death rate but worries about migrants on the move
India on Tuesday recorded a total of 145,380 coronavirus infections and a death toll of 4,167, comparatively low figures for the world's second-most populous country.
But separate states witnessing millions of migrant labourers returning from the big cities were recording rising infections, officials said, fearing that the pandemic could spread through villages where medical care is basic at best.
Health ministry officials said that India's death rate stood at 0.3 deaths per 100,000 people, compared to what they said was a world average of 4.4.
"We have surprisingly found a low fatality rate in India, which is very good," said Balram Bhargava, director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research, in New Delhi.
Travelers put their luggage in X-ray machine before at the drop-off point before entering Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport, as the country relaxed its lockdown restriction on May 26, 2020 in Delhi, India. With a slew of guidelines for passengers, India allowed commercial domestic flights to resume operations on May 25 for the first time since imposing a nationwide lockdown on March 25 to curb the spread of coronavirus, which has reportedly claimed around 4,000 lives in India so far. (Photo by Yawar Nazir/Getty Images)
India's Glenmark to study potential COVID-19 drug combination
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd said on Tuesday it will begin a new clinical trial in India to test a combination of two anti-viral drugs - favipiravir and umifenovir - as a potential COVID-19 treatment. The study will look to enroll 158 hospitalized patients of moderate COVID-19 in India, the company added.
Last month, Glenmark said it would conduct clinical trials in India of just favipiravir as a potential treatment for COVID-19.
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Migrant workers and their families stand in queues to get themselves registered for trains to their home state of Uttar Pradesh, during an extended lockdown to slow the spreading of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in New Delhi, India, May 26, 2020. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
India coronavirus cases rise as millions return home
Indian states witnessing millions of migrant labourers returning from the big cities are recording rising coronavirus infections, officials said on Tuesday, fearing that the pandemic could spread through villages where medical care is basic at best.
Officials from the home and railway ministries said at least 4.5 million workers had migrated home from economic hubs in the two months since Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared a lockdown.
On Tuesday, India had recorded a total 145,380 infections and a death toll of 4,167, low figures for the world's second-most populous country when compared with some countries in Europe.
But the eastern state of Bihar registered more than 160 infections on Monday, its highest one-day rise, taking its tally to more than 2,700 cases. In the past 36 hours, more than 75 people tested positive in Odisha and 35 in three isolation homes in the desert state of Rajasthan.
Uber cuts 600 jobs in India as lockdown hits business
Uber Technologies Inc will cut around 600 jobs in India as part of its plans to cut 23% of its global workforce, as the company navigates a lockdown that has brought businesses in the country to a grinding halt.
Last week, Uber said it would focus on its core businesses of ride-hailing and food delivery, and cut staffing by more than a third globally in an attempt to become profitable despite the coronavirus pandemic.
"The impact of Covid-19 and the unpredictable nature of the recovery has left Uber IndiaSA with no choice but to reduce the size of its workforce," Uber India and South Asia President Pradeep Parameswaran said.
Schools gathering bans
Continued steps being taken to prevent spread of Covid-19 in the wake of the education department conducting exams for 10, 12 and VHSE from Tuesday.
Lockdown stories
A quarantined migrant worker in MP’s Chhatarpur district has complained to police that his 46-year-old wife has eloped with her lover.
Economic slowdown
The poll of 52 economists, taken May 20-25, indicated India’s economy grew at 2.1 per cent in the March quarter from a year ago, its weakest since comparable records began in early 2012, and sharply slower than 4.7 per cent in the prior three months.
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No quarantine for asymptomatic passengers arriving in Gujarat
Domestic passengers arriving in Gujarat on flights, trains and buses and who are not showing any signs of Covid-19 do not need to quarantine, the state government has confirmed.
Asymptomatic passengers must self-monitor for any symptoms for a period of 14 days after arrival. If they develop systems they must inform the authorities (helpline 104 and 1075).
WHO suspends hydroxychloroquine testing
The World Health Organisation has suspended testing of hydroxychloroquine, the drug Trump has been promoting and says he is taking, after a study published in the Lancet showed Covid-19 patients receiving the drug, when used alone or with another drug had an estimated higher mortality rate. They stressed it is still accepted as safe for treating autoimmune diseases or malaria.
The shortage of PPE is over, but the quality still isn't there
The Times of India reports on doctors struggling in summer heat with uncomfortable, ill-fitting personal protective equipment.
And if it's terrible to wear there's a risk it just won't be.
Japan set to put India on travel ban list
CNN have reported, quoting Japan government sources, that India will be added to Japan's travel ban list, which will expand to 111 countries, on Wednesday.
Latest India Covid-19 figures
The latest figures, as collated by Johns Hopkins University, show a total confirmed number of infections in India of 144,941.
4,172 people have now lost their lives to the virus, while 60,706 have recovered.
Hello and welcome
Hello and welcome to our coverage of the latest Covid-19 news from around India as it happens on Tuesday 26 May.
Domestic flights resumed across India yesterday after two months of being grounded. Alas, things weren't all smooth - a late decision to halve the number of flights saw hundreds of flyers out of luck. In total 532 flights took 39,231 passengers to various destinations, however the initial plan was for 1,054 flights. A lack of coordination between the civil aviation ministry and the states was blamed.