Highlights: Total coronavirus cases in Rajasthan rise to 1,964

4 more persons tested positive for Covid-19 in Ranchi. Total positive cases in the state rises to 53: Nitin Madan Kulkarni, Health Secretary, Jharkhand

20 new cases reported today, 1 from Jammu Division and 19 from Kashmir. Total cases now at 427, including 57 in Jammu and 370 in Kashmir: Rohit Kansal, Principal Secretary (Planning), J&K Government

1229 new Covid-19 cases and 34 deaths reported in the last 24 hours. Total number of cases rises to 21,700, including 16,689 active cases, 4325 cured and 686 deaths: Union Health Ministry

58 new Covid-19 positive cases have been reported in last 24 hours. There are 334 active cases in the state now: West Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha

At various centres, we have started using convalescent plasma that is the blood of Covid-19 patients who have recovered. A large number of patients who have become alright have come forward and volunteered to donate their blood: Delhi AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria

Our first strategic goal is to ensure that people don’t have to visit hospitals for treatment of coronavirus and it is achieved through social distancing, lockdown and taking care of the elderly. The second goal is to create enough infrastructure and health facility for every person who has to visit hospital for Covid care: Health Ministry

India has far less number of positive cases per 5 lakh tests done compared to Italy, UK, US and Spain. South Korea has done even better than India. As challenge kept expanding, our strategy kept changing and we will continue doing this: Health Ministry

On March 23 we have done 14,915 tests across the country and on April 22 we have done more than 5 lakh tests. If a rough calculation is done it is about 33 times in 30 days. This is not enough and we need to ramp testing in this country: CK Mishra,Environment Secretary and Chairman,Empowered Group-2

Percentage of positive cases from among those tested has stayed almost the same during the last 30 days. It is important to note that both testing and cases have risen in the last month: Health Ministry

The growth of the virus has been more or less linear and not exponential due to certain strategies that have helped India contain the spread to a particular level: Health Ministry

We have been able to cut transmission, minimise spread and increase doubling rate. We have utilized this time to prepare ourselves for future. Growth has been more or less linear, not exponential: CK Mishra, Environment Secretary and Chairman,Empowered Group-2

As on today, we have 12 districts that did not have a fresh case in the last 28 days or more. There are now 78 districts (23 States/UT) that has not reported any fresh cases during the last 14 Days: Health Ministry

1409 additional cases reported in the last 24 hours taking the coronavirus infected tally to 21,393. Total number of active cases stands at 16,454. 4,257 people have been cured so far including 388 who were cured yesterday, taking India’s recovery rate to 19.89 %: union Health Ministry

Lockdown cuts PM 2.5, PM 10 levels by half in Delhi: CPCB

Home Ministry has clarified to states that in-house care-givers of senior citizens, prepaid mobile recharge utilities and food processing units in urban areas are exempted from lockdown restrictions: Punya Salila Srivastava, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs