Covid-19 Highlights: France reports 108 new coronavirus deaths in last 24 hours

All senior citizens and children below the age of 10 are advised to stay home amid the coronavirus outbreak that has infected 166 people in India and claimed four lives.

No scheduled international commercial passenger flights shall be allowed to land in India from March 22 for one week, said Government of India, reports ANI.

Spain on Thursday announced deaths due to the novel coronavirus had risen about 30 percent over the past 24 hours to 767. A total of 17,147 people have contracted the disease in the country, a roughly 25 percent increase over the previous day, according to the health ministry, reports AFP.

One died in Punjab due to coronavirus. This is the fourth novel coronavirus death in India. The other three deaths were reported from Delhi, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

Ministry of Human Resource Development on Thursday announced that the evaluation of all the papers will be rescheduled after March 31, 2020 amid coronavirus outbreak in the country.

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address on coronavirus at 8 pm today, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said he'll be disappointed if the PM doesn't announce a total lockdown.

"What will the PM announce at 8 pm today? I will be disappointed if the PM did not announce a total lockdown, at least of all towns and cities, for a period of 2-4 weeks. Anything less will be letting down this country, P Chidambaram tweeted.

Iran's death toll from the coronavirus outbreak jumped to 1,284 on Thursday, a health ministry official told state TV, according to Reuters as the total number of infected people increased to 18,407 in the Islamic Republic, the worst-affected country in the Middle East.

"With 149 new deaths in the past 24 hours, the death toll from the virus reaches 1,284. Unfortunately we had 1,046 new cases of infection since yesterday," said deputy Health Minister Alireza Raisi.

The Indian Railways on Thursday withdrew concessions, barring few.

Earlier today, the railways also cancelled 84 trains, which will not operate between March 20 and March 31. The decision was taken in view of low occupancy and the novel coronavirus outbreak, according to news agency PTI.

With this, the total number of cancelled trains has climbed to 155.

AC local services on Western Railway in Maharashtra will be cancelled from tomorrow & will be replaced by non-AC suburban services, till 31st March, says Public Relations Officer (PRO), Western Railway: ANI

Russia registered the first death of a patient infected with the coronavirus on Thursday, an elderly woman who had been hospitalised in Moscow, health officials said.

The 79-year-old, who had tested positive, was hospitalised on March 13 and had several other conditions including diabetes and heart problems, Moscow's coronavirus response headquarters said on social media.

IndiGo CEO says senior vice presidents and above taking 20 per cent pay cut; vice presidents, cockpit crew taking 15 pc pay cut. PTI

Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad closed for visitors till March 29, in wake of coronavirus

Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey: People should spend at least 15 minutes in the sun. The sunlight provides Vitamin D, improves immunity and also kills such (#Coronavirus) viruses.

#WATCH Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey: People should spend at least 15 minutes in the sun. The sunlight provides Vitamin D, improves immunity and also kills such (#Coronavirus) viruses. pic.twitter.com/F80PX6VOmy

— ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2020

With precipitous drop in revenues, the very survival of airline industry now at stake, says IndiGo CEO.

IndiGo CEO Ronojoy Dutta announces pay cut for most employees, will himself take 25 per cent cut in salary. PTI

Haji Ali in Mumbai closed as a precautionary measure following COVID 19 outbreak.