Highlights: Home Ministry forms 11 empowered groups to respond to Covid-19

Total number of cases in Kerala has crossed 202 as 20 fresh cases have been reported from the state. 181 people among them are active cases, Kerala HEalth Minister told ANI.

20 more positive cases in Kerala; 18 have foreign travel history and 2 have contact history with positive cases. Total number of cases in the state rise to 202, of which 181 are active. 4 people under treatment tested negative today: Kerala Health Minister's Office pic.twitter.com/x7jSS5t0Ia

— ANI (@ANI) March 29, 2020

Goa cases touch 5. The fresh cases have travel history as well as contact with other Covid-19 patients.

Two more #Coronavirus positive cases reported in Goa; one person has travel history to Bahamas, another person was in contact with one of the three positive patients. Both from Goa & already under quarantine. Total 5 positive cases in Goa now: Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant pic.twitter.com/yNlbbk9Wq8

— ANI (@ANI) March 29, 2020

Villagers from UP's Corona have raised complaints after people from adjoining villages discriminated against them when they hear that they hail from Corona village, according to ANI.

Residents of Corona, a village in Sitapur say they have been facing discrimination, ever since the outbreak of #coronavirus. Rajan, a villager says, "When we tell people we are from Corona, they avoid us. They don't understand that it's a village, not someone infected with virus" pic.twitter.com/gxz6oIx8UP

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 29, 2020

Kerala CM Vijayan highlighted that the Thalassery-Coorg border needs to be reopened so that essential goods can pass through. He also requested the PM to intervene as a patient succumbed to death near the Mangaluru border.

Thomas Schaefer, finance minister of the Hesse state in Germany, has committed suicide over the economic fallout from the coronavirus. Hesse is home to Germany's financial capital Frankfurt. Schaefer's body was found near a railway track on Saturday

Italian club Juventus announced that several of their highly-paid players have taken pay cuts. Aaron Ramsey and Cristiano Ronaldo have taken pay cuts as the pandemic wreaks havoc on Italy's economy.

Juventus players including Cristiano Ronaldo and coach Maurizio Sarri have taken pay cuts to save 90 million euros
+ @juventusfcen follow @FCBarcelona in reducing salaries during #coronavirus pandemic

👉https://t.co/S03uZzrKFC pic.twitter.com/3U1K2Ttpwg

— AFP Sport (@AFP_Sport) March 29, 2020

New York, New Jersey and Connecticut people asked to avoid non-essential travel for 2-weeks. New York is now the 'Wuhan of the Americas' with 5% of the global cases being reported.

Army, Navy, Air Force, a number of defence PSUs and other wings from the Defence Ministry will contribute ₹500 crores to PM-CARES so that coronavirus curve can be flattened in the country and medical equipment become available to doctors as well as patients.

State Health Officials told ANI that a man in his 40s succumbed to Covid-19 in Maharashtra's Buldhana.

45-year-old #COVID19 positive man dies in Buldhana, Maharashtra. The exact cause behind his death is yet to be ascertained: State Health Department

— ANI (@ANI) March 29, 2020

Abbott has built a test kit approved by FDA which can detect whether an individual has Covid-19 or not within 5 minutes. The ICMR official said that it is verified but one has to keep in mind that it is a antibody test.

Responding to lack of PPEs as pointed by some doctors, Agarwal said Ministry of Textiles has ensured that all guidelines, cited by WHO, were being followed and manufacturing of PPEs were being stepped up and MEA has also ensured that PPEs are being imported so that doctors do not have to face any issues.

Health Ministry official says that States have been asked to look into the health of the migrant workers and follow the quarantine order that was issued earlier.

Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, said since last 5 days 1.25 lakh wagons are transporting essential goods across the nation.

Under Indian Railways, 1.25 lakh wagons transporting essential commodities, such as food grains, sugar, salt, coal, petroleum, etc, have been operated in last 5 days: Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/DTexAek6Vr

— ANI (@ANI) March 29, 2020

Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray told citizens of the state that cases in Maharashtra will spike and asked healthcare workers to ensure that Covid-19 can be stopped. 196 people in the state have coronavirus.

Newly identified patients from Gautam Budh Nagar are – a 19-year-old woman, a 34-year-old man, a couple who are relative of the 34-year-old man, and a 31-year-old man. These people had direct or indirect link with the security and fire safety solutions company in sector 135.