Highlights: Total Covid-19 positive cases in Gujarat rise to 2,815

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates e-GramSwaraj portal and a mobile application, on the occasion of Panchayati Raj Diwas

Prime Minister interacts with Sarpanchs from across the nation via video conferencing, on the occasion of PanchayatiRajDiwas. Panchayati Raj Minister Narendra Singh Tomar is also present. He says, "The PM will inaugurate 2 programmes today".

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will brief the media on the initial positive results of the use of plasma treatment to Covid-19 patients, at 12 noon today.

Six more Covid-19 cases reported in Bihar, taking the total number of cases in the state to 176, says Sanjay Kumar, State Principal Secretary (Health): ANI

Four-month-old Covid-19 positive baby girl, with congenital heart disease, dies in a Kozhikode hospital in Kerala: State health minister KK Shailaja

New York mayor Bill de Blasio has said that the city will provide 500,000 free halal meals for Ramzan, reports news agency IANS.

Announcing the programme, de Blasio said on Thursday, "One of Ramzan's most noble calling is to feed the hungry, it is a crucial part of how the holiday is celebrated, to remember to be there for those in need."

Since mosques that provide meals for the poor to break their Ramzan fast are not able to function because of the COVID-19 restrictions, the city will ensure they will get halal meals, he said.

We're ensuring EVERY New Yorker has the food they need.

Free halal meals are available at more than 400 sites across the city, with a 25% increase of halal meals at the sites most frequented by our Muslim communities.
More: https://t.co/JvfCsFWx47 pic.twitter.com/5PbUsTUfAx

— City of New York (@nycgov) April 23, 2020

China's confirmed coronavirus cases dropped to single-digit, while technology giants like Alibaba and Tencent have launched booking services for COVID-19 tests, reports news agency PTI.

China's National Health Commission (NHC) on Friday said six new confirmed coronavirus cases -- two imported and four domestically transmitted -- were reported in the country on Thursday.

The overall death toll in the country remained at 4,632, with no death reported on Thursday. As of Thursday, the total confirmed COVID-19 cases in China reached 82,804, the NHC said.

Meanwhile, Chinese Internet and e-commerce giants Alibaba Group, JD.com and Tencent have launched booking services for COVID-19.The services have been launched as China accelerates COVID-19 nucleic acid testing to promote epidemic prevention and control and speed up the resumption of production, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with Sarpanchs from across the nation via video conferencing at 11 AM today. All Sarpanchs will be able to join this interaction through Doordarshan, from their respective homes adhering to social distancing norms.

Those Sarpanchs who will be sharing their views with PM @narendramodi will be doing so by joining the interaction at a Common Service Centre close to them.

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) April 24, 2020

Rajasthan reports 36 new positive cases of coronavirus - 13 in Jaipur, 18 in Kota, four in Jhalawar and one in Bharatpur, according to the state health department. The total number of cases in the state is now 2, 000: ANI

Disciplinary and suspension action will be taken against the concerned official of Uttarkashi over the issue of registration of a case under Juveline Justice Act against a 6-month-old and a 3-yr-old in for violation of home quarantine rules during lockdown, according to the district magistrate of Uttarkashi, reports ANI. The DM Utarakashi has sought for a report.

India's coronavirus cases rose by 1,684 in 24 hours while the death toll went up by 37, according to health ministry figures released on Friday morning.

The number of active cases now in the country are 17,610 while the disease has claimed 718 live so far. The number of patients who have been cured / discharged stands at 4,748 and there is one migrated case, taking the total count to 23,077.

The Revenue Police Uttarkashi has filed a case against 51 people including a 6-month-old and a 3-yr-old for violation of home quarantine rules during lockdown, reports ANI.

However, a probe will be conducted into this as according to the Uttarkashi DM,

"FIR under Juveline Justice Act can't be registered against those under 8 years of age."

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is planning to return to work as early as Monday to take back control of the coronavirus crisis, the Telegraph reported, according to news agency Reuters.

Earlier this month, Johnson was discharged from a London hospital and was continuing his recovery from COVID-19 at his country residence of Chequers.

The new coronavirus is quickly destroyed by sunlight, according to new research announced by a senior US official on Thursday, though the study has not yet been made public and awaits external evaluation, reports AFP.

William Bryan, science and technology advisor to the Department of Homeland Security secretary, told reporters at the White House that government scientists had found ultraviolet rays had a potent impact on the pathogen, offering hope that its spread may ease over the summer.

"Our most striking observation to date is the powerful effect that solar light appears to have on killing the virus, both surfaces and in the air," he said.

"We've seen a similar effect with both temperature and humidity as well, where increasing the temperature and humidity or both is generally less favorable to the virus."

The Odisha government has enforced a 60-hour shutdown in three of its districts where around 3000 people moved in from neighbouring West Bengal, now emerging a Covid-19 hotspot, defying lockdown measures.

The shutdown in coastal Balasore and Bhadrak districts and Jajpur district began from 10pm on Thursday with state health officials increasing testing of all primary and secondary contacts of the 33 coronavirus disease (Covid-19) patients.

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