Covid-19 updates: Antibody test guidelines likely to be released Saturday

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio on Thursday launched a hunger relief initiative - America's food fund - to raise funds for helping the low-income families of America that have been affected by the coronavirus outbreak, reports ANI.

The Philippines' health ministry on Friday reported 29 new coronavirus deaths, marking the single largest daily increase in casualties. The latest figures brought total deaths in the country to 136, while 385 new cases were reported, increasing the tally to 3,018, the health ministry said, reports Reuters.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Germany has jumped by 6,174 to 79,696, and the death toll has risen by 145 to 1,017 in the last 24 hours, the Robert Koch Institute, country's federal agency said on Friday, reports ANI.

The authorities in China's Wuhan, the epicentre of the novel coronavirus, on Friday asked its residents to stay at home and avoid non-essential outings amid fears of a possible rebound of the disease due to the steady rise in the asymptomatic cases, days after the nine-week lockdown was relaxed in the city, reports PTI.

Police personnel and doctors, nurses&other medical staff at Narmada Trauma Centre in Bhopal applaud each other as a mark of gratitude for rendering services amid the nationwide coronavirus lockdown, reports ANI.

#WATCH Madhya Pradesh: Police personnel and doctors, nurses&other medical staff at Narmada Trauma Centre in Bhopal applaud each other as a mark of gratitude for rendering services amid #CoronavirusLockdown. pic.twitter.com/BOb7nMdc7e

— ANI (@ANI) April 3, 2020

A Nigerian man has been shot dead for allegedly flouting a stay-at-home order aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus, police and a lawmaker said on Friday.

Nigeria has introduced a raft of measures, including lockdowns of major cities, to try to contain the virus, which has infected 184 people, two of them fatally.

Joseph Pessu, a resident of the oil city of Warri in the southern state of Delta, was killed on Thursday by a soldier deployed to enforce the lockdown, the sources said.

The United Nations General Assembly has unanimously adopted a resolution, co-sponsored by 188 nations including India, on COVID-19, calling for intensified international cooperation to defeat the pandemic that is causing “severe disruption to societies and economies.” The resolution titled ‘Global solidarity to fight the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)’ was the first such document on the global pandemic to be adopted by the world organisation.

The UN Security Council is yet to discuss the coronavirus outbreak, even as the total number of coronavirus cases across the world crossed one million.

Intensifying its battle against COVID-19, the Odisha government announced a 48-hour total shutdown, akin to curfew, in the state capital Bhubaneswar and Bhadrak town from 8 pm on Friday, the state's top official said.

All shops selling essential commodities will remain closed during the period, Chief Secretary A K Tripathy said. Only select medicine stores will be open.

The Supreme Court Friday dismissed a plea seeking direction for using resorts and hotels for migrant workers walking back to their native places after being rendered jobless following 21-day lockdown due to coronavirus pandemic as shelter homes where they are kept allegedly lack adequate sanitation facilities.

A bench comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao and Deepak Gupta, which heard the matter through video-conferencing, observed that the court cannot force the government to listen to all the ideas as people may come up with millions of ideas.

The Indore district administration on Friday invoked the National Security Act (NSA) against four men involved in the alleged attack on health workers in Taatpatti Bakhal area of the city.

This is first such action related to COVID-19 pandemic in Madhya Pradesh, an official said.

The Mexican brewer of Corona beer said Thursday it was suspending production because of the health emergency in the country over the COVID-19 pandemic.

Grupo Modelo -- whose brands also include Pacifico and Modelo -- said the measure was in line with the Mexican government's order to suspend all non-essential activities until April 30 to slow the spread of coronavirus.

"We are in the process of lowering production at our plants to the bare minimum," the company said in a statement, adding it would complete the suspension in the following days.

PM Modi during interaction with sportspersons gave five-point mantra of ‘Sankalp,Sanyam,Sakaratmakta,Samman & Sahyog’ to tackle COVID19. PM said that sportspersons have brought glory to nation&now have important role to play in boosting morale of nation& spreading positivity: PMO

The NCP on Friday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his message asking people to light up lamps to exhibit collective spirit to defeat coronavirus, saying it left citizens quite disappointed.

Maharashtra minister and NCP national spokesperson Nawab Malik said it was expected Modi would speak about measures being taken to combat COVID 19, but people were instead told to light up lamps.

Amid concerns for the elderly during the ongoing lockdown, NCW chief Rekha Sharma has asked people to get in touch with the Commission if anyone’s old parents are staying alone and need help.

She asked people to get in touch with her through email “mailto:chairperson-ncw@nic.in”chairperson-ncw@nic.in or “mailto:Sharma.rekha@gov.in”Sharma.rekha@gov.in.

An undertrail prisoner, who was admitted to the Coronavirus isolation ward at the central prison here, managed to escape after jumping the compound wall, jail authorities in Kannur said on Friday.

The inmate, suspected to have fled the prison ward last night, was identified as Ajay Babu, a native of Aamirpur in Uttar Pradesh.