Covid-19 Highlights: India switches off lights; diyas, candles lit at PM's call

In Punjab, total coronavirus positive cases have risen to 68 after three more cases were reported today - one each in Ludhiana, SAS Nagar & Barnala, according to the state's health and family welfare department. The state has seen six 6 deaths so far from Covid-19: ANI

Total #Coronavirus positive cases rise to 68 in Punjab after 3 more cases were reported today - 1 each in Ludhiana, SAS Nagar & Barnala. The person found positive in Ludhiana had attended Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi. 6 deaths so far: Dept of Health and Family Welfare Punjab pic.twitter.com/CFX4QofVSg

— ANI (@ANI) April 5, 2020

During the briefing, joint secretary in health ministry Lav Aggarwal said, "Many organisations have started effort at their level to support us in enhancing supplies. We've dispatched available material to states in last two days. Production of additional material has started. PPEs available as on today, must be utilised rationally -we told this to DMs today." : ANI

28,000 relief camps and shelters set up across india for migrant workers: Home ministry joint secy

More than 75 Lakh people are being provided food during the lockdown, says Punya Salila Srivastava, Joint Secretary, Home Ministry

Lav Aggarwal, joint secy in health ministry also requested that people light diya at 9 PM for 9 minutes as asked by the PM

Lav Aggarwal, joint secy in health ministry said: "Covid-19 cases doubled in 4.1 days presently.... had Tablighi Jamaat incident not happened it would have taken 7.4 days.

State governments are following the guidelines under lockdown, Punya Salila Srivastava, joint secy in home ministry said during a press briefing on Sunday. The situation of essential goods and services is satisfactory, she said.

Total 3, 374 confirmed Covid-19 cases reported in India till now; an additional 472 news cases reported since yesterday. Total 79 deaths reported; 11 additional deaths have been reported since yesterday. 267 persons have recovered: Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secy, Health Ministry

He added, 274 districts across India have been affected by coronavirus

Media briefing on the current Covid-19 situation in the country has begun. Total 79 deaths reported, 11 new deaths since yesterday.

Fourteen new Covid-19 cases have been reported in Kashmir Division, according to an official. With this the total number of positive cases in J&K now are 106. Active cases in Kashmir-82 and Jammu -18.

The current count of Covid-19 patients in Maharashtra is 690, state health minister Rajesh Tope said on Sunday. "Till now, Mumbai has reported 29 cases, Pune 17, PCMC 4, Ahmednagar 3, and Aurangabad 2- in all, 55 people have been newly identified as positive for Covid-19," he said.

"Till date, 56 people have been cured and discharged from the hospital, the minister said.

"(We) are regularly reviewing plan of action being followed by universities and higher educational institutions during lockdown; A plan is ready for conducting pending exams, evaluation once the lockdown is lifted": HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal: :PTI

Union HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal said on Sunday that the ministry is prepared to ensure there is no academic loss to students if schools, colleges remain shut beyond April 14: PTI.

The death toll due to Covid-19 in Indore has risen to eight after a 50-year-old man died, Indore Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr Praveen Jadia told ANI.

With nine more coronavirus cases detected today, the city now has 122 positive cases, he added.

Death toll in Indore rises to 8 after a 50-year-old man died here: Indore Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr Praveen Jadia #Coronavirus https://t.co/0FveXmBxjO

— ANI (@ANI) April 5, 2020

PM Narendra Modi on Sunday called two former Presidents Pranab Mukherjee and Pratibha Patil and had a discussion on Covid-19- related issues. He also called two former Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and HD Deve Gowda to discuss COVID-19: Official sources

In addition, PM Modi spoke to leaders of various political parties like Sonia Gandhi, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav, Mamata Banerjee, Naveen Patnaik, K Chandrashekar Rao, MK Stalin and Parkash Singh Badal.