I - 002 - 30TH MARCH 2020 - DAILY UPDATE ON INDIA,

THE ECONOMIC TIMES Politics & Nation Newsletter

Doctors say it’s only a matter of time before Covid sweeps India With its densely packed cities and under-funded medical system, India has little margin for error .

Coronavirus cases rise to 1,071 in India, number of dead at 29 Karnataka has reported 80 cases, Uttar Pradesh 75, Telangana 69, Gujarat 58 and Delhi 53. Other majorly affected states include Rajasthan (57), Tamil Nadu (50) and Haryana (33), among others. Maharashtra has reported the highest statewise death tally at 8, while Gujarat has reported 5 deaths.

India Lockdown: Migrant workers’ plight breaks political ceasefire Thousands of migrant workers thronging the streets amid the nationwide lockdown has put stains on the nascent political ceasefire at the time of the Covid-19 emergency.

As Covid-19 cases rise in India, “Covtech” based surveillance intensifies In states like Kerala, contact tracing of COVID-19 patients involves “virus detectives”, ground-level human workers who go door to door tracing the movements of positive patients, besides using CCTV footages for clues.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES S&P further slashes India's growth forecast to 3.5% from 5.2% for FY21 The latest downgrade came as part of the global ratings agency’s report on deteriorating credit conditions in the Asi... L&T donates Rs 150 crore to PM-Cares, commits to pay 160,000 contract labourers despite disruption in work COVID-19: New SOP by health ministry states India’s current phase as ‘local transmission and limited community transmission’ COVID-19: Health Ministry issues advisory for aged people Coronavirus India Updates Live: New York reports 1000 deaths in 19 days; India case count crosses 1000-mark

Frontline medics fume over protective gear The Covid-19 pandemic has brought to the fore that all is not well with the country’s medical staff. A dozen doctors in five states have contacted the highly contagious virus — mainly due to lack of masks, gloves and personal protection equipment (PPE) — and there are many resident doctors and interns who feel they are “sitting ducks”.

Cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba says no plans to extend lockdown period I’m surprised to see such reports, there is no such plan of extending the lockdown," Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba said on reports that the lockdown could be extended.

No relief for undertrials accused of fraud, anti-national activities A two-tier approach has been worked on to deal with convicts and undertrials. While a 45-day interim bail will be granted to undertrials, a five-member committee chaired by the director-general of prisons in Delhi, Sandeep Goel, was constituted on Friday to decide which convict would be released for an eight week “emergency” parole.

Maharashtra to scale up key health infrastructure, ropes in McKinsey View: Only way to combat coronavirus pandemic is through global cooperation

Mass exodus, rising count: In first weekend under lockdown, India adjusts to new normal India's most vulnerable, who fear dying not of the disease but rather of starvation, have decided not to wait. Unable to afford food and rent, migrant workers in the national capital have begun walking home, hundreds of miles away, as the lockdown keeps them from work.

Govt identifies Covid ‘hotspots,’ plans cluster containment Health ministry is studying data & identifying probable hotspots of Covid-19 which need to be better monitored

Walking from Delhi to MP, man dies in Agra The man, identified as Ranveer Singh, worked as home delivery boy for a private restaurant in the national capital. According to police, the victim collapsed near Kailash turning of the National Highway-2.

Coronavirus lockdown: 'How long will we survive with no work, little money?', ask migrant workers Many of the people who had gathered at Anand Vihar claimed that with no money to pay rent and buy food, they cannot stay in the city, even as the Delhi government has exhorted them to stay back and offered all help.

Health Ministry issues guidelines for disinfecting public places, dos and dont's for elderly "These include bus stops, railway platforms, parks, roads. Cleaning and disinfection efforts should be targeted to frequently touched/contaminated surfaces. Sanitary workers must use separate set of cleaning equipment for toilets (mops, nylon scrubber) and separate set for sink and commode.

Coronavirus: How Dubai, Saudi returnees slipped under radar, leading to spike in cases Many of those who returned from Gulf countries to India in February and early March were neither screened at airports nor advised to quarantine themselves. The focus then was on passengers from China, South Korea, Iran, Spain, Italy and Germany. Dubai and Saudi Arabia weren’t even on the radar.