COVID-19: Delhi, Uttar Pradesh Seal Coronavirus Hotspots; PM Modi Hints At Extending Lockdown - 10 Points

India saw 485 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours with the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country rising to 5,274 on Wednesday. The death toll in India stood at 149, the Union Health Ministry said. Meanwhie, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh governments sealed off coronavirus hotspots to stop any community transmission of the virus. The 21-day lockdown looks set to be extended beoynd April 15. Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested that the lockdown will be extended and restrictions will not be lifted in one go after April 14, amid a spurt in COVID-19 infections in the country.

Here's All You Need To Know About The COVID-19 Pandemic In India And The World:

1. The number of active COVID-19 cases is 4,714 and as many as 410 people were cured and discharged and one had migrated, it said. The total number of cases include 71 foreign nationals. The death toll on Tuesday evening was 124. As many as 25 new deaths were reported in the last 24 hours.
2. Sixteen people died Maharashtra, two each in Delhi, West Bengal, Haryana and Tamil Nadu and one in Andhra Pradesh. Maharashtra has reported the most coronavirus deaths at 64, followed by Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh at 13 each and Delhi at 9. Telangana, Punjab and Tamil Nadu have reported seven fatalities each. West Bengal has registered five deaths, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have reported four each, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan have recorded three deaths each. Two deaths each have been reported from Jammu and Kashmir and Kerala. Bihar, Himachal Pradesh and Odisha reported one fatality each, according to the health ministry data.
3. Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested that the lockdown to check the spread of coronavirus will be extended and restrictions will not be lifted in one go after April 14, amid a spurt in COVID-19 infections in the country. In a video meeting with leaders of all parties, PM Modi reportedly said he would consult with Chief Ministers but by all accounts the lifting of the lockdown "is not possible".
4. The Delhi government has identified twenty 'containment zones' in the national capital. These coronavirus hotspots in Delhi will be sealed, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia announced on Wednesday. The the government will ensure delivery of essential items in these areas. (READ FULL STORY)
5. Uttar Pradesh government also decided to seal coronavirus hotspots in 15 districts with more than six positive cases till April 15. The normal lockdown will continue in rest of the districts. These places would be sealed and only medical services and home delivery would be allowed in these areas. The 15 districts are Agra, Lucknow, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Kanpur Nagar, Varanasi, Sitapur, shamli, Meerut, Bulandhshahr, Saharanpur, Bareilly, Firozabad, Basti and Mahrajganj. (READ FULL STORY)
6. It is now compulsory to wear masks in public places in Delhi, Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh. People will now have to wear masks or face while stepping out of their homes in the national capital, announced Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia. Earlier, similar order were issued by the Uttar Pradesh government. In Mumbai, the BMC has warned that those who step out in public without face covers will be punished.
7. The Supreme Court has asked government to ensure coronavirus tests are free in both state-run and private diagnostic labs. The coronavirus tests are already free at government hospitals. However, private labs can charge up to Rs 4,500 for the test. In response to a PIL, the top court said the private hospitals including laboratories have an important role to play in containing the scale of the pandemic by extending philanthropic services in the hour of national crisis. (READ FULL STORY)
8. The Income Tax department on Wednesday said it will immediately issue pending refunds up to Rs 5 lakh, benefitting around 14 lakh taxpayers. This would benefit around 14 lakh taxpayers, an official statement said. The government will also issue pending GST and customs refunds of Rs 18,000 crore to provide relief to business entities.
9. India has asked US support to to get access to cutting-edge Covid-19 testing equipment. The request comes after India eased restrictions on the export of hydroxychloroquine and paracetamol on requests from nearly 20 countries including the United States. Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla requested the Trump administration's support in a telephone conversation with his counterpart US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen E Biegun, according to sources.
10. Pakistan skipped a video conference of senior trade officials of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) on Wednesday. The meeting discussed ways to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on regional trade. The virtual meeting of the trade officials was a follow-up to a video conference of leaders of the eight Saarc states that was convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 15.