37 deaths, 896 New positive Cases in 24 hours, Punjab extends lockdown till May 1

New Delhi/April,10: Nearly 900 new novel coronavirus cases and 37 deaths have been reported over the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry said this evening in its daily briefing. This is the largest ever single-day spike in the number of cases and deaths, the ministry added, and takes the total number of COVID-19 cases in India to 6,761 with at least 206 deaths linked to the virus. The surge in cases comes on a day when the World Health Organisation initially claimed India had entered Stage 3, or “community transmission” of the virus, – a claim it retracted hours later. The country is near the end of a 21-day “total lockdown” imposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month to contain the spread of the virus. The Prime Minister is expected to address the nation this week to clarify whether the lockdown will be extended.
Punjab has become the second state, after Odisha, to extend the Prime Minister’s nationwide “total lockdown”. The lockdown had been scheduled to end on April 14 but will now continue, in Punjab and Odisha at least, till the end of the month. Punjab has registered 132 coronavirus cases, as of Friday despite the strict three-week lockdown. Odisha has 44 cases and one person has died due to the virus. Addressing a virtual press conference the Punjab Chief Minister also flagged concerns that the country is “moving into” community transmission. Mr Singh pointed to 27 COVID-19 patients in the state who were, he said, cases of secondary transmission. The centre was swift to deny this claim, with Lav Aggarwal, a Joint Secretary in the Health Ministry, saying: “I reiterate, there is no community transmission yet across the country”Prime Minister Modi is likely to address the nation again – his third address since the lockdown was ordered – to clarify whether the lockdown will end on Tuesday. Sources say the lockdown may be extended but with many changes this time around. Interstate movement will remain restricted, except for essential services. Schools, colleges and religious institutions are likely to stay closed.