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Over 18,000 people tested positive for COVID-19 in 24 hours in India, the biggest one-day jump in the country since the pandemic was first reported in January. With 18,552 new cases, the total number of cases have risen to 508,953, the Health Ministry said this morning. 384 COVID-19 deaths were also reported during the period, taking the total number of casualties due to the virus to 15,685.  On Friday, India crossed the 5 lakh figure after the country reported its highest single-day spike of over 17,000 cases. It took 149 days to cross the five-lakh mark. India has been recording…

Gurgaon: Gurgaon residents must keep their windows shut as precaution against a possible attack from crop-destroying desert locusts, the city administration said on Friday as a swarm was sighted at an adjoining Haryana district. The administration has asked them to make clanging noise by beating utensils to ward the insects off. "A swarm of locusts has reached Mahendragarh district and is expected to reach Rewari border. Under the circumstances, Gurugram administration has issued an advisory that people must keep their windows shut and make noise by clanging tin boxes, utensils and dhol so that locusts can't settle at a place," the administration said.…

The Supreme Court on Friday permitted the Centre and the CBSE to cancel the remaining board examinations due to COVID-19 pandemic and gave a go-ahead to its scheme to award marks to students for the cancelled papers scheduled to be held in July. The CBSE in its notification said that the exams for classes 10 and 12 which were scheduled from July 1 to 15 2020 stands cancelled. The assessment of the performance of students will be done based on the assessment scheme as suggested by the competent committee.A special bench led by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar also allowed to make…

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday announced that night curfew will remain in force between 10 pm and 5 am, instead of current 9 pm to 5 am, during the extended coronavirus lockdown till July 31. She also said she wants the metro services to resume from July 1, but only with 100% seat occupancy, and no passenger standing. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier extended the lockdown in the state till July 31. "Political rallies cannot be allowed during this time but some parties are holding rallies without police permission. Some parties are breaking the law and…

New Delhi: India's total of coronavirus cases crossed the five lakh-mark on Friday after the country reported its highest single-day spike of over 17,000. Maharashtra, the worst-hit state, with over 5,000 new cases, reached an aggregate of 1,52,765, while West Bengal and Tamil Nadu also reported their biggest single day COVID-19 numbers. The death count climbed to 15,301 with 407 new fatalities. This was the seventh day in a row that India registered over 14,000 cases. India is only behind US, Brazil and Russia.

New Delhi: Schools in Delhi will remain closed till July 31, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said after a meeting with education department officials today. One of the key proposals discussed today was to cut syllabus up to 50 per cent, the Delhi government said in a statement. The officials agreed that online classes and activities with the help of parents should continue in the meantime. "Let's design a plan to reopen schools in a way that would prepare our students to adjust to the new circumstances and not fear them. It would help our students to learn to live with…

Guwahati: Assam today announced a "total lockdown" in Guwahati from Monday for the next two weeks after a sharp surge in new coronavirus patients was recorded in the last ten days. Next week, only pharmacies and hospitals will be allowed to open in the city, Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said this afternoon as he stressed: "Please finish your shopping by Sunday." "A total lockdown will be observed in Kamrup (Metro) district for two weeks from Sunday midnight. For the first seven days, only pharmacies and hospitals will be open. Everything else will be shut," the 51-year-old minister said during…

New Delhi: Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, who was undergoing treatment for COVID-19 in a private hospital, has been cured of the deadly infection and will be discharged today. The AAP leader was given plasma therapy last week after he developed pneumonia and had breathing trouble. Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain tests negative for COVID-19, to be discharged from hospital today. Mr Jain had tested positive for the highly contagious infection on June 17, days after he was admitted to Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGSSH) in the national capital after running high-grade fever and suffering sudden drop in oxygen levels. He…