(Eds: Adds details)Ahmedabad, May 18 () Gujarat on Monday recorded 366new COVID-19 cases and 35 deaths, including 31 from worst-hitAhmedabad, taking the case count to 11,746 and the number offatalities to 694, a Health official said.Apart from Ahmedabad, two deaths were reported fromSurat and one each death from Patan and Bharuch.A total of 305 patients were also discharged fromvarious hospitals, taking the total number of the recoveredcases to 4,804, the official said.Gujarat now has 6,248 active cases, 38 of whom are onventilator.A total of 1,48,824 samples have been tested so far,the official added.With 263 new coronvirus cases and 31 deaths, theoverall case count in Ahmedabad district mounted to 8,683 andfatalities to 555.Of 16 districts with new cases, Surat reported 33,Vadodara 22 and Gandhinagar 12, the official said, adding thatthe total number of cases in Surat and Vadodara now stand at1,127 and 682, respectively.Gujarat COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positivecases 11,746, new cases 366, deaths 694, discharged cases4,804, active cases 6,248 and people tested so far 1,48,824. KA PDNSK NSK

Gujarat COVID-19 cases up by 366 to 11,746; death toll 694

New Delhi, Apr 15 () IT major Wipro Ltd on Wednesday posted nearly 6 per cent decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 2,345.2 crore for January-March 2020 quarter, and suspended revenue growth guidance due to uncertainty in the external environment amid coronvirus pandemic.Wipro, which is the first among its peers to announce financial numbers for the quarter, said it will resume providing revenue guidance after it sees "increased certainty" on demand and supply side factors.The Bengaluru-based company's net profit stood at Rs 2,493.9 crore in March 2019 quarter.Wipro posted a 4.6 per cent rise in revenue at Rs 15,711 crore in January-March quarter compared to Rs 15,006.3 crore in the year-ago period."We estimate that the IT services revenues for the quarter ended March 31, 2020 were negatively impacted by COVID-19 by approximately USD 14-16 million (0.7-0.8 per cent of revenues)," Wipro said in a regulatory filing.It added that due to the uncertainty around the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, it does not have visibility into the extent to which it will disrupt the company's operations. SR MBI BAL

Wipro Q4 net slips 6% to Rs 2,345 cr; suspends rev guidance amid uncertainty over COVID-19

Mumbai, Mar 18 () The government's plan to privatise flag carrier Air India will be further delayed and it will have to infuse up to Rs 3,000 crore to ensure continuity of operations till the sale process gets over, the Centre for Pacific Aviation (CAPA) said on Wednesday. The government has already extended the date of submission for expression of interest to April 30 from March 17 due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. In January, the government restarted the divestment process of the carrier and invited bids for selling its 100 per cent stake in both Air India and its low-cost international budget arm Air India Express besides entire 50 per cent holding in ground-handling joint venture AI-SATS. "The privatisation process for Air India will be further delayed. The EoI submission date has already been pushed back by six weeks," CAPA said in its latest report -- Impact of COVID-19 on Indian Aviation -- released on Wednesday. Due to this delay, the government will need to commit "significant" and "immediate" interim funding of USD300-400 million for the national carrier, to ensure that it is able to operate at least in its current condition until such time as the sale transaction is concluded. Air India pilot unions - Indian Pilots Guild and Indian Commercial Pilots Association- on Monday wrote to Minister of State for Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri, seeking immediate financial assistance to the airline in view of the situation arising out of the coronvirus outbreak. CAPA, in its report also stated that the government must also have a fall-back plan to regroup and continue to operate the airline for the medium-term if the privatisation process is unable to proceed. After its unsuccessful bid to sell Air India in 2018, the government this time decided to offload its entire stake. In 2018, the government had offered to sell its 76 per cent stake in the airline. IAS MRMR

Govt needs to infuse Rs 3K cr in Air India as sale to get delayed: CAPA

Bhopal, May 18 () With the Centre granting more autonomy to states to delineate zones depending on the number of coronvirus positive cases, the Madhya Pradesh government on Monday decided to divide all districts into red and green zones during the fourth phase of the lockdown until May 31. As on Monday, the number of COVID-19 cases in Madhya Pradesh stood at 5,236 with 252 deaths. "Under the fourth phase of the lockdown, all districts in MP have been divided into red and green zones," Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said during his televised address, adding that special restrictions will continue in all the infected areas. Red Zone District of MP The Red Zone will include Indore, Ujjain districts, Municipal areas of Bhopal, Burhanpur, Jabalpur, Khandwa, Dewas, Urban areas of Mandsaur, Neemuch, Dhar and Kukshi. other districts are in green zone. He said the latest lockdown will be imposed in a manner that is different from the previous three formats. "We have to save lives as well as the world. A decision on the nature of the latest lockdown has been taken in accordance with suggestions received from crisis management groups from all classes, districts and the people of the state," the CM said. Chouhan said the COVID-19 crisis could be controlled thanks to the "visionary" leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "We have succeeded in controlling the viral infection in Madhya Pradesh to a great extent," he said, adding that the rate of doubling of cases improved from three days on April 1 to 14 days on May 1. "Currently, the doubling rate (of cases) stands at 17.2 days, which will soon improve further to 20 days," the chief minister said. He said the "coronavirus health rate" or recovery rate stood at 19.03 per cent on May 1 which has improved to more than 46 per cent on May 18. "However, we needed to be cautious and remain vigilant now," he added. "We need not to be afraid or panic, full precaution shave to be taken. We have made all necessary arrangements for treatment (of infected people)," he added.

Lockdown: MP districts divided into red and green zones

Mumbai, Apr 9 () Air India chief Rajiv Bansal on Thursday said that the "crippling effect" of the novel coronavirus has further plummeted the airline's finances to a "precarious" position but despite that, it has managed to keep afloat.Bansal, in a message on Thursday, also assured the employees of providing all the "essential armoury" in carrying out evacuation and chartered flights amid the pandemic."Air India has been passing through a critical financial condition much before the Covid19 onslaught. The crippling effect of the pandemic, especially in the aviation sector, has further plummeted our finances to a precarious position. In spite of this, your airline has left no stone unturned to continue to remain afloat," Bansal said in a message to Air India employees on Thursday.Reminding the employees that the organisation is always with them during these trying times, he said, their safety and health are as important to the company as of its passengers."We are leaving no stone unturned to ensure you get all the essential armoury to fight this war. Our dedicated medical services team members are available round the clock for any consultation, advice or emergency. We are doing everything possible to minimise risk factors," Bansal said.Besides taking all the precautionary measures and providing PPE to ensure your safety, Air India was amongst the very few airlines in the world, who are providing hazmat suits and other protective equipment for its crew to equip them to face any COVID-related safety concern onboard, he said.It was the first carrier to evacuate stranded Indian nationals from Coronvirus-hit Wuhan in China in January.It is due to these precautionary measures that so far, only one of the airline's crew members amongst so many, who have been flying our charter flights all over the world, has tested COVID positive, he added."I am relieved to inform you that she has also been discharged after full recovery under the watchful eyes of our medical department," Bansal said.In recent weeks, Air India has operated flights to Israel, Germany and London, using its wide-body Boeing 777s and B787s. These services were mainly to carry foreign nationals stranded in the country due to the lockdown, which began on March 25.Stating that all of us in Air India, no doubt, are in this war together, Bansal said, "Adversity brings the best out of us and is a litmus test of our courage and strength of character. This is also the time to show how much we care for one another." IAS MRMR

Air India finances plummet due to coronavirus impact, says chief

Mumbai, Jun 15 () The government will have to chart out a fresh glide path to bring down the fiscal deficit once the normalcy is restored, an article published in the monthly bulletin of the Reserve Bank has suggested. The union government's fiscal situation is expected to worsen in view of the low tax realisation, higher expenditure on healthcare and overall disruption in economic activities following the coronavirus outbreak. The country's fiscal deficit soared to a seven-year high of 4.6 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2019-20, as per the latest data provided by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA). The government, while unveiling the budget proposals for 2020-21 in February, had proposed to bring down the fiscal deficit to 3.5 per cent of the GDP. The budget was presented about two months before the country affected lockdown on March 25 to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. "The deterioration in provisional accounts for 2019-20 can be attributed to tax revenue shortfall, both cyclical and structural," said the RBI article. Given that the budget estimates of 2020-21 were projected on the basis of 2019-20 RE, a shortfall in tax revenue collections in 2019-20 (Provisional Accounts) vis-à-vis 2019-20 (Revised Estimates) may distort the fiscal arithmetic for 2020-21. "This could be further impacted adversely by COVID-19 related macroeconomic effects in 2020-21, especially Q1. Against this backdrop, fiscal effort in 2020-21 has to be calibrated and judicious, while simultaneously charting out a glide path back to fiscal rectitude once the rough waters calm," said the RBI article. The Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Rules, 2004, specifies annual targets and mandates the central government to reduce the fiscal deficit by an amount equivalent to 0.1 per cent or more of GDP per year. The bulletin said the article has been prepared by Sangita Misra, Samir Ranjan Behera, Kaushiki Singh and Saksham Sood of the Department of Economic and Policy Research, RBI. The bulletin, however, said that "views expressed are of the authors and do not pertain to the institution they belong to". While raising the fiscal deficit target to 3.8 per cent of the GDP from 3.3 per cent pegged earlier for 2019-20, the government had utilised 'escape clause' under the FRBM Act which provides it leeway for relaxation of fiscal deficit roadmap during time of stress. India had imposed a lockdown on March 25 with an aim to restrict the spread of coronvirus. Economic activities in the country have been severely impacted due to the lockdown. With Unlocking starting this month, there have been pickup in economic activities. During 2018-19, the fiscal deficit was 3.4 per cent the GDP. The government had said it would have restricted it to 3.3 per cent but for the income support to farmers. The government had provided Rs 20,000 crore towards the income support for 2018-19 while presenting the Interim Budget for 2019-20 (February 1, 2019). NKD CS MKJ

Govt needs to chart out fresh glide path to bring down fiscal deficit: RBI bulletin

(Eds: Releasing overnight story) Mumbai, Apr 9 () Air India chief Rajiv Bansal on Thursday said that the "crippling effect" of coronavirus has further plummeted the airline's finances to a "precarious" position but despite that, it has managed to keep afloat. Bansal, in a message on Thursday, also assured the employees of providing all the "essential armoury" in carrying out evacuation and chartered flights amid the pandemic. "Air India has been passing through a critical financial condition much before the Covid19 onslaught. The crippling effect of the pandemic, especially in the aviation sector, has further plummeted our finances to a precarious position. In spite of this, your airline has left no stone unturned to continue to remain afloat," Bansal said in a message to Air India employees on Thursday. Reminding the employees that the organisation is always with them during these trying times, he said, their safety and health are as important to the company as of its passengers. "We are leaving no stone unturned to ensure you get all the essential armoury to fight this war. Our dedicated medical services team members are available round the clock for any consultation, advice or emergency. We are doing everything possible to minimise risk factors," Bansal said. Besides taking all the precautionary measures and providing PPE to ensure your safety, Air India was amongst the very few airlines in the world, who are providing hazmat suits and other protective equipment for its crew to equip them to face any COVID-related safety concern onboard, he said. It was the first carrier to evacuate stranded Indian nationals from Coronvirus-hit Wuhan in China in January. It is due to these precautionary measures that so far, only one of the airline's crew members amongst so many, who have been flying our charter flights all over the world, has tested COVID positive, he added. "I am relieved to inform you that she has also been discharged after full recovery under the watchful eyes of our medical department," Bansal said. In recent weeks, Air India has operated flights to Israel, Germany and London, using its wide-body Boeing 777s and B787s. These services were mainly to carry foreign nationals stranded in the country due to the lockdown, which began on March 25. Stating that all of us in Air India, no doubt, are in this war together, Bansal said, "Adversity brings the best out of us and is a litmus test of our courage and strength of character. This is also the time to show how much we care for one another." IAS MR HRS

Coronavirus deteriorates Air India finances but airline manages to keep afloat, says chief

(Eds: Recasting overnight story) New Delhi, Apr 15 () As the world grapples with coronavirus, researchers have found the presence of a different kind of coronavirus -- bat coronavirus (BtCoV) --in two bat species from Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu, according to a study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). There is no evidence or research to claim that these bat coronaviruses can cause disease in humans, said Dr Pragya D Yadav, Scientist at the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune and also the first author of study. The study has been published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research, Twenty-five bats of Rousettus and Pteropus species from Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu were found positive for BtCoV in Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu."These bat coronaviruses have no relation with SARS-CoV2 responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic," Yadav said, adding that Pteropus bat species were earlier found positive for Nipah virus in 2018 and 2019 in Kerala."Bats are considered to be the natural reservoir for many viruses, of which some are potential human pathogens. In India, an association of Pteropus medius bats with the Nipah virus was reported in the past. It is suspected that the recently emerged severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) also has its association with bats," the objective of the study titled 'Detection of coronaviruses in Pteropus and Rousettus species of bats from different states of India' stated. "In the present scenario of changing demography and ecological manipulations, it is challenging to have checks on the encounters of bats with other animals and humans," the study stated, highlighting that the need for active and continuous surveillance remains crucial for outbreak alerts for bat-associated viral agents with epidemic potential, which would be helpful in timely interventions."Although CoVs in the subfamily coronavirinae do not usually produce clinical symptoms in their natural hosts (bats), accidental transmission of these viruses to humans and other animals may result in respiratory, enteric, hepatic or neurologic diseases of variable severity. It is still not understood as to why only certain CoVs can infect people," the study said.The scientists stressed on the need of proactive surveillance of zoonotic infections in bats. The detection and identification of such viruses from bats also recommends cross-sectional antibody surveys (human and domestic animals) in localities where the viruses have been detected. Similarly, if the epidemiological situation demands, evidence-based surveillance should also be conducted, the study said while emphasing on the need of developing strong mechanisms for working jointly with various stakeholders such as wildlife, poultry, animal husbandry and human health departments. "In conclusion, our study showed detection of bat CoVs in two species of Indian bats. Continuous active surveillance is required to identify the emerging novel viruses with epidemic potential," Dr Yadav said.Elaborating on the study, Dr Yadav said throat and rectal swab samples of two bat species -- Rousettus and Pteropus -- from seven states were screened for the bat coronvirus during which the representative samples collected from Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu tested positive while those from Karnataka, Chandigarh, Punjab, Telengana, Gujarat and Odisha came out negative.The reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests and sequencing were used for the confirmation of the findings."This is an ongoing study to understand the prevalence of the Nipah virus in bats," she said. PLB RDM DVDV

Bat coronavirus found in two Indian bat species:study

New Delhi, Apr 14 () As the world grapples with the coronavirus pandemic, researchers have found the presence of a different kind of coronavirus -- bat coronavirus (BtCoV) -- in two bat species from Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu, according to a first of its study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). According to the study published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research, there is no evidence or research to claim that these bat coronaviruses can cause disease in humans, said Dr Pragya D Yadav, Scientist at the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune and also the first author of study. Twenty-five bats of Rousettus and Pteropus species from Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu were found positive for BtCoV in Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu."These bat coronaviruses have no relation with SARS-CoV2 responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic," Yadav said, adding that Pteropus bat species were earlier found positive for Nipah virus in 2018 and 2019 in Kerala."Bats are considered to be the natural reservoir for many viruses, of which some are potential human pathogens. In India, an association of Pteropus medius bats with the Nipah virus was reported in the past. It is suspected that the recently emerged severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) also has its association with bats," the objective of the study titled 'Detection of coronaviruses in Pteropus and Rousettus species of bats from different states of India' stated. "In the present scenario of changing demography and ecological manipulations, it is challenging to have checks on the encounters of bats with other animals and humans," the study stated, highlighting that the need for active and continuous surveillance remains crucial for outbreak alerts for bat-associated viral agents with epidemic potential, which would be helpful in timely interventions."Although CoVs in the subfamily coronavirinae do not usually produce clinical symptoms in their natural hosts (bats), accidental transmission of these viruses to humans and other animals may result in respiratory, enteric, hepatic or neurologic diseases of variable severity. It is still not understood as to why only certain CoVs can infect people," the study said.The scientists stressed on the need of proactive surveillance of zoonotic infections in bats. The detection and identification of such viruses from bats also recommends cross-sectional antibody surveys (human and domestic animals) in localities where the viruses have been detected. Similarly, if the epidemiological situation demands, evidence-based surveillance should also be conducted, the study said while emphasing on the need of developing strong mechanisms for working jointly with various stakeholders such as wildlife, poultry, animal husbandry and human health departments. "In conclusion, our study showed detection of bat CoVs in two species of Indian bats. Continuous active surveillance is required to identify the emerging novel viruses with epidemic potential," Dr Yadav said.Elaborating on the study, Dr Yadav said throat and rectal swab samples of two bat species -- Rousettus and Pteropus -- from seven states were screened for the bat coronvirus during which the representative samples collected from Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu tested positive while those from Karnataka, Chandigarh, Punjab, Telengana, Gujarat and Odisha came out negative.The reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests and sequencing were used for the confirmation of the findings."This is an ongoing study to understand the prevalence of the Nipah virus in bats," she said. PLB RDMRDM

ICMR study finds presence of 'bat coronavirus' in two Indian bat species

<a href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Julio-Oscar-Mechoso-Street-Designation-Ceremony/0d790f29064c4f379bc12868b051034d/24/0">MPI10 / MediaPunch /IPX</a>Miami Mayor Francis X. Suarez attends a street designation ceremony for actor Julio Oscar Mechoso in 2018.<ul class="summary-list"><li>Miami Mayor Francis Suarez announced he had tested positive for coronavirus on Friday, the Miami Herald reported.</li><li>Suarez had gone into self-quarantine on Thursday after meeting with a delegation from Brazil earlier this week that included Jair Bolsonaro and his spokesman. The spokesman has reportedly tested positive for coronvirus.</li><li>Suarez said that the city had planned for such a scenario but was "concerned for people who have had some measure of contact with me."</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>Miami mayor Francis Suarez has tested positive for the coronavirus, the Miami Herald <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article241163311.html#storylink=cpy">reported,</a> after he met with Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and his delegation in Miami earlier this week.After the delegation's visit to Florida, Bolsonaro's spokesman Fabio Wajngarten,<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/white-house-trump-coronavirus-test-almost-no-interactions-cpac-attendee-2020-3"> tested positive for COVID-19 according to Brazilian media </a>and <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/12/americas/brazil-bolsonaro-coronavirus-aide-scli-intl/index.html">CNN.</a> On Friday, Bolsonaro said he has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jair-bolsonaro-brazil-president-coronavirus-test-positive-2020-3">tested negative</a> for the virus. Suarez is not the first Florida politician impacted by the visit. Sen. Rick Scott (R), who also met with the delegation on Monday, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-not-tested-coronavirus-after-exposure-concerns-gop-senators-isolate-2020-3">announced he was voluntarily entering self-quarantine</a> but had not been tested for the coronavirus.Suarez told the Herald in an interview on Friday,"It is confirmed that I have the coronavirus. I did test positive for it."While he insisted he felt healthy, Suarez said he was "concerned for people who have had some measure of contact with me."In a statement, he asked anyone who had shaken hands with him or been in proximity to him if he coughed or sneezed to self-isolate as a precaution. These individuals did not need to be tested, Suarez said in the statement.The announcement comes after Suarez told citizens on Thursday that he was entering self-quarantine as a precaution after meeting with Bolsonaro's delegation.During Bolsonaro's visit to Miami on Monday and Tuesday, Suarez said he was in the same room as the president and his infected staff member.Suarez said that he did not believe that he had personal contact with the infected individual, and was not experiecing symptoms. However, he chose to enter self-quarantine "out of an abundance of caution.""I feel healthy, strong, and more than capable of doing my job as mayor," Suarez said on Thursday.On Friday, Suarez urged anyone who had physical contact twith him to self-quarantine and said he could continue to work while recovering. "If we did not shake hands or you did not come into contact with me if I coughed or sneezed, there is no action you need to take whatsoever," he said. "If we did, however, touch or shake hands, or if I sneezed or coughed near you since Monday, it is recommended that you self-isolate for 14 days, but you do not need to get tested. After speaking with medical personnel, I will continue to follow Department of Health protocol and remain isolated while I lead our government remotely. <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sneaky-ways-flower-delivery-services-get-your-money-2020-2">All the sneaky ways that flower-delivery services get your order</a></h3>

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez confirms he tested positive for coronavirus after meeting with Jair Bolsonaro's delegation this week

<ul><li>Punjab reported 127 new coronvirus cases on June 15. </li><li>The total number of positive infections now stand at 3,267 in the state, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.</li><li>Punjab government has imposed stricter guidelines for weekends and public holidays, adding that only those with e-passes will be allowed to move out.</li></ul>On June 15, Punjab reported 127 new COVID cases, taking the total number of infections in the state to 3,267, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. While four people died due to <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> in Amritsar. The recent cases have been reported in Ludhiana, Jaladhar and Amritsar. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6em; box-shadow: none; width: 468pt; font-family: Merriweather; table-layout: fixed; padding-bottom: 10px !important; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"></colgroup></colgroup></colgroup></colgroup></colgroup></colgroup></colgroup></colgroup></colgroup></colgroup></colgroup></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-width: 1pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 5pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;">State </td><td style="border-width: 1pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 5pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Total cases </td><td style="border-width: 1pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 5pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Cured</td><td style="border-width: 1pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 5pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Deaths </td></tr><tr><td style="border-width: 1pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 5pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Punjab </td><td style="border-width: 1pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 5pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;">3,267 </td><td style="border-width: 1pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 5pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;">2,443</td><td style="border-width: 1pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 5pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top; overflow: hidden; overflow-wrap: break-word;">71 </td></tr></tbody></table> Given the sudden spike in the positive cases, the Punjab government imposed stricter guidelines in the state on weekends and public holidays, adding that only those with e-passes will be allowed to move out. Moreover, the people coming from the national capital will have to provide testing certification before entering the state, said the state Chief Minister Amrinder Singh. On June 10, Singh allowed the religious places including gurudwara in the state to not just open but also restart the distribution of prasad and langar among people. “It has now been decided to allow community kitchens (langar) and serving of prasad at religious places, subject to the condition that physical distancing norms and all COVID hygiene precautions while preparing and distributing food shall be strictly followed," Mint reported citing the official announcement said. Given the surge in the coronavirus cases in the state, Punjab has aggressively ramped up the testing capacity. According to the state Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu, over 1 lakh samples have been tested so far and the state is now testing 3,259 per million. That is equivalent to 4,500 tests per day and higher than the country's average at 3,046. “Punjab has completed testing of over 1,00,000 samples for COVID-19,” Indian Express reported citing the health minister. Meanwhile, the state has recorded the highest COVID-19 recovery rate in the country — at 91%. In addition, the critical mortality rate in the state is also the lowest at 1.3%. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total count of those cured reached to 2,000. On May 30, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh extended the lockdown till June 30 . However, the state government has eased the lockdown norms, in line with the guidelines by the central government. As per the state orders, the local shops including liquor and barber shops, beauty parlours and spa will be open in the non-containment zones, starting today. While the defined guidelines for hotels, hospitality services, shopping malls, places of worship, and restaurants will be announced soon. However, Singh strictly said that the residents will have to follow the COVID safety protocols including social distancing and wearing of masks. He said that the government will ensure that the masks are supplied as a part of the ration kits for those who can't afford to buy them. The state government has collected over ₹1 crore as fine so far - from people who were not wearing masks. According to Anurag Agarwal, Principal Secretary Health and Family Welfare, of the 40 deaths, most of the senior citizens had serious illness like kidney diseases, HIV and high blood pressure, IANS reported. However, the pandemic is showing no signs of dying down. The total number of infections rose to 2,233 in Punjab, as on June 1. As many as 25 fresh COVID-19 cases were reported on Tuesday (May 26). According to IANS, Amritsar has reported the maximum number of COVID-19 cases in the state, followed by Jalandhar and Ludhiana. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/coronavirus-cases-in-haryana-news-and-updates/articleshow/74771116.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Coronavirus cases in Haryana news and updates</a>

Punjab coronavirus cases spike to 3,267 — 127 new cases, 4 deaths reported on June 15

Jonathan Ernst/ReutersThen-Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump jokes about how difficult he says it is for him to listen to Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton's voice as he holds a rally with supporters in Fresno, California, U.S. May 27, 2016.<ul class="summary-list"><li>Trump is blowing the coronavirus response because he can't take bad news. This is a trait he developed over a long business career of faking success.</li><li>And it is why, from the beginning of the coronavirus crisis in January, Trump downplayed its severity and importance.</li><li>He's still doing it now. In a call with governors this week he denied that there was any shortage of coronavirus test kits. There still is.</li><li>This inability to cope with bad news got us into this pandemic mess in the first place. Reality will get us out of it.</li><li>This is an opinion column. The thoughts expressed are those of the author.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>Donald Trump has never been a man who has a good relationship with reality. In fact, throughout his business career it's clear that the harder things got, the more he was inclined to make circumstances seem rosier than they actually were, to lie. This is a deadly way to do things in a crisis, especially one like the coronavirus pandemic.On Tuesday the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/30/us/politics/trump-governors-coronavirus-testing.html">New York Times</a> reported that in a phone conference between the White House and state governors, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock said his state would run out of coronavirus test kits in a day. Instead of offering help, Trump responded by shutting Bullock down and saying that he hadn't heard about a problem with test kits in weeks. Someone at the meeting <a href="https://youtu.be/B1vZlPnnH-g">recorded the exchange.</a> Reality is on Bullock's side. The number of coronavirus tests the US is conducting daily <a href="https://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2020/04/april-1-update-us-covid-19-tests-per.html">has leveled off</a>, suggesting that the <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/31/testing-coronavirus-blindspots-157993">states where the virus is headed</a> haven't ramped up testing enough. There are major operatonal issues preventing the scaling of testing to a level that could help broadly identify those infected with the coronavirus. The federal government is not helping this situation, and all of that that is making the crisis worse. But Trump doesn't want to hear that.Trump's denial at this meeting was then bolstered and amplified by his enablers. White House spokesman Hogan Gidley <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/30/us/politics/trump-governors-coronavirus-testing.html">described</a> the call saying that "the governors praised President Trump's leadership." In Trump world, the call was a lovefest. In reality, it was yet another horrifying vignette in this long national nightmare.Trump is not going to suddenly embrace reality and facts. He's never done it. When the Central Park Five were exhonerated for murder <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/18/nyregion/central-park-five-trump.html">he would not apologize</a> for taking out a full page ad calling for their execution. He's always lied about this wealth, even <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2017-06-12/trump-s-history-of-lies-according-to-biographer-timothy-o-brien">suing a journalist</a> who tried to correct the record for libel and losing. Reality has never stopped Donald Trump from lying even when the truth was obvious.And it does not get more obvious than hundreds of Americans dying every single day.<h2>Accentuate the factual</h2>Trump's evolution on the coronavirus has been painfully slow. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland back in January he <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/22/trump-on-coronavirus-from-china-we-have-it-totally-under-control.html">assured CNBC</a> that it wouldn't be a problem for the US.When the virus got to the US he assured the country that <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/33-times-trump-downplayed-the-coronavirus/2020/03/05/790f5afb-4dda-48bf-abe1-b7d152d5138c_video.html">it would not spread</a>. Now that it's spread, he vacillates between trusting the medical experts working on pandemic policy and acquiesing to the business interests that would have him end social distancing, open up the country, and condemn thousands to death for lack of hospital capacity.Trump has shown himself willing to believe unproven information about the virus as long as it's positive and that has terrifying consequences. For example, after he publicly touted an unproven malarial drug as treatment, an <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/23/health/arizona-coronavirus-chloroquine-death/index.html">Arizona man</a> tried to take a form of it as treatment and died. Certainly people shouldn't be treating themselves with random chemicals, but right now people are scared, and having a President who is careless with facts and truth means that desperate people are being fed a diet of delusion.Trump's rosy outlook served him well in business. Back in 2009 when his Atlantic City casinos went bankrupt he was able to wrest control over them by telling an extremely positive-bordering-on-unbelievable story about how he could bring them back to life. They were <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ivanka-trump-donald-cosmo-interview-2016-9">bankrupt again by 2011.</a>When Trump does have moments of intimacy with reality he is liable to quickly walk them back. This week Trump <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-admits-downplayed-coronavirus-i-knew-it-could-be-horrible-2020-3">admitted</a> that he downplayed the danger of the coronvirus saying "I knew everything. I knew it could be horrible, I knew it could be maybe good...I don't want to be a negative person."Then on Wednesday he went back to saying the pandemic was a problem no one could have foreseen.Perhaps appropriately, the disinclination to share bad news with the powers that be is what turned the coronavirus into a global pandemic in the first place. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/29/world/asia/coronavirus-china.html">According to reports</a>, China has a good system for reporting viral threats but the system failed because no one wanted to report coronavirus. No one wanted to deliver bad news to Beijing, and because of that the virus was able to spread.We need facts to fight this virus - facts about what it is, how quickly it spreads, why it emerged, and where it's going. If we don't have good data on that, we're fumbling in the dark. And if we don't have a leader who is willing to accept that data, we'll be in the dark for quite a while.Do you have a personal experience with the coronavirus you'd like to share? Or a tip on how your town or community is handling the pandemic? Please email <a href="mailto:covidtips@businessinsider.com">covidtips@businessinsider.com</a> and tell us your story.And get the latest <a href="/coronavirus-business-impact">coronavirus analysis and research</a> from Business Insider Intelligence on how COVID-19 is impacting businesses. <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/experts-debunk-16-myths-about-parenting-younger-children-toddlers-2020-3">Doctors debunk 16 myths about raising kids</a></h3>

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