More than 85 million Chinese travellers flocked to airports and railway stations over the weekend after the country’s government relaxed lockdown restrictions for its annual May Day holiday which started May 1, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism said Sunday.

The total income of the travel industry was valued at $4.97 billion between May 1 to May 3, as per the Ministry.

On Sunday alone, local tourists made 30.94 million outings across the nation, bringing the total travel industry income to $1.78 billion, as indicated by the officials.

Most of the travellers hail from China's greatest populace areas, with enormous numbers making trips from Beijing, Dalian and Wuhan, the city where the principal instances of Covid-19 were accounted for.

The domestic Air travel industry is also showing first signs of recovery, according to press statements from travel analytics companies.

It was estimated that the number of domestic trips in China would increase to about 2.38 billion trips by 2020, indicating an increase of over 50 per cent compared to the number of trips made within China ten years ago.&nbsp;

Tourism has become an important contributor to the domestic economy in China since the beginning of reform and opening in the early eighties.&nbsp;

The emergence of an affluent middle class and an easing of movement restrictions for locals and foreign visitors are both supporting this travel boom.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

More than 85 million Chinese travellers flocked to airports and railway stations over the weekend after the country’s government relaxed lockdown restrictions for its annual May Day holiday which started May 1, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism said Sunday.

More than 85 million Chinese travellers flocked to airports and railway stations over the weekend after the country’s government relaxed lockdown restrictions for its annual May Day holiday which started May 1, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism said Sunday. The total income of the travel industry was valued at $4.97 billion between May 1 to May 3, as per the Ministry. On Sunday alone, local tourists made 30.94 million outings across the nation, bringing the total travel industry income to $1.78 billion, as indicated by the officials. Most of the travellers hail from China's greatest populace areas, with enormous numbers making trips from Beijing, Dalian and Wuhan, the city where the principal instances of Covid-19 were accounted for. The domestic Air travel industry is also showing first signs of recovery, according to press statements from travel analytics companies. It was estimated that the number of domestic trips in China would increase to about 2.38 billion trips by 2020, indicating an increase of over 50 per cent compared to the number of trips made within China ten years ago. Tourism has become an important contributor to the domestic economy in China since the beginning of reform and opening in the early eighties. The emergence of an affluent middle class and an easing of movement restrictions for locals and foreign visitors are both supporting this travel boom. (With inputs from agencies)

China sees 85 million domestic tourist trips in three days as government lifts travel restrictions 

The government has issued a new set of guidelines regarding what is allowed or restricted in Red, Orange and Green Zones after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) extended the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown for two more weeks starting from today.

Govt also issued new guidelines to regulate different activities in this period based on the risk profiling of the districts of the country into Red (hotspots), Green and Orange Zones.&nbsp;

The guidelines have permitted considerable relaxation in the districts falling in the Green and Orange Zones. Green Zone will be districts with either zero confirmed cases till date, or no confirmed cases in the last 21 days.

Here is list of activities prohibited throughout the country, irrespective of the zone

1) All domestic and international air travel of passengers, except for medical/security purposes or as permitted by MHA.

2) All passenger movement by trains, except for security purposes or for purposes as permitted by MHA.

3) All cinema halls, shopping malls, gymnasiums, sports complexes, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars and auditoriums, assembly halls and similar places.

4) All social/political/sports/entertainment/academic cultural or religious functions/other gatherings.

5) Inter-state buses for public transport, or as permitted by the MHA. 
6) Inter-state movement of individuals except for medical reasons, or as permitted by MHA.

7) All schools, colleges, education /training/-coaching institutions etc.

8) Hospitality services other than those used for housing, health/police/government officials/healthcare workers, stranded persons including tourists, and those used for quarantine facilities.

9) All religious places/places of worship for public.

Measures for well being and safety of persons

1) To be identified in red and orange zones.

2) No movement of persons allowed other than medical emergencies and supply of essential goods and services.

3) Aarogya Setu App compulsory for all residents of containment zones.

4) Movement of individuals for all non-essential activities strictly prohibited between 7 pm and 7 am.

5) Persons above 65 years of age, persons with co-morbidities, pregnant women and children below ten years to stay at home, except for essential requirements and health purposes.

6) OPDs and medical clinics permitted outside containment zones with social distancing norms and other precautions.

In the Red Zones, e-commerce activities are permitted only in respect of essential goods. Private offices can operate up to 33 per cent strength as per requirement with the remaining persons working from home.

In the Orange Zones, taxis and cab aggregators will be permitted with 1 driver and 2 passengers only. The Centre has also allowed inter-district movement of individuals and vehicles for permitted activities only. Four wheeler vehicles will have maximum two passengers besides the driver and pillion riding will be allowed on two-wheelers the statement said.

In the Green Zones, the Centre has allowed all activities except the limited number of activities which are prohibited throughout the country, irrespective of the Zone. However, buses can operate with upto 50 per cent seating capacity and bus depots can operate with upto 50 per cent capacity. 
 
(WIth inputs from ANI)

The government has issued a new set of guidelines regarding what is allowed or restricted in Red, Orange and Green Zones after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) extended the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown for two more weeks starting from today.

The government has issued a new set of guidelines regarding what is allowed or restricted in Red, Orange and Green Zones after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) extended the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown for two more weeks starting from today. Govt also issued new guidelines to regulate different activities in this period based on the risk profiling of the districts of the country into Red (hotspots), Green and Orange Zones. The guidelines have permitted considerable relaxation in the districts falling in the Green and Orange Zones. Green Zone will be districts with either zero confirmed cases till date, or no confirmed cases in the last 21 days. Here is list of activities prohibited throughout the country, irrespective of the zone 1) All domestic and international air travel of passengers, except for medical/security purposes or as permitted by MHA. 2) All passenger movement by trains, except for security purposes or for purposes as permitted by MHA. 3) All cinema halls, shopping malls, gymnasiums, sports complexes, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars and auditoriums, assembly halls and similar places. 4) All social/political/sports/entertainment/academic cultural or religious functions/other gatherings. 5) Inter-state buses for public transport, or as permitted by the MHA. 6) Inter-state movement of individuals except for medical reasons, or as permitted by MHA. 7) All schools, colleges, education /training/-coaching institutions etc. 8) Hospitality services other than those used for housing, health/police/government officials/healthcare workers, stranded persons including tourists, and those used for quarantine facilities. 9) All religious places/places of worship for public. Measures for well being and safety of persons 1) To be identified in red and orange zones. 2) No movement of persons allowed other than medical emergencies and supply of essential goods and services. 3) Aarogya Setu App compulsory for all residents of containment zones. 4) Movement of individuals for all non-essential activities strictly prohibited between 7 pm and 7 am. 5) Persons above 65 years of age, persons with co-morbidities, pregnant women and children below ten years to stay at home, except for essential requirements and health purposes. 6) OPDs and medical clinics permitted outside containment zones with social distancing norms and other precautions. In the Red Zones, e-commerce activities are permitted only in respect of essential goods. Private offices can operate up to 33 per cent strength as per requirement with the remaining persons working from home. In the Orange Zones, taxis and cab aggregators will be permitted with 1 driver and 2 passengers only. The Centre has also allowed inter-district movement of individuals and vehicles for permitted activities only. Four wheeler vehicles will have maximum two passengers besides the driver and pillion riding will be allowed on two-wheelers the statement said. In the Green Zones, the Centre has allowed all activities except the limited number of activities which are prohibited throughout the country, irrespective of the Zone. However, buses can operate with upto 50 per cent seating capacity and bus depots can operate with upto 50 per cent capacity. (WIth inputs from ANI)

Lockdown 3.0 till May 17: What is prohibited and what will be allowed

The BJP said on Monday the railways has subsidised 85 per cent of ticket fare for special trains being run to transport migrant workers and the state government has to pay the remaining 15 per cent, soon after the Congress attacked the central government over the issue.

The state government concerned can also pay for the tickets, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said.

He said the Madhya Pradesh government is doing so and asked Rahul Gandhi to tell the Congress-ruled states to follow suit.

He was responding to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's attack on the railways for charging poor migrant labourers ticket fare, even as it donated over Rs 151 crore to the PM-CARES Fund.

"Rahul Gandhi ji, I have attached guidelines of MHA which clearly states that ''No tickets to be sold at any station''. Railways has subsidised 85% &amp; state govt to pay 15%. The state govt can pay for the tickets (Madhya Pradesh's BJP govt is paying). Ask Cong state govts to follow suit," Patra tweeted.

The BJP leader further clarified that for each ''Shramik Express'', special trains being run for migrants, about 1,200 tickets to the destination are handed by the railways to the state government concerned.

State governments are supposed to clear the ticket price and hand over the tickets to workers, he said.

Seeking to corner the central government, the Congress on Monday said its state units will bear the cost of rail travel of needy migrant workers and labourers stranded at their workplaces due to the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi in a statement announced the party's decision and said this would be the Congress' humble contribution in standing shoulder to shoulder with these workers.

In a tweet, BJP MP Subramanian Swamy claimed that migrant workers returning home will not have to pay money as the rail travel will be free from now onwards.

Mr Swamy, in a tweet, said, "Talked to Piyush Goel office. Govt will pay 85% and the State Govt 15%. Migrant labour will go free. The Ministry will clarify with an official statement."

The BJP said on Monday the railways has subsidised 85 per cent of ticket fare for special trains being run to transport migrant workers and the state government has to pay the remaining 15 per cent, soon after the Congress attacked the central government over the issue.

The BJP said on Monday the railways has subsidised 85 per cent of ticket fare for special trains being run to transport migrant workers and the state government has to pay the remaining 15 per cent, soon after the Congress attacked the central government over the issue. The state government concerned can also pay for the tickets, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said. He said the Madhya Pradesh government is doing so and asked Rahul Gandhi to tell the Congress-ruled states to follow suit. He was responding to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's attack on the railways for charging poor migrant labourers ticket fare, even as it donated over Rs 151 crore to the PM-CARES Fund. "Rahul Gandhi ji, I have attached guidelines of MHA which clearly states that ''No tickets to be sold at any station''. Railways has subsidised 85% & state govt to pay 15%. The state govt can pay for the tickets (Madhya Pradesh's BJP govt is paying). Ask Cong state govts to follow suit," Patra tweeted. The BJP leader further clarified that for each ''Shramik Express'', special trains being run for migrants, about 1,200 tickets to the destination are handed by the railways to the state government concerned. State governments are supposed to clear the ticket price and hand over the tickets to workers, he said. Seeking to corner the central government, the Congress on Monday said its state units will bear the cost of rail travel of needy migrant workers and labourers stranded at their workplaces due to the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus. Congress president Sonia Gandhi in a statement announced the party's decision and said this would be the Congress' humble contribution in standing shoulder to shoulder with these workers. In a tweet, BJP MP Subramanian Swamy claimed that migrant workers returning home will not have to pay money as the rail travel will be free from now onwards. Mr Swamy, in a tweet, said, "Talked to Piyush Goel office. Govt will pay 85% and the State Govt 15%. Migrant labour will go free. The Ministry will clarify with an official statement."

Railways has subsidised 85% fare of special trains for migrants: BJP

Vietnam has appreciated the scale of action taken in India on lockdown and social distancing norms, India's Envoy to Vietnam Pranay Verma said. Speaking exclusively to Our Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal from Hanoi, Pranay Verma said both the countries have had similar approaches in dealing with the crisis and currently both "have among the lowest per capita incidents of infections" in the world. He also talked about how the mission is reaching out to Indians stranded in the country, many of the tourist and short term visitors.

WION: How is the Indian mission reaching to stranded Indians in the country?

Pranay Verma: COVID pandemic has impacted lives and travel all over the world. Our Embassy and consulate general in Ho Chi Minh City have actively been reaching out to Indian nationals who are held up in Vietnam in the wake of travel restrictions. Most people who are stranded in Vietnam are tourists and business travellers or short term visitors who could not return to India before the travel restrictions came up. We have extensively used social media tools to inform all our Indian nationals in Vietnam including community members who live in Vietnam as well as those who are visiting Vietnam and are held up about our 24*7 emergency coordinates. We have launched an online drive to register Indian Nationals in Vietnam. We are encouraging them to contact us for any assistance from Visa extension, any logistics or subsistence needs that are required to make their extended stay in Vietnam manageable. At the same time, the Indian community in Vietnam and the community organisation like the Indian business chamber have been extremely helpful in playing a proactive role in establishing contacts through social media networks within the larger community to ensure that any person in need is quickly identified and reached out to. We are also in touch with the Vietnamese authorities to seek assistance in making sure those currently held back in Vietnam do not face any undue hardships. Thankfully, we have had no cases of Indian nationals in Vietnam catching the COVID virus infection. In short, other than return to India, which is not something which we can control from here, we stand ready to extend and are extending all possible assistance to make the stay of our stranded citizens in Vietnam as convenient as practically possible.

WION: How are India and Vietnam cooperating on COVID pandemic? Are we sending HCQ or importing kits or anything?

Pranay Verma: India and Vietnam have maintained close contact during the fight against COVID 19. PM Modi spoke telephonically to Vietnamese PM on April 13th and discussed the situation arising out of the pandemic and the steps our two countries are taking to address the challenge. We are also engaged via diplomatic channels, exchanging information on best practices. India traditionally plays the role of a major provider of pharmaceuticals to Vietnam and this engagement has continued during COVID 19 outbreak. If you look at the way both India and Vietnam have approached the COVID 19 pandemic, there are many similarities in terms of early and precise actions taken, including travel restrictions, containment strategies- quarantine and social distancing enforcements, contact tracing etc. while ensuring at the same time significant ramping up of medical preparedness. Largely as a result of these actions, one can say, both countries have been able to witness among the lowest per capita incidence of infections.&nbsp;

WION: Have we shared any Indian containment model or anything to learn from Vietnam's containment model?

Pranay Verma: As I said, we are closely engaged with Vietnam, by exchanging information and best practices and prevention and containment strategies. We are providing detailed briefings to the Vietnamese side on actions India is taking. The Vietnamese side has appreciated the enormity and scale of action taken in India to enforce social distancing through the lockdown. Similarly, we are also regularly updating authorities in India about developments in Vietnam, their best practices, achievements including indigenous development of testing kits, use of technology in contact tracing, enforcing social distancing and the overall success in managing the pandemic.

WION: How has the ground situation in Vietnam changed, how are Indian diplomats faring?

Pranay Verma: As of date, COVID situation in Vietnam appears to have been largely contained. Vietnam has reported 271 total positive cases since the first case was reported in late January. Vietnam has not seen any case of community transmission since around the middle of April. Thanks for inquiring about the well being of our diplomats and our officials. &nbsp;Throughout social distancing restrictions that were put in place in Vietnam since April 1, the embassy and our consulate general has remained open, though with reduced staff strength. We have been particularly alert that our consular services are not disrupted and that we are actively able to extend consular assistance to Indian nationals throughout this period. With social distancing norms now relaxed since April 22nd, life seems to be gradually coming back to normal, schools have reopened from this week and we are also back to work in full strength and all our diplomats, officials and local staffs are in good spirits.

Vietnam has appreciated the scale of action taken in India on lockdown and social distancing norms, India's Envoy to Vietnam Pranay Verma said. Speaking exclusively to Our Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal from Hanoi, Pranay Verma said both the countries have had similar approaches in dealing with the crisis and currently both "have among the lowest per capita incidents of infections" in the world.

Vietnam has appreciated the scale of action taken in India on lockdown and social distancing norms, India's Envoy to Vietnam Pranay Verma said. Speaking exclusively to Our Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal from Hanoi, Pranay Verma said both the countries have had similar approaches in dealing with the crisis and currently both "have among the lowest per capita incidents of infections" in the world. He also talked about how the mission is reaching out to Indians stranded in the country, many of the tourist and short term visitors. WION: How is the Indian mission reaching to stranded Indians in the country? Pranay Verma: COVID pandemic has impacted lives and travel all over the world. Our Embassy and consulate general in Ho Chi Minh City have actively been reaching out to Indian nationals who are held up in Vietnam in the wake of travel restrictions. Most people who are stranded in Vietnam are tourists and business travellers or short term visitors who could not return to India before the travel restrictions came up. We have extensively used social media tools to inform all our Indian nationals in Vietnam including community members who live in Vietnam as well as those who are visiting Vietnam and are held up about our 24*7 emergency coordinates. We have launched an online drive to register Indian Nationals in Vietnam. We are encouraging them to contact us for any assistance from Visa extension, any logistics or subsistence needs that are required to make their extended stay in Vietnam manageable. At the same time, the Indian community in Vietnam and the community organisation like the Indian business chamber have been extremely helpful in playing a proactive role in establishing contacts through social media networks within the larger community to ensure that any person in need is quickly identified and reached out to. We are also in touch with the Vietnamese authorities to seek assistance in making sure those currently held back in Vietnam do not face any undue hardships. Thankfully, we have had no cases of Indian nationals in Vietnam catching the COVID virus infection. In short, other than return to India, which is not something which we can control from here, we stand ready to extend and are extending all possible assistance to make the stay of our stranded citizens in Vietnam as convenient as practically possible. WION: How are India and Vietnam cooperating on COVID pandemic? Are we sending HCQ or importing kits or anything? Pranay Verma: India and Vietnam have maintained close contact during the fight against COVID 19. PM Modi spoke telephonically to Vietnamese PM on April 13th and discussed the situation arising out of the pandemic and the steps our two countries are taking to address the challenge. We are also engaged via diplomatic channels, exchanging information on best practices. India traditionally plays the role of a major provider of pharmaceuticals to Vietnam and this engagement has continued during COVID 19 outbreak. If you look at the way both India and Vietnam have approached the COVID 19 pandemic, there are many similarities in terms of early and precise actions taken, including travel restrictions, containment strategies- quarantine and social distancing enforcements, contact tracing etc. while ensuring at the same time significant ramping up of medical preparedness. Largely as a result of these actions, one can say, both countries have been able to witness among the lowest per capita incidence of infections. WION: Have we shared any Indian containment model or anything to learn from Vietnam's containment model? Pranay Verma: As I said, we are closely engaged with Vietnam, by exchanging information and best practices and prevention and containment strategies. We are providing detailed briefings to the Vietnamese side on actions India is taking. The Vietnamese side has appreciated the enormity and scale of action taken in India to enforce social distancing through the lockdown. Similarly, we are also regularly updating authorities in India about developments in Vietnam, their best practices, achievements including indigenous development of testing kits, use of technology in contact tracing, enforcing social distancing and the overall success in managing the pandemic. WION: How has the ground situation in Vietnam changed, how are Indian diplomats faring? Pranay Verma: As of date, COVID situation in Vietnam appears to have been largely contained. Vietnam has reported 271 total positive cases since the first case was reported in late January. Vietnam has not seen any case of community transmission since around the middle of April. Thanks for inquiring about the well being of our diplomats and our officials. Throughout social distancing restrictions that were put in place in Vietnam since April 1, the embassy and our consulate general has remained open, though with reduced staff strength. We have been particularly alert that our consular services are not disrupted and that we are actively able to extend consular assistance to Indian nationals throughout this period. With social distancing norms now relaxed since April 22nd, life seems to be gradually coming back to normal, schools have reopened from this week and we are also back to work in full strength and all our diplomats, officials and local staffs are in good spirits.

India's scale of action on COVID-19 containment appreciated by Hanoi: Indian envoy to Vietnam

Electricians, plumbers, part-time house helps and other workers took tentative steps back to work on Monday as large parts of India, including the national capital, entered the third phase of the lockdown with curbs eased in some places.

As spring slipped into summer and the lockdown, which began on March 25, continued, people waited eagerly for electricians to service air-conditioners, plumbers to repair washing machines and broken taps, domestics to get back for the deep cleaning that never did get done and a host of other urgent jobs.

On the other end of the spectrum were the band of workers, trained in myriad necessary jobs that keep the household machine going smoothly, who found themselves without jobs and money.

Many of them, like Manoj Koli, an electrician for over 20 years, said they were reduced to scrambling for food and the lifting of some lockdown restrictions will hopefully mean a semblance of normalcy.

"I haven't earned a single rupee since March 21. It will be difficult to get back to work until electrical shops selling spare parts like wires and sockets also open. It is still too early to tell," Mr Manoj told PTI.

"With some electrical shops now open, that problem should hopefully be resolved. But I should get some work before all of that," the electrician, who lives in south Delhi's Dakshinpuri locality with his parents, wife and children, added.

The lockdown, to curtail the spread of coronavirus, has been extended for two weeks till at least May 17. Several restrictions have been lifted and several remain.

Declaring that the time had come to reopen Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday evening, "Self-employed people like technicians, plumbers, electricians, mechanics, sanitation workers, domestic helps, and people involved with laundry and ironing are allowed to work."

Navigating the coronavirus crisis, which has pushed Indians into the four walls of their homes, has been traumatic for everybody, but most of all perhaps for those like Manoj who depend on their everyday work to make a living.

He said the pandemic could not have come at a worse time.

Every April, he would be flooded with calls for AC servicing and repairs from his clients and could manage to make as much as Rs 40,000 a month.

This year, the calls didn't come and neither did the money.

There are lakhs of people like Mr Manoj.

According to Rajesh Kumar of the Indian Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU), the Delhi government does not have any official records of the numbers of unorganised skilled labour, including plumbers, electricians and carpenters. But it could be as high as six-seven lakh.

"The government should have created a record of these people before announcing a lockdown. It is understandable that the lockdown has been extended, but the government should have also been prepared with solutions for the problems of all kinds of people in the state," the IFTU general secretary said.

Subhash Mohanty, a plumber, said he is grateful he could procure the Delhi government's rations soon after the lockdown was announced.

"There has been no work for the last one month. I got some calls for work in the last few days, but I had to turn them down because there is a coronavirus case in my area, and I cannot step out of here," Mohanty, who stays in Tughlakabad Extension with his wife and two children, said.

Bikram Kumar, who works as a carpenter in south Delhi localities, said surviving the lockdown is getting more difficult each day and he can't wait to get back to work.

On a good month, he would make between Rs 10-20,000 a month, a part of which he would send to his home in Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh district where his wife and four children live. Since the lockdown, he has barely managed to make enough to feed himself and said he has been surviving on biscuits and water.

"Had there been public transport, I would have gone back home. At least, we have produce from farms. Now crops are also getting spoilt because nobody is there to harvest them," Bikram, who lives with his nephew in Lal Kuan area near Okhla industrial estate, said.

The last few weeks have been an emotional and financial drain for those like Kobita who came back to work on Monday to clean and cook in homes.

"During the lockdown period, I tried to go to some of my employers' houses to collect my salary but was stopped by police. Today, many junctions opened up, and it was a relief. I was getting worried that many of my employers won't call me back at all," said Kobita, who works in Chittaranjan Park in south Delhi.

With no public transport, she now has to walk about 30 minutes from her home but is not complaining.

"At least I have work," she said.

If Kobita, Manoj, Subhash and Bikram are desperate to get back to work, homemakers like Lata Srinivasan are equally anxious for them to attend to long pending jobs.

Almost every house is in need of an electrician who can service their ACs, but most are wary about inviting any outsider into their homes for fear of contracting the disease that has infected over 42,000 people in India and killed at least 1,373.

The total number of cases in Delhi has crossed 4,500 with 64 fatalities.

Srinivasan (68), is stuck with two unserviced ACs and a broken refrigerator in this heat and could not do anything about it because her society was not letting any service personnel in.

Her 10 year-old fridge finally gave up three days into the lockdown, and since then she has been figuring out ways to prevent her perishable food from going bad.

"I was buying vegetables once in two days, and keeping them in the open under the fan," Ms Srinivasan, who lives in an apartment complex in IP Extension in east Delhi, said.

Her society allowed electricians and plumbers to work from Monday but with strict instructions.

"We need to buy masks, gloves, and sanitisers for the technicians. They need to fill up a form giving their personal details at the society office, where their tools will be sanitised, and then the employers need to escort them to and from their houses so they don't go anywhere else," she said.

With the lockdown being relaxed somewhat, she is hoping day-to-day life will become smoother.&nbsp;

Electricians, plumbers, part-time house helps and other workers took tentative steps back to work on Monday as large parts of India, including the national capital, entered the third phase of the lockdown with curbs eased in some places.

Electricians, plumbers, part-time house helps and other workers took tentative steps back to work on Monday as large parts of India, including the national capital, entered the third phase of the lockdown with curbs eased in some places. As spring slipped into summer and the lockdown, which began on March 25, continued, people waited eagerly for electricians to service air-conditioners, plumbers to repair washing machines and broken taps, domestics to get back for the deep cleaning that never did get done and a host of other urgent jobs. On the other end of the spectrum were the band of workers, trained in myriad necessary jobs that keep the household machine going smoothly, who found themselves without jobs and money. Many of them, like Manoj Koli, an electrician for over 20 years, said they were reduced to scrambling for food and the lifting of some lockdown restrictions will hopefully mean a semblance of normalcy. "I haven't earned a single rupee since March 21. It will be difficult to get back to work until electrical shops selling spare parts like wires and sockets also open. It is still too early to tell," Mr Manoj told PTI. "With some electrical shops now open, that problem should hopefully be resolved. But I should get some work before all of that," the electrician, who lives in south Delhi's Dakshinpuri locality with his parents, wife and children, added. The lockdown, to curtail the spread of coronavirus, has been extended for two weeks till at least May 17. Several restrictions have been lifted and several remain. Declaring that the time had come to reopen Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday evening, "Self-employed people like technicians, plumbers, electricians, mechanics, sanitation workers, domestic helps, and people involved with laundry and ironing are allowed to work." Navigating the coronavirus crisis, which has pushed Indians into the four walls of their homes, has been traumatic for everybody, but most of all perhaps for those like Manoj who depend on their everyday work to make a living. He said the pandemic could not have come at a worse time. Every April, he would be flooded with calls for AC servicing and repairs from his clients and could manage to make as much as Rs 40,000 a month. This year, the calls didn't come and neither did the money. There are lakhs of people like Mr Manoj. According to Rajesh Kumar of the Indian Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU), the Delhi government does not have any official records of the numbers of unorganised skilled labour, including plumbers, electricians and carpenters. But it could be as high as six-seven lakh. "The government should have created a record of these people before announcing a lockdown. It is understandable that the lockdown has been extended, but the government should have also been prepared with solutions for the problems of all kinds of people in the state," the IFTU general secretary said. Subhash Mohanty, a plumber, said he is grateful he could procure the Delhi government's rations soon after the lockdown was announced. "There has been no work for the last one month. I got some calls for work in the last few days, but I had to turn them down because there is a coronavirus case in my area, and I cannot step out of here," Mohanty, who stays in Tughlakabad Extension with his wife and two children, said. Bikram Kumar, who works as a carpenter in south Delhi localities, said surviving the lockdown is getting more difficult each day and he can't wait to get back to work. On a good month, he would make between Rs 10-20,000 a month, a part of which he would send to his home in Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh district where his wife and four children live. Since the lockdown, he has barely managed to make enough to feed himself and said he has been surviving on biscuits and water. "Had there been public transport, I would have gone back home. At least, we have produce from farms. Now crops are also getting spoilt because nobody is there to harvest them," Bikram, who lives with his nephew in Lal Kuan area near Okhla industrial estate, said. The last few weeks have been an emotional and financial drain for those like Kobita who came back to work on Monday to clean and cook in homes. "During the lockdown period, I tried to go to some of my employers' houses to collect my salary but was stopped by police. Today, many junctions opened up, and it was a relief. I was getting worried that many of my employers won't call me back at all," said Kobita, who works in Chittaranjan Park in south Delhi. With no public transport, she now has to walk about 30 minutes from her home but is not complaining. "At least I have work," she said. If Kobita, Manoj, Subhash and Bikram are desperate to get back to work, homemakers like Lata Srinivasan are equally anxious for them to attend to long pending jobs. Almost every house is in need of an electrician who can service their ACs, but most are wary about inviting any outsider into their homes for fear of contracting the disease that has infected over 42,000 people in India and killed at least 1,373. The total number of cases in Delhi has crossed 4,500 with 64 fatalities. Srinivasan (68), is stuck with two unserviced ACs and a broken refrigerator in this heat and could not do anything about it because her society was not letting any service personnel in. Her 10 year-old fridge finally gave up three days into the lockdown, and since then she has been figuring out ways to prevent her perishable food from going bad. "I was buying vegetables once in two days, and keeping them in the open under the fan," Ms Srinivasan, who lives in an apartment complex in IP Extension in east Delhi, said. Her society allowed electricians and plumbers to work from Monday but with strict instructions. "We need to buy masks, gloves, and sanitisers for the technicians. They need to fill up a form giving their personal details at the society office, where their tools will be sanitised, and then the employers need to escort them to and from their houses so they don't go anywhere else," she said. With the lockdown being relaxed somewhat, she is hoping day-to-day life will become smoother.

Lockdown restrictions eased, electricians, house helps take steps back to work

The country has had one of the worst outbreaks with more than 24,500 deaths. In mid-March it imposed one of the strictest lockdowns in the world

Spain Eases strict Lockdown Restrictions

Spain was one of the worst-hit countries in Europe. However, the country reported the lowest daily death toll, of 164 people, since March 18. Spaniards lived the best of these two days of the weekend, as the country eased out restrictions of lockdown. Healthy adults were allowed to head outdoors to play sports and take walks for the first time in seven weeks.

Spain eases lockdown restrictions, only unavoidable commuting allowed

Number of European countries are preparing to ease their lockdown measures as they are seeing a flattening of the curve of COVID-19 infections. Watch this video to know more.

Italy and France records one of the lowest COVID-19 cases

Spain was one of the worst-hit countries in Europe. However, the country reported the lowest daily death toll, of 164 people, since March 18.

Spaniards lived the best of these two days of the weekend, as the country eased out restrictions of lockdown.&nbsp;Healthy adults were allowed to head outdoors to play sports and take walks for the first time in seven weeks.

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From surfing to taking a stroll, to soaking the summer sun in parks, locals were spotted making the best out of the new-found freedom.

Spain’s nearly 47 million people have since March 14 lived under one of the strictest virus lockdowns in the world, with only adults authorised to leave home to buy food, medicine or walk the dog.

Also read:&nbsp;

The new guidelines of eased out lockdown have made face masks compulsory and it is mandatory to stay at a&nbsp;staying at least 2 metres distance away from each other, to maintain social distancing. Different age groups have also been assigned different time slots when they can go outdoors for a walk.

However, to avoid crowding on beaches,&nbsp;Barcelona`s city council has barred entry to its urban beaches.&nbsp;Madrid, too, closed its parks and other large public spaces, forcing runners and walkers to share narrow pavements and walkways.

This plan is a part of the four-phase plan of Spanish government to gradually reopen the country by the end of June.

However,&nbsp;Health Emergency Chief Fernando Simon has warned people against another possible outbreak in the next few months.

Spain was one of the worst-hit countries in Europe. However, the country reported the lowest daily death toll, of 164 people, since March 18. Spaniards lived the best of these two days of the weekend, as the country eased out restrictions of lockdown.

Spain was one of the worst-hit countries in Europe. However, the country reported the lowest daily death toll, of 164 people, since March 18. Spaniards lived the best of these two days of the weekend, as the country eased out restrictions of lockdown. Healthy adults were allowed to head outdoors to play sports and take walks for the first time in seven weeks. Also read: Venezuela: At least 47 dead, 75 injured in prison riot From surfing to taking a stroll, to soaking the summer sun in parks, locals were spotted making the best out of the new-found freedom. Spain’s nearly 47 million people have since March 14 lived under one of the strictest virus lockdowns in the world, with only adults authorised to leave home to buy food, medicine or walk the dog. Also read: The new guidelines of eased out lockdown have made face masks compulsory and it is mandatory to stay at a staying at least 2 metres distance away from each other, to maintain social distancing. Different age groups have also been assigned different time slots when they can go outdoors for a walk. However, to avoid crowding on beaches, Barcelona`s city council has barred entry to its urban beaches. Madrid, too, closed its parks and other large public spaces, forcing runners and walkers to share narrow pavements and walkways. This plan is a part of the four-phase plan of Spanish government to gradually reopen the country by the end of June. However, Health Emergency Chief Fernando Simon has warned people against another possible outbreak in the next few months.

Spain enjoys the new-found freedom post-lockdown

After weeks of lockdown put in place to contain the spread of coronavirus, many countries in Europe started preparing to lift restrictions after a consistent drop in the number of cases and fatalities.&nbsp;

Italy, which has witnessed most deaths from coronavirus after the United States, will ease lockdown restrictions from Monday, where people would be allowed to stroll in parks and visit relatives. Takeaway services would be allowed in restaurants.&nbsp;

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Germany will continue to provide the relaxations at the start of the week, with schools in some places likely to reopen and France has said it will partially ease lockdown measures on May 11.

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In Hungary, some stores and museums, restaurants and hotels, beaches and baths can reopen from Monday, but restrictions will continue in the capital Budapest, which has reported nearly 70 per&nbsp;cent of the country's total cases.

In Spain, which has also been badly affected by the virus and witnessed one of the harshest lockdowns in the continent, there was joy and relief as the government allowed people to exercise and walk freely after seven weeks.&nbsp;

Over 242,000 people have lost their lives in coronavirus and with 3.4 million infected worldwide by the virus, half of humanity is under some form of lockdown. &nbsp;

However, since many health experts still warn of another wave of the virus, measures of social distancing, the use of masks, and more testing are encouraged in these European countries.&nbsp;

After weeks of lockdown put in place to contain the spread of coronavirus, many countries in Europe started preparing to lift restrictions after a consistent drop in the number of cases and fatalities.

After weeks of lockdown put in place to contain the spread of coronavirus, many countries in Europe started preparing to lift restrictions after a consistent drop in the number of cases and fatalities. Italy, which has witnessed most deaths from coronavirus after the United States, will ease lockdown restrictions from Monday, where people would be allowed to stroll in parks and visit relatives. Takeaway services would be allowed in restaurants. Also read | US sees 1,435 new coronavirus deaths; total toll over 66,000 Germany will continue to provide the relaxations at the start of the week, with schools in some places likely to reopen and France has said it will partially ease lockdown measures on May 11. Also read | Coronavirus cases in Europe top 1.5 million: Report In Hungary, some stores and museums, restaurants and hotels, beaches and baths can reopen from Monday, but restrictions will continue in the capital Budapest, which has reported nearly 70 per cent of the country's total cases. In Spain, which has also been badly affected by the virus and witnessed one of the harshest lockdowns in the continent, there was joy and relief as the government allowed people to exercise and walk freely after seven weeks. Over 242,000 people have lost their lives in coronavirus and with 3.4 million infected worldwide by the virus, half of humanity is under some form of lockdown. However, since many health experts still warn of another wave of the virus, measures of social distancing, the use of masks, and more testing are encouraged in these European countries.

Amid signs of coronavirus spread slowing, European nations prepare easing restrictions

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Symonds announced the name on Saturday on Instagram beside a picture of her and the boy, who already has thick hair resembling the blond thatch of his father.

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The United Kingdom's COVID-19 death toll rose 621 to 28,131 as of May 1, taking the overall cumulative toll to 28,131, just behind Europe's worst-hit country Italy.

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Spain's coronavirus death toll hit 25,100 on Saturday after 276 people died overnight, the health ministry said.

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Although the daily death toll fell to its lowest in the past one month, New York officials have decided to keep all state schools shut till the end of the academic year.&nbsp;

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More than 1.5 million coronavirus cases have been reported in Europe, just under half the worldwide total, according to an AFP tally at 0850 GMT on Saturday.

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Singapore has recorded 447 new positive coronavirus cases, Singapore's health ministry on Saturday confirmed.&nbsp;This is the country's smallest rise in the past two weeks.

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American authorities approved an experimental drug for emergency use on coronavirus patients, as more US states eased pandemic lockdowns despite another spike in deaths from the disease.

Boris Johnson's son named after doctors who 'saved' PM's life Symonds announced the name on Saturday on Instagram beside a picture of her and the boy, who already has thick hair resembling the blond thatch of his father.

Boris Johnson's son named after doctors who 'saved' PM's life Symonds announced the name on Saturday on Instagram beside a picture of her and the boy, who already has thick hair resembling the blond thatch of his father. UK government says virus death toll up by 621 to 28,131 The United Kingdom's COVID-19 death toll rose 621 to 28,131 as of May 1, taking the overall cumulative toll to 28,131, just behind Europe's worst-hit country Italy. Spain's coronavirus death toll tops 25,000 Spain's coronavirus death toll hit 25,100 on Saturday after 276 people died overnight, the health ministry said. 'We must protect our children': New York governor announces schools to stay closed this year Although the daily death toll fell to its lowest in the past one month, New York officials have decided to keep all state schools shut till the end of the academic year. 'Once Upon a Virus': China mocks US coronavirus response in Lego-like animation China has published a short animation titled "Once Upon a Virus" mocking the U.S. response to the new coronavirus using Lego-like figures to represent the two countries. Coronavirus cases in Europe top 1.5 million: Report More than 1.5 million coronavirus cases have been reported in Europe, just under half the worldwide total, according to an AFP tally at 0850 GMT on Saturday. Llama antibodies may help in treating coronavirus: Study At the time when scientists globally are struggling to find a solution to treat novel coronavirus, a study has claimed that antibodies found in llamas could be useful. 'We are not out of the woods': Singapore government warns people Singapore has recorded 447 new positive coronavirus cases, Singapore's health ministry on Saturday confirmed. This is the country's smallest rise in the past two weeks. Why North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's health matters Nearly three weeks after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's no-show at a key event sparked rumours he was seriously ill or even dead, state media published photos Saturday showing him in public. US approves Remdesivir as several states ease lockdown American authorities approved an experimental drug for emergency use on coronavirus patients, as more US states eased pandemic lockdowns despite another spike in deaths from the disease.

Top 10 world news: Spain's death toll tops 25,000, UK up by 621, and more

Spain's coronavirus death toll hit 25,100 on Saturday after 276 people died overnight, the health ministry said.

Total cases rose to 216,582 from 215,216 on Friday.

Spain has had one of the worst outbreaks in the world, but is past its peak and gradually easing lockdown restrictions.

Spain is one of the worst-hit countries with a large number of coronavirus deaths. However, the country has seen some relief in the cases now and is expecting to ease the strict lockdown more in the coming weeks.

(With inputs from Reuters)&nbsp;

Spain's coronavirus death toll hit 25,100 on Saturday after 276 people died overnight, the health ministry said. Total cases rose to 216,582 from 215,216 on Friday.

Spain's coronavirus death toll hit 25,100 on Saturday after 276 people died overnight, the health ministry said. Total cases rose to 216,582 from 215,216 on Friday. Spain has had one of the worst outbreaks in the world, but is past its peak and gradually easing lockdown restrictions. Spain is one of the worst-hit countries with a large number of coronavirus deaths. However, the country has seen some relief in the cases now and is expecting to ease the strict lockdown more in the coming weeks. (With inputs from Reuters)

Spain's coronavirus death toll tops 25,000

Pakistan's coronavirus cases have climbed to 16,817 while the death toll from the pandemic has reached 385, the health ministry said.

Yesterday, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan warned that the coronavirus crisis could continue for months and the lockdown was not a solution to the pandemic.

"We don't know if the current situation will continue for six months or a year," Khan said while addressing the media along with his top advisors. "I know that the worst hit due to the lockdown will be poor."

Khan said the government so far disbursed 81 billion rupees among 6.6 million deserving families under Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme.

Pakistan markets reopen but few wear masks

In the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, life was returning to normal at fruit and vegetable markets after the government began relaxing some lockdown measures it had imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Many vendors and shoppers, however, did not follow official health recommendations and were not seen wearing face masks or practising physical distancing at the Sabzi Mandi market on April 30.

Pakistan's coronavirus cases have climbed to 16,817 while the death toll from the pandemic has reached 385, the health ministry said. Yesterday, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan warned that the coronavirus crisis could continue for months and the lockdown was not a solution to the pandemic.

Pakistan's coronavirus cases have climbed to 16,817 while the death toll from the pandemic has reached 385, the health ministry said. Yesterday, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan warned that the coronavirus crisis could continue for months and the lockdown was not a solution to the pandemic. "We don't know if the current situation will continue for six months or a year," Khan said while addressing the media along with his top advisors. "I know that the worst hit due to the lockdown will be poor." Khan said the government so far disbursed 81 billion rupees among 6.6 million deserving families under Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme. Pakistan markets reopen but few wear masks In the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, life was returning to normal at fruit and vegetable markets after the government began relaxing some lockdown measures it had imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Many vendors and shoppers, however, did not follow official health recommendations and were not seen wearing face masks or practising physical distancing at the Sabzi Mandi market on April 30.

Coronavirus cases in Pakistan rise to 16,817, with 385 deaths

US President Donald Trump will leave the White House on Friday for the first time in a month when he travels to the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland.

Trump will make the 70-mile (40 km) trip to Camp David on Friday evening, according to a schedule released by the White House on Thursday night. The schedule did not indicate how long Trump would stay at Camp David.

Trump has been holding regular press events at the White House to highlight his administration's efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump's last trip away from the White House was on March 28 to Norfolk, Virginia, where he bid farewell to the Navy's USNS Comfort hospital ship as it sailed to New York City to help take the pressure off civilian hospitals.

Trump, who faces re-election in November, said on Wednesday he would visit Arizona next week for an "industry"-related event.

US President Donald Trump will leave the White House on Friday for the first time in a month when he travels to the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland. Trump will make the 70-mile (40 km) trip to Camp David on Friday evening, according to a schedule released by the White House on Thursday night.

US President Donald Trump will leave the White House on Friday for the first time in a month when he travels to the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland. Trump will make the 70-mile (40 km) trip to Camp David on Friday evening, according to a schedule released by the White House on Thursday night. The schedule did not indicate how long Trump would stay at Camp David. Trump has been holding regular press events at the White House to highlight his administration's efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Trump's last trip away from the White House was on March 28 to Norfolk, Virginia, where he bid farewell to the Navy's USNS Comfort hospital ship as it sailed to New York City to help take the pressure off civilian hospitals. Trump, who faces re-election in November, said on Wednesday he would visit Arizona next week for an "industry"-related event.

Trump to leave White House today for the first time in a month

As White House economic reopening guidance expired on Thursday after two weeks in a place, half of all U.S. states forged ahead with easing restrictions on restaurants, retail and other businesses in hopes of reviving coronavirus-stricken commerce.

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The enormous pressure on states to reopen, despite a lack of wide-scale virus testing and other precautions urged by health experts, was highlighted in new Labor Department data showing some 30 million Americans seeking unemployment benefits since March 21.

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The jobless toll amounts to more than 18.4% of the U.S. working-age population, a level not seen since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Physical separation of people - by closing schools, businesses and other places of social gatherings - remains the chief weapon against a highly contagious respiratory virus with no vaccine and no cure.

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But as economic pain grows to historic proportions, agitation to relax stay-at-home orders and mandatory workplace restrictions has mounted, especially in regions where the spread of the coronavirus appeared to be waning.

For the second time in two weeks, hundreds of protesters - including armed militia group members - thronged Michigan's state Capitol in Lansing demanding an end to Governor Gretchen Whitmer's stay-at-home orders.

The latest protest was sparked by the Democratic governor's request, ignored by Republican lawmakers, to extend emergency powers she had invoked in a state hard hit by both the virus and closures to combat it.

WHITE HOUSE STEPS BACK

Weeks after insisting he had "total" authority to decide when and how to reopen the nation's economy, President Donald Trump has largely left it to each governor to decide on a state-by-state basis.

Although the White House declined to extend its April 16 reopening guidance, which recommended an economic restart in stages only after strict safeguards are put in place, medical experts said those conditions remained unmet and that acting prematurely risked a resurgence of the outbreak.

Safely lifting social distancing rules, they insisted, will require vastly expanded virus screening and the means to trace close social contacts of infected people so they too can be tested and isolated.

"You can't just leap over things to a situation where you're really tempting (the virus) to rebound. That's the thing I get concerned about," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told NBC's "Today" show.

About two dozen states, mostly in the South, the Midwest and mountain West, have moved to relax restrictions since Georgia led the way late last week. Texas and Florida, among others this week, outlined plans for doing so in the days ahead.

But no companies are required to reopen, and it was not clear how many business owners and their employees would return to work, and how many patrons would venture back into stores and restaurants.

The number of coronavirus cases is still climbing in many parts of the country, although peaks appear to have been reached in New York state, the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, and other places.

Pennsylvania, Kansas, Wisconsin, Virginia, Arizona, Minnesota and Nebraska all reported a record number of new cases on Thursday, though greater testing could account for some of the increases, revealing infections already present but undetected.

Several states, including New Jersey, Texas, Massachusetts, Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, New Mexico and the District of Columbia, posted new highs in their daily death tolls.

The number of known infections for the nation as a whole has climbed well past 1 million confirmed cases, including at least 62,000 deaths, well beyond the number of Americans killed in the Vietnam War.

PATCHWORK

In the latest of a patchwork of announcements across the country in recent days, Florida on Wednesday became one of the largest states to ease some of the restrictions that have crippled business activity.

"There is a light at the end of the tunnel," Governor Ron DeSantis said as he unveiled his phase-one plan due to start on Monday to relax the mandatory workplace closures and stay-at-home orders imposed four weeks ago.

Texas unveiled a similar reopening strategy to take effect on Friday. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy plans to allow state parks and golf courses to reopen on Saturday. After a White House visit on Thursday, he said the federal government was giving his state 550,000 coronavirus testing kits, along with 750,000 swabs to take samples, marking a "huge step" toward his goal of doubling New Jersey's testing capacity by late May.

In California, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the closure of beaches and parks in Orange County, south of Los Angeles, after crowds jammed the popular shoreline last weekend.

Newsom, a Democrat, has said that curbside retail, manufacturing and other "lower-risk workplaces" should reopen in California within weeks as testing and contact-tracing improve.

In one of the first major reopenings anticipated in U.S. sports, NASCAR announced its auto racing competition would return with 10 races at its North and South Carolina tracks in mid- to late-May.

Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York said his state would hire thousands of workers to trace the contacts of people who test positive for the coronavirus. He also announced a halt to New York City subway service from 1 to 5 a.m. to disinfect trains.

As White House economic reopening guidance expired on Thursday after two weeks in a place, half of all U.S. states forged ahead with easing restrictions on restaurants, retail and other businesses in hopes of reviving coronavirus-stricken commerce.

As White House economic reopening guidance expired on Thursday after two weeks in a place, half of all U.S. states forged ahead with easing restrictions on restaurants, retail and other businesses in hopes of reviving coronavirus-stricken commerce. Also Read: How New Zealand, Taiwan and Finland have kept coronavirus at bay The enormous pressure on states to reopen, despite a lack of wide-scale virus testing and other precautions urged by health experts, was highlighted in new Labor Department data showing some 30 million Americans seeking unemployment benefits since March 21. Coronavirus not man-made or genetically modified: US intelligence community The jobless toll amounts to more than 18.4% of the U.S. working-age population, a level not seen since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Physical separation of people - by closing schools, businesses and other places of social gatherings - remains the chief weapon against a highly contagious respiratory virus with no vaccine and no cure. But as economic pain grows to historic proportions, agitation to relax stay-at-home orders and mandatory workplace restrictions has mounted, especially in regions where the spread of the coronavirus appeared to be waning. For the second time in two weeks, hundreds of protesters - including armed militia group members - thronged Michigan's state Capitol in Lansing demanding an end to Governor Gretchen Whitmer's stay-at-home orders. The latest protest was sparked by the Democratic governor's request, ignored by Republican lawmakers, to extend emergency powers she had invoked in a state hard hit by both the virus and closures to combat it. WHITE HOUSE STEPS BACK Weeks after insisting he had "total" authority to decide when and how to reopen the nation's economy, President Donald Trump has largely left it to each governor to decide on a state-by-state basis. Although the White House declined to extend its April 16 reopening guidance, which recommended an economic restart in stages only after strict safeguards are put in place, medical experts said those conditions remained unmet and that acting prematurely risked a resurgence of the outbreak. Safely lifting social distancing rules, they insisted, will require vastly expanded virus screening and the means to trace close social contacts of infected people so they too can be tested and isolated. "You can't just leap over things to a situation where you're really tempting (the virus) to rebound. That's the thing I get concerned about," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told NBC's "Today" show. About two dozen states, mostly in the South, the Midwest and mountain West, have moved to relax restrictions since Georgia led the way late last week. Texas and Florida, among others this week, outlined plans for doing so in the days ahead. But no companies are required to reopen, and it was not clear how many business owners and their employees would return to work, and how many patrons would venture back into stores and restaurants. The number of coronavirus cases is still climbing in many parts of the country, although peaks appear to have been reached in New York state, the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, and other places. Pennsylvania, Kansas, Wisconsin, Virginia, Arizona, Minnesota and Nebraska all reported a record number of new cases on Thursday, though greater testing could account for some of the increases, revealing infections already present but undetected. Several states, including New Jersey, Texas, Massachusetts, Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, New Mexico and the District of Columbia, posted new highs in their daily death tolls. The number of known infections for the nation as a whole has climbed well past 1 million confirmed cases, including at least 62,000 deaths, well beyond the number of Americans killed in the Vietnam War. PATCHWORK In the latest of a patchwork of announcements across the country in recent days, Florida on Wednesday became one of the largest states to ease some of the restrictions that have crippled business activity. "There is a light at the end of the tunnel," Governor Ron DeSantis said as he unveiled his phase-one plan due to start on Monday to relax the mandatory workplace closures and stay-at-home orders imposed four weeks ago. Texas unveiled a similar reopening strategy to take effect on Friday. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy plans to allow state parks and golf courses to reopen on Saturday. After a White House visit on Thursday, he said the federal government was giving his state 550,000 coronavirus testing kits, along with 750,000 swabs to take samples, marking a "huge step" toward his goal of doubling New Jersey's testing capacity by late May. In California, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the closure of beaches and parks in Orange County, south of Los Angeles, after crowds jammed the popular shoreline last weekend. Newsom, a Democrat, has said that curbside retail, manufacturing and other "lower-risk workplaces" should reopen in California within weeks as testing and contact-tracing improve. In one of the first major reopenings anticipated in U.S. sports, NASCAR announced its auto racing competition would return with 10 races at its North and South Carolina tracks in mid- to late-May. Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York said his state would hire thousands of workers to trace the contacts of people who test positive for the coronavirus. He also announced a halt to New York City subway service from 1 to 5 a.m. to disinfect trains.

Half of US states easing coronavirus restrictions as jobless numbers grow

Spain's&nbsp;Economy Minister Nadia Calvino reported that country's economy is expected to see a huge dip in the current year.

Country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) might contract 9.2 per cent in the year of pandemic. She further explained that the unemployment will increase to 19 per cent in the country. She said the crippling condition of the economy is due to the&nbsp;pandemic.

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In a press conference, she explained that the Bank of Spain expected "asymmetric V-shape recovery, with the deepest decrease in the second quarter and then a strong and gradual recovery in the second half of the year," she said. "Forecasts are prudent and consistent."

She assured people that GDP is expected to recover in 2021 and expand 6.8 per cent. Before the pandemic hit the country, Calvino has forecasted a growth if 1.6 per cent in country's GDP. The government has also forecasted 2020 deficit forecast to 10.34 per cent and a 2020 debt to GDP ratio at 115.5 per cent now.

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"This is the widest deficit since 2012 when Spain reached 10.7%," explained Budget Minister Maria Jesus Montero.&nbsp;

In its forecasts to the European Commission, the government sees GDP moving from two percent growth in 2019 to a 9.2 percent drop this year, while unemployment would jump to 19 percent from 13.8 percent at the end of 2019, Economy Minister Nadia Calvino told a press conference.

Spain was one of the worst-hit countries with more 24,000 positive coronavirus cases. However, the country has seen some relief in the cases now, and is expecting to ease the strict lockdown more in the coming weeks.

(With inputs from agencies)

Spain's Economy Minister Nadia Calvino reported that country's economy is expected to see a huge dip in the current year. Country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) might contract 9.

Spain's Economy Minister Nadia Calvino reported that country's economy is expected to see a huge dip in the current year. Country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) might contract 9.2 per cent in the year of pandemic. She further explained that the unemployment will increase to 19 per cent in the country. She said the crippling condition of the economy is due to the pandemic. Also read: Trump claims he's seen evidence coronavirus originated in Chinese lab In a press conference, she explained that the Bank of Spain expected "asymmetric V-shape recovery, with the deepest decrease in the second quarter and then a strong and gradual recovery in the second half of the year," she said. "Forecasts are prudent and consistent." She assured people that GDP is expected to recover in 2021 and expand 6.8 per cent. Before the pandemic hit the country, Calvino has forecasted a growth if 1.6 per cent in country's GDP. The government has also forecasted 2020 deficit forecast to 10.34 per cent and a 2020 debt to GDP ratio at 115.5 per cent now. Also read: Why coronavirus impact may be catastrophic for children "This is the widest deficit since 2012 when Spain reached 10.7%," explained Budget Minister Maria Jesus Montero. In its forecasts to the European Commission, the government sees GDP moving from two percent growth in 2019 to a 9.2 percent drop this year, while unemployment would jump to 19 percent from 13.8 percent at the end of 2019, Economy Minister Nadia Calvino told a press conference. Spain was one of the worst-hit countries with more 24,000 positive coronavirus cases. However, the country has seen some relief in the cases now, and is expecting to ease the strict lockdown more in the coming weeks. (With inputs from agencies)

Spain's crippling economy to contract 9.2% in 2020, warns Spanish government

Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus surpassed 3.2 million worldwide on Friday as COVID-19 spreads across Europe, North America and South Asia.

COVID-19 has now infected 3,257,520 people worldwide and 233,405 &nbsp;people have been killed due to this pandemic.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-not-man-made-or-genetically-modified-us-intelligence-community-295906">Also read |&nbsp;Coronavirus not man-made or genetically modified: US intelligence community</a>

Around 1,014,809 people of that tally have recovered.

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A few days ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) had claimed how lifting lockdowns too early could lead to a second wave and would be a catastrophe.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/now-coronavirus-spreads-to-russias-secret-nuclear-cities-295663">Also read: Now, coronavirus spreads to Russia's 'secret' nuclear cities</a>

The epicentre of the pandemic has shifted twice, first from China to Europe, and then from Europe to North America.

Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University have reported in its map that the United States has taken the grim title of the country with the most coronavirus infections and reported a record surge in unemployment.

As the pandemic spreads in the US, the country's economy is likely to face its worst crisis since the Great Depression.

Millions of US citizens have lost their jobs and consumer spending has seen its biggest decline in 40 years.

Meanwhile, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said he tested positive for coronavirus and will self-isolate to protect other cabinet members, promising to be in constant contact "on all the main issues."

Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus surpassed 3.2 million worldwide on Friday as COVID-19 spreads across Europe, North America and South Asia. COVID-19 has now infected 3,257,520 people worldwide and 233,405 people have been killed due to this pandemic.

Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus surpassed 3.2 million worldwide on Friday as COVID-19 spreads across Europe, North America and South Asia. COVID-19 has now infected 3,257,520 people worldwide and 233,405 people have been killed due to this pandemic. Also read | Coronavirus not man-made or genetically modified: US intelligence community Around 1,014,809 people of that tally have recovered. A few days ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) had claimed how lifting lockdowns too early could lead to a second wave and would be a catastrophe. Also read: Now, coronavirus spreads to Russia's 'secret' nuclear cities The epicentre of the pandemic has shifted twice, first from China to Europe, and then from Europe to North America. Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University have reported in its map that the United States has taken the grim title of the country with the most coronavirus infections and reported a record surge in unemployment. As the pandemic spreads in the US, the country's economy is likely to face its worst crisis since the Great Depression. Millions of US citizens have lost their jobs and consumer spending has seen its biggest decline in 40 years. Meanwhile, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said he tested positive for coronavirus and will self-isolate to protect other cabinet members, promising to be in constant contact "on all the main issues."

Coronavirus global death toll passes 230,000; confirmed recoveries hit 1 million

India will be closely watching Spain's exit strategy which is one of the worst impact countries in the world with 24000 deaths. Indian envoy to Spain Sanjay Verma speaks to WION

COVID: INDIA WILL BE CLOSELY WATCHING SPANISH EXIT STRATEGY

South Korea on Thursday reported no new domestic coronavirus cases for the first time since February, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.

KCDC reported four new infections, all imported cases, taking the national tally to 10,765. The death toll rose by one to 247, while 9,059 have been discharged.

Of the total, 1,065 were imported cases, where more than 90% were Koreans, according to a KCDC statement.

The health authorities also concluded no local transmission occurred from a parliamentary election this month, where authorities took safety measures, including requiring voters to wear masks and plastic gloves when casting ballots.

“Twenty-nine million voters participated in the April 15 parliamentary election ... Not one case related to the election has been reported during the 14 days of the incubation period,” Yoon Tae-ho, director general for public health policy, told a briefing.

Yoon thanked staff and voters, who disinfected polling stations across the country and maintained 1 metre (40 inches) distance between each other.

A clinical expert panel on Wednesday also concluded that recovered coronavirus patients who later test positive for the virus again were not “reactivated” or reinfected, but were false positives.

The head of the committee said the false positives were due to technical limits of PCR testing. The country has so far reported 292 such cases.

After grappling with the first major outbreak outside China, South Korea has largely managed to bring the outbreak under control without major disruptions with a massive testing campaign and intensive contact tracing.

South Korea on Thursday reported no new domestic coronavirus cases for the first time since February, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.

South Korea on Thursday reported no new domestic coronavirus cases for the first time since February, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said. KCDC reported four new infections, all imported cases, taking the national tally to 10,765. The death toll rose by one to 247, while 9,059 have been discharged. Of the total, 1,065 were imported cases, where more than 90% were Koreans, according to a KCDC statement. The health authorities also concluded no local transmission occurred from a parliamentary election this month, where authorities took safety measures, including requiring voters to wear masks and plastic gloves when casting ballots. “Twenty-nine million voters participated in the April 15 parliamentary election ... Not one case related to the election has been reported during the 14 days of the incubation period,” Yoon Tae-ho, director general for public health policy, told a briefing. Yoon thanked staff and voters, who disinfected polling stations across the country and maintained 1 metre (40 inches) distance between each other. A clinical expert panel on Wednesday also concluded that recovered coronavirus patients who later test positive for the virus again were not “reactivated” or reinfected, but were false positives. The head of the committee said the false positives were due to technical limits of PCR testing. The country has so far reported 292 such cases. After grappling with the first major outbreak outside China, South Korea has largely managed to bring the outbreak under control without major disruptions with a massive testing campaign and intensive contact tracing.

South Korea: No new domestic coronavirus cases, no transmission from election

At least 17 Indians have died in Saudi Arabia due to coronavirus COVID-19, even as the Indian Embassy in Riyadh is closely monitoring the situation and taking all the requisite measures to ensure the welfare of Indian citizens.&nbsp;

As per information available with the Embassy as of April 30, 17 Indian nationals, 4 from Kerala, 3 from UP, 3 from Bihar and 2 from Telangana have died.

According to the officials, Indian Mission in Saudi Arabia is in process of working out the modalities of the evacuation of stranded Indians in line with the directions of the Government of India.

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Indian nationals in Saudi Arabia who seek repatriation to India may kindly fill the form in the following link: <a href="https://t.co/K5Hbmr4cFP">https://t.co/K5Hbmr4cFP</a> 
 
It is stated that the purpose is only to collect data and no decision has been taken yet regarding resumption of flights to India.
— India in SaudiArabia (@IndianEmbRiyadh) <a href="https://twitter.com/IndianEmbRiyadh/status/1255562817316454401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2020</a></blockquote>
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In Saudi Arabia, the death toll reached 157 with five additional fatalities, according to the country's Health Ministry. The Kingdom has recorded 1,266 new cases of COVID-19.&nbsp;

The number of cases increased to 21,402 and the number of recoveries reached 2,953.

At least 17 Indians have died in Saudi Arabia due to coronavirus COVID-19, even as the Indian Embassy in Riyadh is closely monitoring the situation and taking all the requisite measures to ensure the welfare of Indian citizens.

At least 17 Indians have died in Saudi Arabia due to coronavirus COVID-19, even as the Indian Embassy in Riyadh is closely monitoring the situation and taking all the requisite measures to ensure the welfare of Indian citizens. As per information available with the Embassy as of April 30, 17 Indian nationals, 4 from Kerala, 3 from UP, 3 from Bihar and 2 from Telangana have died. According to the officials, Indian Mission in Saudi Arabia is in process of working out the modalities of the evacuation of stranded Indians in line with the directions of the Government of India. Indian nationals in Saudi Arabia who seek repatriation to India may kindly fill the form in the following link: https://t.co/K5Hbmr4cFP It is stated that the purpose is only to collect data and no decision has been taken yet regarding resumption of flights to India. — India in SaudiArabia (@IndianEmbRiyadh) April 29, 2020 × In Saudi Arabia, the death toll reached 157 with five additional fatalities, according to the country's Health Ministry. The Kingdom has recorded 1,266 new cases of COVID-19. The number of cases increased to 21,402 and the number of recoveries reached 2,953.

17 Indian nationals die due to COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia

Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus surpassed 3.2 million worldwide on Thursday as COVID-19 spreads across Europe, North America and South Asia.

COVID-19 has now infected 3,190,743 &nbsp;people worldwide and 227,368 people have been killed due to this pandemic.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-hammered-us-economy-in-first-quarter-295600">Also read: Coronavirus hammered US economy in first quarter</a>

Around 972,170 people of that tally have recovered.

A few days ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) had claimed how lifting lockdowns too early could lead to a second wave and would be a catastrophe.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/now-coronavirus-spreads-to-russias-secret-nuclear-cities-295663">Also read: Now, coronavirus spreads to Russia's 'secret' nuclear cities</a> 
 
The epicentre of the pandemic has shifted twice, first from China to Europe, and then from Europe to North America.

Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University have reported in its map that the United States has taken the grim title of the country with the most coronavirus infections and reported a record surge in unemployment.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday reported 1,005,147 cases of new coronavirus, an increase of 23,901 cases from its previous count, and said the number of deaths had risen by 2,247 to 57,505.

The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by a new coronavirus, as of 4 p.m. ET on April 28, compared with its count a day earlier.&nbsp;

Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus surpassed 3.2 million worldwide on Thursday as COVID-19 spreads across Europe, North America and South Asia. COVID-19 has now infected 3,190,743 people worldwide and 227,368 people have been killed due to this pandemic.

Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus surpassed 3.2 million worldwide on Thursday as COVID-19 spreads across Europe, North America and South Asia. COVID-19 has now infected 3,190,743 people worldwide and 227,368 people have been killed due to this pandemic. Also read: Coronavirus hammered US economy in first quarter Around 972,170 people of that tally have recovered. A few days ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) had claimed how lifting lockdowns too early could lead to a second wave and would be a catastrophe. Also read: Now, coronavirus spreads to Russia's 'secret' nuclear cities The epicentre of the pandemic has shifted twice, first from China to Europe, and then from Europe to North America. Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University have reported in its map that the United States has taken the grim title of the country with the most coronavirus infections and reported a record surge in unemployment. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday reported 1,005,147 cases of new coronavirus, an increase of 23,901 cases from its previous count, and said the number of deaths had risen by 2,247 to 57,505. The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by a new coronavirus, as of 4 p.m. ET on April 28, compared with its count a day earlier.

Global coronavirus cases surge to 3.2 million, death toll at 227,368

Covid-19 is expected to cause global energy emissions to fall a record eight percent this year due to an unprecedented drop in demand for coal, oil and gas, the International Energy Agency said Thursday.

The IEA's Global Energy Review was based on an analysis of electricity demand over more than 100 days, during which much of the world has entered lockdown in a bid to control the pandemic.

It predicted that global energy demand would fall six percent in 2020 -- seven times more than during the 2008 financial crisis and the biggest year-on-year drop since World War II.

This would be the equivalent of losing the entire energy demand of India, the world's third-largest power consumer, the IEA said.

Advanced economies are set to see the biggest declines, with demand in the United States down nine percent and an 11-percent fall in the European Union likely.

"This is a historic shock to the entire energy world," said IEA executive director Fatih Birol.

"The plunge in demand for nearly all major fuels is staggering, especially for coal, oil and gas."

With consumption falling, the IEA said it had noticed a "major shift" to low-carbon sources of power, such as wind and solar, which are set to make up 40 percent of global electricity generation -- six percentage points more than coal.

Coal and natural gas "are finding themselves increasingly squeezed between low overall power demand and increasing output from renewables," the report said.

Natural gas demand is set to fall five percent in 2020 after a decade of uninterrupted growth.

Following a 2018 peak, coal-fired power generation is set to fall more than 10 percent this year.

Overall, energy-related carbon emissions are set to fall by almost eight percent, reaching their lowest level since 2010.

If this plays out this would be by far the largest annual decrease on record, more than six times larger than the 2009 fall precipitated by the global financial crisis.

The United Nations says CO2 emissions must fall by 7.6 percent annually through to 2030 in order to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.6 Farenheit), the most ambitious temperature cap of the Paris climate accord.

Until COVID-19 struck, emissions had been rising year on year.

Reacting to the IEA's report, Richard Black, Director of the Britain-based Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said how the global economy recovered in the long term from the pandemic would be key for the climate.

"In recent weeks there have been robust promises from national leaders and calls from businesses for post-coronavirus stimulus packages to accelerate the clean energy transition," Black said.

"If these pledges come good... then the crisis could come to be seen as a genuine turning point for world energy markets."

Covid-19 is expected to cause global energy emissions to fall a record eight percent this year due to an unprecedented drop in demand for coal, oil and gas, the International Energy Agency said Thursday.

Covid-19 is expected to cause global energy emissions to fall a record eight percent this year due to an unprecedented drop in demand for coal, oil and gas, the International Energy Agency said Thursday. The IEA's Global Energy Review was based on an analysis of electricity demand over more than 100 days, during which much of the world has entered lockdown in a bid to control the pandemic. It predicted that global energy demand would fall six percent in 2020 -- seven times more than during the 2008 financial crisis and the biggest year-on-year drop since World War II. This would be the equivalent of losing the entire energy demand of India, the world's third-largest power consumer, the IEA said. Advanced economies are set to see the biggest declines, with demand in the United States down nine percent and an 11-percent fall in the European Union likely. "This is a historic shock to the entire energy world," said IEA executive director Fatih Birol. "The plunge in demand for nearly all major fuels is staggering, especially for coal, oil and gas." With consumption falling, the IEA said it had noticed a "major shift" to low-carbon sources of power, such as wind and solar, which are set to make up 40 percent of global electricity generation -- six percentage points more than coal. Coal and natural gas "are finding themselves increasingly squeezed between low overall power demand and increasing output from renewables," the report said. Natural gas demand is set to fall five percent in 2020 after a decade of uninterrupted growth. Following a 2018 peak, coal-fired power generation is set to fall more than 10 percent this year. Overall, energy-related carbon emissions are set to fall by almost eight percent, reaching their lowest level since 2010. If this plays out this would be by far the largest annual decrease on record, more than six times larger than the 2009 fall precipitated by the global financial crisis. The United Nations says CO2 emissions must fall by 7.6 percent annually through to 2030 in order to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.6 Farenheit), the most ambitious temperature cap of the Paris climate accord. Until COVID-19 struck, emissions had been rising year on year. Reacting to the IEA's report, Richard Black, Director of the Britain-based Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said how the global economy recovered in the long term from the pandemic would be key for the climate. "In recent weeks there have been robust promises from national leaders and calls from businesses for post-coronavirus stimulus packages to accelerate the clean energy transition," Black said. "If these pledges come good... then the crisis could come to be seen as a genuine turning point for world energy markets."

Covid-19 to cause record emissions fall in 2020: International Energy Agency

US President Donald Trump doubled down on China for failing to tame the coronavirus at its very origin, saying it has led to 184 countries "going through hell", as several American lawmakers demanded steps to reduce dependence on Beijing for manufacturing and minerals. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-cases-in-us-top-1-million-death-toll-at-57266-295419">ALSO READ: Coronavirus cases in US top 1 million; death toll at 57,266</a>

Trump has been publicly blaming China for the global spread of the "invisible enemy" and launched an investigation against it. He has also indicated that the US may be looking at "a lot more money" in damages from China than the USD 140 billion being sought by Germany from Beijing for the pandemic.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/when-will-coronavirus-end-in-us-uk-france-india-study-predicts-dates-month-295324">When will COVID-19 end in US, UK, France, India? Study predicts dates &amp; month</a>

Leaders of the US, the UK and Germany believe that the deaths and the destruction of the global economy could have been avoided, had China shared the information about the virus in its early phases.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-reports-586-covid-19-deaths-in-last-24-hours-death-toll-crosses-21600-295396">Also read |&nbsp;UK reports 586 COVID-19 deaths in last 24 hours; death toll crosses 21,600</a>

"It's in 184 countries, as you hear me say often. It's hard to believe. It's inconceivable," Trump told reporters at White House Tuesday.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-covid-19-death-toll-tops-vietnam-war-fatalities-cases-surpass-one-million-295433/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"It should have been stopped at the source, which was China. It should have been stopped very much at the source, but it wasn't. And now we have 184 countries going through hell."

The virus, which originated in China's Wuhan city in mid-November, has killed more than two lakh people and infected over three million globally. The largest number of them are in the US: nearly 59,000 deaths and over one million infections.

The massive outbreak in the US has put Trump under increasing pressure from American lawmakers to decrease US dependence on Beijing and they have also sought compensation from China.

Senator Ted Cruz and his colleagues have urged Defence Secretary Mark Esper and Interior Secretary David Bernhardt to support the development of a fully domestic supply chain of rare earth and other minerals that are critical for manufacturing defence technologies and supporting national security.

"It is clear that our dependence on China for vital rare earths threatens our US manufacturing and defence-industrial base. As the October 2018 Defence Industrial Base Report states: 'China represents a significant and growing risk to the supply of materials deemed strategic and critical to US national security.' [...] Ensuring a US supply of domestically sourced rare earths will reduce our vulnerability to supply disruptions that poses a grave risk to our military readiness," the Senators wrote.

The US is 100 per cent import-dependent for rare earths as well as 13 other metals and minerals on the US Government Critical Minerals List and more than 75 per cent import reliant for an additional 10 minerals.

Congressman Brian Mast on Tuesday introduced legislation to hold China accountable for its "coronavirus deception". The resolution would empower the US to withhold payments on debts owed to China equal to the costs incurred by the US in response to COVID-19.

"China's total lack of transparency and mishandling of the coronavirus outbreak has cost tens of thousands of lives, millions of jobs and left untold economic destruction. Congress must hold China accountable for their cover-up and force them to pay back the taxpayer dollars that have been spent as a result," Mast said.

Cruz, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, announced his intention to introduce legislation to cut off Hollywood studios from the assistance they receive from the Department of Defence if those studios censor their films for screening in China.

This legislation is part of Sen. Cruz's comprehensive push to combat China's growing influence over what Americans see and hear, which includes legislation targeting information warfare from the Chinese Communist Party across higher education, sports, films, radio broadcasts, and more.

Indian-American Congressman Ami Bera and Congressman Ted S. Yoho, both members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, will lead a bipartisan virtual Special Order to highlight the importance of US global leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"If we abdicate our place as a leader in global health, there is another country eager to take the reins. China has not been subtle in asserting itself on global health issues, and often not for the benefit of other nations. China's recent coronavirus debacle should be evidence enough that their communist regime cannot be trusted to lead with accountability, transparency, or pragmatism, traits that are essential when fighting widespread disease," Yoho said.

"As for how China would fare as a global health leader, look no further than the disastrous initial response by the WHO to coronavirus, one that was clearly influenced by Beijing. Information was slow-walked, warnings from nations like Taiwan were ignored at crucial turning points, and cooperation with outside health experts was spurned until it was too late. And it has resulted in the largest public health disaster the world has seen in over a century," he said.

In an interview to Fox News, Senator Marco Rubio alleged that if China had acted when those warnings were being made, instead of silencing the people that were talking about it, they could have limited the spread.

"So there was no doubt that that was a deliberate decision made on their part. The one way to hold them accountable is to do what we should be doing anyway. That is moving the means of production to become less and less dependent upon them. What you're going to see after this pandemic is that more and more countries are going to prioritize their healthcare manufacturing capabilities and other industries," he said.

US President Donald Trump doubled down on China for failing to tame the coronavirus at its very origin, saying it has led to 184 countries "going through hell", as several American lawmakers demanded steps to reduce dependence on Beijing for manufacturing and minerals.

US President Donald Trump doubled down on China for failing to tame the coronavirus at its very origin, saying it has led to 184 countries "going through hell", as several American lawmakers demanded steps to reduce dependence on Beijing for manufacturing and minerals. ALSO READ: Coronavirus cases in US top 1 million; death toll at 57,266 Trump has been publicly blaming China for the global spread of the "invisible enemy" and launched an investigation against it. He has also indicated that the US may be looking at "a lot more money" in damages from China than the USD 140 billion being sought by Germany from Beijing for the pandemic. Also read: When will COVID-19 end in US, UK, France, India? Study predicts dates & month Leaders of the US, the UK and Germany believe that the deaths and the destruction of the global economy could have been avoided, had China shared the information about the virus in its early phases. Also read | UK reports 586 COVID-19 deaths in last 24 hours; death toll crosses 21,600 "It's in 184 countries, as you hear me say often. It's hard to believe. It's inconceivable," Trump told reporters at White House Tuesday. "It should have been stopped at the source, which was China. It should have been stopped very much at the source, but it wasn't. And now we have 184 countries going through hell." The virus, which originated in China's Wuhan city in mid-November, has killed more than two lakh people and infected over three million globally. The largest number of them are in the US: nearly 59,000 deaths and over one million infections. The massive outbreak in the US has put Trump under increasing pressure from American lawmakers to decrease US dependence on Beijing and they have also sought compensation from China. Senator Ted Cruz and his colleagues have urged Defence Secretary Mark Esper and Interior Secretary David Bernhardt to support the development of a fully domestic supply chain of rare earth and other minerals that are critical for manufacturing defence technologies and supporting national security. "It is clear that our dependence on China for vital rare earths threatens our US manufacturing and defence-industrial base. As the October 2018 Defence Industrial Base Report states: 'China represents a significant and growing risk to the supply of materials deemed strategic and critical to US national security.' [...] Ensuring a US supply of domestically sourced rare earths will reduce our vulnerability to supply disruptions that poses a grave risk to our military readiness," the Senators wrote. The US is 100 per cent import-dependent for rare earths as well as 13 other metals and minerals on the US Government Critical Minerals List and more than 75 per cent import reliant for an additional 10 minerals. Congressman Brian Mast on Tuesday introduced legislation to hold China accountable for its "coronavirus deception". The resolution would empower the US to withhold payments on debts owed to China equal to the costs incurred by the US in response to COVID-19. "China's total lack of transparency and mishandling of the coronavirus outbreak has cost tens of thousands of lives, millions of jobs and left untold economic destruction. Congress must hold China accountable for their cover-up and force them to pay back the taxpayer dollars that have been spent as a result," Mast said. Cruz, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, announced his intention to introduce legislation to cut off Hollywood studios from the assistance they receive from the Department of Defence if those studios censor their films for screening in China. This legislation is part of Sen. Cruz's comprehensive push to combat China's growing influence over what Americans see and hear, which includes legislation targeting information warfare from the Chinese Communist Party across higher education, sports, films, radio broadcasts, and more. Indian-American Congressman Ami Bera and Congressman Ted S. Yoho, both members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, will lead a bipartisan virtual Special Order to highlight the importance of US global leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. "If we abdicate our place as a leader in global health, there is another country eager to take the reins. China has not been subtle in asserting itself on global health issues, and often not for the benefit of other nations. China's recent coronavirus debacle should be evidence enough that their communist regime cannot be trusted to lead with accountability, transparency, or pragmatism, traits that are essential when fighting widespread disease," Yoho said. "As for how China would fare as a global health leader, look no further than the disastrous initial response by the WHO to coronavirus, one that was clearly influenced by Beijing. Information was slow-walked, warnings from nations like Taiwan were ignored at crucial turning points, and cooperation with outside health experts was spurned until it was too late. And it has resulted in the largest public health disaster the world has seen in over a century," he said. In an interview to Fox News, Senator Marco Rubio alleged that if China had acted when those warnings were being made, instead of silencing the people that were talking about it, they could have limited the spread. "So there was no doubt that that was a deliberate decision made on their part. The one way to hold them accountable is to do what we should be doing anyway. That is moving the means of production to become less and less dependent upon them. What you're going to see after this pandemic is that more and more countries are going to prioritize their healthcare manufacturing capabilities and other industries," he said.

'184 countries going through hell': Trump blames China for coronavirus spread

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in India rose to 29,435 on Tuesday with 62 deaths and 1543 new cases in the last 24 hours, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.&nbsp;

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday reported that the total number of COVID-19 positive cases in India rises to 29435 including 21632 active cases, 6868 cured/discharged, 934 deaths and 1 migrated.

Maharashtra continued to be the worst-hit state with the total number of COVID-19 cases at 8,590.

Meanwhile, the overall number of COVID-19 cases worldwide increased to 2,878,196 and the death count reached 198,668. There are 1,359,380 confirmed cases and 124,525 deaths in Europe. The number of cases in the Americas total 1,140,520, with 58,492 deaths.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in India rose to 29,435 on Tuesday with 62 deaths and 1543 new cases in the last 24 hours, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in India rose to 29,435 on Tuesday with 62 deaths and 1543 new cases in the last 24 hours, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday reported that the total number of COVID-19 positive cases in India rises to 29435 including 21632 active cases, 6868 cured/discharged, 934 deaths and 1 migrated. Maharashtra continued to be the worst-hit state with the total number of COVID-19 cases at 8,590. Meanwhile, the overall number of COVID-19 cases worldwide increased to 2,878,196 and the death count reached 198,668. There are 1,359,380 confirmed cases and 124,525 deaths in Europe. The number of cases in the Americas total 1,140,520, with 58,492 deaths.

India sees sharpest death count rise; total Covid-19 cases 29,435

US President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that he may seek damages from China over the coronavirus outbreak which began in the Chinese city of Wuhan and spread around the world.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/after-wuhan-fears-of-second-coronavirus-wave-in-chinas-northeast-294018">After Wuhan, fears of second coronavirus wave in China's northeast</a>

"We are not happy with China," Trump said at a White House briefing. "We are not happy with that whole situation because we believe it could have been stopped at the source."

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"It could have been stopped quickly and it wouldn't have spread all over the world," he said.

"There are a lot of ways you can hold them accountable," Trump said. "We're doing some very serious investigations as you probably know."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/can-china-curb-the-second-wave-of-coronavirus-pandemic-292430">Can China curb the second wave of coronavirus pandemic?</a>

Trump was asked about a recent German newspaper editorial which called on China to pay Germany $165 billion in reparations because of economic damage done by the virus.

Asked if the US would consider doing the same, the US president said "we can do something much easier than that."

"Germany is looking at things, we are looking at things," he said. "We are talking about a lot more money than Germany's talking about."

"We haven't determined the final amount yet," Trump said. "It's very substantial.

"This is worldwide damage," he said. "This is damage to the US, but this is damage to the world."

There have been more than 55,000 coronavirus-related deaths in the United States and the pandemic has shut down huge swathes of the economy, leaving tens of millions unemployed.

US President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that he may seek damages from China over the coronavirus outbreak which began in the Chinese city of Wuhan and spread around the world.

US President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that he may seek damages from China over the coronavirus outbreak which began in the Chinese city of Wuhan and spread around the world. Also read: After Wuhan, fears of second coronavirus wave in China's northeast "We are not happy with China," Trump said at a White House briefing. "We are not happy with that whole situation because we believe it could have been stopped at the source." "It could have been stopped quickly and it wouldn't have spread all over the world," he said. "There are a lot of ways you can hold them accountable," Trump said. "We're doing some very serious investigations as you probably know." Also read: Can China curb the second wave of coronavirus pandemic? Trump was asked about a recent German newspaper editorial which called on China to pay Germany $165 billion in reparations because of economic damage done by the virus. Asked if the US would consider doing the same, the US president said "we can do something much easier than that." "Germany is looking at things, we are looking at things," he said. "We are talking about a lot more money than Germany's talking about." "We haven't determined the final amount yet," Trump said. "It's very substantial. "This is worldwide damage," he said. "This is damage to the US, but this is damage to the world." There have been more than 55,000 coronavirus-related deaths in the United States and the pandemic has shut down huge swathes of the economy, leaving tens of millions unemployed.

'Very serious investigations' against China over coronavirus, says Trump

US President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that he may seek damages from China over the coronavirus outbreak which began in the Chinese city of Wuhan and spread around the world.

"We are not happy with China," Trump said at a White House briefing. "We are not happy with that whole situation because we believe it could have been stopped at the source.

"It could have been stopped quickly and it wouldn't have spread all over the world," he said.

"There are a lot of ways you can hold them accountable," Trump said. "We're doing some very serious investigations as you probably know."

Trump was asked about a recent German newspaper editorial which called on China to pay Germany $165 billion in reparations because of economic damage done by the virus.

Asked if the US would consider doing the same, the US president said "we can do something much easier than that."

"Germany is looking at things, we are looking at things," he said. "We are talking about a lot more money than Germany's talking about."

"We haven't determined the final amount yet," Trump said. "It's very substantial.

"This is worldwide damage," he said. "This is damage to the US, but this is damage to the world."

There have been more than 55,000 coronavirus-related deaths in the United States and the pandemic has shut down huge swathes of the economy, leaving tens of millions unemployed.

US President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that he may seek damages from China over the coronavirus outbreak which began in the Chinese city of Wuhan and spread around the world. "We are not happy with China," Trump said at a White House briefing. "We are not happy with that whole situation because we believe it could have been stopped at the source. "It could have been stopped quickly and it wouldn't have spread all over the world," he said. "There are a lot of ways you can hold them accountable," Trump said. "We're doing some very serious investigations as you probably know." Trump was asked about a recent German newspaper editorial which called on China to pay Germany $165 billion in reparations because of economic damage done by the virus. Asked if the US would consider doing the same, the US president said "we can do something much easier than that." "Germany is looking at things, we are looking at things," he said. "We are talking about a lot more money than Germany's talking about." "We haven't determined the final amount yet," Trump said. "It's very substantial. "This is worldwide damage," he said. "This is damage to the US, but this is damage to the world." There have been more than 55,000 coronavirus-related deaths in the United States and the pandemic has shut down huge swathes of the economy, leaving tens of millions unemployed.

Trump says US may seek damages from China over the virus

Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus surpassed 29 lacs worldwide on Monday as COVID-19 spreads across Europe, North America and South Asia.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boston-dynamics-spot-robot-helping-doctors-remotely-combat-covid-19-294866" hreflang="en">Boston Dynamics' Spot robot helping doctors 'remotely' combat COVID-19</a>

COVID-19 has now infected 2,971,831 people worldwide and 206,553 people have been killed due to this pandemic.

Around 868,480 people of that tally have recovered.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/coronavirus-pandemic-new-york-records-lowest-death-toll-since-march-31-294963/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The United States is by far the hardest-hit country in the global pandemic, in terms of both confirmed infections and deaths.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/amid-complaints-of-faulty-kits-by-several-nations-china-confiscates-89-million-face-masks-294838" hreflang="en">Amid complaints of faulty kits by several nations, China confiscates 89 million face masks</a>

The United States recorded 1,330 more novel coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours, according to figures reported late Sunday by the Johns Hopkins University.

The country now has an overall death toll of 55,415, with 964,937 confirmed infections, according to a tally by the Baltimore-based institution at 8:30 pm.

The 24-hour US death toll was 2,494 late Saturday, and 1,258 on Friday evening -- the lowest in nearly three weeks -- as the government struggles to quell the virus.

A few days ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) had claimed how lifting lockdowns too early could lead to a second wave and would be a catastrophe.

Meanwhile, after more than three months of an arduous fight, Wuhan, the city located at the heart of China and epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, has cleared all remaining cases related to the deadly infection in its hospitals, health authorities told Xinhua news agency on Sunday.

(With inputs from agencies)

Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus surpassed 29 lacs worldwide on Monday as COVID-19 spreads across Europe, North America and South Asia. Also read: Boston Dynamics' Spot robot helping doctors 'remotely' combat COVID-19 COVID-19 has now infected 2,971,831 people worldwide and 206,553 people have been killed due to this pandemic.

Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus surpassed 29 lacs worldwide on Monday as COVID-19 spreads across Europe, North America and South Asia. Also read: Boston Dynamics' Spot robot helping doctors 'remotely' combat COVID-19 COVID-19 has now infected 2,971,831 people worldwide and 206,553 people have been killed due to this pandemic. Around 868,480 people of that tally have recovered. The United States is by far the hardest-hit country in the global pandemic, in terms of both confirmed infections and deaths. Also read: Amid complaints of faulty kits by several nations, China confiscates 89 million face masks The United States recorded 1,330 more novel coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours, according to figures reported late Sunday by the Johns Hopkins University. The country now has an overall death toll of 55,415, with 964,937 confirmed infections, according to a tally by the Baltimore-based institution at 8:30 pm. The 24-hour US death toll was 2,494 late Saturday, and 1,258 on Friday evening -- the lowest in nearly three weeks -- as the government struggles to quell the virus. A few days ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) had claimed how lifting lockdowns too early could lead to a second wave and would be a catastrophe. Meanwhile, after more than three months of an arduous fight, Wuhan, the city located at the heart of China and epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, has cleared all remaining cases related to the deadly infection in its hospitals, health authorities told Xinhua news agency on Sunday. (With inputs from agencies)

COVID-19 positive cases near 3-million mark globally; death toll passes 2 lacs

Children reclaim streets in Spain after government eases lockdown

As the world deals with lockdown blues, people are coming up with strange excuses and strategies to circumvent the rules.

In India, a man bought a huge stock of onions so that he may be able to move from the southern part of the country to its northern state.

The hardest hit continent - Europe has largely remained under lockdown over the last few weeks. However, as the recovery rate starts to improve and the number of infections continue to drop, people are sneaking out and about.

Spain has a loophole in its lockdown rules: people with pets may leave their homes to walk their pets. However, not everybody is walking their pets.

With no clear dictation of what encapsulates pets, people have taken full liberty.

Just on Friday, the Spanish National Police shared an image on Twitter whereby a man was fined for walking an unusual pet… a fish in a bowl! The incident happened in Lograno, a town in northern Spain. He was later penalised by the authorities for breaking the code. 
 
The tweet below translates into "Agents of the police force&nbsp;have found a person for going out to "walk" their fish on the street. Agents spotted him on #Logroño carrying a fish tank against what is stipulated in the RD of the State of Alarm."

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Agentes de la <a href="https://twitter.com/policia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@policia</a> han sancionado a una persona por salir a "pasear" a sus peces por la calle. Los agentes le avistaron en <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Logro%C3%B1o?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Logroño</a> portando una pecera en contra de lo estipulado en el RD del Estado de Alarma. 
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EsteVirusLoParamosUnidos?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EsteVirusLoParamosUnidos</a> <a href="https://t.co/lOFVnDX6Fi">pic.twitter.com/lOFVnDX6Fi</a>
— Policía Nacional (@policia) <a href="https://twitter.com/policia/status/1253594777418776577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Earlier, on March 25, a man was seen walking his hen. Take a look below!

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NoTieneGracia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NoTieneGracia</a> 
 
Guardias civiles de <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Lanzarote?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Lanzarote</a> denuncian a una persona por incumplir las medidas de limitación de circulación impuestas en por el estado de alarma paseando una gallina<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EsteVirusLoParamosUnidos?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EsteVirusLoParamosUnidos</a> <a href="https://t.co/kZ7vGuTKE5">pic.twitter.com/kZ7vGuTKE5</a>
— Guardia Civil 🇪🇸 (@guardiacivil) <a href="https://twitter.com/guardiacivil/status/1242814616561909761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The police tweeted, "Civil guards of #Lanzarote fined&nbsp;a person for failing to comply with the movement limitation measures imposed by the state of alarm while walking a hen".

In another bizarre incident in Spain, an unidentified citizen in Murcia was seen dressed as a Tyrannosaurus rex. The images went viral on social media!

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En estado de alarma se permite el paseo de mascotas acompañadas de una persona, siempre con paseos cortos para hacer sus necesidades. 
 
El que tengas complejo de Tyrannosaurus rex no está contemplado.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/qu%C3%A9dateencasa?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#quédateencasa</a> <a href="https://t.co/C8dWkrvAdm">pic.twitter.com/C8dWkrvAdm</a>
— Policía Local Murcia (@MurciaPolicia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MurciaPolicia/status/1239659731377098752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
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It only gets stranger in the land of Spain: Another person was arrested for walking a toy dog on a leash. Video below:

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Pedimos SENSATEZ durante el <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EstadoDeEmergencia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EstadoDeEmergencia</a> por culpa del <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a>. 
 
Estamos ante una situación MUY GRAVE como para andar por la calle intentando engañar a la <a href="https://twitter.com/policia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@policia</a>... NO nos engañas y además serás sancionado. 
 
Es una cuestión de salud pública.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EsteVirusLoParamosUnidos?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EsteVirusLoParamosUnidos</a> <a href="https://t.co/67cjOMNdC3">pic.twitter.com/67cjOMNdC3</a>
— JUPOL (@JupolNacional) <a href="https://twitter.com/JupolNacional/status/1239652064004911104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
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After this clip went viral, the police announced:&nbsp;"Do not try to deceive us!"

Spain recently decided to extend its lockdown until May 9, to ensure that the slowing rate of infections continues steadily. In Spain alone, over 20,000 people have died of the virus so far. If the lockdown officially ends on May 9, the country would have spent six weeks under lockdown in total.

As the world deals with lockdown blues, people are coming up with strange excuses and strategies to circumvent the rules. In India, a man bought a huge stock of onions so that he may be able to move from the southern part of the country to its northern state.

As the world deals with lockdown blues, people are coming up with strange excuses and strategies to circumvent the rules. In India, a man bought a huge stock of onions so that he may be able to move from the southern part of the country to its northern state. The hardest hit continent - Europe has largely remained under lockdown over the last few weeks. However, as the recovery rate starts to improve and the number of infections continue to drop, people are sneaking out and about. Spain has a loophole in its lockdown rules: people with pets may leave their homes to walk their pets. However, not everybody is walking their pets. With no clear dictation of what encapsulates pets, people have taken full liberty. Just on Friday, the Spanish National Police shared an image on Twitter whereby a man was fined for walking an unusual pet… a fish in a bowl! The incident happened in Lograno, a town in northern Spain. He was later penalised by the authorities for breaking the code. The tweet below translates into "Agents of the police force have found a person for going out to "walk" their fish on the street. Agents spotted him on #Logroño carrying a fish tank against what is stipulated in the RD of the State of Alarm." Agentes de la @policia han sancionado a una persona por salir a "pasear" a sus peces por la calle. Los agentes le avistaron en #Logroño portando una pecera en contra de lo estipulado en el RD del Estado de Alarma. #EsteVirusLoParamosUnidos pic.twitter.com/lOFVnDX6Fi — Policía Nacional (@policia) April 24, 2020 × Earlier, on March 25, a man was seen walking his hen. Take a look below! #NoTieneGracia Guardias civiles de #Lanzarote denuncian a una persona por incumplir las medidas de limitación de circulación impuestas en por el estado de alarma paseando una gallina#EsteVirusLoParamosUnidos pic.twitter.com/kZ7vGuTKE5 — Guardia Civil 🇪🇸 (@guardiacivil) March 25, 2020 × The police tweeted, "Civil guards of #Lanzarote fined a person for failing to comply with the movement limitation measures imposed by the state of alarm while walking a hen". In another bizarre incident in Spain, an unidentified citizen in Murcia was seen dressed as a Tyrannosaurus rex. The images went viral on social media! En estado de alarma se permite el paseo de mascotas acompañadas de una persona, siempre con paseos cortos para hacer sus necesidades. El que tengas complejo de Tyrannosaurus rex no está contemplado.#quédateencasa pic.twitter.com/C8dWkrvAdm — Policía Local Murcia (@MurciaPolicia) March 16, 2020 × It only gets stranger in the land of Spain: Another person was arrested for walking a toy dog on a leash. Video below: Pedimos SENSATEZ durante el #EstadoDeEmergencia por culpa del #COVID19. Estamos ante una situación MUY GRAVE como para andar por la calle intentando engañar a la @policia... NO nos engañas y además serás sancionado. Es una cuestión de salud pública.#EsteVirusLoParamosUnidos pic.twitter.com/67cjOMNdC3 — JUPOL (@JupolNacional) March 16, 2020 × After this clip went viral, the police announced: "Do not try to deceive us!" Spain recently decided to extend its lockdown until May 9, to ensure that the slowing rate of infections continues steadily. In Spain alone, over 20,000 people have died of the virus so far. If the lockdown officially ends on May 9, the country would have spent six weeks under lockdown in total.

Hens? Fish? Spaniards walk strange 'pets' as country extends lockdown to May 9

After being in a complete lockdown for over six weeks, people across Spain are now finally able to step out. The death toll has dropped significantly in Spain. The government has also eased restrictions on children playing outside their homes for a particular duration. Watch report.

Coronavirus Pandemic: Children to play outside after weeks in Spain

April 27 in history : First Spanish settlement, South Africa first multiracial elections and more!

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