ALL EYES ON MODALITIES OF POSSIBLE, LIMITED EASING OF LOCKDOWN

Even as some states have already announced an extension of restrictions for

two more weeks, the Centre is learnt to be looking at a lockdown model which

allows the states to decide if there is room for relaxation in some areas.

However, the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases to almost half

the total districts in the country - from 284 to 354 districts over the past

week - is likely to weigh on the mind of the Central government in crafting

a graded approach.

According to the Health Ministry's latest data, there has been a substantial

rise in the number of districts with over 10 cases - from 86 to 126 over the

past week. Of these, the number of districts with 11-100 cases has gone up

from 81 to 116; and those with over 100 cases has doubled from five to 10

districts. In the same period, the number of districts with up to 10 cases

has increased from 199 to 228.

The 70 new districts where COVID-19 cases have been reported are spread

across 17 states: Uttar Pradesh (13 new districts), Punjab (8), Maharashtra

(7), Rajasthan (6), Telangana (6), Gujarat (5) and Haryana (5) are among the

states where at least five new districts have been affected.

At Prime Minister Narendra Modi's video conference with chief ministers on

Saturday, several states had pushed for resumption of some economic

activities in regions with no COVID-19 cases. Some like Bhupesh Baghel

(Chhattisgarh), Pinarayi Vijayan (Kerala) and YSR Jagan Mohan Reddy (Andhra

Pradesh) had sought the freedom and authority to decide and allow economic

activities, be it farming or industry.

In BJP-ruled Haryana, where the number of affected districts has increased

from 12 to 17 over the past week, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has

already announced that the state will be divided into three zones, on the

basis of the number of cases, indicating that restrictions will be eased in

the less-affected areas.

START BIG UNITS AT 25% CAPACITY, INDUSTRY DEPT TELLS HOME MINISTRY

With the Centre and states considering a two-week extension of the ongoing

nationwide lockdown, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal

Trade (DPIIT) Saturday proposed that sectors be allowed to resume operations

in a staggered manner.

For labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, automobiles, steel, defence

and electronic manufacturing, the department proposed resumption of

operations at 20-25 per cent capacity in a single shift initially, provided

they follow proper safety precautions.

In an April 11 letter to Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla, DPIIT secretary

Guruprasad Mohapatra said that apart from the industries operating as

essential services, "certain more activities" should be allowed "with

reasonable safeguards" once the government takes a final call on the

extension and nature of the lockdown. "These new activities are essential to

improve the economic activity and provide liquidity in the hands of the

people," he said in the letter.

Keeping with the spirit of 'jaan bhi, jahaan bhi' motto the Prime Minister

mentioned in his meeting with chief ministers of states, the DPIIT has

proposed that certain repairing units like those for mobile, refrigerators,

automobiles, air conditioners and television too be allowed. "This will help

the citizens under lockdown to avail these critical services and also

provide them cash liquidity, which is required very much. Also, these

services do not lead to any crowding. E-commerce entities providing such

repair services may also be allowed," the letter said.

The DPIIT secretary also said that micro, small and medium enterprises with

export commitments "need to be allowed to operate with minimal manpower and

necessary movement of material". He also suggested that "big" companies in

textiles, automobiles and electronic manufacturing that follow "proper

sanitation and distancing norms" be allowed to start operating at 20-25

percent capacity in a single shift "to start with".

Ancillaries catering to essential industries like pharmaceuticals and

healthcare may also be allowed to operate. This includes certain segments of

the rubber industry and those producing medical equipment like gloves,

hospital rubber sheets, medical devices, catheters, anaesthesia bags and

ventilator bellows.

"Timber, plywood and wood based industry provides packaging material to

pharma companies, FMCG and other companies producing essential commodities.

These should also be allowed by the state authorities," the letter said.

Among other sectors that should be allowed to resume operations "with

minimum manpower", the letter listed makers of telecom equipment and

components, steel and ferrous alloy mills, power looms, cement plants, all

types of food and beverages, plastic manufacturing units, big and organised

gems and jewellery sector units, automotive units and all SEZs and EOUs.

Mohapatra stressed that transport vehicles of all sizes, whether

inter-state, intra-state or intra-city, need to be allowed by all

enforcement agencies "without asking any question".

Industries allowed to operate would have to ensure safety measures like

single entry points for workers, sufficient space to ensure social

distancing, use of separate transport for ferrying workers or arrangements

for their stay and "high quality" regular sanitisation of the premises, the

letter noted. "State and district authorities, while allowing these

activities, should ensure strict observance of these conditions," it said.

MAY THIS EASTER GIVE US ADDED STRENGTH: PM MODI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday extended Easter greetings and prayed

that the day gives added strength to successfully overcome COVID-19.

"Best wishes to everyone on the special occasion of Easter. We remember the

noble thoughts of Lord Christ, especially his unwavering commitment to

empowering the poor and needy," the Prime Minister wrote on Twitter. "May

this Easter give us added strength to successfully overcome COVID-19 and

create a healthier planet," he said.

COVID-19 DASHBOARD - (Nos. IN INDIA / Nos. WORLDWIDE)

(Indian data from covid19india / and World Data from

worldometers.info/coronavirus/ )

Total Cases 9,211 (+758) / 18,53,155 (+72,840)

Total Deaths 331 (+42) / 1,14,247 (+5,419)

Total Recovered 1,086 (+114) / 4,23,554 (+19,523)

Active Cases 7,794 (+602) / 13,15,354 (+47,898)

Serious / Critical Cases (Not Available) / 550,757 (+165)

Top 5 impacted nations so far: (Country / Total No of cases / Deaths)

USA 5,60,433 / 22,115

Spain 1,66,831 / 17,209

Italy 1,56,363 / 19,899

France 1,32,591 / 14,393

Germany 1,27,854 / 3,022

Top 15 impacted Indian States so far: (Total No. of Confirmed case / No. Of

Deaths)

MAHARASHTRA 1,982 / 149

DELHI 1,154 / 24

TAMIL NADU 1,075 / 11

RAJASTHAN 804 / 11

MADHYA PRADESH 562 / 43

TELANGANA 531 / 16

GUJARAT 516 / 24

UTTAR PRADESH 483 / 5

ANDHRA PRADESH 420 / 7

KERALA 375 / 2

JAMMU AND KASHMIR 245 / 4

KARNATAKA 232 / 6

HARYANA 195 / 3

PUNJAB 170 / 12

WEST BENGAL 134 / 7

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

======================

HISTORIC OPEC+ DEAL SEALED

The world's top oil producers pulled off a historic deal to cut global crude

output and put an end to a devastating price war. After a week-long marathon

of bilateral talks and four days of video conferences with government

ministers from around the world, an agreement finally emerged to tackle the

impact of the global pandemic on demand.

The talks almost fell apart because of resistance from Mexico, but came back

from the brink after a weekend of urgent diplomacy - with the clock ticking

down to the market open.

Opec+ will cut 9.7 million barrels a day - just below the initial plan of 10

million. This comprises around 10 per cent of the global supply. Mexico

appeared to have won a diplomatic victory as it will only be required to cut

100,000 barrels - less than its pro-rated share.

With the virus paralysing air and ground travel, demand for gasoline is

collapsing and crude prices have plunged to 18-year lows. That threatened

the future of the US shale industry and the stability of oil-dependent

states, while piling more challenges onto central banks fighting the fallout

from the pandemic.

TRUMP PLAYED DOWN CORONAVIRUS CRISIS, SAYS NYT; TRUMP DUBS IT FAKE NEWS

US President Donald Trump was warned about the potential for a pandemic but

he repeatedly played down the seriousness of the virus and focused instead

on controlling the message, protecting gains in the economy and batting away

warnings from senior officials, a lengthy investigative report in a leading

American newspaper has said.

The report in The New York Times revealed that there were warnings from the

intelligence community, national security aides and government health

officials about an impending pandemic and its consequences but Trump played

down the crisis.

Trump's views were "coloured" by long-running disputes inside the

administration over how to deal with China and his own suspicion of the

motivations of officials inside what he viewed as the "Deep State." Further,

recommendations from public health officials often competed with economic

and political considerations in internal debates, slowing the path toward

belated decisions.

Trump has in turn lashed out at NYT. "The @nytimes story is a Fake, just

like the "paper" itself. I was criticized for moving too fast when I issued

the China Ban, long before most others wanted to do so," he has tweeted.

"I am working hard to expose the corruption and dishonesty in the Lamestream

Media. That part is easy, the hard part is WHY?" Trump said in his other

tweet.

BORIS JOHNSON LEAVES HOSPITAL AFTER CORONAVIRUS TREATMENT

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Sunday thanked the state-funded NHS

medics and staff for their hard work through the coronavirus pandemic as he

was discharged from hospital, saying he owed them his life after testing

positive for the deadly virus over two weeks ago.

On the advice of his medical team, he will not be returning to work

immediately, with UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to continue deputising

as he recuperates.

THE REST

========

EARTHQUAKE STRIKES DELHI, TREMORS FELT IN NCR

Tremors were felt in parts of Delhi and surrounding areas on Sunday evening

after a mild earthquake struck the national capital. Tremors were also felt

in the national capital regions of Noida and Ghaziabad also.

According to the National Centre for Seismology, the quake occurred at 5.45

pm. The Indian Meteorological Department said the epicentre of the

earthquake was in East Delhi and it measured 3.5 on the Richter scale. No

damage to any property has been reported so far.

"Tremors felt in Delhi. Hope everyone is safe. I pray for the safety of each

one of you," Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted.

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HEALTH MINISTRY BRIEFING

#1. The Health Ministry said it was working on an urgent basis to expand the

capacity for COVID-19 testing in government and private medical colleges

across the country. "Fourteen mentor institutes, including the AIIMS and

NIMHANS, have been identified to mentor the medical colleges and expand the

coronavirus testing capacity," Agarwal said.

#2. Dr Manoj Murhekar of ICMR said more than 40 vaccines were under

development but none had reached the next stage. "As of now, there is no

vaccine," he said.

#3. The Health Ministry also informed that 20,000 train coaches will be

converted into isolation wards. "In the first phase, 5,000 coaches are being

converted," Agarwal said.

#4. Joint Secretary in the Home Ministry Punya Salila Srivastava said the

situation regarding essential commodities was under control. "Officials of

Ministries of Civil Aviation, Consumer Affairs, and Railways have been

working in coordination with states to resolve logistics problems," she

said.

#5. A Health Ministry official said that on March 29, India had 979 positive

cases and the number has touched 8,356 as of April 12. He said out of the

cases, a fifth of them required ICU support. "Hence, a total of 1671

patients need ICU. This figure is important to show that the government is

aware and prepared to manage the situation," he said.

#6. According to ICMR, a total of 1,86,906 samples have so far been tested

across the country, of which 7,953 have been found positive for COVID-19.

"In the last five days, on an average, 15,747 samples were tested per day

and 584 of those were found to be positive per day," an Indian Council of

Medical Research (ICMR) official said at the press briefing.

#7. "As per April 9 data, if we needed 1,100 beds, we had 85,000 beds.

Today, when we need 1,671 beds, then we have 1 lakh 5 thousand beds in the

dedicated 601 hospitals," Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary in the Health

Ministry, said.

#8. KS Dhatwalia, principal spokesperson, stated that some countries had

requested India for supply of HCQ (Hydroxychloroquine). After making an

assessment of domestic requirement and maintaining the buffer, the govt has

approved the release of HCQ for 13 countries.

MP: NO CABINET, AND HEALTH DEPT IN QUARANTINE

The Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led government in Madhya Pradesh is finding itself

in a tight spot in combating the Covid-19 pandemic. There is no Cabinet in

place, and thus no health minister. Besides, the state health department,

which was supposed to lead the fight against coronavirus, is almost defunct,

with several top officials, including Pallavi Jain Govil, principal

secretary (health), and J Vijay Kumar, managing director of MP Health

Corporation and chief executive officer of the state's Ayushman Bharat

programme, testing positive.

Even the coronavirus control room reported infections - Veena Sinha

(additional director, health communication) and another official Pallav

Dubey - were tested positive.

The infected officials don't have any travel or contact history and the

department is yet to locate the source of the infection. According to

sources, it is being suspected that the virus spread rapidly as officers

were meeting each other for pandemic-related planning.

On March 11, the WHO declared Covid-19 a pandemic. When most states were

tightening their belts for a long-drawn battle against the pandemic, Madhya

Pradesh was in the midst of a political turmoil. Despite Covid-related

warnings, MLAs of the Congress and the BJP were visiting one resort after

another in groups, flouting social distancing norms.

Finally, the BJP toppled the Congress government and Chouhan became chief

minister. He took oath on March 23 and a day later Prime Minister Narendra

Modi announced the nationwide lockdown from March 25. He's yet to announce

his cabinet.

"Appointing a Cabinet is not an easy task; a lot of things have to be

considered. Without any distraction, the chief minister is focused on

controlling the pandemic situation," BJP Spokesperson Rajneesh Agarwal said.

'NIHANGS' CHOP OFF PUNJAB COP'S HAND, INJURE TWO OTHER POLICEMEN IN PATIALA

A policeman's hand was severed and two of his colleagues were injured after

a group of Nihangs (Sikhs armed with traditional weapons, and usually clad

in all blue robes) attacked them at Sanaur vegetable market in Punjab's

Patiala district on Sunday, the police said. Eight Nihangs were arrested

after the Gurudwara Khicri Sahab - where they had fled after the attack -

was surrounded by the police. A Nihang was injured in the cross-firing at

the Gurudwara has been shifted to hospital.

The group was travelling in a vehicle when the police stopped them near a

vegetable market by Mandi board officials. An argument erupted between them

after the Nihangs failed to show them curfew passes.

AGGRESSIVE TESTING THROWS UP LARGE NUMBER OF ASYMPTOMATIC COVID-19 CASES IN

MUMBAI

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's strategy to carry out large-scale

testing of people who may have come in contact with those infected by the

COVID-19 virus have thrown up a large number of asymptomatic cases,

according to officials here.

"More people are found to be positive in Mumbai because we are carrying out

more tests," Mumbai's Municipal Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi told reporters

earlier this week.

The BMC said it was testing around 1500 people every day.

Officials say most of those being found positive for the virus in Mumbai are

asymptomatic. Though they do not show symptoms of the virus, they can pass

on the infection to others.

Worried that Covid cases could rise exponentially in the city's densely

populated slum pockets, the state government is seriously considering giving

hydroxycholorquine sulphate (HCQS) tablets as a "preventive medicine'' to

those slum residents facing the highest risk of the infection.

"In India, HCQS is being suggested as a preventive medicine for those with

mild symptoms. In the US, they want to use it for seriously ill patients but

there is little evidence to suggest that it works in such cases," said a

public hospital doctor.

CHINA CENTRAL BANK HIKES STAKE IN HDFC AMID A SHARP CORRECTION IN SHARES

The People's Bank of China (PBoC) has increased its shareholding in HDFC

amid a sharp correction in shares of India's largest mortgage lender.

The Chinese central bank held 17.5 million shares (or 1.01 per cent) at the

end of the March 2020 quarter, according to a regulatory disclosure by HDFC.

Deepak Parekh, chairman, HDFC, said, "They buy on behalf of China's

sovereign wealth fund. We have to report information when the stake crosses

1 per cent."

"PBoC has been an investor in HDFC for a while. It held 0.8 per cent in the

company in March 2019 and now the shareholding has gone beyond 1 per cent in

March 2020," said Keki Mistry, vice-chairman and chief executive officer,

HDFC.

MUMBAI POLICE USES SHAH RUKH KHAN'S FILM 'MAIN HOON NA' REFERENCE

The official Twitter handle of Mumbai Police has shared a Bollywood

reference again to create awareness about the coronavirus pandemic.

After using references from "Stree", the Mumbai Police account used a scene

from the popular Hindi film "Main Hoon Na", where Shah Rukh as Ram Prasad

Sharma makes a "Matrix" likes back dive to save himself from the spit

splatter from Professor Rasai, played by veteran actor Satish Shah .

Mumbai Police captioned the video on Twitter: "@iamsrk wouldn't need to do

such stunts any longer - Mask Hai Na!" The Mumbai Police Twitter handle is

known for their funny and quirky references on social matters.

Recently, they gave a quirky twist to the the dialogue: "O Stree Kal Aana"

from the film "Stree" to "O Corona kabhi mat aana (O corona never come)"

Recently, Bollywood stars took to social media to thank the Mumbai Police.

They expressed their gratitude to Mumbai Police for their extraordinary

efforts to maintain law and order in the city amid the COVID-19 lockdown.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

You're never as good as everyone tells you when you win, and you're never as

bad as they say when you lose. - Lou Holtz

OFF TRACK

Woman at a maternity hospital is in a lot of pain, moaning.

The man strokes her back, "I'm so sorry sweetheart that you have to endure

this."

The wife: "Don't worry honey, it's not your fault."