Coronavirus in India live updates: Fourth positive case of COVID-19 reported from Gurugram

Continuing its precautionary measures to curb the spread of coronavirus, the Bombay high court reduced its functioning further and will now work on only two days next week to hear only extremely urgent matters. Acting Chief Justice BP Dharmadhikari held a meeting and decided that at all its benches in Goa, Aurangabad, Nagpur and in Mumbai, the HC will, week starting March 23, will take up "only extremely urgent matters" on Monday and Thursday, between 12 noon and 2pm.

The Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC) has given order to owners of shops, factories and other commercial establishments in Ulhasnagar, except grocery stores, medical stores, milk stores and eateries to down shutters for three days from Thursday as a social distancing measure to combat the coronavirus outbreak. The decision was taken on Thursday by UMC commissioner Sudhakar Deshmukh after a patient from Ulhasnagar was found to be positive of coronavirus and was admitted to Kasturba Hospital in Mumbai. Before taking the decision, Deshmukh held a meeting of all business traders associations of the city who also agreed to cooperate.

The Samajwadi Party on Thursday said it has cancelled all political programmes this month and advised workers to stay home in view of the novel coronavirus outbreak. "In view of the spread of coronavirus, I appeal party workers to remain home and remain connected through phones with others and provide them necessary help," SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said.

In view of the serious situation prevailing in the country in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak, churches in Odisha have decided to suspend all activities temporarily to help combat the dreaded infection. The Odia Baptist Church at Cuttack, one of the largest churches in Odisha, as also the Church of Christ (Union Church) in Bhubaneswar have put on hold all their activities including the Sunday worship till March 31, 2020. The decision to this effect was taken separately on Wednesday.

The chorus for restoration of high-speed 4G internet services on mobile phones in Jammu and Kashmir has grown following the detection of the first case of coronavirus in the valley. Several people, including Srinagar Mayor Junaid Mattu and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti's daughter Iltija Mufti, have called for the restoration of the services to help raise awareness about the virus.

Health authorities in Rajasthan's Alwar district have issued a notice to a doctor couple, who are suspected to have been infected by the novel coronavirus, for travelling abroad without approval and resuming work after their return ignoring the advisory and protocol, officials said. The couple, an eye surgeon and his gynaecologist wife, work at the state-run Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital in Alwar and were on leave from March 2-12 for "urgent work".