Coronavirus in India live updates: Total number of cases in Delhi rises to 27

The state witnessed the largest number of reporting of coronavirus positive cases in a day with 12 cases. With this total number of Covid-19 cases reported in the state has gone up to 40. Five cases have been reported in Ernakulam, six cases in Kasargod and one in Palakkad. With the threat of virus spreading looming large in the Kasargod district, the state government has decided to go for a total shut down in the district for a week. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said a person who had come from Dubai without going for any kind of screening process and had turned positive earlier, has now become a major source of spreading the disease.

The residents of Visakhapatnam, who have otherwise been quite cool in their attitude towards the coronavirus scare have now gone into overdrive, what with one positive case being reported and a high alert was sounded in the entire city, especially at Allipuram area where the positive case-patient resides. Most of the trains and bus services were canceled from Vizag to long-distance and also some city services. People are seen wearing one or the other kind of masks all of a sudden from Friday evening with the fear.

Markets in Delhi will remain closed for three days beginning Saturday in view of the coronavirus outbreak, traders' body CAIT said on Friday. However, pharmaceuticals, dairy and general consumables have been exempted from the shutdown for the convenience of citizens for meeting their daily requirements, the traders' body said. "The markets in Delhi will remain closed on March 21, 22 and 23. Trade leaders will review the situation on the evening of March 23 and decide actions for the future," Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said.

Continuing its series of efforts to combat Covid-19, the Tamil Nadu government on Friday announced closure of borders from March 21 to March 31, restricting inter-state transportation with Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. An official release said that certain transportation would be permitted, including vehicles transporting essential goods, such as milk, petrol, diesel, vegetables, medicines, ambulances and LPG cylinders. Freight vehicles and light vehicles such as those with passengers leaving for unavoidable reasons like death will also be allowed

Tirumala - the sacred abode of Lord Venkateswara has cut off contact with the rest of the world to prevent the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams which administers the ancient abode of Lord Venkateswara closed down the 2000 year old temple at Tirumala for pilgrim worship on Friday. Following state and central government advisories, TTD announced on Thursday, that it will close down the Tirumala temple as well as 50 odd sub-temples under its administrative purview across the country for pilgrim worship for a week from Friday, in order to prevent the outbreak of coronavirus.

In the wake of coronavirus and shortage of masks, sanitizers and hand wash, social groups of the city are taking initiatives to ensure that the hygiene products to fight the virus are made available to people residing in slum areas and those belonging to economically backward families as they are unable to afford the same. Many self-help groups and individuals are also making cloth masks to pe provided to people. A religious organization of the city has made a purchase face masks in bulk to distribute among the citizens.

After closing down all educational institutes as social distancing intervention to prevent spread coronavirus, Assam education department on Friday felt that the closure period may trigger dropouts, particularly schools and ordered use of WhatsApp to resume education activities remotely

Following the lockdown in several institutions around, the residents showed signs of panic buying and rushed to the vegetable markets of Ambala on Friday, in the situation of the coronavirus outbreak. However, the administration has stated that the markets related to essential and necessary products will remain open; still, the residents seem panicked due to the threat of the novel virus. On Friday, a rush has been witnessed at some vegetable markets of Ambala despite advisories of the government on not going into crowded areas. The residents rushed to the markets to purchase vegetable following some unauthorized information that the vegetables markets will remain closed for 10 days.

With the lockdown, even the autos and taxis will mostly stay off roads as there will hardly be any business, unions said. "For the Sunday's 'Janata Curfew' call by prime minister Narendra Modi, many auto drivers may voluntarily stay away as there will hardly be any business and very few commuters on roads. We have not called for any bandh from the unions, but drivers will take their own call,'' said Shashank Rao of Mumbai Autorickshawmen's Union.

A group of seers on Friday cancelled the upcoming Ram Kot Parikrama here in the wake of coronavirus outbreak. Ram Kot Parikrama, a religious ceremony, is held every year on the first day of Ram Navami which was scheduled on March 24.