Coronavirus highlights: Punjab to start home delivery of liquor from May 7; over 50,000 positive cases in India

With that it's a wrap to LIVE updates on the coronavirus pandemic. Do join us tomorrow for all the top developments from India and around the world, until then stay safe, stay indoors. Good night.  

Coronavirus Updates LIVE: Newborn tests positive for COVID-19 in Navi Mumbai
A newborn has tested positive for COVID-19 in neighbouring Navi Mumbai, which currently has 395 cases, a health official said on May 7. At least 47 new cases were reported in Navi Mumbai a day earlier, taking the count in the region to 395, the official said. A pregnant woman, who was being treated at a COVID-19 hospital, delivered a baby girl, whose reports have also come out positive, he said. The positive cases include several workers and vendors from the APMC market in Vashi, he added. The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation on Wednesday decided to provide accommodation to its employees, who travel to work from other areas. Civic personnel travelling from their homes in Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan, Ambernath, Badlapur, among other places will be provided accommodation in Navi Mumbai itself, an official said.

Coronavirus Updates LIVE: Punjab to start home delivery of liquor from May 7

Home delivery of liquor will start from May 7 in Punjab with the state excise and taxation department issuing an order for opening of liquor vends on Wednesday. The liquor stores would be allowed to open only during the curfew relaxation period, officials said. The timing of delivery of liquor will be decided by the respective assistant excise and taxation commissioners in consultation with deputy commissioners, the order stated. Though there is no provision of home delivery of liquor in the Punjab Excise Act 1914 and the Excise Rules, the decision in this regard has been taken to ensure social distancing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it said. The delivery of liquor at people's doorsteps will be allowed only during the lockdown period, the order said.

Coronavirus Updates LIVE: Total cases cross 50,000 in India, Mumbai has 10,000 patients

Mumbai added 769 new cases in 24 hours taking the total number of positive cases in the city to 10,714, while overall, 50,000 cases have been reported across the country. Around 412 people have died in Mumbai due to the virus. The total number of cases in Maharashtra was at 16,758 as of 7 pm on May 6.
The total death count in the state was 651. Around 3,094 patients have recovered, while 275 patients have been discharged in the last 24 hours.

Coronavirus Updates LIVE: BJP government in Karnataka treating migrants worse than bonded labourers: CPI(M)

Accusing the BJP government in Karnataka of "medieval barbarism" and treating migrants as worse than "bonded labourers", CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Wednesday hit out at the state's decision to stop workers from returning to their homes in different parts of the country citing requirements of the construction sector. The Karnataka government has withdrawn its request to the railways to run special trains to ferry migrant labourers to their home states, hours after builders met Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa to apprise him of the problems the construction sector will face in case they left. "This is worse than treating them as bonded labour. Does the Indian constitution exist? Are there any laws in the country? This BJP state government is throwing us back to medieval barbarism. This will be stoutly resisted," Yechury said in a tweet.

Coronavirus Updates LIVE: Death toll touches 1,694; cases rise to 49,391 across India

The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 1,694 and the number of cases climbed to 49,391 in the country on Wednesday, registering an increase of 126 deaths and 2,958 cases in the last 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry said. "In the last 24 hours, 1,457 patients recovered, taking the total to 14,183. This takes the total recovery rate to 28.72 per cent," a senior health ministry official said. The number of active COVID-19 cases is 33,514 and one patient has migrated. Of the 1,694 fatalities, Maharashtra tops the tally with 617. Gujarat comes second with 368 deaths, followed by Madhya Pradesh at 176, West Bengal at 140, Rajasthan at 89, Delhi at 64, Uttar Pradesh at 56 and Andhra Pradesh at 36.

Coronavirus Updates LIVE: Over 18,000 arrested in Maharashtra for lockdown violation, says Anil Deshmukh

More than 95,000 cases have been registered for violation of prohibitory orders during lockdown in Maharashtra so far, and 18,722 persons were arrested in these cases, Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said on Wednesday. The police are working round-the-clock to enforce lockdown and contain the spread of the virus, he said in a statement. Around 95,678 cases were registered for violation of restrictions since lockdown began in the state, he added. He had ordered strict action against anti-social elements who attack the police, doctors, nurses and health department officials who are working relentlessly, the minister said. At least 184 incidents of assault on police were reported in the state during lockdown and 663 persons were held in these cases, he added.

Coronavirus Updates LIVE: Chinese researcher on 'verge of making very significant' coronavirus findings killed in US

A Chinese medical researcher on the "verge of making very significant" coronavirus findings has been found shot dead in the US state of Pennsylvania, media reports said on May 6. University of Pittsburgh professor Bing Liu, 37, was found dead inside his home in Ross Township, north of Pittsburgh, on Saturday with gunshot wounds to the head, neck, torso and extremities, according to the Ross Police Department. Investigators believe an unidentified second man, Hao Gu, 46 who was found dead in his car, shot and killed Liu in his home before returning to his car and taking his own life, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. Police believe the men knew each other, but say there is "zero indication that there was targeting due to his (Liu) being Chinese," according to Detective Sgt Brian Kohlhepp, the CNN reported. His colleagues at the university's Department of Computational and Systems Biology said: "Bing was on the verge of making very significant findings toward understanding the cellular mechanisms that underlie SARS-CoV-2 infection and the cellular basis of the following complications."

Coronavirus Updates LIVE: No new positive cases, no new hotspots in Kerala

No new positive cases were reported in Kerala on May 6, while samples of seven people returned negative and only 30 COVID-19 patients are under treatment. There are no new hotspots either in the state. Six people from Kottayam, including one from Idukki and another from Pathnamthitta have been declared cured, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said. The total positive cases touched 502, while 30 people are under treatment for the infection and 14,670 are under observation, including 268 in hospitals, he said.

Coronavirus Updates LIVE: Shops to remain closed in Ahmedabad for one week

To control the spread of coronavirus in Ahmedabad city, civic authorities have ordered the closure of all the shops on May 6 except those selling milk and medicines for a week. As per the order signed by Municipal Commissioner Mukesh Kumar, the shops will remain closed from May 7 midnight until 6 am on May 15. While milk outlets and medical stores can remain open, all other shops, including those selling fruits, vegetables and grocery items, will remain closed, the order said.

Coronavirus Updates LIVE: Elliot Alderson claims 5 people unwell at PMO, 2 at Army Headquarters; says more to come

Ethical Hacker Elliot Alderson, who goes by the Twitter alias inspired the American television series character “Mr Robot”, and flagged security issues with the Aarogya Setu app on May 5 has once again posted that he would highlight more issues later in the day. In a tweet, he said that he would post information which he claimed to have extracted from the app. “This is the issues. I will give a technical explanation later today in an article,” the tweeter post read. “And yes, yesterday:- 5 people felt unwell at the PMO office - 2 unwell at the Indian Army Headquarters - 1 infected people at the Indian parliament - 3 infected at the Home Office.” He also said: “Should I continue?” suggesting that there was more information in his possession.

Coronavirus Updates LIVE: CTUOs asks Labour Ministry to provide more trains to transport stranded migrant workers

In reply Central Trade Union Organizations (CTUOs) asked the Labour Ministry to provide more trains to transport migrant workers stranded in various parts of the country. Trade Unions have sought more financial assistance for labourers to run their families and facilitate their return to work once the situation is under control. Trade Unions also asked the labour ministry to create a National Register for migrant workers/unorganised workers with facilities of portability, data transfer to help the migrant labour in getting employment.

Here are 10 demands trade unions have made to the Labour Ministry:
1. Ensure working hours of workers should not be increased during this time
2. Supporting MSMEs, particularly small and tiny industries through measures like interest waiver/restructure of on loans, providing subsidized electricity, etc
3. Ensure proper supply of raw material to these industries
4. Work out strategies for sectors like hotels, cinema, sports, automobiles; severely affected due to lockdown
5. Provide subsidy to small and tiny industries in wage component so that these employers are able to pay full wages
6. Workers who have lost jobs due to lockdown should also be provided cash incentives
7. Strict implementation of the labour laws and advisories issued by Ministry of Labour & Employment regarding payment of wages and non-deduction of salaries
8. Monitory assistance, free supply of ration and medical facilities to the unorganized workers and daily wagers 
9. Government should procure farm produces so that the farmers can pay wages to the agricultural workers
10. Train fare not be taken from the Migrant Workers going back

Coronavirus Updates LIVE: Labour Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar take up issues with Central Trade Union Organisations

Labour Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar has raised several issues with Central Trade Union Organizations (CTUOs) and has asked them to focus on reviving the industry and gradually opening of economy. Gangwar said that CTUOs should instill confidence among workers to resume work wherever possible instead of migrating to their native place.
He discussed the following labour issues with CTUOs:

1. Protection of the interest of Workers and Migrant Workers in view of COVID-19
2. Measures to generate Employment
3. Measures to be adopted for restarting economic activities
4. Measures to improve situation of MSME to enable them to discharge their liabilities under Labour Laws.