That's a wrap from CNBC-TV18.com with the updates on the coronavirus pandemic for tonight. We will bring to you all the developments on the COVID-19 outbreak in India and around the world in our live blog tomorrow. Until then, stay indoors, stay safe and have a good night.
Coronavirus impact on economies LIVE Updates: IMF says global recession imminent in 2020, could be worse than 2008
Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva said at a conference call of G20 nations on March 23 that the world would face a recession that could be as bad as the 2008 economic meltdown, or even worse.
Addressing ministers and Central Bank governors, Georgieva said, “The human costs of the Coronavirus pandemic are already immeasurable and all countries need to work together to protect people and limit the economic damage. This is a moment for solidarity—which was a major theme of the meeting today of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors.”
Coronavirus in India LIVE updates: Government shuts all immigration check posts around the world
The Home Ministry has said that it would shut all 107 immigration check posts, including airports, seaports, land, rail and river to stop the spread of coronavirus. The decision to impose the restriction was taken by the Immigration Section of the Foreigner’s Division of MHA and an “office memorandum” was issued on Monday.
Coronavirus in India LIVE updates: Overall, 30 states and UTs have announced a complete lockdown in 548 districts. Three states have implemented a partial lockdown. Sixteen districts in UP will be under lockdown, 37 in Madhya Pradesh and five districts plus six municipal jurisdictions in Odisha.
Sikkim and Mizoram are the only two states that have not imposed any lockdown so far.
Rajasthan CM bans all private vehicles
Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot has decided to ban all private vehicles from hitting the roads. He said that only vehicles carrying essential goods and services and those in exempted services would be allowed from tomorrow, reported ANI.
Entire Gujarat under lockdown from 12 am
Gujarat DGP Shivanand Jha has said that the entire state will be under lockdown from the midnight of March 23-24 to March 31. State borders have also been sealed and those who violate the lockdown will face strict actions, he said, as reported by ANI.
After Punjab and Maharashtra, now Delhi under curfew
Delhi Police Commissioner SN Shrivastava has issued prohibitory orders restricting movement in Delhi under section 144. All borders will be sealed with immediate effect. The essential goods and services will be permitted without any hindrance.
Cases continue to increase in India
Even as we update this blog, the numbers of people infected with the deadly coronavirus continue to increase in the country. According to Worldometers.com, that provides real-time data on the virus, the total cases in India currently stand at 467 while eight have already been killed by Covid-19. 24 people have recovered from the virus while there are 435 active cases in the country.
Coronavirus in India LIVE updates: As of 6.30pm on March 23, confirmed COVID-19 cases in India had reached 440. Out of which 407 are active, while 24 people have recovered, one has migrated and eight deaths have been reported.
Delhi Police Commissioner: Strict against those not following lockdown restrictions
SN Srivastava, CP Delhi: In wake of CoronaVirus outbreak, section 144 of CrPC has been imposed in Delhi. We expect that everyone will stay at home other than people related to essential services. Strict action will be taken against those who will not follow the restrictions.
Futures pare losses after Fed launches direct cash injections
U.S. stocks futures pared losses on Monday after the Federal Reserve launched unprecedented measures to support U.S. households and companies, seeking to blunt the economic damage from the coronavrius pandemic. At 8:03 a.m. ET, Dow e-minis were down 233 points, or 1.22 per cent. S&P 500 e-minis were down 27.5 points, or 1.2 per cent and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 53.5 points, or 0.77 per cent.
RBI may soon allow repo operations in corporate bonds
The Reserve Bank of India may soon allow corporate bonds as collateral for repurchase operations in an attempt to cool the recent sharp uptick in corporate bond yields in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, two sources told Reuters.
"We have to work it out. Under the RBI Act, we are not allowed to take any other collateral other than government securities. But we are not looking upon that as an impediment," a senior official said.
Maharashtra closes state borders and religious places, limits public gatherings to 5
In a virtual lockdown for the state, Maharashtra will close its borders and limit public gathering of individuals to five, CM Uddhav Thackeray today said.
"We have decided to seal intra-state borders between zillas in Maharashtra," the CM announced. "We have also suggested shutting down flights between airports in the state."
Elderly COVID stricken man dies in Bengal
An elderly man infected with the coronavirus died in a Kolkata hospital on Monday, the first death recorded in West Bengal due to the contagion, hospital sources said. The deceased was aged 57 years and was a resident of Dumdum in the North 24 Parganas district. He died at a private hospital.
He was in the hospital since February 16 and was on ventilator support. He had no recent history of travelling abroad but had visited Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh his February.
Coronavirus impact: India suspends all domestic flights from Tuesday midnight
The Centre on Monday suspended all domestic flights from Tuesday midnight in the wake of rising cases of the novel coronavirus or Covid-19 across India. The operations of domestic schedule commercial airlines shall cease operations with effective from the mid night that is 23.59 hours IST on 24/3/2020.
Union Health Ministry briefs the media on Coronavirus: Highlights
Here are the main highlights from the Union Health Ministry's press briefing in Delhi today:
-A complete lockdown has been announced in 19 states and union territories. Some parts of 6 states and union territories have been kept under lockdown, says Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry.
-415 confirmed cases reported so far, 23 patients discharged, 7 deaths reported - some of them also had co-morbid conditions: Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry.
-2 laboratory chains have been registered and they have started functioning. These 12 have 15,000 collection centres across the country: ICMR Director-General Balram Bhargava.
-ICMR Director-General: Hydroxychloroquine is recommended only for a healthcare worker who is treating a #COVID patient. Secondly, it's recommended only for persons staying&caring for a household positive patient. They can take that only for prophylaxis,only for prevention.
Coronavirus effect: Indians breathe easier as lockdowns clear smog
Indians breathed easier on Monday as lockdowns ordered to combat the spread of the coronavirus in India's megacities kept cars off the road and closed factories, improving air quality and letting people see blue skies instead of heavy grey smog.
Need to expand existing social welfare schemes as much as we can, says Montek Singh Ahluwalia
The coronavirus outbreak in India so far has claimed seven deaths and the number of cases has risen to 415. Speaking to CNBC-TV18, the former deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia emphasised that there was an urgent need to ramp up the country's social welfare schemes.
Ahluwalia said that the biggest priority should be to deal with the health side of the crisis. However, on the fiscal side, he said, "We should not be worried too much about what that (increased expenditure) might do to the fiscal deficit because quite honestly the fiscal deficit is going to be seriously de-stabilised because of the expected collapse in growth all over the world which will also happen in India. So, revenues are going to be low anyway.”
Coronavirus positive cases in Maharashtra jump to 89
The total number of Covid-19 patients in Maharashtra rose to 89 with 15 more coronavirus positive cases reported in the last 24 hours, officials said on Monday. Of the new cases, 14 are in Mumbai and one in Pune, they said. Covid-19 has so far claimed two lives in Maharashtra.
Curfew imposed in Puducherry till March 31 to check coronavirus spread
Curfew is being imposed in the entire union territory of Puducherry from 9 PM on Monday till March 31 to contain spread of coronavirus, Chief Minister V Narayanasamy announced. None should come out of their homes and all vehicular movements would be suspended unless for genuine and compelling reason, with police asked to ensure strict enforcement of the curfew, he told reporters here on Monday. Puducherry has so far reported one confirmed case of COVID-19 in Mahe, an enclave of the union territory in Kerala.
Mamata requests Modi to stop all flights to West Bengal
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to issue necessary instructions to stop all flights coming to the state as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of novel coronavirus. In a letter to the prime minister, Banerjee noted that her government had suspended all inter-state public transport and reduced the number of intra-state buses due to Coronavirus threat.