Coronavirus death toll has reached 507 in India, while total confirmed cases have touched 15,712. The latest Ministry of Health data suggests Maharashtra tops the tally with 3,651 cases and 211 deaths, followed by Delhi at 1,893 cases and 42 deaths. While the country has entered the second phase of lockdown after April 14, there are no signs of flattening of the COVID-19 curve so far. India, however, is less affected compared to nations like the United States, Italy, Spain and China.
While the number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 12,974, as many as 2,230 people have been cured and discharged, and one had migrated, it said. The total number of cases includes 77 foreign nationals. Tamil Nadu has reported 15 deaths so far, while Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have reported 15 and 14 fatalities each. Punjab and Karnataka have reported 13 and 14 deaths, respectively. Rajasthan has registered 11 deaths while West Bengal has reported 12 deaths fatalities.
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Five persons have lost their lives in Jammu and Kashmir while Kerala and Haryana have recorded three deaths each. Jharkhand and Bihar have reported two deaths each. Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Assam reported one fatality each, according to the health ministry's data updated today.
The pandemic and consequent lockdown have hit various sectors, including MSME, hospitality, civil aviation, agriculture and allied sector. As per the World Bank's latest assessment, India is expected to grow 1.5 per cent to 2.8 per cent. Similarly, the IMF has projected a GDP growth of 1.9 per cent for India in 2020, as the global economy hits the worst recession since the Great Depression in the 1930s.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week reviewed the impact of COVID-19 on the Indian economy, and speculations are rife that the government could come up with a possible second stimulus to boost sectors hit hard by the pandemic.