India'scoronavirus figure has jumped to 694 after 88 new cases were reportedyesterday, the highest in India in a single day. The death toll due to COVID-19also rose to 16.
The Indian government on Thursday unveiled a Rs 1.7-trillion stimulus to help those hit by the 21-day lockdown in the country, saying "no one will go hungry". The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor, meanwhile, will address the media at 10 am today.
Thenumber of coronavirus cases worldwide topped 500,000 as of Thursday noon,according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at JohnsHopkins University in the US. The fresh figure reached 510,108 cases with22,993 deaths.
U.S.deaths have now topped 1,200, in another grim update for a global outbreak thathas wreaked havoc on economies and established routines of life. Worldwide, thedeath toll climbed past 23,000, according to Johns Hopkins' running count.
Thecoronavirus is taking a growing toll on the U.S. military, and commanders andsenior officials are bracing for worse. From nuclear missile fields at home towar zones abroad, from flight lines to ships at sea, the Pentagon is strivingto shield vital missions even as it faces urgent calls for help on the civilianfront.
Chinais temporarily barring most foreigners from entering the country as it seeks tocurb the number of imported coronavirus cases. In India, some of the country'slegions of poor and others thrown out of work by a nationwide stay-at-homeorder began receiving aid from public and private groups working to ensurepeople have enough to eat.
TheTrump administration is sticking with its crowd-friendly waiver of entrancefees at national parks during the coronavirus pandemic, as managers at someparks try and fail to keep visitors a safe distance apart and communitiesappeal for a shutdown at the parks still open. The administration agreed lastweek to close some parks, including Yellowstone, Grand Teton and the GreatSmoky Mountains, after requests from the park managers.
