Coronavirus updates for April 15

The Ministry of Home Affairs issued a set of guidelines to be followed during the extended lockdown to curb the rising number of coronavirus cases. The Ministry also announced a list of industries and sectors that can ease off restrictions and resume economic activity from April 20. These include IT, agriculture, e-commerce, hardware, financial services, among others. However, social distancing measures and health guidelines need to be followed to avoid the spread of the disease.

Interstate and inter-district movement of people is prohibited, so are services of cab aggregators like Ola and Uber. Domestic and international air travel will remain suspended, along with any passenger rail services. Educational institutions, cinema halls, malls, gyms, swimming pools, and bars will also remain closed.

The guidelines come after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an extension of the nationwide lockdown till May 3. The lockdown will be strictly implemented until April 20, after which some industries will be allowed to resume activities. The MHA guidelines came as India's death count crossed 400, with over 11,500 positive COVID-19 cases reported, according to Worldometer.

According to Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, 400 districts in India have now been declared COVID-19 free, however, he cautioned that the next two to three weeks are crucial. While Mumbai reported 66 new cases, taking Maharashtra's total to over 3,000, Kerala is seeing a flattening of the curve as only one case was reported today by the Chief Minister. Over 1,076 fresh cases were reported from across the country in the last 24 hours.

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These industries can restart their operations from April 20 as per new guidelines

Meanwhile, the US put a stop to its funding of the World Health Organisation, accusing the UN agency of complacency and favouring China at the start of the pandemic. The total number of COVID-19 cases over the world crossed two million, with nearly 130,000 deaths reported, according to Worldometer.

Here's a roundup of YourStory's coverage today of how India and the world are dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

These industries can restart their operations from April 20 as per new guidelines

Ecommerce, IT industry, hardware, and agriculture are some of the sectors which have been permitted to start their operations from April 20, but they need to observe social distancing and maintain strong hygiene standards.

Coronavirus: Clix Capital Founder says these steps can help in a tough business environment

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Coronavirus: This healthtech startup is bringing essentials from medicines to ambulances to your doorstep

Mumbai-based startup Medicalwale.com shifted gears after coronavirus. From medicine deliveries and ambulance bookings to online doctor consultations, it is leaving no stone unturned.

What to do with your money amid coronavirus crisis and market uncertainty

The markets have been extremely volatile as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Should you pull out, stay put, or invest at a time like this?

Coronavirus: Amazon, Flipkart, Paytm Mall to deliver non-essentials from April 20

Amazon, Flipkart, and Paytm Mall temporarily stopped taking orders for non-essentials due to the restrictions imposed during the coronavirus lockdown.

Coronavirus: Zomato introduces body temperature feature of its delivery partners on the app

Zomato users can now see the body temperature of their delivery partner on the app, which will be available on the order tracking screen.

Coronavirus adds to India’s slowdown, but is there light at the end of the tunnel?

The coronavirus crisis is said to be plunging the world into a recession. No country is insulated from its horrors. But, what does it mean for Indian businesses and consumers as they go through an extended lockdown?

This Gurugram startup has a free solution for the government to stop community spread of coronavirus

Started by Saurav Bhaik and Ankit Sinha in 2013, Gurugram startup Tagbin aims to provide a free solution for governments to help in contact-tracing.

As doors open for online education amid coronavirus lockdown, upGrad prepares for growth

With the government’s recent push for online degrees, the concerns of credibility that taint the online education industry are now vanishing. upGrad’s Mayank Kumar tells how India can get good quality education through online learning.

Managing Pay-Cuts with Equanimity

T N Hari, Head HR, BigBasket shares his thoughts on how companies should manage salary cuts in the current business scenario.

Mapmygenome launches Genomepatri Immunity report, with a focus on COVID-19

Mapmygenome Founder and CEO Anu Acharya said the report is intended to enable us to strengthen ourselves and fight COVID-19 and other diseases better.

Coronavirus: CRED's new product will allow users to pay rent using credit cards

Coronavirus: CRED's new product will allow users to pay rent using credit cards

[Product Roadmap] How Drivezy is navigating the road ahead amid coronavirus crisis

A product roadmap clarifies the why, what, and how behind what a tech startup is building. This week, we take a closer look at peer-to-peer vehicle sharing platform Drivezy, its journey till now, and what lies ahead in a coronavirus-hit world.

Art in times of coronavirus – 100 inspiring quotes on World Art Day 2020

Though the COVID-19 crisis has severely impacted the artistic community, the spirit of human connection and upliftment through arts remains stronger than ever.

Coronavirus, economic slowdown push Indian auto industry to sell vehicles online

The Indian auto industry is going through its worst-ever slowdown, and adding to the problem is the coronavirus pandemic. But can online retail be the way forward for the sector?

Coronavirus: OYO Townhouse offers free stays to Indian medical personnel fighting against COVID-19

OYO has shortlisted Townhouses in Gurugram and Bengaluru to offer free accommodation to doctors and first responders fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

Coronavirus: Expand your runway, try and survive, Kris Gopalakrishnan tells founders

As the world reels under the economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, Kris Gopalakrishnan, one of the founders of Infosys and Chairman of Axilor Ventures, says the crisis will pass and founders should aim to survive till the ‘better tomorrow comes'.

Coronavirus: Australian edtech startup Matific launches in India

Australia-based Matific's math learning tool aims to make the subject fun for Indian students forced to stay home due to the coronavirus lockdown.

How coronavirus crisis has made it difficult for people with disability to cope with daily tasks

Right from buying groceries to doing daily household chores and practising social distancing, people with disabilities are faced with multiple challenges during the coronavirus-led lockdown.

FFDC Kannauj steps up hand sanitiser production, supplies to hospitals, police, and railways to fight coronavirus

The Fragrance and Flavour Development Centre (FFDC), Kannauj has produced and supplied 4,000 litres of hand sanitiser, as per WHO guidelines to fight coronavirus.

Women dairy farmers ensure safe delivery of milk during coronavirus lockdown

Adopting safety measures during the coronavirus lockdown, women dairy farmers are ensuring that the supply of milk to consumers is not disrupted while protecting the livelihood and economic interests of member farmers.

Lightspeed Venture raises over $4B to fund early and growth-stage entrepreneurs amid coronavirus

VC firm Lightspeed Venture said that it will continue to invest in startups and back entrepreneurs even in the time of global pandemic of coronavirus.

World’s youngest male developer from Jammu and Kashmir is helping India fight coronavirus

Fourteen-year-old Onkar Singh Batra has built the COVID Care Jammu website to help people connect with doctors and get medical support for coronavirus-related issues.

Healthy body, healthy mind: Fit India Movement and CBSE launch online fitness sessions for students

Live sessions focussing on yoga, nutrition, and exercise will be available on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to keep students productive and active during the coronavirus lockdown

COVID-19: How IoT tech is no longer a luxury, but a necessity

Smart homes, offices and hotels can help eliminate the need for touching surfaces like switches, dispensers and limit human contact, in turn helping to prevent the spread of diseases like COVID-19.

Effective team collaboration and staying productive while Working from Home

With work from home being the new normal amid COVID-19, a look at 'rules of the road' for effective and smooth communication within an organisation.

Coronavirus: Agricultural activities, highway dhabas may be exempted from extended lockdown

PM Narendra Modi announced an extension of the lockdown to check the spread of coronavirus till May 3. Likely exemptions for agriculture and fishing activities, and the pharma industry will come into effect from April 20, in a phased manner.

COVID-19: US allows extension of H-1B visas in relief for stranded Indians

The announcement comes at a time when countries around the world have closed their borders and all international passenger flights have been suspended globally due to COVID-19 pandemic

Accenture launches platform for companies to keep people employed during coronavirus crisis

This employer-to-employer initiative is free for businesses to join and participate, global professional services company Accenture said in a release.

Coronavirus: FinMin holds review meeting with banks; asks them to extend help

The ministry asked the banks to devise strategy for the post lockdown period and readiness for meeting future challenges.

Coronavirus: Cipla Health ties up with Swiggy, Zomato, Dunzo for home deliveries

Cipla Health CEO Shivam Puri says the collaboration will couple the expertise of premier delivery partners Swiggy, Zomato, and Dunzo with the wellness startup's suppliers, and 'help reach out to a larger segment of the population'.

Coronavirus: Retail trade lost Rs 3.15 lakh Cr during lockdown; support PM on extension, says CAIT

CAIT has also assured the government that the traders will continue to run the supply chain of essential goods in a "most efficient and effective" manner so that citizens do not face any difficulty.

ICICI Group commits Rs 100 Cr to fight against coronavirus

ICICI Group on Tuesday announced that it has committed Rs 100 crore to support the nation in its fight against the COVID-19 outbreak.

Sanofi, GSK come together to develop a vaccine for COVID-19

The companies said they have signed a letter of intent to develop an adjuvanted vaccine for COVID-19 using innovative technology from both firms to help address the COVID-19 pandemic.

Coronavirus: Aarogya Setu becomes world fastest app to reach 50M download, says Niti Aayog CEO

Aarogya Setu app alerts people if any known or person in their vicinity has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Robots to serve food, medicine to COVID-19 patients in Jharkhand

Robots will serve food and give medicine to COVID-19 patients in two hospitals in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district from Tuesday, in a step to protect doctors and health workers from getting infected with the coronavirus.

Coronavirus: Kanpur Smart City deploys AI tool for administrative work

Kanpur Smart City Ltd (KSCL) has established an artificial intelligence tool for administration work to be carried out during the ongoing nationwide lockdown due to the novel coronavirus.