Coronavirus updates for April 26
Here's a roundup of YourStory's coverage today of how India and the world are dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.
The number of coronavirus cases in India is on a steady rise. According to Worldometer, nearly 27,000 people have been tested positive for COVID-19. The death toll has touched 826. About 1,975 cases were reported in the last 24 hours.
PM Narendra Modi will meet with the chief ministers of all states on April 27 to take stock of the coronavirus response. In his radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat', the PM said that the fight against the outbreak was people-driven. Eight states have now recorded more than 1,000 coronavirus cases.
After Delhi proposed an extension of the lockdown till May 16, five states — Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Punjab, Odisha, and Maharashtra — have asked the lockdown to be extended, which is supposed to lift on May 3. Meanwhile, doctors treating COVID-19 patients in Indore are reporting a more virulent strain of the virus, with a high fatality rate.
Across the world, the number of COVID-19 deaths has crossed 200,000. Nepal is one of the countries to extend its nationwide lockdown, while many countries in Europe, including Spain and Italy, are looking to relax restrictions.
With the lockdown in place, hundreds of textile workers in Bangladesh have taken to the streets to demand wages lost due to coronavirus. The All India Association of Industries has warned that more than 25 lakh people in retail, small, and micro units, will be left with no means of employment if the lockdown continues.
Here's a roundup of YourStory's coverage today of how India and the world are dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.
How Slang Labs is using voice AI to fight misinformation around coronavirus
Bengaluru-based startup Slang Labs integrated its voice AI with covidindia19.org platform to help emergent users access trustworthy news about coronavirus.
5 startups that are delivering essentials amid coronavirus lockdown
Startups from different sectors are adding extra services and partnering with logistics companies to enable the delivery of essentials during coronavirus crisis.
These NGOs are helping people deal with mental health issues amid the coronavirus pandemic
Health experts report a drastic rise in the number of mental health cases ever since the coronavirus crisis started. Now, NGOs are coming forward to help.
How vehicle rentals can deal with COVID-19 challenges in six key ways
Here's what startups in the vehicle rental space could do to overcome the existing situation triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.
Working from home is helping discussions around gender diversity in the corporate world
As the male-dominated first-line managers work from home, their assumptions about women’s roles in the workforce are changing, which can lead to better gender diversity in the workplace.
Love in the time of Quarantine: Author Siddhartha Gigoo writes an e-book in 21 days
Celebrity novelist and filmmaker, Siddhartha Gigoo speaks about his new book, ‘Love in the time of Quarantine’ which was written in 21 days.
Maan ki Baat: India's fight against coronavirus people-driven, says PM Narendra Modi
Addressing his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' programme, Modi also said that India's fight against the novel coronavirus has become people-driven wherein every citizen is playing his or her part.
Affordable test methods to drones: Institutions take the innovation route to aid coronavirus fight
While over 20 technical and scientific institutions are working on developing a vaccine for coronavirus, IITs have already set up "COVID-19 specific research centres", encouraging developments in the innovation ecosystem.
Coronavirus: Folk artistes say they are struggling to survive lockdown, seek govt help
Folk musicians say they have been left with no work amid the coronavirus pandemic, and a majority of them are not tech-savvy to use the social media to reach out to an audience or even raise their voice.
Long phone chats to find the right one: coronavirus changes rules of dating game
The prolonged lockdown could well have pushed the rewind button on the idea of romance, taking it back perhaps to what it was meant to be in a forgotten era of no net connectivity.
Edited by Suman Singh
