Coronavirus updates for April 26

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.

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