Coronavirus India Live Updates: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Thursday said the government is helping those who have been affected directly because of the nationwide lockdown. Addressing a press conference, Sitharaman presented the economic relief package worth Rs 1.7 lakh crore and announced medical insurance cover for health workers and free grains for poor for the next three months.

Announcing Garib Kalyan Yojana, Sitharaman said 80 crore poor or two-third of population would get 5 kg rice or wheat free for the next three months. This will be over and above the 5 kg they already get. Additionally, they will also get 1 kg of preferred pulse.

Later in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will join a virtual summit of G-20 leaders, chaired by Saudi King Salman, to discuss the coronavirus pandemic. With Jammu and Kashmir reporting its first Covid-19 death Thursday, the death toll in India spiked to 13 and the number of positive cases soared to 649. On the other hand, the global death toll has reached 21,287.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend an emergency virtual summit of G20 leaders to advance the coordinated response to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

that has claimed many lives and upended life and businesses across the globe. The meeting will be chaired by Saudi Arabia''s King Salman.

“The G20 has an important global role to play in addressing the COVID 19 pandemic. I look forward to productive discussions tomorrow at the G20 virtual summit, being coordinated by the Saudi G20 Presidency,” PM said in a tweet.

The summit is likely to chalk out a strategy to counter the coronavirus pandemic.

Earlier PM Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a telephonic conversation on Wednesday and discussed ther measures put in place in both nations to fight coronavirus.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi  has reiterated  that  social distancing is the only way to counter the spread of  COVID-19  saying  the virus does not discriminate and it can infect anyone. 

Interacting  with  the people  of Varanasi  through video conferencing today,  Mr. Modi said, some people despite being empowered with knowledge are not pay heed to warning which  is unfortunate.   He  said the Mahabharat war was won in 18 days and  this war the whole country is fighting against  coronavirus will take 21 days and the  aim is to win it.  

Mr. Modi  asked people to speak to their doctors  before taking any medicine clarifying that  there is  no medicine or vaccine for coronavirus as of now.

BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has come forward in support of those affected by the 21-day lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic, pledging to donate rice worth 50 lakh rupees for the underprivileged.

The Cricket Association of Bengal announced in a statement that Ganguly along with Lal Baba Rice will provide for the needy people who have been put in government schools for safety and security.

First Made in India Test Kit to diagnose COVID-19 has got the commercial approval by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). According to the developers, it  would cost nearly one-fourth of the current procurement cost and is faster as it screens and detects the infection within 2.5 hours as compared with over 7 hours by others.

Japan's Prime Minister and the head of the International Olympic Committee Shinzo Abe today agreed to postpone the Tokyo 2020 Games by a year in an extraordinary move, unprecedented in peacetime, as the world battles the coronavirus pandemic.

The move would be a devastating blow for the city of Tokyo, which had won widespread praise for its organization, with venues finished well ahead of time and tickets massively oversubscribed. The Olympics, which has experienced boycotts, terrorist attacks and protests, but has been held every four years since 1948, would be the highest-profile event affected by the virus that has killed thousands and closed sports competitions worldwide.

The IOC has come under increasing pressure in recent days to postpone the Games, scheduled to start on July 24, with 1.7 billion people across the planet in lockdown to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.

Government has announced a complete lockdown of the entire country for 21 days to fight COVID-19. All road, rail and air services  will remain suspended during the lockdown, which came into force midnight last night. However, freight movement will continue to carry essential commodities across the country. Essential services like Medical shops, Petrol pumps, grocery stores  milk booths, and online shopping have been exempted from the lockdown.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a Central allocation of 15,000 crore rupees to strengthen the health infrastructure to tackle the disease. In his second address to the nation in less than a week, Modi said there will be a complete ban on people from stepping outside their houses to save India and to save every Indian. He showed a poster saying corona means 'Koi Road Par Na Nikle' (No one should come out on roads). Mr Modi said, lockdown is being imposed on every state, union territory, district, village, mohalla and street. He said, the lockdown will be like ‘curfew' and more stringent than the 'janta curfew'. Mr Modi said it is applicable to everyone from the prime minister to a citizen in a village. Prime Minister said, if we don't handle these 21 days well, then our country, your family will go backwards by 21 years. Mr Modi asserting that the tough measure is necessary for a decisive battle against the coronavirus outbreak.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation at 8 pm today on the coronavirus outbreak. He will address the nation on vital aspects relating to the menace of COVID-19, the Prime Minister said in a tweet. "Will address the nation at 8 PM today, 24th March 2020, on vital aspects relating to the menace of COVID-19," Modi tweeted.

As many as 30 States and Union Territories have announced complete lockdown in view of Covid-19 outbreak. The lockdown covers 548 districts across the country.

Partial lockdowns have been imposed in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha. 17 districts in Uttar Pradesh, 37 districts in Madhya Pradesh and 5 districts in Odisha have been put under the lockdown. The Union Territory of Lakshadweep has only imposed restrictions on certain activities so far.

Briefing media in New Delhi, Joint Secretary in Health and Family Welfare Ministry Lav Agarwal said, the Cabinet Secretary has asked the Chief Secretaries of States and Union Territories to implement the restrictions strictly. Home Secretary also asked the Director Generals of Police of the States to impose restrictions in stricter manner.
As many as 424 active confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the country so far. While 34 patients have been discharged. The death toll in COVID-19 has risen to 9 so far.