Coronavirus LIVE: Queen leaves Buckingham Palace amid COVID-19

Queen Elizabeth II has been shifted out of Buckingham Palace in London to Windsor Castle as the UK plans for isolation measures for people over 70 amid the country's death toll from COVID-19 hitting 21, nearly doubling from 11 within a day.

The 93-year-old monarch and her 98-year-old husband, Prince Philip, are likely to be placed in quarantine at the royal Sandringham Estate in Norfolk in the coming weeks as tougher measures are put in place to fight the coronavirus outbreak in the UK affecting over 1,140 people.

The deadly virus has claimed over 5,300 lives and infected more than 142,000 people across 135 countries and territories, with the World Health Organisation describing the outbreak a pandemic on Wednesday.

"Other events will be reviewed on an ongoing basis in line with the appropriate advice," a Buckingham Palace statement said as it announced diary cancellations for the monarch.

The sample of a 71-year-old man who died on Saturday while under quarantine in Buldhana in Maharashtra for suspected exposure to novel coronavirus has returned negative, a health official said on Sunday.

It was feared earlier that the septuagenarian became the first victim of Covid-19 in the state, which has reported 32 confirmed cases as on Sunday.

The man, with a history of diabetes and high blood pressure, had returned from the United Arab Emirates some days ago, an official said.

"He was admitted in Buldhana general hospital, where he died on Saturday. His sample, which was sent to Nagpur for testing, has returned negative," Civil Surgeon Premchand Pandit told PTI.

There have been no deaths due to viral transmission in Maharashtra so far.

The son of the 68-year-old woman from West Delhi who was the second coronavirus casualty in the country, is being treated at the Centre-run Safdarjung Hospital and his condition is stated to be stable, official sources said.

The 46-year-old man, a resident of Janakpuri, who was shifted from the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital to Safdarjung Hospital on Friday was shifted to an isolation ward on Saturday from the ICU after his condition improved.

"He is out of the ICU and his condition is stable. He is not stuck to bed," an official source said.

The man could not attend the funeral of his mother who was cremated at Nigam Bodh Ghat under the supervision of medical authorities.

All paramilitary forces, including the CRPF, the ITBP, and the BSF, have been advised to keep ready quarantine camps for COVID-19 suspects as a preparatory measure, Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said here on Sunday.

As of now, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is operating a camp which can house about 500 people near Delhi for the quarantine purpose and the facility has released two batches of people so far.

We have given instructions to all our paramilitary forces across the country to keep the quarantine facilities at their respective areas in case of any requirement. We have identified certain centres also for the camps and they are ready. They can accommodate any number of people as will be required by the Health Ministry, Reddy told reporters.

The quarantinecamps are to keep the people who came to India from coronavirus-affected countries for a period of 14 days to prevent the spread of the virus in case they carry it.

He said the ministries of Health and External Affairs have been appointed as pilot organisations to tackle COVID-19.

India-Bangladesh passenger train services between Kolkata and cities in the neighbouring country have been suspended from Sunday as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19, on a Union government directive, an Eastern Railway official said.

The Eastern Railway said services of Maitree and Bandhan Express trains will remain suspended from March 15 to April 15 or till further orders, whichever is earlier.

The services of the two trains have been suspended as precautions being taken to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus, the ER official said.

While Maitree Express connects Kolkata with the Bangladesh capital Dhaka, Bandhan Express runs between Kolkata and Khulna city of the neighbouring country.

The city-headquartered zonal railway has also undertaken programmes at its different divisions, including Sealdah, Howrah and Asansol, to spread awareness among passengers and staff on cleanliness and safe practices such as washing hands, cough etiquette and self-quarantine during fever.

It has also set up isolation wards at its headquarter hospital at Sealdah and other divisional railway hospitals at Howrah, Asansol, Malda and railway workshop hospitals at Liluah, Kanchrapara and sub-divisional hospital at Andal, the official said.

Sanitisation of areas with high contact points such as entrance handrail of coaches and toilet door handles are being done at Asansol division as a precautionary measure, he said.

The Islamic endowment overseeing the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, the third holiest site in Islam, says the mosque itself and other buildings will be closed over concerns about the new coronavirus.

Sheikh Omar Kiswani, the director of the mosque, said Sunday that prayers will continue to be held outdoors. The closure is to continue indefinitely.

Iran's official leading the country's response to the worst coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East on Sunday acknowledged that the pandemic could overwhelm health facilities in the country, which is under severe U.S. sanctions.

Iran is battling one of the worst outbreaks outside China, with nearly 13,000 confirmed cases and more than 600 fatalities. The real number of infections could be even higher, as questions have been raised about the government's transparency.

“If the trend continues, there will not be enough capacity,” Ali Reza Zali, who is leading the campaign against the outbreak, was quoted as saying by the state-run IRNA news agency.

Iran is believed to have around 110,000 hospital beds, including 30,000 in the capital, Tehran. Authorities have pledged to set up mobile clinics as needed.

Karnataka CM: No new cases were reported y'day & today. Cases reported are of people who came from abroad. Government has made all preparation to fight against this. We've asked central government to help in setting up of labs wherever required, shortly we will do it.

A 24/7 helpline number has been set up at AIIMS (All India Institute Of Medical Sciences) - 9971876591.

Kerala: Tourism industry badly affected due to Coronavirus spread. Azeez, president of Kochi chapter of Kerala Hotel&Restaurants Association says, "Number of tourists has fallen sharply. We are forced to shut restaurants by 9 pm. Earlier, they used to remain open till 11:30 pm".

Elections to to rural and urban local bodies in Andhra Pradesh were put off indefinitely by the State Election Commission on Sunday in view of spread of coronavirus.

Elections to gram panchayats have been kept in abeyance for six weeks, State Election Commissioner N Ramesh Kumar said.

Taking due consideration of emerging challenges posted by coronavirus spread, the SEC is of the firm view that continuing with the election schedule may be detrimental and harmful to the public health at large," he told a press conference here.

Elections to Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies are originally scheduled for March 21.

An Indian national, who returned to the UAE after a holiday abroad, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to media reports.

The country so far has 85 confirmed COVID-19 cases.

The deadly virus has claimed over 5,300 lives and infected more than 142,000 people across 135 countries and territories, with the World Health Organisation describing the outbreak a pandemic on Wednesday.

The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHaP) on Saturday confirmed that the Indian national has tested positive for the disease, the Khaleej Times reported.

Delhi: 218 Indians who landed from Milan, Italy at Delhi airport today have been shifted to Indo-Tibetan Border Police's Chhawla camp.

To prevent spread of COVID-19, Mumbai Police has issued order prohibiting any tour involving group of people travelling together to a foreign/domestic destination organised by pvt tour operators or otherwise using powers u/s 144 CrPC. Order shall remain in force till 31st March

Assam Chief Secretary Sanjay Krishna: All school, colleges, universities, gyms, swimming pools and cinema halls will remain closed in the state till March 29. All examinations, except that of state & CBSE boards, have been postponed in view of Coronavirus

The Nepal government's decision to temporarily stop issuing on-arrival tourist visas and cancelling all spring mountaineering expeditions, including Everest ascents, was expected to result in job losses of around 20,000 tour, trekking and mountain guides, a media report said on Saturday.

The decision was taken on Thursday as a precautionary step to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus in the Himalayan nation which has so far reported only one confirmed case.

The Kathmandu Post report on Saturday said there were 16,248 trekking and mountaineering guides and 4,126 tour guides in the country, citing statistics from the Tourism Ministry.

A Ministry survey conducted in 2014 showed that one employment is generated from every six tourists.

"We have estimated that around 1 million people in the mountain belt who make their living through the spendings of foreign trekkers and mountaineers will suffer," The Kathmandu Post quoted Nabin Trital, senior vice president of the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal, as saying.

The hardest-hit sector will be Everest, where an entire economy, consisting of climbing guides, porters, hotels and lodges, subsists on spring mountaineering.

The federal government too makes millions every year in climbing permits. Foreigners pay $11,000 to obtain a permit and spend anywhere between $40,000 and $90,000 to summit the highest peak in the world.

Ministry of Family and Health Welfare: Total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across India is 107 (including foreign nationals as on 15th March at 12 PM)

Kerala's Cochin International Airport: All 289 passengers onboard a Dubai-bound Emirates flight deboarded after a UK citizen, who was tested positive, identified among the passengers. The patient's samples were taken yesterday & was advised to be in quarantine.

A total of 117 people with novel coronavirus-like symptoms have been put in home isolation in Mizoram, a senior health official said on Sunday.

Though Mizoram has not yet reported any positive case of coronavirus, 117 people have been home quarantined as a precautionary measure, Health department principal director F Lallianhlira.

"Even though no positive case has been reported, we have to remain alert," he said.

Lallianhlira said all sections of the society must make efforts to prevent the spread of the disease in the state.

The state health department on Saturday conducted an awareness drive on precautions that are needed to be taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The state government has clamped Section 144 of the CrPC along the state's international borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh to prevent the entry of people from the neighbouring countries.

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan on Sunday called off his weekly meet and greet with fans amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The 77-year-old actor, who sees his admirers every Sunday at his house Jalsa in Juhu since past 37 years, took to Twitter to share the update.

"To all Ef and well wishers an earnest request! Please do not come to Jalsa gate today... Sunday meet (I) am not going to come!" Bachchan wrote on the microblogging site.

The veteran actor also urged his fans to take precautions in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak, which has led to more than 5,000 deaths globally.

"Take precautions... be safe," he added.

The coronavirus outbreak, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday.

Union Minister of State for Health Ashwini Choubey: The govt has issued an advisory asking civil hospitals & medical colleges to set up isolation wards. We are trying our best to contain spread of Coronavirus which has spread to 12 states.

A total of 218 Indians, including 211 students, stranded in coronavirus-hit Italy have arrived in India, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said.

He further said all of them will be quarantined for 14 days.

"218 Indians including 211 students from Milan landed in Delhi. All will be quarantined for 14 days. GoI is committed to reach out to Indians in distress, wherever they are!," Muraleedharan tweeted.

"Appreciate Govt. of Italy for their support and team @IndiainItaly @cgmilan1 @airindiain @DrSJaishankar," he added.

Monika S Garg,Principal Secretary,Higher Education dept: If no exam was scheduled in an institute during 16th to 22nd March, that particular institute will remain closed during this period.

With a sharp rise in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in India, employees at the Alipore Zoological Gardens here have been wearing gloves, masks and using hand sanitizers frequently in an effort to stop the spread of the virus, an official said on Sunday.

Chemicals are being sprayed inside and outside the animal enclosures to make the areas germ free, while visitors are under strict vigilance for any sign of coronavirus symptoms.

The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has suspended all classes, including sessional tests, till March 22, in view of the coronavirus pandemic.

Earlier, the university had postponed all examinations of distant learning courses for students in Aligarh, Kerala, Murshidabad (West Bengal), Kishangarh (Bihar) and Delhi due to the virus scare.

According to AMU administration, the latest decision was taken at a special meeting of top varsity officials, which was chaired by Vice chancellor, Professor Tariq Mansoor on Saturday.

It was decided that all conferences, seminars, workshops, hall functions and sports programmes will stand postponed till March 31.

However, all examinations of the university and schools will be held as per schedule.

The examinations were to start from March 15.

Iran Foreign Minister Javad Zarif: It is immoral to let a bully kill innocents. Viruses recognize no politics or geography. Nor should we.

Ministry of Home Affairs: In wake of the COVID19 outbreak, as a precautionary measure to contain and control the spread of the disease, the travel and registration for Sri Karttarpur Sahib is temporarily suspended from 12 am March 16, 2020, till further orders.

Indian Army: Wellness Centre at Jaisalmer, Rajasthan is a fully equipped facility to help Indian citizens undertake mandatory quarantine period under the supervision of skilled medical authorities.

On the orders of District Magistrate B.N. Singh, the district administration on Saturday busted a factory in Sector 63 here which was making fake sanitisers.

Deputy District Magistrate of Dadri, Rajeev Rai, led the team which raided the factory.

District information officer Rakesh Chauhan told IANS: "A factory in Sector 63 was raided on Saturday. The raid was conducted after increased demand for sanitisers in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak led to black marketeering of the product."

A large quantity of inferior quality masks was also recovered from the factory.

China on Sunday reported 16 new imported cases of the coronavirus, the highest in over a week, as domestic cases dwindle in the country.

The National Health Commission said infections involving people arriving from overseas were reported in five provinces and cities including Beijing and Shanghai.

Only four new domestic cases were detected, all in Hubei province's capital Wuhan, where the virus first emerged in December.

There have now been 111 imported infections, with regions outside of Hubei reporting no new indigenous cases for the third day in the row, prompting fears that China's measures to contain the virus domestically could be undone by reintroduced outbreaks.

Another 10 people died, all in Wuhan, bringing the national toll from the disease in mainland China to 3,199.

More than 80,000 people have been infected.

Wife of Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, his office said late Saturday, just hours after he announced a near total lockdown nationwide, reported NDTV.

Indian Army: Wellness Centre at Jaisalmer is fully equipped facility to help Indian citizens undertake mandatory quarantine period under the supervision of skilled medical authorities. Soldiers have volunteered to provide care and support to our countrymen returning from overseas

The total number of positive cases of Coronavirus in the country rises to 93

Two hundred and thirty-four Indians stranded in coronavirus-hit Iran have arrived in India, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Sunday.

The batch comprises 131 students and 103 pilgrims, he said.

"234 Indians stranded in Iran have arrived in India; including 131 students and 103 pilgrims.

Thank you Ambassador Dhamu Gaddam and @India_in_Iran team for your efforts. Thank Iranian authorities," Jaishankar tweeted.

The third batch of Indians from Iran arrived early Sunday. A second batch of 44 Indian pilgrims had arrived from Iran on Friday.

Iran is one of the worst-affected countries by the coronavirus outbreak and the government has been working on plans to bring back Indians stranded there.

The first batch of 58 Indian pilgrims were brought back from Iran on Tuesday.

A special Air India aircraft carrying 220 passengers, which included 211 Indian students and seven compassionate cases, who were stuck in Italy after flights were cancelled due to the coronavirus, outbreak arrived in India today.

United States President Donald Trump has tested negative for the novel coronavirus, the White House physician said.

Trump had taken the coronavirus test on Friday night. The results came out in less than 24 hours.

"Last night, after an in-depth discussion with the President regarding the COVID-19 test, he elected to proceed. This evening, I received confirmation that the test is negative," Dr Sean Conley, the presidential physician, said in a memorandum to White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham on Saturday.