India today recorded its fifth death due to the novel coronavirus as an Italian citizen, who had reportedly recovered three days ago, passed away in Jaipur. The country also saw the number of cases rise to 206 even as the government imposed a near-virtual lockdown, banning public gatherings, stopping international flights from Sunday and shutting down offices and schools.
The global death toll due to the coronavirus outbreak has reached 9,881, with over 2,42,000 infections, drawing comparisons with painful periods such as World War Two, the 2008 financial crisis and the 1918 Spanish flu.
Media briefing on actions taken, preparedness & updates for the management of #COVID-19