Rs 1.7 lakh crore relief package

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 insurance cover for health workers.

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.

Meanwhile, the Government is finalising an economic package, the broad contours of which are likely to include targeted monetary transfers to unorganised sector workers, especially daily wage workers, sops for small and medium enterprises and relaxations in banking sector prudential norms to help companies tide over the countrywide lockdown that is causing significant disruption across the economy. Thursday marks the second day of the 21-day lockdown announced by PM Modi.

Globally, the death toll has reached 21,287 with Italy reporting the highest number of casualties at 7,503 followed by Spain, which crossed China's toll on Wednesday, at 3,647, China at 3,163, Iran at 2,077 and France at 1,331 deaths so far. While the total number of confirmed cases across the world has reached 471,407 today.

(Inputs and image from theindianexpress.com)