HIGHLIGHTS NORTH 9 PM

These are the top stories from the northern region at 9 pm. DEL137 PB-VIRUS-BRITISH-NATIONALS Coronavirus lockdown: 270 stranded British nationals airlifted in special flight Amritsar: As many as 270 British nationals, who were stranded in Punjab and some other states after the Centre imposed a nationwide lockdown to combat the coronavirus outbreak, were airlifted in a special flight from Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport here on Thursday, officials said.

DES44 PB-VIRUS-EMPLOYEES Punjab urges employees to take salary cut Chandigarh: Staring at revenue loss due to the curfew clamped to check the coronavirus outbreak, the Punjab government on Thursday urged its employees to take voluntary salary cut even as state ministers decided to donate their three months’ salary to the CM's relief fund. DES42 PB-VIRUS-COUNT COVID-19 positive man dies in Punjab's Gurdaspur, total cases rise to 197 Chandigarh: A 60-year-old coronavirus patient from Gurdaspur died on Thursday while 11 more people contracted the infection taking the total number of COVID-19 cases in Punjab to 197, an official said.

DES18 PB-LOCKDOWN-EXCUSES Punjab cops don’t buy excuses, 8,000 curfew violators arrested so far Chandigarh: Stepped out to buy medicines. This is among the commonest excuses people give when caught violating lockdown orders, according to Punjab police. DES16 PB-VIRUS-ESCAPE COVID -19 suspect in Punjab escapes from hospital, caught Hoshiarpur: A COVID-19 suspect who had fled from the isolation ward of a hospital in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district was caught by police on Thursday.

DEL69 HR-VIRUS-CASES Nine members of family test positive for coronavirus in Panchkula Chandigarh: With nine members of a family from Panchkula testing positive for coronavirus, the total number of cases in Haryana rose to 213 on Thursday, officials said. DEL64 RJ-LD VIRUS 28 fresh cases of coronavirus in Rajasthan Jaipur: Rajasthan on Thursday reported 28 fresh cases of coronavirus, taking the state's virus tally to 1,104, officials said.

DES6 RJ-VIRUS-HEALTH MINISTER BJP leaders demoralising medical staff by making political statements: Rajasthan health minister Jaipur: Rajasthan Health Minister Raghu Sharma accused state BJP leaders on Thursday of demoralising the medical staff and other frontline workers engaged in combatting the coronavirus pandemic by issuing political statements. DEL126 UP-YOGI-LD NSA UP: NSA to be slapped against those attacking police, health workers Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to invoke the stringent National Security Act against those attacking policemen, health and sanitation workers involved in the fight against coronavirus.

DES19 UP-VIRUS-CASES 2 more die of COVID-19 in UP, total cases climbs to 773 Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh reported 46 fresh coronavirus cases and two fatalities on Thursday, taking the total number of COVID-19 patients to 773 and the death toll in the state to 13, an official said. DES38 UP-VIRUS-BIRTHDAY PARTY UP man defies lockdown to host party on son's birthday, booked Gorakhpur (UP): A man in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur has been booked for allegedly hosting a party on his 10-year-old son's birthday in his housing complex defying the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus, police said on Thursday.

DES24 CH-VIRUS-LD CHILDREN-PSYCHIATRIST Covid-19: Parents should address needs of children with compassion, says PGIMER psychiatry head Chandigarh: The coronavirus pandemic and the resulting lockdown may impact some children's mental health and emotional well-being and parents should address their needs with compassion and a friendly approach, according to a leading psychiatrist. DEL142 NCR-VIRUS-NOIDA Noida: 12 new COVID-19 cases; total climbs to 92 Noida (UP): Twelve more coronavirus patients were detected across Noida and Greater Noida on Thursday, taking the total number of cases in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar district to 92, officials said.