Coronavirus: Latest updates on COVID-19 crisis around the world

Here are the latest updates on the coronavirus crisis in India and other parts of the world on Thursday. 6:04 p.m.

India bans all international passenger flights from March 22-29. 5:58 p.m. RBI asks most of its staff work from home due to the coronavirus pandemic.

5:55 p.m. Private sector lender Axis Bank urges its customers to avoid visiting branches in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak and instead, use internet banking, mobile app, and chatbot.

5:40 p.m. Punjab CM Amarinder Singh warns of a worsening coronavirus crisis in the country and urges the Centre to allow private hospitals to conduct tests for the virus. 5:33 p.m.

A 47-year-old man slips out of a hospital in Mathura after giving his samples for coronavirus test. 5:32 p.m.

A man suspected to be infected with coronavirus was nabbed from a Silchar-bound train, days after he fled a quarantine facility in Kerala, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) says. 5:27 p.m.

India reports death of a COVID-19 patient from Punjab taking the toll in the country to four, the Union health ministry says. 5:26 p.m. It may take six to nine months for factories to come back on track if India manages to contain the spread of coronavirus in the next quarter, India Inc said 5:05 p.m.

Industry body CII asks member companies not to lay off employees, its president Vikram Kirloskar says amid the coronavirus outbreak causing economic slowdown globally. 4:57 p.m.

Authorities suspend train service in Kashmir till March 31 as a precautionary measure in the wake of the detection of the first coronavirus case in the valley. 4:44 p.m.

Sri Lanka indefinitely postpones parliamentary elections that were scheduled for next month in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. 4:10 p.m.

The Indian Railways decides to suspend all concessional tickets except for patients, students and those in the Divyangjan category from the midnight of March 20 till further notice in view of the coronavirus outbreak. 3:54 p.m.

Sixteen Indians who tested positive for COVID-19 on ship off Japan returned home after treatment, MEA says. 3:27 p.m.

The Punjab government announces suspension of public transport services from Friday midnight, besides restricting public gatherings to less than 20, amid coronavirus pandemic. 3:26 p.m.

One employee of HCL Technologies from its Noida office has tested positive for coronavirus, the IT company says. 3:03 p.m.

The Centre decides to allow 50 per cent of its employees to work from home and the remaining to attend office every day in its effort to further check the spread of coronavirus. 2:37 p.m. IndiGo announces pay cut for senior employees, CEO takes 25 per cent cut amid the COVID-19 pandemic that has hit the aviation industry hard.

2:04 p.m. Authorities have quarantined 78 people in Srinagar who arrived from Leh on suspicion of coronavirus infection.

2:01 p.m. The sample of a 72-year-old man, who returned from Germany via Italy a fortnight ago and died at a hospital in Punjab's Nawanshahr district, has tested positive for novel coronavirus, senior officials say. 1:44 p.m.

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram calls for an immediate lockdown of all towns and cities for 2-4 weeks to contain the spread of coronavirus. 1:04 p.m.

The Delhi government orders closure of all government and private schools in the national capital for teaching and non- teaching staff till March 31 in view of coronavirus. 1:00 p.m. UGC tells universities to postpone exams, suspend evaluation work due to coronavirus pandemic.

11:57 a.m. The National Conference suspends all its political activities in Kashmir in the wake of the first positive case of COVID-19 in the Valley.

11:43 a.m. Nearly 25 million jobs could be lost worldwide due to the coronavirus pandemic, UN agency says.

11:18 a.m. A 23-year-old woman, who returned from London, has tested positive for the coronavirus, the first confirmed case of the deadly infection in Chandigarh, official says.

10:46 a.m. India's largest firm Reliance Industries initiates work-from-home for its staff while keeping open consumer-facing businesses of hospital, retail stores, and telecom with a minimum workforce due to COVID-19 pandemic.

10:38 a.m. The ICSE board postpones class 10 and 12 examinations due to coronavirus threat, officials say.

10:01 a.m. Railways cancels 84 more trains, which will not operate between March 20 and March 31 due to coronavirus and low occupancy, officials say.

9:49 a.m. Coronavirus cases in India rise to 169 after 18 fresh cases were reported from various parts of the country, according to the Health Ministry.

8:01 a.m. China reports no new domestic coronavirus cases for first time 7:34 a.m.

Two US Congressmen test positive for coronavirus, as the number of deaths due to the virus crossed 150 in America with about 10,000 people infected. 2:24 a.m.

Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates says countries that shut down and do testing can bounce back in weeks from coronavirus pandemic..