HIGHLIGHTS AT 9.00 PM

These are the top stories at 9.00 pm: NATION DEL114 LDALL VIRUS PM says "long fight" ahead to defeat COVID-19, asks ministers to ready plans for 'slow' exit from lockdown New Delhi: Cautioning people to be ready for a "long fight" against COVID-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday told his ministers to make plans for slowly exiting the ongoing lockdown and to contain the economic impact of the deadly virus pandemic, including by reducing dependence on other countries. DEL117 HEALTH-LD VIRUS 1,445 cases linked to Tablighi Jamaat event; total cases rise to 4,281, death toll 111 New Delhi: Out of the over 4,000 cases of coronavirus, at least 1,445 have been found to be linked to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi, the Union health ministry said on Monday.

DEL111 VIRUS-HEALTH-MINISTRY-AIIMS India between Stage 2 and 3 of COVID-19 pandemic: Health Ministry New Delhi: India is between Stage 2 and 3 of coronavirus pandemic with large number of cases being found in particular areas, the Union Health Ministry said on Monday concurring with the AIIMS Director's remarks that localised community transmission is being observed in some pockets of the country. DEL120 HEALTH-VIRUS-PPE-CHINA India receives 1.7 lakh PPEs donated by China New Delhi, Apr 6 (PTI) India on Monday received 1.70 lakh personal protection equipment (PPE) coveralls donated by China, the Union Health Ministry said. DEL103 VIRUS-2NDLD CONG-MPs Coronavirus: Cong welcomes decision to cut MPs' salaries, calls for review of MPLAD suspension New Delhi, Apr 6 (PTI) The Congress on Monday said suspending MPLADS for two years would undermine MPs' role and demanded a review of the government's decision and sought restoration of the fund, even as it welcomed the salary cuts of MPs to fund the fight against coronavirus. DEL119 PB-VIRUS-CREMATION Scared of catching corona infection, son refuses to cremate mother: Official Ludhiana: Family members of a 69-year-old woman who died of COVID-19 in a private hospital here, refused to accept her body and cremate it, forcing the district administration to perform her last rites, said officials on Monday. DEL73 LOCKDOWN-SEX WORKERS No money, food or medicines, Delhi’s sex workers struggle to survive in lockdown New Delhi, Apr 6 (PTI) The streets outside are empty and desolate, the quarters above crowded and claustrophobic as women sex workers wait out the 21-day lockdown with no money, no milk for their children and no medicines for ailing elders. By Mona Parthsarathi DEL104 VIRUS-CZA 2NDLD ANIMALS Zoos in India put on 'highest' alert after tiger tests positive for COVID-19 in US New Delhi: The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) on Monday put all zoos across the country on “highest” alert and asked them to collect samples fortnightly in suspected cases after a tiger at a US zoo tested positive for coronavirus. DEL92 GAGANYAAN-VIRUS Training of Gaganyaan astronauts in Russia put on hold due to lockdown: Sources New Delhi: The training of Gaganyaan's four prospective astronauts in Russia has been put on hold as the facility where the exercise is being undertaken has been temporarily shut in the wake of coronavirus outbreak, sources said on Monday. By Prashant Rangnekar DEL101 VIRUS-TABLIGHI-LD STATES Authorities mull NSA, attempt to murder charge against Tablighi participants who don't show up for COVID-19 test Kanpur/Guwahati: As coronavirus cases in the country spike, authorities have warned of invoking attempt to murder charge and the stringent National Security Act(NSA) against those participants of the Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi who fail to report for screening test. CAL11 OD-MAOIST-CEASEFIRE Maoists in Odisha announce ceasefire over COVID-19, urge govt to send medical aid to remote areas Bhubaneswar: The outlawed CPI (Maoist) have announced a unilateral ceasefire in Odisha in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak and urged the state government to send medical teams to assist people living in forests and other remote areas.

FOREIGN FGN17 VIRUS-PAK Pak's coronavirus cases reach 3,277 Islamabad: The number of the coronavirus cases in Pakistan on Monday reached 3,277 with the infections in the worst-hit Punjab province approaching 1,500 despite government claims that the ongoing lockdown in the country has slowed down the spread of the deadly virus. By Sajjad Hussain FGN22 VIRUS-UK-4THLD JOHNSON UK PM Johnson 'doing well' in hospital, stays in charge of COVID-19 response London: The UK government on Monday said Prime Minister Boris Johnson is "doing well" after staying overnight in hospital for some "routine tests" related to his COVID-19 diagnosis. By Aditi Khanna FGN60 VIRUS-LD CHINA China faces new wave of coronavirus infections as number of imported cases rise sharply Beijing: China stepped up border control measures on Monday as the number of imported coronavirus cases rose sharply to 951 while the asymptomatic cases also surged, raising fears of a second wave of the COVID-19 infections, mainly from Chinese returning home from abroad despite drastic containment efforts. By K J M Varma Business DEL68 BIZ-VIRUS-LD PETROL DEMAND Petrol sales shrink 17.6%, diesel 26% in March as lockdown wipes demand New Delhi: India's petrol sales shrank by 17.6 per cent and diesel demand tanked nearly 26 per cent in March as the economy froze under the nationwide lockdown announced to check the spread of COVID-19. PTI TIR TIR.