India will go on a 21-day nationwide lockdown from today to fight the coronavirus pandemic, PM Modi announced via a televised address on Tuesday night. The national lockdown comes as India reported more than 50 new cases of Covid-19, taking the latest total of patients to 560.

The Covid-19 death toll in India currently stands at 11 with over 500 confirmed cases of the infection. Maharashtra tops the list of states with the most number of confirmed cases and deaths. The global death toll from the novel coronavirus has crossed the 16,000 mark. As many as 400,000 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in 168 countries/regions across the globe.

Covid-19 has claimed 11 lives in the country with authorities reporting one death each in Delhi--the second in the national capital--and Maharashtra on Tuesday and over 500 persons being afflicted by the viral infection. Fears are also mounting that more could be hit as the global coronavirus toll inches towards 17,000.

GOVT EXTENDS TAX DEADLINES, WAIVES ATM CHARGES

The government on Tuesday extended the deadline for filing income tax and GST returns, raised threshold of default that could trigger insolvency of a company and waived charges on cash withdrawals from ATM of other banks as a precursor to a broader stimulus package for the economy distressed by the coronavirus outbreak.

The last date for filing income tax returns for 2018-19 as well as that for linking PAN with biometric ID Aadhaar has been extended by three months to June 30. The last date for filing GST annual returns for last fiscal, which is due on March 31, has also been extended till the last week of June.

FIRST CORONAVIRUS CASE IN NORTHEAST

A 23-year-old woman tested positive for the coronavirus in Manipur, the first confirmed case in the Northeast, a top state health department official said on Monday.

The woman, a resident of Thangmeiband Lourung Purel Leikai area in Imphal West district, had recently returned from the UK, a statement issued by Health Services Director K Rajo Singh said.

She had reached Delhi from London on March 18 and taken another flight to Kolkata, where she stayed for a few days with fever and a sore throat. From there she took a flight to Imphal via Agartala on March 21, official sources said.

RAJYA SABHA POLLS POSTPONED

The Election Commission has deferred the Rajya Sabha polls scheduled for March 26 in view of the coronavirus outbreak, an official statement said on Tuesday.

Election to fill up 55 seats in the Upper House of Parliament was to be held on March 26, but 37 candidates from 10 states have already been elected without a contest.

"Fresh date of poll and counting for the said biennial elections shall be announced in due course after reviewing the prevailing situation," it said.