As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Tamil Nadu, the state government on Friday transferred Health Secretary Beela Rajesh and posted her as Secretary, Commercial Taxes and Registration Department.

J. Radhakrishnan, IAS, is the new Tamil Nadu Health Secretary.

The news came to light after a Public (Special A) Department issued a notice on the same earlier in the morning.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Friday said that the lockdown imposed as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of COVID-19 will not be extended in the national capital.

No, the lockdown will not be extended, Jain said on being asked if there have been discussions to extend lockdown in the national capital considering the spike in coronavirus cases.

The Supreme Court on Friday directed that no coercive action should be taken against private employers who did not pay wages to their workers during the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

A three-judge bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan and also comprising Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice MR Shah was hearing a batch of petitions by several companies challenging an order of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

As the coronavirus cases in Maharashtra continues to surge, another state Cabinet Minister reportedly tested positive.

Moreover, five members of the personal staff working for the minister also tested positive for the virus.

All of them are in stable condition and have been put in isolation.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday ordered strict implementation of lockdown on weekends and public holidays as the state continues to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The decision has been taken amid concerns over the deadly virus reaching the community transmission stage in Punjab.

There are projections indicating that the peak in the state is still two months away.

The Delhi High Court on Thursday issued directions to constitute a committee of doctors, with a request to visit two proposed hotels--Surya Hotel, New Friends Colony and Crown Plaza (Okhla) and give a report on the feasibility of these hotels to be used as extended COVID-19 hospitals.

The court also requested Dr Randeep Guleria, Director, AIIMS and Dr V.K Paul, Member of the Niti Aayog, to visit the two hotels and give their report.

Microblogging site Twitter on Thursday suspended at least 1.7 lakh accounts for sharing information that favoured the Chinese government.

As per the experts working with the social media company, these posts were related to the COVID-19 crisis, and Hong Kong protests, CNN reported.

Twitter accused these accounts of spreading misleading narratives which were favourable to the Communist Party of China, thus violating the platform's policy on manipulation.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police has busted a massive narco-terror module in the valley, seizing 21 kg heroin worth Rs 100 crore and arresting three Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists.

Officials said the money earned through the racket was to be used for terror activities in Kashmir.

While the Indian economy has registered a slowdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Fitch Ratings on Wednesday predicted that it would register a growth rate of 9.5 per cent in the next fiscal year if further deterioration in the financial sector is avoided.

In its APAC Sovereign Credit Overview released that was on Wednesday, the credit rating agency forecast a 5 per cent contraction in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the current fiscal.

Pakistan on Wednesday initiated unprovoked ceasefire violations by firing with small/heavy weapons and shelling with mortars in Manjakote, Keri, Balakote and Karol Maitran sectors in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri, Poonch and Kathua districts.

One Indian Army jawan was martyred in the firing in the Rajouri sector, army sources informed.

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