PM Modi thanks Trump for ventilators, says pandemic being fought collectively

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday thanked US President Donald Trump for his decision of donating ventilators to India and said that this step gives more power to the friendship between India and US. “Thank you @POTUS @realDonaldTrump. This pandemic is being fought collectively by all of us. In such times, it’s always important for nations to work together and do as much as possible to make our world healthier and free from COVID-19. More power to India – United States friendship!” PM Modi tweeted. Read in Malayalam | Tamil

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will release the fourth tranche of the 20-lakh crore economic package to tide over the disruptions in the economy caused by the coronavirus-induced lockdown, on Friday at 4 pm. Detailing the third tranche of the package on Thursday, Sitharaman announced relief measures with focus on infrastructure and building capacities in the agriculture and allied activities. She announced 11 measures for the agriculture sector.

With India crossing the coronavirus tally of China, signs of a second wave have cropped up in the country. States like Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Assam, Goa had either stopped reporting new cases, or were reporting very few. In the last couple of days, however, there has been a noticeable rise in these states. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Friday put out the fresh number of coronavirus cases in the country. The cases have crossed the 85,000-mark, settling at 85,940. At least 30,152 have been cured from the virus infection. The death toll is at 2,752, with the highest deaths reported from Maharashtra (1068).