Lockdown, Day 44: No piece of cake, this

It's clear that keeping a nation under lock and key is costly - what with billion-dollar losses to industries and millions of people out of jobs. But, reopening a stalled economy isn't a cakewalk either. Industries are being allowed to open, but where are the workers? Production is starting back up, but who do you sell to when a majority of the population is still home?

The way numbers are rising, India's infection rate is predicted to peak in June. The country now has over 50,000 cases and recorded the highest number of fresh cases in a day - 3,600.

Here are the top developments of the day...



CASES SO FAR

• 428 new cases in Delhi; total climbs to 5,532
• 20 new cases in Odisha, state tally now 205
• Rajasthan reports 45 new cases; state tally hits 3,400
• Andhra Pradesh now has 1,833 cases
• 10 new cases in UP's Gautam Buddh Nagar; state tally now 3,059
• Cop succumbs to virus in Maharashtra; 5th death in the force
• 487 Maharashtra cops found positive since lockdown
• Jammu and Kashmir toll rises to 9
• Death toll now 30 in Karnataka; tally crosses 700-mark
• Bihar death toll rises to 5
• Indore toll goes up to 83; tally now 1,699

World		India
Tally	Toll	Tally	Toll
37,55,341	2,63,831	52,952	1783

LIFE IN A LOCKDOWN

• Air India opens bookings for evacuation
• Visas, OCI cards for foreigners to remain suspended
• Cases in India to peak in June-July, no declining trend despite lockdown: AIIMS director

ECONOMY AND BUSINESS

• Banks drag Sensex 242 points lower; Nifty below 9,200
• SBI reduces MCLR; introduces special deposit for Senior Citizens
• 10% pay cut on CTC above 25L: Kotak Mahindra Bank
• HCL Tech Q4 results: Profit jumps 23%
• Domestic aviation industry to take Rs 25,000-cr hit
• Manufacturers predict salt shortfall
• MP amends labour laws to give more flexibility to companies
• BMW resumes operations at Chennai plant

AROUND THE WORLD

• ArcelorMittal reports $1.1 bn net loss in Mar quarter
• Uber reduces workforce by 14%, signals more cuts
• Bank of England sees worst slump in 300 years
• Germany's confirmed cases rise by 1,284
• Second coronavirus wave possible in Germany before autumn
• 80,000 cases reported daily in April
• Death toll tops 150,000 in Europe
• Mexico now has 27,634 cases; 2,704 deaths
• China reports 2 more imported cases
• US virus death toll climbs by 2,073 in 24 hours
• Brazil presidential spokesman tests positive
• Singapore reports 741 new cases, taking total to 20,939

DEBATE THIS

• Is it time to allow home delivery of alcohol? Tell us here