india India’s fourth COVID casualty India’s fourth COVID casualty attended Sikh Hola Mohalla festival in Anandpur Sahib; infected seven family members. Days before the death of Baldev Singh, who became the fourth Indian casualty to COVID-19 on 18 March, the 70-year-old attended the Hola Mohalla festival in the holy city of Anandpur Sahib, in Punjab’s Rupnagar district. The festival is an annual six-day Sikh event that is attended by lakhs of members of the community from across the country and the world every year. According to Rupnagar’s senior superintendent of police, Swapan Sharma, Baldev had returned from a two-week trip to Germany via Italy. He stayed in Anandpur Sahib for the festivities from 8 to 10 March, before taking a bus back home. He died six days later and tested positive for COVID-19 the next day. As of 21 March, Baldev had infected seven people—six family members and another person whom he came into contact—with the novel coronavirus, according to a media bulletin issued by the Punjab health department. smell New symptoms could be loss of taste or smell The British Association of Otorhinolaryngology also says two of its consultants are on ventilators and being treated for COVID-19. One of the country's leading Ear, Nose and Throat consultants has told Sky News there are new signs for detecting COVID-19 in patients. The British Association of Otorhinolaryngology (ENT UK) say asymptomatic patients - ones who do not have a fever or a cough - could show a loss of smell or taste as symptoms after contracting coronavirus. bc Efforts to stop coronavirus 'greatest fight of our time,' says health minister as B.C. cases rise to 424 B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced 76 new coronavirus cases in the province on Saturday, bringing the total to 424. Henry also announced one new death, bringing the total number to ten. That case is linked to an outbreak at the Lynn Valley Care Centre in North Vancouver. Henry also ordered that personal service establishments close, including spas, salons, tattoo parlours and massage parlours, because maintaining social distancing in those services is impossible. On Friday restaurants were ordered to stop providing dine-in services and move to delivery and takeout only. Health Minister Adrian Dix said the province has provisions to work with peace officers to enforce the orders, stressing everyone must comply. "This is really for all of us, as individuals and as a society, the greatest fight of our time," he said. Twenty-seven people are now in hospital, and 12 people in intensive care. There are now 230 cases in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 126 in Fraser Health, 37 in Vancouver Island Health, 27 in Interior Health, and four in Northern Health.

rwanda Rwanda imposes Africa's first lockdown Rwanda has become the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to order a total shutdown because of the coronavirus. The tiny central African country has confirmed 17 cases of the COVID-19 virus. toronto Torontonians face up to $100K in fines for disobeying emergency measures At a press conference on Saturday, Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg announced the fines for those that violate provincial orders: up to $100,000 and one year imprisonment for individuals; up to $500,000 and one year imprisonment for a director or officer of a corporation; and up to $10 million for a corporation.