They stressed that classification of cases into mild, moderate and severe categories based just on respiratory symptoms should be relooked to include other organ involvement.

Currently, phase 2 and 3 clinical trials of the Oxford vaccine candidate is going on in the United Kingdom, phase 3 clinical trial in Brazil and phase 1 and 2 clinical trials in South Africa.

In phase I, the vaccine would be tested on 375 volunteers and the maximum of 100 of them would be from AIIMS.

The Director General of Health Services (DGHS) in the ministry of health, in a letter to the Principal Secretaries of health and medical education of states, said it has been observed that there is 'inappropriate use' of N-95 masks, particularly those with valved respirators, by the public other than designated health workers.

With these states imposing lockdowns anew, the health ministry emphasised that the restrictions should be utilised to focus on containment, surveillance and testing in the containment and buffer zones as the key strategy for early detection of cases and fatality management.

The lockdown, which was first clamped on March 25 and spanned for 21 days, had registered 10,877 cases, while the second phase of the curbs that began on April 15 and stretched for 19 days till May 3, saw 31,094 cases.

'Now, the government will have to ensure even stronger surveillance to curb the infection but if that will be done is something to be observed'

Officials said the study would have started earlier as it was planned to be conducted with the rapid antibody test kits brought from China.

The nation in a post-coronavirus future could well look back on the pandemic period as a 'blessing in disguise' if Indians imbibe hand, respiratory and environmental hygiene and practise it in their everyday lives, the minister said.

Around 30 healthcare workers including doctors, nurses and technicians at the Cardio-Neuro Centre in All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi have been advised to undergo quarantine after a 72-year-old man who visited the facility with neurological problem tested positive for COVID-19, sources said on Wednesday.

The trauma centre currently has 242 beds and 18 more are being added to it.

There is no current evidence from randomised controlled trial to recommend any specific treatment for suspected or confirmed patients with COVID-19.

She also suggested exploring the possibility of setting up de-addiction centres near these railway stations.

In an ambitious initiative aimed at empowering women, the government has proposed to set up an exclusive bank for women having branches across the country which may see merging of the Bharatiya Mahila Bank launched last year by the UPA government.