Coronavirus News LIVE Updates: 548 districts in India under lockdown; Australia reports 8th COVID-19 death

The novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, pandemic has spread across at least 190 countries. There have been at least 471 reported cases of novel coronavirus in India. The Union Health Ministry has said that 37 people have recovered so far, but nine have died. Several states, including Maharashtra and Delhi, have imposed a curfew.

Globally, there have been over 3.81 lakh confirmed cases of COVID-19. At least 16,500 people have died so far. Infections are rapidly rising in Italy, France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom and the United States. The outbreak is having a major impact on global economy and the stock market. 

Amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, parents who are worrying about their children and trying to protect them from getting infected can breathe a sigh of relief as COVID-19 does not appear to be a a high risk for kids.

However, since parents are worried about the health and safety of their children, here are a few things they should know:

Out of the 113 passengers who were brought back from Malaysia on board an Air Asia flight to Chennai, Tamil Nadu last night, nine symptomatic passengers were referred to hospital. The remaining 104 were taken to an Air Force quarantine facility in Tambaram.

Total cases in SAARC countries:

> India: At least 471 reported cases
> Afghanistan: 40 cases
> Bangladesh: 33 cases
> Bhutan: Two cases
> Maldives: 13 cases
> Nepal: Two cases
> Pakistan: 875 cases
> Sri Lanka: 97 cases