COVID-19 cases surge in country
- Fourteen more people have tested positive for COVID-19 — eight in Kerala and three each in Karnataka and Maharashtra, State authorities said on Tuesday, as the total number of cases in the country went up to 61.
- Of the eight new cases in Kerala, six belong to the COVID- 19 and the other two cases are that of the parents of the three year old boy who tested positive earlier and is already in isolation at the Government Medical College Hospital, Ernakulam.
Oil Marketing Companies cut petrol and diesel prices
- The stateowned oil marketing companies (OMCs) have reduced the prices of petrol and diesel by 30 paise and 25 paise a litre respectively as international crude oil price fell.
- The prices of petrol and diesel have come down by over ₹5 a litre each since the beginning of this year. They are likely to drop further in the coming weeks as India follows the monthly average pricing of the benchmark crude oil.
- The shares of the OMCs surged on falling crude oil prices. HPCL gained 6.17% to close at ₹213.25 and BPCL closed, up 5.20%, at ₹423.80 in a weak Mumbai market on Monday. Indian Oil Corporation was down 1.34% at ₹99.45. The market was closed on Tuesday on account of Holi.