Indian family names baby daughter 'Corona', saying pandemic has brought unity to the world

The parents, from Uttar Pradesh, couldn't make it to the hospital for the birth on Sunday because of the COVID-19 curfew that the Indian government imposed earlier the same day.

The baby’s uncle, Nitesh Tripathi, told local media he had been given permission by his sister to name the baby.

Tripathi said he chose the name because the virus has "inculcated many good habits in us and brought the world closer. This baby will be the symbol of people's unity to fight the evil".

Though he also acknowledged that "the virus is no doubt dangerous and it has killed so many people in the world".

The baby was born in the village of Sohgaura in Gorakhpur.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a "people's curfew" on Sunday across the nation of 1.3 billion people, where coronavirus cases have risen sharply to 775, with 20 deaths.

Also known as a "janata curfew", businesses have been shut between 7am and 9pm and people have been asked to voluntarily stay at home.

Some hard-hit areas have been enforcing their own, stricter, lockdowns, including Delhi which has shut its border to all but food, water and fuel supplies.

It has also halted all public transport and banned taxis and rickshaws, while gatherings of more than four people  have been prohibited and households asked to go into quarantine have been marked with stickers on their homes.