#Covid screening Raipur

[bansalnews]

छत्तीसगढ़ सरकार ने कोरोना संक्रमण (Chhattisgarh Corona) से बचाव के लिए ऐहतियाती कदम उठाते हुए अन्य राज्यों से विभिन्न माध्यमों से छत्तीसगढ़ आ रहे यात्रियों की कोविड स्क्रीनिंग (Covid Screening) एवं कान्टेक्ट ट्रेसिंग की व्यवस्था करने के निर्देश सभी कमिश्नरो�� और जिला कलेक्टरों को जारी किए गए हैं।

[hellodainiknews]

Chhattisgarh students return from Kota during Covid-19… Apr 28, 2020, 04:08PM ISTSource: ANI Students from Chhattisgarh, who were stranded in Rajasthans Kota, returned to their home state on April 28. Around 75 buses carrying over 2000 students reached Chhattisgarh. The students were sent for undergoing screening for COVID-19 symptoms after reaching Raipur.

[indianarrative1]

Technology has come to the rescue of the Indian Railways — operating 310 passengers, Mail and Express trains as of now across the country — in detecting passengers with coronavirus-like symptoms, as Artificial Intelligence-based surveillance cameras have so far detected 28 passengers with mild fever before they could get on board.

“Central Railway (CR) has taken several measures to prevent Covid-19 spread. In order to effectively scan the passengers for COVID-like symptoms, CR has set up a body screening facility (FebriEye) at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) in Mumbai,” CR spokesperson Shivaji Sutar told IANS.

It not only ensures contactless entry for travelers to avoid the spread of coronavirus but also helped detect 28 passengers whose body temperature was above normal.

“They were not allowed to travel by trains and advised to go for medical check-up and further necessary medical action,” he added.

The CR is using the FebriEye human body screening facility developed by Vehant Technologies, which is a thermal and vision camera that not only measures forehead temperature but also detects face mask and social distancing violations.

Sutar said that FebriEye cameras can cover a large areas for scanning, which means these can detect and record body temperatures of a number of people entering at once into a premise even while the prospective passengers are on the move.

Kapil Bardeja, CEO and co-founder of Vehant Technologies, said: “FebriEye has already been used successfully by the Indian Railways at their Mumbai HQ (Central Railway).” Besides, the system has been installed at Bilaspur, Raipur, and Guwahati (North Frontier Railway), he added.

Bardeja said that the equipment is reliable, and generates alerts for violation of any protocols on face masks. It is suitable for deployment in high-footfall areas.

He said that as per the standard operating procedure, passengers are screened with FebriEye before they are allowed to board trains. “Till date, over seven lakh passengers have been screened in Mumbai,” Bardeja said.

CR officials said that Febrieye is equipped with ‘Black Body’, a constant temperature source that ensures accuracy in body temperature readings up to plus or minus 0.3 degree Celsius.

“The device helps maintain a stable thermodynamic ambience. We are using AI- and CCTV- based software as it detects body temperatures and face masks on a real-time basis, apart from social distancing.”

Amid the nationwide lockdown, the Indian Railways had suspended train services from March 25. It started operating Shramik Special trains from May 1 to transport stranded migrant workers, students, pilgrims, and tourists.

The Railways started to run special air-conditioned trains from May 12 and 100 pairs of time-tabled trains from June 1. From September 12, the Railways also started operating 40 pairs of trains.

[vsplusonline]

Mobile phones potential carrier of coronavirus, hospitals should restrict their use: Doctors - Times of India

New Post has been published on https://apzweb.com/mobile-phones-potential-carrier-of-coronavirus-hospitals-should-restrict-their-use-doctors-times-of-india/

Mobile phones potential carrier of coronavirus, hospitals should restrict their use: Doctors - Times of India

NEW DELHI: A group of doctors from the AIIMS, Raipur has recommended restrictions on use of mobile phones in healthcare institutions amid the COVID-19 pandemic, warning that such devices can be a potential carrier of the virus and lead to infection among healthcare workers.

In a commentary published in the BMJ Global Health journal, the doctors stated that mobile phone surfaces are a peculiar ‘high-risk’ surface, which can directly come in contact with the face or mouth, even if hands are properly washed and one study indicates that some healthcare workers use phones every 15 minutes to two hours.

Though there have been many significant guidelines from various health organisations like the WHO and CDC focusing on prevention and control of disease, the commentary highlighted “there is no mention of or focus on mobile phones in these guidelines, including the WHO infection control and prevention guidelines, which recommends the use of hand washing”.

In healthcare facilities, phones are used to communicate with other health care workers, look up recent medical guidelines, research drug interactions, understand adverse events and side effects, conduct telemedicine appointments and track patients among others, stated the document.

The document has been authored by Dr Vineet Kumar Pathak, Dr Sunil Kumar Panigrahi, Dr M Mohan Kumar, Dr Utsav Raj and Dr Karpaga Priya P from the Department of Community and Family Medicine.

“In their tendency to come in direct contact with the face, nose or eyes in healthcare settings, mobile phones are perhaps second only to masks, caps or goggles,” the authors said.

“However, they are neither disposable nor washable like these other three, thus warranting disinfection. Mobile phones can effectively negate hand hygiene… There is growing evidence that mobile phones are a potential vector for pathogenic organisms,” they said.

It is the need of the hour to address proper hygienic use of mobile phones in healthcare settings. In a study in India, almost 100 per cent of health workers of a tertiary care hospital used mobile phones in the hospital, but only 10 per cent of them had at any time wiped their mobile phones clean, the commentary published on April 22 said.

“The safest thing to do is to consider your phone as an extension of your hand, so remember you are transferring whatever is on your phone to your hand,” Dr Pathak said.

Amidst the ongoing pandemic, two biggest mobile phone companies have uploaded their user support guidelines, saying that 70 pc isopropyl alcohol or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes can be used to gently wipe the exterior surface of phones in switched-off mode.

However, in doing so, the use of bleach or entry of moisture through any of the openings must be avoided, and any harsh chemical may damage the oleophobic screen, leading to damage in the touch screen sensitivity of the phone, the article stated.

Mobile phones are one of the most highly touched surfaces according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), along with counters, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, keyboards, tablets and bedside tables.

The doctors recommended restriction on mobile phone usage in healthcare settings like hospital wards, ICUs and operation theatres, while advocating use of headphones to prevent contact with the face while talking.

There should be no sharing of mobile phones, headphones or headsets of any kind. In addition, where available, the use of interdepartmental intercom facility may be promoted.

“Although hand hygiene and mobile phone use by a person are not mutually exclusive, it is high time to acknowledge the potential role of mobile phones in disease transmission cascade and to take evidence-based appropriate actions. This is especially important, given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” the authors said.

They said it is necessary for government agencies and the WHO to generate public awareness and to formulate suitable information, education and communication material on mobile phone hygiene, especially in healthcare settings.

AIIMS, New Delhi, Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA) General Secretary, Dr Srinivas Rajkumar T said even outside health care settings, people should pay special attention to usage of mobile phones as they carry them to all places.

“Phone and computer peripherals like keyboard, mouse, etc. should be covered with transparent plastic covers which can be cleaned without interfering with their function. Cleaning hands by soap or alcohol based hand sanitizer before and after contact with phone and between contact with other surfaces can decrease the risk of potential transmission.

“Using handsfree headset, dedicated operator/assistant per ward handling the communication via common line in hospitals while on duty can enable communication without compromising safety,” Dr Srinivas said

Source link

[liveindiatimes]

9 Coronavirus Hotspots Declared Containment Zones Near Delhi's Gurugram

https://www.liveindiatimes.com/9-coronavirus-hotspots-declared-containment-zones-near-delhis-gurugram/

Nine areas in Gurugram, Haryana have been declared as containment zones. (Representational))

Gurugram (Haryana):

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, Gurugram district administration on Thursday declared nine areas in the city as containment zones.

“Nine areas in Gurugram, Haryana have been declared as containment zones for all the purposes and objectives as prescribed in the protocol of COVID-19, to prevent its spread in the adjoining areas,” the district administration said in a statement.

The nine areas include Sector-9, Sector-54/Nirvana Country, Palam Vihar, Emar Palm Gardens Sector-83, Laburnum Society, Sector-39, Village Fazilpur Jharsa, Ward Number 11 Pataudi and Village Raipur Sohna.

“A sufficient number of teams will be formed to conduct door-to-door screening or thermal scanning of the person falling within the containment zone. All of them would work under the strict direction of the civil surgeon,” the notice added.

The entire area of containment zones will be fully sanitised by the municipal corporation.

The district administration also stated that the public movement in the containment zones shall be absolutely restricted.

Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij on Thursday informed that there are 134 active cases of COVID-19 in the state, out of which 106 patients are linked to the Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi. 

Live India Times

[brajeshupadhyay]

Coronavirus Outbreak Updates: Confirmed cases in Bihar rise to 535 as 7 more test positive; Munger worst-affected district with 102 infections

23:59 (IST)

Coronavirus in Jharkhand Latest Updates

Eight of Jharkhand's 10 new cases reported in Ranchi

  Ten people tested positive for COVID-19 in Jharkhand on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 125, according to a bulletin issued by the government.Two persons from Dumka tested positive, while the rest are from Ranchi which has been declared a red zone, health officials said. Of the total positive cases, 89 are active and 33 people have recovered and been discharged, the bulletin said. Of the 91 cases in Ranchi, 71 are active, it said. Two persons have died of the infection in the state so far, while one died due to comorbid conditions, it said. No new cases were reported in the past two days.

  PTI

23:53 (IST)

Coronavirus in Bihar Latest Updates

Seven, including four minors, test positive in Bihar

Seven persons, including four minors, tested positive for COVID 19 on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases in Bihar to 535, a top official said.Of the seven cases, five were male and two female. Five of them hail from Katihar district and one each from Kaimur and Siwan, Health Departments Principal Secretary Sanjay Kumar said. 

  COVID-19 cases have been detected in the state's 32 of total 38 districts. Munger is the worst affected district with 102 cases. Four people have died of COVID-19 so far and there 400 active cases at present.

  PTI

23:43 (IST)

Coronavirus in Telangana Latest Updates

Telangana to open liquor shops

  2,200 liquor shops will be opened in Telangana except the ones  in Containment Zones, ANI quotes chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao as saying.There will be 16 percent hike in the price liquor and the price of cheap liquor will be hiked by 11 percent. People not maintaining social distancing will have to bear consequences. No Mask, no liquor. No Mask, no goods," he said.

23:35 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Centre hikes excise duty on petrol by Rs 10 per litre and on diesel by Rs 13 per litre

  The Central Government has increased excise duties by Rs 10 per litre on petrol and Rs 13 per litre on diesel, reports ANI. Retail sale prices of petrol and diesel will, however, not change as the price hike will be absorbed by OMCs, according to CNBCTV18. These duty rate changes shall come into effect from 6th May, 2020.

  23:29 (IST)

Coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh Latest Updates

COVID-19 cases in Gautam Buddh Nagar climb to 193 as 13 more test positive

  A policeman deployed on the emergency 112 helpline service in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar has tested positive for the coronavirus, PTI quotes officials as saying. The colleagues, family members and other people who came in contact with the sub-inspector have been quarantined and his health condition is being continuouly monitored, a police spokesperson said."It was still being assessed how the policeman got infected or if he came in contact with an infected person," the spokesperson said. 

  Besides the policeman, 13 other people, including two healthcare workers, tested positive for the COVID-19 infection in Gautam Buddh Nagar on Tuesday, according to officials.The number of total cases in the district now stands at 193, even as 109 patients have been discharged from hospitals after their successful treatment for coronavirus, the officials added.

23:24 (IST)

Coronavirus in Tripura Latest Updates

13 more BSF personnel test positive in Tripura

  Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb said that 13  personnel of BSF's 138th Battalion, including a mess worker, had tested positive for the coronavirus pushing the total number of cases in the state to 42. None of them are civillians, he said adding that two persons have been cured and discharged and the number of active cases stands at 40.

23:11 (IST)

Coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh Latest Updates

Over 500 small industrial units given nod to operate in Ghaziabad

The Ghaziabad district administration has allowed over 500 small industrial units to operate during the third phase of the coronavirus lockdown, reports PTI. An official said 532 shops in rural areas were also allowed to operate while in city areas, 650 traders were given permission to do business. Commenting on it, DM Ajay Shankar Pandey said the administration had received 1,177 applications from the industrialists, of which 517 small-scale industrial units were allowed to operate. He said among the 532 shops in rural areas, 145 deal in fruit and vegetables, 13 in mobile phone repair and 12 in construction material.

The district has so far recorded 104 cases, two deaths.

23:06 (IST)

Coronavirus in Assam Latest Updates

Confirmed cases in Assam rise to 44

One person from Assam's Kokrajhar district, with a travel history of Cooch Behar in West Bengal, has tested positive for the coronavirus infection, said Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. With this the total number of infections in the state rose to 44, including 32 discharged, one death and 11 active cases.

Alert ~ One person from Kokrajhar dist, with a travel history of Cooch Behar in West Bengal, has tested positive for #COVID19. ↗���Total #COVID19 patients in Assam now stands at 44. ↗️Active cases 11 ↗️Discharged 32 ↗️Death 1 Update at 9.05 pm / May 5#AssamCovidCount

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) May 5, 2020

23:02 (IST)

Coronavirus in Punjab Latest Updates

Punjab hikes petrol, diesel prices by Rs 2 per litre

Punjab Government hikes Petrol and Diesel prices by Rs 2 per litre each, with effect from midnight, reports ANI.

22:59 (IST)

Coronavirus in Telangana Latest Updates

Only essential shops to open in red zones in Telangana

Addressing the media, Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said that non-essential shops in the state will remain shut in red zones, According to a report in The News Minute, the chief Minister said that people aged above 65 and young children have been asked to stay indoors until the lockdown period ended. Night time curfew will continue in all districts, he said.

22:51 (IST)

Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Updates

Delhi govt issues SOP for movement of stranded persons

Delhi Govt issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for screening of stranded people, moving out of Delhi or into Delhi from other states. pic.twitter.com/aHkim9Uouv

— ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2020

22:45 (IST)

Coronavirus in Chhattisgarh Latest Updates

Twenty-six year old tests positive in Bhilai

  A 26-year-old female from Bhilai has tested positive for #COVID19. She will be admitted in AIIMS Raipur, ANI quotes the  All India Institute of Medical Science, Raipur as saying.

22:30 (IST)

Coronavirus in Telangana Latest Updates

Telangana extends lockdown till 29 May

Telanangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao said that lockdown in the state has been extended till 29 May. He advised people to finish their purchases by 6 pm as there would be a curfew from 7 pm. The chief minister warned of strict action against those found outside their homes after 7 pm.

22:25 (IST)

Coronavirus in Rajasthan Latest Updates

Rajasthan reports 97 fresh infections, 12 deaths

Confirmed cases in Rajasthan climbed to 3,158 including 89 deaths as 97 fresh infections and 12 fatalities were reported in the state today. 

97 new positive cases of #COVID19 and 12 deaths have been reported in Rajasthan today. Total number of cases rise to 3158 with death toll at 89. 1120 people have been cured/discharged till now: State Health Department pic.twitter.com/RaQlHY8001

— ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2020

22:20 (IST)

Coronavirus in Telangana Latest Updates

Case count in Telangana rises to 1,096

Till today, 1,096  positive cases have been reported  in Telangana of which 11 were detected today. 628 patients have been discharged and there are 439 active cases in the state now, ANI quotes Chief minister  K. Chandrashekar Rao as saying.

  22:05 (IST)

Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Only shops selling essentials to remain open in Mumbai

Noting that the opening of shops in Mumbai  has led to the flouting of social distancing norms amid rising number  on COVID-19 cases, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi ordered that no permission be given to non-essential shops, including liquor stores, in Mumbai. Only essential item stores like grocery shops and medical stores chemist shops will be allowed to be open, he said in an order.

Non essential shops in Mumbai to shut. Only essential item stores like grocery shops and medical stores/chemist shops will be allowed to be open: BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) Commissioner pic.twitter.com/DqZOMJWfMl

— ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2020

21:59 (IST)

Coronavirus in Chandigarh Latest Updates

No travel restrictions in Chandigarh except in containment zones

No restriction on travel to any place within Chandigarh except declared containment zones like Bapu Dham etc. "Wear a mask, maintain social distance and gathering of more than 5 in group not allowed," said Chandigarh advisor Manoj Parida. 

21:54 (IST)

Coronavirus in Haryana Latest Updates

Haryana to reopen govt offices with conditions

  The Haryana government has decided to reopen its offices in the state and those located in its capital Chandigarh with certain conditions during the third phase of the COVID-19-induced lockdown.​ These offices, which were earlier closed after the lockdown was announced, can have full attendance of Group 'A' and 'B' officers and only 33 percent staff of Group C and D employees. The strength of Group C and D category employees is more and allowing full attendance at this stage can make it difficult to enforce social distancing norms, said a statement 

  A letter in this regard has been written by the office of the Haryana chief secretary, to all the administrative secretaries of the state, heads of departments, divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners, managing directors of boards and corporations in Haryana, registrars of universities in Haryana and registrar of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to comply with the guidelines. However, the provision relating to 33 per cent staffing strength for Group C and D will not apply to departments including municipal bodies, boards, corporations, missions, societies, chief secretary's office, and revenue, health, Home, agriculture, public health, development, panchayats, power, irrigation, urban local bodies, and food and civil supplies departments, the statement said.  In case an employee's place of residence lies within a containment zone, such employees will not leave the zone until the 'zone declaration order' has been withdrawn by the appropriate authority, it said.

PTI 

21:47 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Over 30 COVID-19 vaccines being developed in India: PMO

  Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the task force on Coronavirus vaccine Development and took a detailed review of the current status of India’s efforts in vaccine development, drug discovery, diagnosis and testing, reports ANI. "Indian vaccine companies have come across as innovators in early stage vaccine development research.Similarly,Indian academia and start-ups have also pioneered in this area. Over 30 Indian vaccines are in different stages of vaccine development,with few going on to trial stages," the news agency quotes the Prime Minister's Ofiice as saying.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the task force on Coronavirus vaccine Development and took a detailed review of the current status of India’s efforts in vaccine development, drug discovery, diagnosis and testing: Prime Minister's Office #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/l9BmFQo6vf

— ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2020

21:39 (IST)

Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Two civic bodies adjoining Mumbai to seal borders from 8 May

The Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation and Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation have decided to seal their borders from 8 May in view of the rising number of cases in their respective areas, PTI quotes civic body officials as saying. 

According to letters issued by the municipal commissioners of Kalyan-Dombivli and Ulhasnagar, residents who have offices in BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) areas will either have to shift to somewhere in Mumbai so that they can attend work or will have to stay home. There have been several COVID-19 cases in Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation and Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation, where the source of infection was traced back to Mumbai.

21:25 (IST)

Coronavirus in Himachal Pradesh Latest Updates

21-year-old dies in Shimla, confirmatory report for COVID-19 awaited

A 21-year-old man, who tested positive for the novel coronavirus, died in in Shimla on Tuesday, the third fatality in Himachal Pradesh.The youth, who was stranded in Delhi during lockdown, had returned to his house in Sarkaghat area of Mandi district in April, Chief Medical Officer Jeevanand Chauhan told PTI."As per his preliminary report, he was suffering from novel coronavirus. Confirmatory report of his second test is being awaited," Chauhan added. The officer said the man had only one kidney since birth and was getting treatment from a Delhi hospital.He was shifted to the IGMC hospital on Monday when his health deteriorated and he died on Tuesday, Chauhan said.  

21:21 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

AIIMS Planning to Start OPD and Non-emergency Services Soon 

  An AIIMS sub-committee has been asked to prepare a blueprint for smooth restoration of OPD and non-emergency operation services, with the administration planning to resume them in the next ten days, PTI quotes officials as saying. Also, non-COVID services, other than emergency, for a limited time is likely to be predominantly referral only where the hospital will cater to only those patients who will be referred from peripheral hospitals, they said. The premier hospital has also constituted a committee to devise strategy for restoring healthcare services in a phased manner.

  "The plan is to re-open OPD services in a phased manner. If the number of coronavirus cases surge in the near future and, if need be, we will switch back to the previous roster," an official said.

  Doctors at AIIMS are currently providing tele-consultancy to all patients undergoing treatment at the hospital in an effort to reduce the need for them to visit the facility during the lockdown. Its been over a month that the AIIMS has shut down its OPD services and curtailed all elective surgeries as part of its effort towards redirecting its resources to control the COVID-19 outbreak.

  21:15 (IST)

Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Updates

Positive cases in Delhi cross 5,000 

  The total number of coronavirus infections in Delhi rose to 5,104 as 206 news cases were reported today. The toll stands at 64 with no deaths being reported today. A total of 1,468 people have recovered from the virus infection and the number of active cases stands at 3,572 according to the daily update issued by the Delhi government.

  🏥Delhi Health Bulletin - 5th May 2020 🏥#DelhiFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/UdzIiI7qYF

— CMO Delhi (@CMODelhi) May 5, 2020

21:01 (IST)

Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Confirmed cases in Mumbai up by 635 to 9,758

Mumbai reports 635 new COVID-19 cases and 26 deaths, pushing the total case count to 9,758 and fatalities to 387, PTI quotes the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation as saying.

20:59 (IST)

Coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh Latest Updates

Cases in Madhya Pradesh rise to 3,049

  107 more persons have tested positive for coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh taking the total number of cases in the state to 3,049 while the toll stands at 176, reports ANI quoting the state health department.

107 more persons have tested positive for #Coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh taking the total number of cases in the state to 3049. Death toll stands at 176: State Health Department pic.twitter.com/I2xLoebih4

— ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2020

20:50 (IST)

Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates

841 new COVID-19 cases, 34 deaths reported in Maharashtra

The Maharashtra health department said that 841 new coronavirus cases and 34 deaths were reported in the state on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases to 15,525.

20:38 (IST)

Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Updates

Two zones removed from Delhi containment list

Two more zones in Delhi have been de-contained on Tuesday, taking the total number of containment zones in the National Capital to 88. No new addition in containment zones today.

Two more zones in Delhi have been de-contained today; total number of containment zones in the national capital now stands at 88. No New addition in containment zones today. pic.twitter.com/f9wI4PFAZF

— ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2020

20:32 (IST)

Coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh Latest Updates

Uttar Pradesh reports 118 new COVID-19 cases today

The Uttar Pradesh government said that 118 new patients have been confirmed as coronavirus positive since Monday evening, taking the total number of cases to 2,880. Out of the total cases, 987 patients have been discharged while 56 others lost their lives.

20:25 (IST)

Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates

350 COVID-19 patients recover in Maharashtra today

The Maharashtra health department said that 350 coronavirus patients have been recovered and discharged on Tuesday, of which 165 patients are from Mumbai. This is the highest discharge number in a single day in Maharashtra. Total number of discharged patients in the state is 2,465 so far.

20:18 (IST)

Coronavirus in UK Latest Updates

UK COVID-19 toll crosses 32,000

The coronavirus toll in the UK crossed 32,000 on Tuesday and surpassed Italy's toll to become the new epicentre of the pandemic, reports said. 

"This figure far exceeds the death toll of 29,029 in Italy – until now Europe’s worst-hit country. Italy’s total does not include suspected cases," The Guardian reported.

"Britain on Tuesday became the first country in Europe to confirm more than 30,000 coronavirus deaths and infections rose sharply again in Russia, even as other nations made great strides in taming the virus. China marked its third week with no new virus deaths and South Korea restarted its professional baseball season. In the US, some states began halting steps to lift the lockdown restrictions being blamed for throwing millions out of work and upending the global economy even as thousands of new U.S. infections and deaths were being reported daily," The Indian Express reported.

20:05 (IST)

Coronavirus in Tamil Nadu Latest Updates

508 new COVID-19 cases reported in Tamil Nadu

The Tamil Nadu health department said that 508 new coronavirus cases have been reported in the state on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases to 4,058. Two deaths have been reported too, taking the toll to 33.

19:50 (IST)

Coronavirus in Tamil Nadu Latest Updates

EPS says more COVID-19 cases in Chennai because of dense population

Tamil Nadu chief minister E Palaniswami on Tuesday said that coronavirus cases are more in Chennai "because it is densely populated".

"In all containment zones, sanitisation is being done three times a day. Tamil Nadu has set up 50 testing centers and the state has the highest testing rate in the country," he added.

19:41 (IST)

Coronavirus in Gujarat Latest Updates

Ahmedabad municipal commissioner self-quarantines for 14 days

Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner Vijay Nehra has decided to get home quarantined for 14 days after he came in contact of positive patients. Now, for two weeks Mukesh Kumar, Vice Chairman and CEO of Gujarat Maritime Board, will be the in-charge Municipal Commissioner of AMC.

I came into contact with two persons during my field visits who tested positive subsequently As per existing guidelines, I have been advised self isolation at home for 14 days. Looking forward to rejoining the #FightAgainstCOVID19 very soon

— Vijay Nehra (@vnehra) May 5, 2020

19:39 (IST)

Coronavirus in Haryana Latest Updates

Haryana reports 31 new COVID-19 cases today

The Haryana health department said that 31 new COVID-19 cases have been reported in the state on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases to 548.

19:37 (IST)

Coronavirus in Assam Latest Updates

Another person tests positive for COVID-19 in Assam

Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that Oone person from Goalpara has tested positive for COVID-19. The total number of cases in the state now stands at 43, of which active cases are at 10.

19:22 (IST)

Coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir Latest Updates

15 new COVID-19 cases reported in J&K

The Jammu and Kashmir government said that 15 new coronavirus cases have been reported in the union territory on Tuesday. Of these, one is from the Jammu division and 14 from Kashmir division.

The total number of cases in the Union Territory stands at 741, including 413 active cases.

19:16 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

MHA issues guidelines for Indians stranded abroad

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issues standard operating procedures for movement of Indian nationals stranded outside the country.

"Passengers found to be symptomatic shall be immediately taken to medical facility. Remaining passengers shall be taken to suitable institutional quarantine facilities to be arranged by respective states. These passengers shall be kept under institutional quarantine for 14 days.

"If they test negative after 14 days, they will be allowed to go home and will undertake self-monitoring of their health for 14 more days as per protocol. The remaining people will be shifted to medical facility by states/UTs governments," the statement said.

Ministry of Home Affairs issues standard operating procedures for movement of Indian nationals stranded outside the country. pic.twitter.com/Uct6ukwm8L

— ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2020

19:09 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Total 69 BSF personnel test positive for COVID-19 

The Border Security Force (BSF) said that a total of 69 personnel have been found to be infected by coronavirus so far.

COVID-19 cases in BSF Total 69 BSF personnel have been found COVID +Ve till date, posted in different BSF establishments. 2 have recovered & 67 are under treatment. During essential & operational duties, personnel contracted this infection. Press release👇https://t.co/wVaIFZaqdO

— BSF (@BSF_India) May 5, 2020

18:57 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

MHA says existing visas to foreigners to remain suspended

All existing visas granted to foreigners, except certain categories, to remain suspended till the prohibition on international air travel of passengers from/to India is lifted by GoI: MHA

All existing visas granted to foreigners, except certain categories, to remain suspended till the prohibition on international air travel of passengers from/to India is lifted by GoI.#lockdown #CoronaUpdatesInIndia Details 👇 pic.twitter.com/ZR3QOG5fcZ

— Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) May 5, 2020

18:54 (IST)

Coronavirus in Jharkhand Latest Updates

Jharkhand reports 4 new COVID-19 cases

Four new coronavirus cases were reported in Jharkhand on Tuesday. All the new cases were reported from Ranchi. The total number of COVID-19 cases in the state now stands at 119.

18:50 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Centre shares evacuation plan of Indians stranded abroad

The PIB released the evacuation plan for Indians stranded in 12 countries abroad by 64 flights by Air India, starting 7 May.

Here is the evacuation plan for Indians stranded in 12 countries abroad by 64 flights by @airindiain starting May 7 pic.twitter.com/4FL1xnFGtx

— PIB India #StayHome #StaySafe (@PIB_India) May 5, 2020

18:37 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Centre says no exam to be held for class 10 students nationwide

📢Attention class X students! No examination to be held for class X students nationwide, except for students from North-East Delhi. An adequate time of 10 days will be given to all students for the preparation of exams.#EducationMinisterGoesLive pic.twitter.com/x4QJAInvtT

— Ministry of HRD (@HRDMinistry) May 5, 2020

18:33 (IST)

Coronavirus in Kerala Latest Updates

Pinarayi Vijayan says stranded Indians will be quarantined for a week

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday also reportedly said that the returnees from abroad will to be in quarantine for at least seven days.

18:20 (IST)

Coronavirus in Israel Latest Updates

Israel says 'significant breakthrough' in developing COVID-19 treatment

Israel has isolated a key coronavirus antibody at its main biological research laboratory, the Israeli defence minister said on Monday, calling the step a “significant breakthrough” toward a possible treatment for the COVID-19 pandemic.

The “monoclonal neutralising antibody” developed at the Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) “can neutralise it (the disease-causing coronavirus) inside carriers’ bodies,” Defence Minister Naftali Bennett said in a statement.

The statement added that Bennett visited the IIBR on Monday where he was briefed “on a significant breakthrough in finding an antidote for the coronavirus”.

(Reuters)

18:15 (IST)

Coronavirus in Kerala Latest Updates

Kerala govt tells Modi 'dangerous' to bring back Indians without COVID-19 testing

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and said that "it would be dangerous to fly back stranded Indians from abroad without proper coronavirus testing."

"Centre has informed that they are bringing back Indians from other countries without conducting COVID-19 test. This will increase threat of COVID-19 spread. Testing has to be conducted and I have taken this matter up with the Centre," he said.

"From 7 May, 2,250 people from abroad will be returning back to Kerala initially. The Centre is learned to have approved to bring back 80,000 expatriates but there are 1.69 lakh people in Kerala's priority list. This has been taken up with Centre," he added.

18:09 (IST)

Coronavirus in Andhra Pradesh Latest Updates

Women protest against opening of liquor shops in Visakhapatnam

Women in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday held a protest against the liquor shops being opening in the district by the state government amid the COVID-19 lockdown. A protester was quoted by ANI as saying, "Vegetable markets stay open for only 3 hours but liquor shops are allowed to remain open for 7 hours".

Women in Visakhapatnam held a protest against opening of liquor shops amid #CoronavirusLockdown. A protester said, "Vegetable markets stay open for only 3 hours but liquor shops are allowed to remain open for 7 hours". (Video: News18) Follow LIVE updates: https://t.co/1qPUbP88e7 pic.twitter.com/hV2B2vlvKE

— Firstpost (@firstpost) May 5, 2020

17:58 (IST)

Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Maharashtra govt issues clarification on revised lockdown guidelines

The Maharashtra government on Tuesday issued 'clarification to revised guidelines on the lockdown measures for containment of COVID-19 in the state'.

Maharashtra Government has issued 'clarification to revised guidelines on the lockdown measures for containment of #COVID19 in the state'. pic.twitter.com/m3KeNjdjzf

— ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2020

17:56 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Total COVID-19 cases in India rise to 46,711

In its 5 pm update, the Union health ministry said that the total number of coronavirus cases in India rose to 46,711 on Tuesday, including 31,967 active cases, 1,583 deaths, 13,160 cured/discharged and 1 migrated.

17:53 (IST)

Coronavirus in Karnataka Latest Updates

22 new COVID-19 cases reported in Karntaka

The Karnataka health department said that 22 new coronavirus cases were reported in the state between 5 pm on Monday and 5 pm on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 673, including 331 discharges and 29 deaths.

17:37 (IST)

Coronavirus in Assam Latest Updates

Assam govt says 44,732 goods trucks entered state during COVID-19 lockdown

✅ 452 railway rakes entered Assam during lockdown period. ✅ 44,732 goods trucks entered Assam during lockdown period. ✅ 53,118 trucks mobilized to carry commodities to various parts of Assam from railway yards. ✅ All support provided for smooth movement of LPG trucks.

— Chief Minister Assam (@CMOfficeAssam) May 5, 2020

Coronavirus Outbreak Updates: Seven persons, including four minors, tested positive for COVID 19 on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases in Bihar to 535, a top official said.

Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb said that 13  personnel of BSF's 138th Battalion, including a mess worker, had tested positive for the coronavirus pushing the total number of cases in the state to 42.

Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao said that lockdown in the state has been extended till 29 May. He advised people to finish their purchases by 6 pm as there would be a curfew from 7 pm. The chief minister warned of strict action against those found outside their homes after 7 pm.

Noting that the opening of shops in Mumbai  has led to the flouting of social distancing norms amid rising number  on COVID-19 cases, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi ordered that no permission be given to non-essential shops, including liquor stores, in Mumbai.

The total number of coronavirus infections in Delhi rose to 5,104 as 206 news cases were reported today. The toll stands at 64 with no deaths being reported today.

Mumbai reports 635 new COVID-19 cases and 26 deaths, pushing the total case count to 9,758 and fatalities to 387, PTI quotes the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation as saying.

 The Tamil Nadu health department said that 508 new coronavirus cases have been reported in the state on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases to 4,058. Two deaths have been reported too, taking the toll to 33.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issues standard operating procedures for movement of Indian nationals stranded outside the country.

"Passengers found to be symptomatic shall be immediately taken to medical facility. Remaining passengers shall be taken to suitable institutional quarantine facilities to be arranged by respective states. These passengers shall be kept under institutional quarantine for 14 days.

"If they test negative after 14 days, they will be allowed to go home and will undertake self-monitoring of their health for 14 more days as per protocol. The remaining people will be shifted to medical facility by states/UTs governments," the statement said.

All existing visas granted to foreigners, except certain categories, to remain suspended till the prohibition on international air travel of passengers from/to India is lifted by GoI, the MHA said.

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and said that "it would be dangerous to fly back stranded Indians from abroad without proper coronavirus testing."

"From 7 May, 2,250 people from abroad will be returning back to Kerala initially. The Centre is learned to have approved to bring back 80,000 expatriates but there are 1.69 lakh people in Kerala's priority list. This has been taken up with Centre," he added.

The Ministry of Railways on Tuesday said that so far, 67 'Shramik Special Trains' have been run by various Zonal Railways.

"Till 4 May, we had run 55 trains. Today, trains have been operated from Bengaluru, Surat, Sabarmati, Jalandhar, Kota, Ernakulam, 21 more such trains may leave today," the statement said.

Union health ministry joint secretary Lav Aggarwal said that the coronavirus toll in India rose by 195 in the last 24 hours, adding that the total number of cases of stands at 46,433 nationwide.

In the 4 pm press briefing, he said, "In last 24 hours there have been 3,900 new cases, 195 deaths and 1,020 people have recovered. The recovery rate is 27.41 percent."

Forty five Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel have tested positive for the novel coronavirus so far. Among the 45, 43 of them were deployed for IS duties in Delhi and two of them in the Law and Order duty with Delhi Police, said the ITBP.

Two infants among eight who tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Pimpri Chinchwad on Tuesday, ANI quoted the health department as saying.

As many as, 71 fresh COVID-19 cases were reported in Pune on Monday, taking the total number of confirmed cases in the district to 2,122.

Putting a close to the uncertainly over engineering and medical exams, the government on Tuesday announced dates for holding of Joint Entrance Exams (JEE) and National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).

While interacting with students in a webinar, HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal said the JEE-Mains exams will be held from 18-23 July while, JEE-Advanced exams will be held in August. He also said that the medical entrance exam NEET will be conducted on 26 July.

With eight more people testing positive for the novel coronavirus in Karnataka between Monday 5 pm to Tuesday 12 pm, the total number of confirmed cases in the state climbed to 659.

So far, the state has recorded 28 deaths, according to the health department. The COVID-19 recovery rate in the state stood at 49.2 percent after 324 patients were discharged.

The fourth floor of the Shastri Bhawan, office of Department of Legal Affairs, was sealed on Tuesday after a senior law ministry official tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

The senior official in the department of legal affairs who is now positive had last attended office on 23 April.

According to a journalist with The Indian Express, gate number 1 and 2 which were often used by the officer have been closed, along with the corresponding lifts, for disinfecting and will remain shut till Wednesday (6 May).

67 new COVID-19 positive cases reported in Andhra Pradesh in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of cases in the state to 1717 with the state toll at 34, according to the state health department on Tuesday. Meanwhile, state-run TASMAC alcohol shops will not be opening in the Greater Chennai City police limits on 7 May, the Tamil Nadu government has said.

COVID-19 cases in border guarding force BSF have climbed to 67, with the maximum reported in a Delhi battalion, deployed in the Jamia area for law and order duties, and from the frontier state of Tripura, officials said on Tuesday.

A special train carrying about 1,200 migrant workers left for Khagaria in Bihar from Ghatkesar near Hyderabad on Tuesday.

"The Shramik Special Train left for Khagaria in Bihar on Tuesday morning. All the passengers were screened before they were allowed to board," a senior south central railway official said.

This is the second train arranged for the workers in Telangana. Similarly, another train from Rayannapadu near Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh left for Chandrapur in Maharashtra, the SCR official added.

India registered 46,433 COVID-19 positive cases on Tuesday with 1,568 fatalities due to the viral disease, according to the latest data released by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The figure includes 32,134 active cases.

After the Delhi government raised the VAT on auto fuel, the petrol price per litre is hiked by Rs 1.67 to Rs 71.26 while, the price of diesel increased by Rs 7.10 to Rs 69.39 in the National Capital on Tuesday.​

Aadhaar-based claims for public distribution system (PDS) would have saved a lot of misery for the poor, said Abhijit Banerjee during discussion on economic impact with Congress' Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday.

He further claimed that many names still missing in the system.

"We should try to be optimistic about overall economic revival in India post-lockdown," said Banerjee.

Abhijit Banerjee advised that India should take a cue from the United States and insisted on putting money into people's hands, "as the current US administration is doing".

"We have to take a chance on widening the reach of PDS," Banerjee told Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday while discussing the state of Indian economy.

Handing out temporary ration card to anybody who requires one at the current moment would be a good idea to tackle the food crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee to Rahul Gandhi.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's dialogue with Nobel Laureate Abhijit Banerjee on dealing with the economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis will be aired on Tuesday as part of his series of deliberations with experts on economy and health.

The Congress party has tweeted a 1.44-minute clip from the conversation which will be aired in full at 9 am Tuesday.

In an order released on Monday, the Mumbai Police stated that Section 144 has been imposed in the city till 17 May between 8 pm and 7 am. The order clarified that during those hours, only vehicles addressing medical services and the ones used for essential services will be allowed to ply.

From Tuesday, stand-alone shops will issue tokens for customers to avoid crowding at shop counters.

Even as India's COVID-19 fight entered its third phase on Monday with considerable relaxations to the lockdown curbs, confirmed cases surged to 42,836 with 2,573 fresh cases. The death toll rose to 1,389 with 83 fatalities reported in 24 hours.

The government said a record high number of 1,074 patients recovered from the infection in the last 24 hours but cautioned that the restrictions can be reimposed if there is any complacency in following the containment and social distancing norms.

The Centre also announced that it will facilitate the return of Indians stranded in other countries in a phased manner from 7 May.

Country records highest number of recoveries in 24 hours, says health ministry

According to the 5 pm update issued by the Union health ministry, India now has 42, 836 confirmed cases of coronavirus while 1,380 persons have died due to the disease. Maharashtra has reported the highest number of cases (12,974), followed by Gujarat (5, 428 cases), Delhi (4,549) cases, Tamil Nadu (3,023 cases) and Madhya Pradesh (2942).

Maharashtra also recorded the highest number of fatalities with 548 deaths followed by 290 in Gujarat and 165 in Madhya Pradesh.

According to the health ministry, the number of active cases stood at 29,685 as 11,761 persons were cured/discharged while one has migrated.

Earlier, while addressing a press briefing, Joint Secretary at the health ministry Lav Agarwal said that as many as 1,074 COVID-19 patients have recovered in the last 24 hours, the highest number of recoveries recorded in one day.

The rate of recovery stands at  27.52 percent , he said, but stressed that there is a need for rigorous implementation of the containment strategy while people also need to strictly adhere to hygiene as well as social distancing habits.

Agarwal cautioned that if the virus spread is detected in areas that do not have any active cases for now, restrictions can be reimposed there.

Kerala did not report a single new case for the second consecutive day, but neighbouring Tamil Nadu saw its tally rising by a record number of 527 new cases. Gujarat and Maharashtra also reported significant rise in their numbers. Several other states including Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Odisha also reported a rising number of cases.

Gujarat reported 376 new cases and 29 more deaths — the highest for a day — to take its total tally of confirmed cases to more than 5,800 and fatalities to 319. Ahmedabad alone reported 259 new cases and a record number of 26 deaths on Monday, taking its tally of confirmed cases to above 4,000 and the death toll to 234.

In Maharashtra’s Mumbai, the case count crossed the 9,000-mark and jumped to 9,123  with the addition of 510 new patients, while 18 more died due to the viral infection.

While several big urban centres across the country continued to report rise in the number of cases, several smaller states and Union Territories — including Goa, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Meghalaya, Assam, Aruranchal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Manipur, Mizoram, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Tripura — have witnessed nil or very few cases getting detected in the last few days.

Confusion prevails as restrictions are eased in green, orange zones

In the third phase of the lockdown, more categories of stores including of apparel and electrical goods, as also various kinds of repair centres, and even barber shops in some places, reopened in several parts of the country. Liquor shops saw the biggest of the crowds and had to be closed at many places, including in the National Capital, after social distancing norms appeared totally missing.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said whatever happened on Monday was not right and all have to follow the social distancing norms . "It is sad that people were not following social distancing norms at some shops today. I request everyone to not take any risk," he said.

#WATCH It was unfortunate that chaos was seen at some shops today in Delhi...If we come to know about violations of social distancing and other norms from any area, then we will have to seal the area and revoke the relaxations there: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal pic.twitter.com/0eFgaqrKsB

— ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2020

// <![CDATA[ <script> // ]]>

On the other hand, confusion prevailed in large industrial and business clusters across the country, including in Noida and Gurgaon on the outskirts of Delhi, on reopening of offices and industrial establishments due to lack of clarity on daily commute of their staff given continuing restrictions on major modes of the public transport.

Row over rail fares of migrant workers

The transport of migrant workers back to their home states continued for the third consecutive day on Monday. Kerala opened its borders at six places for Keralites stranded in other states due to the COVID-19 lockdown to return to their native places.

A total of 21,500 migrant workers and their family members stranded in Gujarat for over 40 days were sent back to their native states, including UP and Bihar, through 18 trains in the last three days, a senior official told PTI.

Union health ministry officials also said the process of transporting stranded migrant labourers was being coordinated by states, though the central government guidelines have clearly stated that the infectious disease management requires everyone to stay where he or she is.

“Based on the request given from states for particular cases, permission was given to run special trains. Be it the government of India or the Railways, we have not talked about charging from workers. Eighty-five per cent of the transportation cost is borne by the Railways, while states have to bear 15 percent of the cost,” Agarwal told reporters.

Earlier in the day, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi lashed out at the Centre and said the party's state units will bear the cost of rail travel of needy migrant workers and labourers stranded at their workplaces due to the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus.

"What is particularly disturbing is that the central government and the Rail Ministry are charging them (migrant workers) for train tickets in this hour of crisis," she said. "When the government can spend nearly Rs 100 crores on transport and food for just one public programme in Gujarat, when the Rail Ministry has the largesse to donate Rs 151 Crores to the PM's Corona fund, then why can't these essential members of our nation's fabric be given a fraction of the same courtesy, especially free rail travel, at this hour of acute distress?," the Congress president asked.

Centre to facilitate return of Indians stranded abroad

Separately, the Union Home Ministry said the government will facilitate the return of Indians stranded abroad and the process will begin from 7 May in a phased manner. Only asymptomatic people would be allowed to travel and it would be arranged by aircraft and naval ships, and the facility will be available on a payment basis.

After their arrival in India, medical examinations will be conducted on everyone and they will be subsequently put under quarantine for 14 days, either in a hospital or in an institutional facility, the ministry said.

Modi calls for new template of globalisation at NAM virtual conference

At a video-conference of leaders of the Non- Aligned Movement (NAM), Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi called for a new template of globalisation post COVID-19, saying humanity is facing a major crisis.

"COVID-19 has shown us the limitations of the existing international system. In the post-COVID world, we need a new template of globalization, based on fairness, equality, and humanity," the prime minister said. "We need international institutions that are more representative of today's world. We need to promote human welfare, and not focus on economic growth alone. India has long championed such initiatives," he said.

Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends 'Non-Aligned Movement' Summit via video conferencing#COVID19 pic.twitter.com/fe7NA9E7ky

— ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2020

// <![CDATA[ <script> // ]]>

With inputs from agencies

via Blogger https://ift.tt/2YyKnWi

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Chhattisgarh government directs for screening of influenza, SARI patients to check spread of COVID-19

By PTI

RAIPUR: The Chhattisgarh government has directed authorities to conduct medical screening of all people suffering from influenza-like illness and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) in the state to check the spread of coronavirus, an official said on Sunday.

State Chief Secretary R P Mandal issued directives to all district collectors and chief medical and health officers in this…

[thetrendingfashions]

Are you also planning to go on holiday? So find out, about the rule of all the states ...

New delhi date. 28 September 2020, Monday

The Corona virus has hit the tourism sector hardest but now several states have opened their borders to tourists. States have unveiled a number of new guidelines that every tourist needs to know about. If you are also planning to go somewhere, know these guidelines of the states to avoid any trouble.

Andhra Pradesh: - A 14-day home quarantine is required for people coming from Telangana and Karnataka. Interstate travel is not prohibited.

Arunachal Pradesh: - Passengers entering the state will have to undergo rapid antigen test at the state's check gate and helipad. A 14-day home or institutional quarantine will be required if the corona is positive. There are no restrictions on travel within the state.

Assam: - There is no ban on travel, persons arriving in the state in 96 hours will have to undergo antigen test. If positive, quarantine will be required for 10 days.

Chhattisgarh: - E-pass is not required. 14 days quarantine is required for passengers arriving from another state. Several districts, including Raipur, have been declared containment zones.

Goa: - Passengers from other states do not need to undergo Corona test on arrival here. Passengers are no longer required to bring e-pass, covid negative report. Bars have been opened here but it has become necessary to follow all customer safety guidelines. Beach shakes and casinos will be closed.

Gujarat: - Thermal screening is required at Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar, Porbandar Airport. No quarantine required. In Ahmedabad and Surat, buses will have to run at 50 per cent passenger capacity, while in the remaining areas, buses will run at 60 per cent passenger capacity.

Himachal Pradesh: Tourists arriving in Himachal Pradesh are not required to register on the state's official website or submit a negative report of corona when entering the border. However, interstate bus service will be restricted for the time being. All tourism related activities in Kinnaur and Spiti Valley will be closed till the end of October. Tourists will be compelled to download the Health Bridge app. Tourists will no longer have to stop on the highway, they will have to stop at a designated place.

Jharkhand: - Inter - state bus services are closed here. Hotels, lodges, restaurants have started reopening. On arrival, all passengers will have to register their personal details on the government website https://ift.tt/2CN5pYw.

Jammu and Kashmir: - Passengers coming here are required to undergo Covid-19 antigen test. Aviation / railway passengers will have to go through home quarantine for 14 days. Passengers' phones must have a health bridge app. Road tripping passengers will have to abide by the quarantine rules unless their report is negative.

Karnataka: - It is not mandatory for passengers coming from other states to stay in quarantine for 14 days. Tourists do not even need to register on the Seva Indus portal.

Kerala: - Tourists will have to register on the Jagrata portal, which will automatically accept the entry into the state. This entry will serve as a pass. A 14-day home quarantine is required for travelers coming from abroad or far away.

Maharashtra: Inter- state travel ban continues. There are no restrictions on people living in the state.

Mizoram: - Only Monday, Thursday and Saturday flights are available for passengers. The curfew will continue from 8:30 pm to 4:30 am.

Rajasthan: All passengers are allowed to come here. Section 144 has been implemented in more than 11 districts, including Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Ajmer, Alwar, Bhilwara, Bikaner, Udaipur, Sikar, Pali and Nagaur. All vehicles including cabs, buses, autorickshaws can move around. The vehicle cannot accommodate more passengers than required.

Sikkim: - Hotels, homestays and other tourism related services will resume from October 10. Bookings for hotels and homestays have started from September 27. The West Bengal border will open from October 1.

Tamil Nadu: - E-pass is mandatory for people coming from other states by train, flight or road. Clubs, hotels and resorts will operate under the required rules. Chennai Airport will be able to handle 50 flights every day from September.

Uttar Pradesh: - Thermal screening of passengers is required at the airport. In addition, a 14-day quarantine is also required. Quarantine will not be mandatory if you wish to return within seven days.

Uttarakhand: - It is mandatory for outsiders to register on the web portal https://ift.tt/33662qw to enter the state. The two-day booking requirement has now been abolished in the state for tourists. Tourists do not even have to show a negative report of Covid-19. Thermal screening is mandatory at all Border Checkposts, Airports, Railway Stations and Border District Bus Stands. Tourists will have to download the Health Bridge app, wear masks and adhere to social distance.

West Bengal: - Flights are restricted here and only special trains are available.

For more information please go to https://ift.tt/3bbz2Ph

[thetrendingfashions]

Are you also planning to go on holiday? So find out, about the rule of all the states ...

New delhi date. 28 September 2020, Monday

The Corona virus has hit the tourism sector hardest but now several states have opened their borders to tourists. States have unveiled a number of new guidelines that every tourist needs to know about. If you are also planning to go somewhere, know these guidelines of the states to avoid any trouble.

Andhra Pradesh: - A 14-day home quarantine is required for people coming from Telangana and Karnataka. Interstate travel is not prohibited.

Arunachal Pradesh: - Passengers entering the state will have to undergo rapid antigen test at the state's check gate and helipad. A 14-day home or institutional quarantine will be required if the corona is positive. There are no restrictions on travel within the state.

Assam: - There is no ban on travel, persons arriving in the state in 96 hours will have to undergo antigen test. If positive, quarantine will be required for 10 days.

Chhattisgarh: - E-pass is not required. 14 days quarantine is required for passengers arriving from another state. Several districts, including Raipur, have been declared containment zones.

Goa: - Passengers from other states do not need to undergo Corona test on arrival here. Passengers are no longer required to bring e-pass, covid negative report. Bars have been opened here but it has become necessary to follow all customer safety guidelines. Beach shakes and casinos will be closed.

Gujarat: - Thermal screening is required at Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar, Porbandar Airport. No quarantine required. In Ahmedabad and Surat, buses will have to run at 50 per cent passenger capacity, while in the remaining areas, buses will run at 60 per cent passenger capacity.

Himachal Pradesh: Tourists arriving in Himachal Pradesh are not required to register on the state's official website or submit a negative report of corona when entering the border. However, interstate bus service is currently restricted here. All tourism related activities in Kinnaur and Spiti Valley will be closed till the end of October. Tourists will be compelled to download the Health Bridge app. Tourists will no longer have to stop on the highway, they will have to stop at a designated place.

Jharkhand: - Inter - state bus services are closed here. Hotels, lodges, restaurants have started reopening. On arrival, all passengers will have to register their personal details on the government website https://ift.tt/2CN5pYw.

Jammu and Kashmir: - Passengers coming here are required to undergo Covid-19 antigen test. Flight / railway passengers will have to go through home quarantine for 14 days. Passengers' phones must have a health bridge app. Road tripping passengers will have to abide by the quarantine rules unless their report is negative.

Karnataka: - It is not mandatory for passengers coming from other states to stay in quarantine for 14 days. Tourists do not even need to register on the Seva Indus portal.

Kerala: - Tourists will have to register on the Jagrata portal, which will automatically accept the entry into the state. This entry will serve as a pass. A 14-day home quarantine is required for travelers coming from abroad or far away.

Maharashtra: Interstate travel ban remains in place. There are no restrictions on people living in the state.

Mizoram: - Only Monday, Thursday and Saturday flights are available for passengers. The curfew will continue from 8:30 pm to 4:30 am.

Rajasthan: All passengers are allowed to come here. Section 144 has been implemented in more than 11 districts, including Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Ajmer, Alwar, Bhilwara, Bikaner, Udaipur, Sikar, Pali and Nagaur. All vehicles including cabs, buses, autorickshaws can move around. The vehicle cannot accommodate more passengers than required.

Sikkim: - Hotels, homestays and other tourism related services will resume from October 10. Bookings for hotels and homestays have started from September 27. The West Bengal border will open from October 1.

Tamil Nadu: - E-pass is mandatory for people coming from other states by train, flight or road. Clubs, hotels and resorts will operate under the required rules. Chennai Airport will be able to handle 50 flights every day from September.

Uttar Pradesh: - Thermal screening of passengers is required at the airport. In addition, a 14-day quarantine is also required. Quarantine will not be mandatory if you wish to return within seven days.

Uttarakhand: - It is mandatory for outsiders to register on the web portal https://ift.tt/33662qw to enter the state. The two-day booking requirement has now been abolished in the state for tourists. Tourists do not even have to show a negative report of Covid-19. Thermal screening is mandatory at all Border Checkposts, Airports, Railway Stations and Border District Bus Stands. Tourists will have to download the Health Bridge app, wear masks and adhere to social distance.

West Bengal: - Flights are restricted here and only special trains are available.

For more information please go to https://ift.tt/3bbz2Ph

[thetrendingfashions]

Are you also planning to go on holiday? So find out, about the rule of all the states ...

New delhi date. 28 September 2020, Monday

The Corona virus has hit the tourism sector hardest but now several states have opened their borders to tourists. States have unveiled a number of new guidelines that every tourist needs to know about. If you are also planning to go somewhere, know these guidelines of the states to avoid any trouble.

Andhra Pradesh: - A 14-day home quarantine is required for people coming from Telangana and Karnataka. Interstate travel is not prohibited.

Arunachal Pradesh: - Passengers entering the state will have to undergo rapid antigen test at the state's check gate and helipad. A 14-day home or institutional quarantine will be required if the corona is positive. There are no restrictions on travel within the state.

Assam: - There is no ban on travel, persons arriving in the state in 96 hours will have to undergo antigen test. If positive, quarantine will be required for 10 days.

Chhattisgarh: - E-pass is not required. 14 days quarantine is required for passengers arriving from another state. Several districts, including Raipur, have been declared containment zones.

Goa: - Passengers from other states do not need to undergo Corona test on arrival here. Passengers are no longer required to bring e-pass, covid negative report. Bars have been opened here but it has become necessary to follow all customer safety guidelines. Beach shakes and casinos will be closed.

Gujarat: - Thermal screening is required at Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar, Porbandar Airport. No quarantine required. In Ahmedabad and Surat, buses will have to run at 50 per cent passenger capacity, while in the remaining areas, buses will run at 60 per cent passenger capacity.

Himachal Pradesh: Tourists arriving in Himachal Pradesh are not required to register on the state's official website or submit a negative report of corona when entering the border. However, interstate bus service will be restricted for the time being. All tourism related activities in Kinnaur and Spiti Valley will be closed till the end of October. Tourists will be compelled to download the Health Bridge app. Tourists will no longer have to stop on the highway, they will have to stop at a designated place.

Jharkhand: - Inter - state bus services are closed here. Hotels, lodges, restaurants have started reopening. On arrival, all passengers will have to register their personal details on the government website https://ift.tt/2CN5pYw.

Jammu and Kashmir: - Passengers coming here are required to undergo Covid-19 antigen test. Aviation / railway passengers will have to go through home quarantine for 14 days. Passengers' phones must have a health bridge app. Road tripping passengers will have to abide by the quarantine rules unless their report is negative.

Karnataka: - It is not mandatory for passengers coming from other states to stay in quarantine for 14 days. Tourists do not even need to register on the Seva Indus portal.

Kerala: - Tourists will have to register on the Jagrata portal, which will automatically accept the entry into the state. This entry will serve as a pass. A 14-day home quarantine is required for travelers coming from abroad or far away.

Maharashtra: Inter- state travel ban continues. There are no restrictions on people living in the state.

Mizoram: - Only Monday, Thursday and Saturday flights are available for passengers. The curfew will continue from 8:30 pm to 4:30 am.

Rajasthan: All passengers are allowed to come here. Section 144 has been implemented in more than 11 districts, including Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Ajmer, Alwar, Bhilwara, Bikaner, Udaipur, Sikar, Pali and Nagaur. All vehicles including cabs, buses, autorickshaws can move around. The vehicle cannot accommodate more passengers than required.

Sikkim: - Hotels, homestays and other tourism related services will resume from October 10. Bookings for hotels and homestays have started from September 27. The West Bengal border will open from October 1.

Tamil Nadu: - E-pass is mandatory for people coming from other states by train, flight or road. Clubs, hotels and resorts will operate under the required rules. Chennai Airport will be able to handle 50 flights every day from September.

Uttar Pradesh: - Thermal screening of passengers is required at the airport. In addition, a 14-day quarantine is also required. Quarantine will not be mandatory if you wish to return within seven days.

Uttarakhand: - It is mandatory for outsiders to register on the web portal https://ift.tt/33662qw to enter the state. The two-day booking requirement has now been abolished in the state for tourists. Tourists do not even have to show a negative report of Covid-19. Thermal screening is mandatory at all Border Checkposts, Airports, Railway Stations and Border District Bus Stands. Tourists will have to download the Health Bridge app, wear masks and adhere to social distance.

West Bengal: - Flights are restricted here and only special trains are available.

For more information please go to https://ift.tt/3bbz2Ph

[brajeshupadhyay]

23:59 (IST) Coronavirus in Jharkhand Latest Updates Eight of Jharkhand's 10 new cases reported in Ranchi   Ten people tested positive for COVID-19 in Jharkhand on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 125, according to a bulletin issued by the government.Two persons from Dumka tested positive, while the rest are from Ranchi which has been declared a red zone, health officials said. Of the total positive cases, 89 are active and 33 people have recovered and been discharged, the bulletin said. Of the 91 cases in Ranchi, 71 are active, it said. Two persons have died of the infection in the state so far, while one died due to comorbid conditions, it said. No new cases were reported in the past two days.   PTI 23:53 (IST) Coronavirus in Bihar Latest Updates Seven, including four minors, test positive in Bihar Seven persons, including four minors, tested positive for COVID 19 on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases in Bihar to 535, a top official said.Of the seven cases, five were male and two female. Five of them hail from Katihar district and one each from Kaimur and Siwan, Health Departments Principal Secretary Sanjay Kumar said.    COVID-19 cases have been detected in the state's 32 of total 38 districts. Munger is the worst affected district with 102 cases. Four people have died of COVID-19 so far and there 400 active cases at present.   PTI 23:43 (IST) Coronavirus in Telangana Latest Updates Telangana to open liquor shops   2,200 liquor shops will be opened in Telangana except the ones  in Containment Zones, ANI quotes chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao as saying.There will be 16 percent hike in the price liquor and the price of cheap liquor will be hiked by 11 percent. People not maintaining social distancing will have to bear consequences. No Mask, no liquor. No Mask, no goods," he said. 23:35 (IST) Coronavirus in India Latest Updates Centre hikes excise duty on petrol by Rs 10 per litre and on diesel by Rs 13 per litre   The Central Government has increased excise duties by Rs 10 per litre on petrol and Rs 13 per litre on diesel, reports ANI. Retail sale prices of petrol and diesel will, however, not change as the price hike will be absorbed by OMCs, according to CNBCTV18. These duty rate changes shall come into effect from 6th May, 2020.   23:29 (IST) Coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh Latest Updates COVID-19 cases in Gautam Buddh Nagar climb to 193 as 13 more test positive   A policeman deployed on the emergency 112 helpline service in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar has tested positive for the coronavirus, PTI quotes officials as saying. The colleagues, family members and other people who came in contact with the sub-inspector have been quarantined and his health condition is being continuouly monitored, a police spokesperson said."It was still being assessed how the policeman got infected or if he came in contact with an infected person," the spokesperson said.    Besides the policeman, 13 other people, including two healthcare workers, tested positive for the COVID-19 infection in Gautam Buddh Nagar on Tuesday, according to officials.The number of total cases in the district now stands at 193, even as 109 patients have been discharged from hospitals after their successful treatment for coronavirus, the officials added. 23:24 (IST) Coronavirus in Tripura Latest Updates 13 more BSF personnel test positive in Tripura   Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb said that 13  personnel of BSF's 138th Battalion, including a mess worker, had tested positive for the coronavirus pushing the total number of cases in the state to 42. None of them are civillians, he said adding that two persons have been cured and discharged and the number of active cases stands at 40. 23:11 (IST) Coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh Latest Updates Over 500 small industrial units given nod to operate in Ghaziabad The Ghaziabad district administration has allowed over 500 small industrial units to operate during the third phase of the coronavirus lockdown, reports PTI. An official said 532 shops in rural areas were also allowed to operate while in city areas, 650 traders were given permission to do business. Commenting on it, DM Ajay Shankar Pandey said the administration had received 1,177 applications from the industrialists, of which 517 small-scale industrial units were allowed to operate. He said among the 532 shops in rural areas, 145 deal in fruit and vegetables, 13 in mobile phone repair and 12 in construction material. The district has so far recorded 104 cases, two deaths. 23:06 (IST) Coronavirus in Assam Latest Updates Confirmed cases in Assam rise to 44 One person from Assam's Kokrajhar district, with a travel history of Cooch Behar in West Bengal, has tested positive for the coronavirus infection, said Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. With this the total number of infections in the state rose to 44, including 32 discharged, one death and 11 active cases. Alert ~ One person from Kokrajhar dist, with a travel history of Cooch Behar in West Bengal, has tested positive for #COVID19. ↗️Total #COVID19 patients in Assam now stands at 44. ↗️Active cases 11 ↗️Discharged 32 ↗️Death 1 Update at 9.05 pm / May 5#AssamCovidCount — Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) May 5, 2020 23:02 (IST) Coronavirus in Punjab Latest Updates Punjab hikes petrol, diesel prices by Rs 2 per litre Punjab Government hikes Petrol and Diesel prices by Rs 2 per litre each, with effect from midnight, reports ANI. 22:59 (IST) Coronavirus in Telangana Latest Updates Only essential shops to open in red zones in Telangana Addressing the media, Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said that non-essential shops in the state will remain shut in red zones, According to a report in The News Minute, the chief Minister said that people aged above 65 and young children have been asked to stay indoors until the lockdown period ended. Night time curfew will continue in all districts, he said. 22:51 (IST) Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Updates Delhi govt issues SOP for movement of stranded persons Delhi Govt issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for screening of stranded people, moving out of Delhi or into Delhi from other states. pic.twitter.com/aHkim9Uouv — ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2020 22:45 (IST) Coronavirus in Chhattisgarh Latest Updates Twenty-six year old tests positive in Bhilai   A 26-year-old female from Bhilai has tested positive for #COVID19. She will be admitted in AIIMS Raipur, ANI quotes the  All India Institute of Medical Science, Raipur as saying. 22:30 (IST) Coronavirus in Telangana Latest Updates Telangana extends lockdown till 29 May Telanangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao said that lockdown in the state has been extended till 29 May. He advised people to finish their purchases by 6 pm as there would be a curfew from 7 pm. The chief minister warned of strict action against those found outside their homes after 7 pm. 22:25 (IST) Coronavirus in Rajasthan Latest Updates Rajasthan reports 97 fresh infections, 12 deaths Confirmed cases in Rajasthan climbed to 3,158 including 89 deaths as 97 fresh infections and 12 fatalities were reported in the state today.  97 new positive cases of #COVID19 and 12 deaths have been reported in Rajasthan today. Total number of cases rise to 3158 with death toll at 89. 1120 people have been cured/discharged till now: State Health Department pic.twitter.com/RaQlHY8001 — ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2020 22:20 (IST) Coronavirus in Telangana Latest Updates Case count in Telangana rises to 1,096 Till today, 1,096  positive cases have been reported  in Telangana of which 11 were detected today. 628 patients have been discharged and there are 439 active cases in the state now, ANI quotes Chief minister  K. Chandrashekar Rao as saying.   22:05 (IST) Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates Only shops selling essentials to remain open in Mumbai Noting that the opening of shops in Mumbai  has led to the flouting of social distancing norms amid rising number  on COVID-19 cases, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi ordered that no permission be given to non-essential shops, including liquor stores, in Mumbai. Only essential item stores like grocery shops and medical stores chemist shops will be allowed to be open, he said in an order. Non essential shops in Mumbai to shut. Only essential item stores like grocery shops and medical stores/chemist shops will be allowed to be open: BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) Commissioner pic.twitter.com/DqZOMJWfMl — ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2020 21:59 (IST) Coronavirus in Chandigarh Latest Updates No travel restrictions in Chandigarh except in containment zones No restriction on travel to any place within Chandigarh except declared containment zones like Bapu Dham etc. "Wear a mask, maintain social distance and gathering of more than 5 in group not allowed," said Chandigarh advisor Manoj Parida.  21:54 (IST) Coronavirus in Haryana Latest Updates Haryana to reopen govt offices with conditions   The Haryana government has decided to reopen its offices in the state and those located in its capital Chandigarh with certain conditions during the third phase of the COVID-19-induced lockdown.​ These offices, which were earlier closed after the lockdown was announced, can have full attendance of Group 'A' and 'B' officers and only 33 percent staff of Group C and D employees. The strength of Group C and D category employees is more and allowing full attendance at this stage can make it difficult to enforce social distancing norms, said a statement    A letter in this regard has been written by the office of the Haryana chief secretary, to all the administrative secretaries of the state, heads of departments, divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners, managing directors of boards and corporations in Haryana, registrars of universities in Haryana and registrar of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to comply with the guidelines. However, the provision relating to 33 per cent staffing strength for Group C and D will not apply to departments including municipal bodies, boards, corporations, missions, societies, chief secretary's office, and revenue, health, Home, agriculture, public health, development, panchayats, power, irrigation, urban local bodies, and food and civil supplies departments, the statement said.  In case an employee's place of residence lies within a containment zone, such employees will not leave the zone until the 'zone declaration order' has been withdrawn by the appropriate authority, it said. PTI  21:47 (IST) Coronavirus in India Latest Updates Over 30 COVID-19 vaccines being developed in India: PMO   Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the task force on Coronavirus vaccine Development and took a detailed review of the current status of India’s efforts in vaccine development, drug discovery, diagnosis and testing, reports ANI. "Indian vaccine companies have come across as innovators in early stage vaccine development research.Similarly,Indian academia and start-ups have also pioneered in this area. Over 30 Indian vaccines are in different stages of vaccine development,with few going on to trial stages," the news agency quotes the Prime Minister's Ofiice as saying. Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the task force on Coronavirus vaccine Development and took a detailed review of the current status of India’s efforts in vaccine development, drug discovery, diagnosis and testing: Prime Minister's Office #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/l9BmFQo6vf — ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2020 21:39 (IST) Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates Two civic bodies adjoining Mumbai to seal borders from 8 May The Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation and Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation have decided to seal their borders from 8 May in view of the rising number of cases in their respective areas, PTI quotes civic body officials as saying.  According to letters issued by the municipal commissioners of Kalyan-Dombivli and Ulhasnagar, residents who have offices in BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) areas will either have to shift to somewhere in Mumbai so that they can attend work or will have to stay home. There have been several COVID-19 cases in Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation and Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation, where the source of infection was traced back to Mumbai. 21:25 (IST) Coronavirus in Himachal Pradesh Latest Updates 21-year-old dies in Shimla, confirmatory report for COVID-19 awaited A 21-year-old man, who tested positive for the novel coronavirus, died in in Shimla on Tuesday, the third fatality in Himachal Pradesh.The youth, who was stranded in Delhi during lockdown, had returned to his house in Sarkaghat area of Mandi district in April, Chief Medical Officer Jeevanand Chauhan told PTI."As per his preliminary report, he was suffering from novel coronavirus. Confirmatory report of his second test is being awaited," Chauhan added. The officer said the man had only one kidney since birth and was getting treatment from a Delhi hospital.He was shifted to the IGMC hospital on Monday when his health deteriorated and he died on Tuesday, Chauhan said.   21:21 (IST) Coronavirus in India Latest Updates AIIMS Planning to Start OPD and Non-emergency Services Soon    An AIIMS sub-committee has been asked to prepare a blueprint for smooth restoration of OPD and non-emergency operation services, with the administration planning to resume them in the next ten days, PTI quotes officials as saying. Also, non-COVID services, other than emergency, for a limited time is likely to be predominantly referral only where the hospital will cater to only those patients who will be referred from peripheral hospitals, they said. The premier hospital has also constituted a committee to devise strategy for restoring healthcare services in a phased manner.   "The plan is to re-open OPD services in a phased manner. If the number of coronavirus cases surge in the near future and, if need be, we will switch back to the previous roster," an official said.   Doctors at AIIMS are currently providing tele-consultancy to all patients undergoing treatment at the hospital in an effort to reduce the need for them to visit the facility during the lockdown. Its been over a month that the AIIMS has shut down its OPD services and curtailed all elective surgeries as part of its effort towards redirecting its resources to control the COVID-19 outbreak.   21:15 (IST) Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Updates Positive cases in Delhi cross 5,000    The total number of coronavirus infections in Delhi rose to 5,104 as 206 news cases were reported today. The toll stands at 64 with no deaths being reported today. A total of 1,468 people have recovered from the virus infection and the number of active cases stands at 3,572 according to the daily update issued by the Delhi government.   🏥Delhi Health Bulletin - 5th May 2020 🏥#DelhiFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/UdzIiI7qYF — CMO Delhi (@CMODelhi) May 5, 2020 21:01 (IST) Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates Confirmed cases in Mumbai up by 635 to 9,758 Mumbai reports 635 new COVID-19 cases and 26 deaths, pushing the total case count to 9,758 and fatalities to 387, PTI quotes the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation as saying. 20:59 (IST) Coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh Latest Updates Cases in Madhya Pradesh rise to 3,049   107 more persons have tested positive for coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh taking the total number of cases in the state to 3,049 while the toll stands at 176, reports ANI quoting the state health department. 107 more persons have tested positive for #Coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh taking the total number of cases in the state to 3049. Death toll stands at 176: State Health Department pic.twitter.com/I2xLoebih4 — ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2020 20:50 (IST) Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates 841 new COVID-19 cases, 34 deaths reported in Maharashtra The Maharashtra health department said that 841 new coronavirus cases and 34 deaths were reported in the state on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases to 15,525. 20:38 (IST) Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Updates Two zones removed from Delhi containment list Two more zones in Delhi have been de-contained on Tuesday, taking the total number of containment zones in the National Capital to 88. No new addition in containment zones today. Two more zones in Delhi have been de-contained today; total number of containment zones in the national capital now stands at 88. No New addition in containment zones today. pic.twitter.com/f9wI4PFAZF — ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2020 20:32 (IST) Coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh Latest Updates Uttar Pradesh reports 118 new COVID-19 cases today The Uttar Pradesh government said that 118 new patients have been confirmed as coronavirus positive since Monday evening, taking the total number of cases to 2,880. Out of the total cases, 987 patients have been discharged while 56 others lost their lives. 20:25 (IST) Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates 350 COVID-19 patients recover in Maharashtra today The Maharashtra health department said that 350 coronavirus patients have been recovered and discharged on Tuesday, of which 165 patients are from Mumbai. This is the highest discharge number in a single day in Maharashtra. Total number of discharged patients in the state is 2,465 so far. 20:18 (IST) Coronavirus in UK Latest Updates UK COVID-19 toll crosses 32,000 The coronavirus toll in the UK crossed 32,000 on Tuesday and surpassed Italy's toll to become the new epicentre of the pandemic, reports said.  "This figure far exceeds the death toll of 29,029 in Italy – until now Europe’s worst-hit country. Italy’s total does not include suspected cases," The Guardian reported. "Britain on Tuesday became the first country in Europe to confirm more than 30,000 coronavirus deaths and infections rose sharply again in Russia, even as other nations made great strides in taming the virus. China marked its third week with no new virus deaths and South Korea restarted its professional baseball season. In the US, some states began halting steps to lift the lockdown restrictions being blamed for throwing millions out of work and upending the global economy even as thousands of new U.S. infections and deaths were being reported daily," The Indian Express reported. 20:05 (IST) Coronavirus in Tamil Nadu Latest Updates 508 new COVID-19 cases reported in Tamil Nadu The Tamil Nadu health department said that 508 new coronavirus cases have been reported in the state on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases to 4,058. Two deaths have been reported too, taking the toll to 33. 19:50 (IST) Coronavirus in Tamil Nadu Latest Updates EPS says more COVID-19 cases in Chennai because of dense population Tamil Nadu chief minister E Palaniswami on Tuesday said that coronavirus cases are more in Chennai "because it is densely populated". "In all containment zones, sanitisation is being done three times a day. Tamil Nadu has set up 50 testing centers and the state has the highest testing rate in the country," he added. 19:41 (IST) Coronavirus in Gujarat Latest Updates Ahmedabad municipal commissioner self-quarantines for 14 days Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner Vijay Nehra has decided to get home quarantined for 14 days after he came in contact of positive patients. Now, for two weeks Mukesh Kumar, Vice Chairman and CEO of Gujarat Maritime Board, will be the in-charge Municipal Commissioner of AMC. I came into contact with two persons during my field visits who tested positive subsequently As per existing guidelines, I have been advised self isolation at home for 14 days. Looking forward to rejoining the #FightAgainstCOVID19 very soon — Vijay Nehra (@vnehra) May 5, 2020 19:39 (IST) Coronavirus in Haryana Latest Updates Haryana reports 31 new COVID-19 cases today The Haryana health department said that 31 new COVID-19 cases have been reported in the state on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases to 548. 19:37 (IST) Coronavirus in Assam Latest Updates Another person tests positive for COVID-19 in Assam Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that Oone person from Goalpara has tested positive for COVID-19. The total number of cases in the state now stands at 43, of which active cases are at 10. 19:22 (IST) Coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir Latest Updates 15 new COVID-19 cases reported in J&K The Jammu and Kashmir government said that 15 new coronavirus cases have been reported in the union territory on Tuesday. Of these, one is from the Jammu division and 14 from Kashmir division. The total number of cases in the Union Territory stands at 741, including 413 active cases. 19:16 (IST) Coronavirus in India Latest Updates MHA issues guidelines for Indians stranded abroad The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issues standard operating procedures for movement of Indian nationals stranded outside the country. "Passengers found to be symptomatic shall be immediately taken to medical facility. Remaining passengers shall be taken to suitable institutional quarantine facilities to be arranged by respective states. These passengers shall be kept under institutional quarantine for 14 days. "If they test negative after 14 days, they will be allowed to go home and will undertake self-monitoring of their health for 14 more days as per protocol. The remaining people will be shifted to medical facility by states/UTs governments," the statement said. Ministry of Home Affairs issues standard operating procedures for movement of Indian nationals stranded outside the country. pic.twitter.com/Uct6ukwm8L — ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2020 19:09 (IST) Coronavirus in India Latest Updates Total 69 BSF personnel test positive for COVID-19  The Border Security Force (BSF) said that a total of 69 personnel have been found to be infected by coronavirus so far. COVID-19 cases in BSF Total 69 BSF personnel have been found COVID +Ve till date, posted in different BSF establishments. 2 have recovered & 67 are under treatment. During essential & operational duties, personnel contracted this infection. Press release👇https://t.co/wVaIFZaqdO — BSF (@BSF_India) May 5, 2020 18:57 (IST) Coronavirus in India Latest Updates MHA says existing visas to foreigners to remain suspended All existing visas granted to foreigners, except certain categories, to remain suspended till the prohibition on international air travel of passengers from/to India is lifted by GoI: MHA All existing visas granted to foreigners, except certain categories, to remain suspended till the prohibition on international air travel of passengers from/to India is lifted by GoI.#lockdown #CoronaUpdatesInIndia Details 👇 pic.twitter.com/ZR3QOG5fcZ — Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) May 5, 2020 18:54 (IST) Coronavirus in Jharkhand Latest Updates Jharkhand reports 4 new COVID-19 cases Four new coronavirus cases were reported in Jharkhand on Tuesday. All the new cases were reported from Ranchi. The total number of COVID-19 cases in the state now stands at 119. 18:50 (IST) Coronavirus in India Latest Updates Centre shares evacuation plan of Indians stranded abroad The PIB released the evacuation plan for Indians stranded in 12 countries abroad by 64 flights by Air India, starting 7 May. Here is the evacuation plan for Indians stranded in 12 countries abroad by 64 flights by @airindiain starting May 7 pic.twitter.com/4FL1xnFGtx — PIB India #StayHome #StaySafe (@PIB_India) May 5, 2020 18:37 (IST) Coronavirus in India Latest Updates Centre says no exam to be held for class 10 students nationwide 📢Attention class X students! No examination to be held for class X students nationwide, except for students from North-East Delhi. An adequate time of 10 days will be given to all students for the preparation of exams.#EducationMinisterGoesLive pic.twitter.com/x4QJAInvtT — Ministry of HRD (@HRDMinistry) May 5, 2020 18:33 (IST) Coronavirus in Kerala Latest Updates Pinarayi Vijayan says stranded Indians will be quarantined for a week Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday also reportedly said that the returnees from abroad will to be in quarantine for at least seven days. 18:20 (IST) Coronavirus in Israel Latest Updates Israel says 'significant breakthrough' in developing COVID-19 treatment Israel has isolated a key coronavirus antibody at its main biological research laboratory, the Israeli defence minister said on Monday, calling the step a “significant breakthrough” toward a possible treatment for the COVID-19 pandemic. The “monoclonal neutralising antibody” developed at the Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) “can neutralise it (the disease-causing coronavirus) inside carriers’ bodies,” Defence Minister Naftali Bennett said in a statement. The statement added that Bennett visited the IIBR on Monday where he was briefed “on a significant breakthrough in finding an antidote for the coronavirus”. (Reuters) 18:15 (IST) Coronavirus in Kerala Latest Updates Kerala govt tells Modi 'dangerous' to bring back Indians without COVID-19 testing Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and said that "it would be dangerous to fly back stranded Indians from abroad without proper coronavirus testing." "Centre has informed that they are bringing back Indians from other countries without conducting COVID-19 test. This will increase threat of COVID-19 spread. Testing has to be conducted and I have taken this matter up with the Centre," he said. "From 7 May, 2,250 people from abroad will be returning back to Kerala initially. The Centre is learned to have approved to bring back 80,000 expatriates but there are 1.69 lakh people in Kerala's priority list. This has been taken up with Centre," he added. 18:09 (IST) Coronavirus in Andhra Pradesh Latest Updates Women protest against opening of liquor shops in Visakhapatnam Women in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday held a protest against the liquor shops being opening in the district by the state government amid the COVID-19 lockdown. A protester was quoted by ANI as saying, "Vegetable markets stay open for only 3 hours but liquor shops are allowed to remain open for 7 hours". Women in Visakhapatnam held a protest against opening of liquor shops amid #CoronavirusLockdown. A protester said, "Vegetable markets stay open for only 3 hours but liquor shops are allowed to remain open for 7 hours". (Video: News18) Follow LIVE updates: https://t.co/1qPUbP88e7 pic.twitter.com/hV2B2vlvKE — Firstpost (@firstpost) May 5, 2020 17:58 (IST) Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates Maharashtra govt issues clarification on revised lockdown guidelines The Maharashtra government on Tuesday issued 'clarification to revised guidelines on the lockdown measures for containment of COVID-19 in the state'. Maharashtra Government has issued 'clarification to revised guidelines on the lockdown measures for containment of #COVID19 in the state'. pic.twitter.com/m3KeNjdjzf — ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2020 17:56 (IST) Coronavirus in India Latest Updates Total COVID-19 cases in India rise to 46,711 In its 5 pm update, the Union health ministry said that the total number of coronavirus cases in India rose to 46,711 on Tuesday, including 31,967 active cases, 1,583 deaths, 13,160 cured/discharged and 1 migrated. 17:53 (IST) Coronavirus in Karnataka Latest Updates 22 new COVID-19 cases reported in Karntaka The Karnataka health department said that 22 new coronavirus cases were reported in the state between 5 pm on Monday and 5 pm on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 673, including 331 discharges and 29 deaths. 17:37 (IST) Coronavirus in Assam Latest Updates Assam govt says 44,732 goods trucks entered state during COVID-19 lockdown ✅ 452 railway rakes entered Assam during lockdown period. ✅ 44,732 goods trucks entered Assam during lockdown period. ✅ 53,118 trucks mobilized to carry commodities to various parts of Assam from railway yards. ✅ All support provided for smooth movement of LPG trucks. — Chief Minister Assam (@CMOfficeAssam) May 5, 2020 Coronavirus Outbreak Updates: Seven persons, including four minors, tested positive for COVID 19 on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases in Bihar to 535, a top official said. Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb said that 13  personnel of BSF's 138th Battalion, including a mess worker, had tested positive for the coronavirus pushing the total number of cases in the state to 42. Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao said that lockdown in the state has been extended till 29 May. He advised people to finish their purchases by 6 pm as there would be a curfew from 7 pm. The chief minister warned of strict action against those found outside their homes after 7 pm. Noting that the opening of shops in Mumbai  has led to the flouting of social distancing norms amid rising number  on COVID-19 cases, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi ordered that no permission be given to non-essential shops, including liquor stores, in Mumbai. The total number of coronavirus infections in Delhi rose to 5,104 as 206 news cases were reported today. The toll stands at 64 with no deaths being reported today. Mumbai reports 635 new COVID-19 cases and 26 deaths, pushing the total case count to 9,758 and fatalities to 387, PTI quotes the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation as saying.  The Tamil Nadu health department said that 508 new coronavirus cases have been reported in the state on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases to 4,058. Two deaths have been reported too, taking the toll to 33. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issues standard operating procedures for movement of Indian nationals stranded outside the country. "Passengers found to be symptomatic shall be immediately taken to medical facility. Remaining passengers shall be taken to suitable institutional quarantine facilities to be arranged by respective states. These passengers shall be kept under institutional quarantine for 14 days. "If they test negative after 14 days, they will be allowed to go home and will undertake self-monitoring of their health for 14 more days as per protocol. The remaining people will be shifted to medical facility by states/UTs governments," the statement said. All existing visas granted to foreigners, except certain categories, to remain suspended till the prohibition on international air travel of passengers from/to India is lifted by GoI, the MHA said. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and said that "it would be dangerous to fly back stranded Indians from abroad without proper coronavirus testing." "From 7 May, 2,250 people from abroad will be returning back to Kerala initially. The Centre is learned to have approved to bring back 80,000 expatriates but there are 1.69 lakh people in Kerala's priority list. This has been taken up with Centre," he added. The Ministry of Railways on Tuesday said that so far, 67 'Shramik Special Trains' have been run by various Zonal Railways. "Till 4 May, we had run 55 trains. Today, trains have been operated from Bengaluru, Surat, Sabarmati, Jalandhar, Kota, Ernakulam, 21 more such trains may leave today," the statement said. Union health ministry joint secretary Lav Aggarwal said that the coronavirus toll in India rose by 195 in the last 24 hours, adding that the total number of cases of stands at 46,433 nationwide. In the 4 pm press briefing, he said, "In last 24 hours there have been 3,900 new cases, 195 deaths and 1,020 people have recovered. The recovery rate is 27.41 percent." Forty five Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel have tested positive for the novel coronavirus so far. Among the 45, 43 of them were deployed for IS duties in Delhi and two of them in the Law and Order duty with Delhi Police, said the ITBP. Two infants among eight who tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Pimpri Chinchwad on Tuesday, ANI quoted the health department as saying. As many as, 71 fresh COVID-19 cases were reported in Pune on Monday, taking the total number of confirmed cases in the district to 2,122. Putting a close to the uncertainly over engineering and medical exams, the government on Tuesday announced dates for holding of Joint Entrance Exams (JEE) and National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). While interacting with students in a webinar, HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal said the JEE-Mains exams will be held from 18-23 July while, JEE-Advanced exams will be held in August. He also said that the medical entrance exam NEET will be conducted on 26 July. With eight more people testing positive for the novel coronavirus in Karnataka between Monday 5 pm to Tuesday 12 pm, the total number of confirmed cases in the state climbed to 659. So far, the state has recorded 28 deaths, according to the health department. The COVID-19 recovery rate in the state stood at 49.2 percent after 324 patients were discharged. The fourth floor of the Shastri Bhawan, office of Department of Legal Affairs, was sealed on Tuesday after a senior law ministry official tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The senior official in the department of legal affairs who is now positive had last attended office on 23 April. According to a journalist with The Indian Express, gate number 1 and 2 which were often used by the officer have been closed, along with the corresponding lifts, for disinfecting and will remain shut till Wednesday (6 May). 67 new COVID-19 positive cases reported in Andhra Pradesh in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of cases in the state to 1717 with the state toll at 34, according to the state health department on Tuesday. Meanwhile, state-run TASMAC alcohol shops will not be opening in the Greater Chennai City police limits on 7 May, the Tamil Nadu government has said. COVID-19 cases in border guarding force BSF have climbed to 67, with the maximum reported in a Delhi battalion, deployed in the Jamia area for law and order duties, and from the frontier state of Tripura, officials said on Tuesday. A special train carrying about 1,200 migrant workers left for Khagaria in Bihar from Ghatkesar near Hyderabad on Tuesday. "The Shramik Special Train left for Khagaria in Bihar on Tuesday morning. All the passengers were screened before they were allowed to board," a senior south central railway official said. This is the second train arranged for the workers in Telangana. Similarly, another train from Rayannapadu near Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh left for Chandrapur in Maharashtra, the SCR official added. India registered 46,433 COVID-19 positive cases on Tuesday with 1,568 fatalities due to the viral disease, according to the latest data released by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The figure includes 32,134 active cases. After the Delhi government raised the VAT on auto fuel, the petrol price per litre is hiked by Rs 1.67 to Rs 71.26 while, the price of diesel increased by Rs 7.10 to Rs 69.39 in the National Capital on Tuesday.​ Aadhaar-based claims for public distribution system (PDS) would have saved a lot of misery for the poor, said Abhijit Banerjee during discussion on economic impact with Congress' Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday. He further claimed that many names still missing in the system. "We should try to be optimistic about overall economic revival in India post-lockdown," said Banerjee. Abhijit Banerjee advised that India should take a cue from the United States and insisted on putting money into people's hands, "as the current US administration is doing". "We have to take a chance on widening the reach of PDS," Banerjee told Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday while discussing the state of Indian economy. Handing out temporary ration card to anybody who requires one at the current moment would be a good idea to tackle the food crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee to Rahul Gandhi. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's dialogue with Nobel Laureate Abhijit Banerjee on dealing with the economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis will be aired on Tuesday as part of his series of deliberations with experts on economy and health. The Congress party has tweeted a 1.44-minute clip from the conversation which will be aired in full at 9 am Tuesday. In an order released on Monday, the Mumbai Police stated that Section 144 has been imposed in the city till 17 May between 8 pm and 7 am. The order clarified that during those hours, only vehicles addressing medical services and the ones used for essential services will be allowed to ply. From Tuesday, stand-alone shops will issue tokens for customers to avoid crowding at shop counters. Even as India's COVID-19 fight entered its third phase on Monday with considerable relaxations to the lockdown curbs, confirmed cases surged to 42,836 with 2,573 fresh cases. The death toll rose to 1,389 with 83 fatalities reported in 24 hours. The government said a record high number of 1,074 patients recovered from the infection in the last 24 hours but cautioned that the restrictions can be reimposed if there is any complacency in following the containment and social distancing norms. The Centre also announced that it will facilitate the return of Indians stranded in other countries in a phased manner from 7 May. Country records highest number of recoveries in 24 hours, says health ministry According to the 5 pm update issued by the Union health ministry, India now has 42, 836 confirmed cases of coronavirus while 1,380 persons have died due to the disease. Maharashtra has reported the highest number of cases (12,974), followed by Gujarat (5, 428 cases), Delhi (4,549) cases, Tamil Nadu (3,023 cases) and Madhya Pradesh (2942). Maharashtra also recorded the highest number of fatalities with 548 deaths followed by 290 in Gujarat and 165 in Madhya Pradesh. According to the health ministry, the number of active cases stood at 29,685 as 11,761 persons were cured/discharged while one has migrated. Earlier, while addressing a press briefing, Joint Secretary at the health ministry Lav Agarwal said that as many as 1,074 COVID-19 patients have recovered in the last 24 hours, the highest number of recoveries recorded in one day. The rate of recovery stands at  27.52 percent , he said, but stressed that there is a need for rigorous implementation of the containment strategy while people also need to strictly adhere to hygiene as well as social distancing habits. Agarwal cautioned that if the virus spread is detected in areas that do not have any active cases for now, restrictions can be reimposed there. Kerala did not report a single new case for the second consecutive day, but neighbouring Tamil Nadu saw its tally rising by a record number of 527 new cases. Gujarat and Maharashtra also reported significant rise in their numbers. Several other states including Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Odisha also reported a rising number of cases. Gujarat reported 376 new cases and 29 more deaths — the highest for a day — to take its total tally of confirmed cases to more than 5,800 and fatalities to 319. Ahmedabad alone reported 259 new cases and a record number of 26 deaths on Monday, taking its tally of confirmed cases to above 4,000 and the death toll to 234. In Maharashtra’s Mumbai, the case count crossed the 9,000-mark and jumped to 9,123  with the addition of 510 new patients, while 18 more died due to the viral infection. While several big urban centres across the country continued to report rise in the number of cases, several smaller states and Union Territories — including Goa, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Meghalaya, Assam, Aruranchal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Manipur, Mizoram, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Tripura — have witnessed nil or very few cases getting detected in the last few days. Confusion prevails as restrictions are eased in green, orange zones In the third phase of the lockdown, more categories of stores including of apparel and electrical goods, as also various kinds of repair centres, and even barber shops in some places, reopened in several parts of the country. Liquor shops saw the biggest of the crowds and had to be closed at many places, including in the National Capital, after social distancing norms appeared totally missing. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said whatever happened on Monday was not right and all have to follow the social distancing norms . "It is sad that people were not following social distancing norms at some shops today. I request everyone to not take any risk," he said. #WATCH It was unfortunate that chaos was seen at some shops today in Delhi...If we come to know about violations of social distancing and other norms from any area, then we will have to seal the area and revoke the relaxations there: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal pic.twitter.com/0eFgaqrKsB — ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2020 // // ]]> On the other hand, confusion prevailed in large industrial and business clusters across the country, including in Noida and Gurgaon on the outskirts of Delhi, on reopening of offices and industrial establishments due to lack of clarity on daily commute of their staff given continuing restrictions on major modes of the public transport. Row over rail fares of migrant workers The transport of migrant workers back to their home states continued for the third consecutive day on Monday. Kerala opened its borders at six places for Keralites stranded in other states due to the COVID-19 lockdown to return to their native places. A total of 21,500 migrant workers and their family members stranded in Gujarat for over 40 days were sent back to their native states, including UP and Bihar, through 18 trains in the last three days, a senior official told PTI. Union health ministry officials also said the process of transporting stranded migrant labourers was being coordinated by states, though the central government guidelines have clearly stated that the infectious disease management requires everyone to stay where he or she is. “Based on the request given from states for particular cases, permission was given to run special trains. Be it the government of India or the Railways, we have not talked about charging from workers. Eighty-five per cent of the transportation cost is borne by the Railways, while states have to bear 15 percent of the cost,” Agarwal told reporters. Earlier in the day, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi lashed out at the Centre and said the party's state units will bear the cost of rail travel of needy migrant workers and labourers stranded at their workplaces due to the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus. "What is particularly disturbing is that the central government and the Rail Ministry are charging them (migrant workers) for train tickets in this hour of crisis," she said. "When the government can spend nearly Rs 100 crores on transport and food for just one public programme in Gujarat, when the Rail Ministry has the largesse to donate Rs 151 Crores to the PM's Corona fund, then why can't these essential members of our nation's fabric be given a fraction of the same courtesy, especially free rail travel, at this hour of acute distress?," the Congress president asked. Centre to facilitate return of Indians stranded abroad Separately, the Union Home Ministry said the government will facilitate the return of Indians stranded abroad and the process will begin from 7 May in a phased manner. Only asymptomatic people would be allowed to travel and it would be arranged by aircraft and naval ships, and the facility will be available on a payment basis. After their arrival in India, medical examinations will be conducted on everyone and they will be subsequently put under quarantine for 14 days, either in a hospital or in an institutional facility, the ministry said. Modi calls for new template of globalisation at NAM virtual conference At a video-conference of leaders of the Non- Aligned Movement (NAM), Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi called for a new template of globalisation post COVID-19, saying humanity is facing a major crisis. "COVID-19 has shown us the limitations of the existing international system. In the post-COVID world, we need a new template of globalization, based on fairness, equality, and humanity," the prime minister said. "We need international institutions that are more representative of today's world. We need to promote human welfare, and not focus on economic growth alone. India has long championed such initiatives," he said. Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends 'Non-Aligned Movement' Summit via video conferencing#COVID19 pic.twitter.com/fe7NA9E7ky — ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2020 // // ]]> With inputs from agencies

http://sansaartimes.blogspot.com/2020/05/coronavirus-outbreak-updates-confirmed.html

[brajeshupadhyay]

Odisha, gearing up to quarantine 5L returning migrants, faces mammoth task; social distancing only hope and also biggest challenge

Since 1989, Harihar Pradhan, 48, a resident of Manapada village Panchayat under Brahmagiri Block of Puri in Odisha has been working in Surat, Gujarat’s flourishing power loom industry, as a weaver. Harihar operates 12 looms on average and earns around Rs 20,000 every month. Of hist salary, Harihar sends Rs 15,000 to his wife in Odisha for his family of four, including two daughters who are pursuing college education.

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus, and the nationwide lockdown announced thereafter, however, has interrupted this steady flow of income.

Over a month into the lockdown, Harihar has exhausted the amount he received from the textile mill owner and there's a lot of uncertainty about his job. Harihar now wants to go home and be with his family.

“With my little knowledge on the world today, I simply guess there would be a recession in the textile sector, and it's going to affect Indian exports," said Harihar.

An even if the textile mills do run, in the current scenario, it will be difficult to get raw materials such as yarn, colours and machine tools, Harihar added.

The financial uncertainty has forced Harihar (and many others like him from Odisha) to register with the Government of Odisha's portal dedicated to help the pravsi sramika (migrant labourers) working outside the state to return home.

The Odisha govt has issued detailed guidelines enforcing a mandatory registration for migrant workers and 14-day forced quarantine for every person entering Odisha during and after the lockdown.

Having already suffered a huge loss after the Cyclone Fani made landfall in their area Brahmagiri, the lockdown has been a double whammy for Harihar and his family.

The cyclone devastated his home while also damaging the paddy crop and the orchard. The damage from the cyclone ostensibly is the reason that a large number of youths from the area have migrated to work in Surat, Mumbai, Kerala, Chennai, and Goa.

Balaram Pradhan, a resident of Kulangi Village under Sorada Tahsil in Odisha’s Ganjam district, is in the same boat.

Balaram who is working at Eddupally under Ernakulam district in Kerala, expressed strong dismay over the second round of the national lockdown, saying it jeopardised his plan to earn more and get married soon.

Balaram had planned to surprise his parents and brothers by purchasing a bike for his family. But now it has been put on hold.

A construction labourer, 24-year-old Balaram comes from a family of migrant workers. His father is still working at a textile mill in Surat while one brother works in the construction sector like him. His younger brother is continuing to study.

Since the state government has come up with an elaborate plan to bring migrant workers home and quarantine them for 14 days, people like Balaram and Harihar have no other option but to give their consent to the terms in writing.

The larger question though is: How will they stay in their own villages and yet not meet their near and dear ones?

Quarantine centres set up across villages in Odisha

Dedicated quarantine-cum-isolation centers have been set up in villages, municipal areas and panchayats across the state. Public places such as schools, colleges, cyclone-cum-flood shelters, anganwadi kendras and panchayat buildings have been converted into temporary hospitals and isolation centres.

The state has set up at least 7,125 temporary medical centres (TMCs) in 6,798 gram panchayats which have 2,27,000 beds. Besides these, special COVID-19 hospitals have been established in almost all 30 district headquarters and four private medical college hospitals have been tasked to operationalise 500-bed hospitals each.

According to state government estimates, 5 lakh migrants are expected to arrive in the state after the nationwide lockdown is lifted and the Odisha government is making special arrangements to bring them home.

Just before the announcement of the second nationwide lockdown in April, violent demonstrations were reported from Surat in Gujarat, with Odia migrant workers taking to the streets near Diamond City, Pandesara, Sachin GIDC and Patel Nagar areas, demanding that they be sent back to their homes.

Odia migrant workers in other cities across the country as well as abroad have also sent videos narrating their innumerable suffering and plight.

While 4,86,000 migrant labourers have already registered so far, exodus of another 5 lakh is expected in the next couple of months due to uncertainty over jobs, opined social scientist Subas Panda.

Social distancing biggest issue

While arrangements have been made to accommodate migrant labourers returning from other states, the challenges are plenty, including arranging the logistics for their safe travel to their villages in Odisha, and then settling them in quarantine centres with proper facilities.

The state government has earmarked a huge budget for that purpose. According to sources from government, each gram panchayat has been provided with Rs 5 lakh for setting up quarantine centres and additional amount will be released for food and other requirements.

However, despite these elaborate arrangements a larger question is emerging: How to ensure social distancing?

The Ministry of Home Affairs while relaxing the lockdown measurers allowed the movement of stranded migrant labourers after 4 May, from one state to another, and has asked the states to strictly adhere to the health protocol and Standard Operating Procedures. Even the World Health Organization (WHO), the scientific community and public health experts world over have underlined the need to ensure social distancing to preven the spread of the virus.

Experts are also sceptical whether authorities will be able to maintain social distancing while transporting the migrant workers from different parts of the country to the quarantine centres located in the vicinity of their homes.

"It will not be possible to maintain social or physical distance while transporting them for over thousands of miles," a senior transport department official said on condition of anonymity.

Though Odisha has relatively a very small number of COVID-19 cases (154), because of its overwhelming migrant population, the state is now a sitting duck for further spread of the disease.

Nearly 30 lakh Odias are working across the country and abroad as migrant labourers mostly in construction, textile, hospitality, plywood and food processing industries. A vast section of them, nearly 10 lakh, are employed by Surat's (Gujarat's) textile, diamond, jari, olanga ship breaking industry, and the petroleum and other industries.

Besides, more than 3 lakh are in Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, while a  large section of them are working in south India’s booming construction sector, power looms, tea gardens, plywood, food processing and brick kilns.

Apart from them, Odia migrants are also found in large numbers in Goa, Raipur, Kolkata, Delhi, Punjab, Himachal and Haryana.

These migrants are reportedly now feeling insecure and are living in constant fear because of the uncertainty about their jobs and daily living due to the outbreak and are desperate to return home. Their desperation is evident from the fact that nearly 5 lakh Odia migrants have registered in the state government’s website expressing a desire to return home.

The arrival of migrants in such a large number, also means that the authorities must ensure that all social distancing measures are followed to the T.

Considering most migrants live in slums or in dense and dingy conditions at sites of factories and construction sites, they generally leave behind their family or parents back home. So, there will be an obvious urge to meet their spouses, children, parents and other family members once they return.

It would be difficult to suppress that instinct, as per a sociologist.

Besides, family may also try to provide homemade food, beverages to the migrant workers, and that may lead to conflicts between law enforcing agencies and the community. The much talked about social distancing to keep the coronavirus away could soon become a thing of the past.

Additional chief secretary of health and coordinator-in-charge of social distancing, Pradipta Kumar Mahapatra, however, seems confident that the entire operation will be successful.

He said that the govt has made adequate arrangements so that social distancing is maintained and ensure that there is no community transmission even if positive cases are discovered.

“We have worked out a protocol. Immediately after their arrival, they (migrant workers) will go for a medical screening. ASHA, ANM and anganwadi workers have been trained for this. A five-member panchayat team will look after their quarantine arrangements and supervision with support from administrative officials, and all suspected cases will be referred to the panchayat-level COVID-19 health centre for further check up and isolation,” he said.

“The most challenging part would be finishing the 14-day self-quarantine period and upon testing negative, mainstreaming them back into the society and their family,” Mahapatra added.

According to a conservative estimate, the Government of Odisha is going to bear the burden of additional expenditure of Rs 3,000 crore to bring back migrants, their safe quarantine, food, bed and medical expenses. Upon the completion of 14-day quarantine, each of the migrants will be paid Rs 2,000 besides their food, personal usable kit and transportation.

Villages demand police protection

“You will need to deploy police and officials to enforce social distancing, but it will not be possible to provide police protection to each and every quarantine centre located in remote villages,” said Bamadev Sahu, a retired police officer. The government needs to mobilise villagers and involve the community, Sahu observed.

"We have requested District Collector to provide at least one policeman to each centre, so that minimum protocol is maintained," said Sashmita Nanda, chairperson of the Odapada Block under Dhenkanal district.

"We will ensure they follow guidelines of the  government to which they have already given consent, otherwise we will take action against them," added Nanda, informing that the block has made arrangements for 12,00 migrants.

Significantly, Odisha is the first state to vest the power of a collector to sarpanchs especially to manage quarantine centres and the large influx of migrant population to rural areas.

“It’s good that the chief minister has assigned us with the power of a collector, but it will be difficult to enforce because almost all those who will come here and get quarantined are our known people. We will appeal to them to maintain discipline and will definitely ensure their safe quarantine period. We have trained volunteers from our village to guard the centre,” said Bijaya Das, sarpanch of Brhmabarad Gram Panchayat.

Das further added that the village has became extra cautious because the first case of Tablighi Jamaat in the state was found in the Brhmabarad village. Though he has recovered, the fear still remains in the locality.

The West Bengal connection

Odisha is among the first states to register the migrants bound homeward.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in a video message on 29 April appealed to the public to be more vigilant, cautious, sensible and supportive as lakhs of Odia migrants will return to the state with Centre now allowing migrants to return to their homes.

Patnaik, however, has linked the present spike of cases in state’s northeastern districts with the arrival of migrant workers from Kolkata. Overall, 60 persons have been traced to Kolkata where they worked as labourers or street vendors.

Naresh Jena, a human rights activist and a senior advocate in Odisha High Court said that because of the negligence shown in quarantining migrants who had returned from West Bengal, the situation in districts of Jajpur, Bhadrak and Balasore worsened.

“The looming crisis may blow up if we will be unable to maintain discipline in quarantine centres because people who are supposed to be in home quarantine for 14 days are seen moving freely in nearby markets, socialising and were visiting relatives and acquaintances,” he said.

Tafahima Akhtar, a women's rights activist, however, said the migrant workers alone can't be held responsible.

“Everybody from the police and local administration to relatives and villagers are to be blamed for this,” she said.

"See people have the general tendency to mingle with friends, family and acquaintances, and the urge is stronger when they return from outside. They don’t understand that they might be carrying the virus because as it has been seen, initially all are asymptomatic,’’ added Akhtar.

She further observed that because of the late warning and lack of awareness on public health, the Tablighi Jaamat case was blown out of proportion and a gross mismanagement was found.

Despite that, the fear of a spike in cases after the return of migrant workers to Odisha looms large in the state as almost 50 percent confirmed COVID-19 cases in Odisha now have a West Bengal connection.

Past paints grim picture, but officials optimistic

To the utter surprise of the local administration, traditional marine and inland fishermen who were working outside the state in Tamil Nadu have taken advantages of the sea route to reach their homes.

"During the last week, hundreds of them entered Odisha and Andhra Pradesh via the Bay of Bengal as according to them, that was the only option left," said K Kotesh of Pati Sonepur Village.

"These fishermen even purchased a motor boat. They paid Rs 1,76,000 to come home as everything looked grim in their eyes," added Koteshu.

Not only that, more than 2 lakh migrant workers had entered Odisha during and before the announcement of the lockdown.

"Those who were identified were rushed to quarantine centres while the government agencies are still searching for others with help from gram panchayats," stated secretary of United Artist’s Association Mangaraj Panda.

Mangaraj further said that though three persons were placed in a school converted to a quarantine centre under Patrapur block in Ganjam district, one of the largest migrant-originating districts in the state, nobody came to perform health check-up for weeks.

Vijaya Amruta Kulange, Collector and District Magistrate of Ganjam, however, says that the district is prepared to host at least 2 lakh migrant population who have registered with the government portal and are coming from Surat (Gujarat), Kerala, Mumbai, Andhra Pradesh, Karnatak and Tamil Nadu.

"We have created facilities in 503 gram panchayats and 10,000 beds are already placed and ready with future requirements also. In no case we would allow family members to meet up or provide food to migrants in quarantine because the government has already arranged everything. They can have glance of their family members from a safe distance, we will strictly adhere to the protocol of social distancing, etc,” Kulange asserted.

Even beds are arranged in a way to ensure safe distance is maintained while staying in government facilities, he added.

Psychosocial counselling key, say experts

Mental health experts are of the opinion that despite making arrangements for their safe quarantine, psychosocial counseling during quarantine is of utmost important because most of the migrant workers have already gone through unprecedented difficulties after the alarm was sounded by WHO on the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our recent experiences with stranded migrant population show that almost all are living with constant fear and uncertainty over their job, income and infection of the disease. These, besides the fear for their near and dear ones as well as the pandemic situation prevail over the entire world and country,” said director, Mental Health, and Government of Odisha Dr Sarada Prassana Swain.

States like Kerala have treated migrants from other states as guests. They have provided migrants with television, carrom boards, mobile top-ups and even psychosocial counseling to allay their fears. Migrants have reportedly expressed happiness over the facilities provided by the Kerala government.

“We shall ever be grateful to the Government of Kerala for looking after us in this difficult one-and-a-half month period. When we return to our state, we will spend the prescribed quarantine time without any hesitation,” said Abdan Kumar, a construction worker from Koraput, Odisha.

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[brajeshupadhyay]

Since 1989, Harihar Pradhan, 48, a resident of Manapada village Panchayat under Brahmagiri Block of Puri in Odisha has been working in Surat, Gujarat’s flourishing power loom industry, as a weaver. Harihar operates 12 looms on average and earns around Rs 20,000 every month. Of hist salary, Harihar sends Rs 15,000 to his wife in Odisha for his family of four, including two daughters who are pursuing college education. The outbreak of the novel coronavirus, and the nationwide lockdown announced thereafter, however, has interrupted this steady flow of income. Over a month into the lockdown, Harihar has exhausted the amount he received from the textile mill owner and there's a lot of uncertainty about his job. Harihar now wants to go home and be with his family. “With my little knowledge on the world today, I simply guess there would be a recession in the textile sector, and it's going to affect Indian exports," said Harihar. An even if the textile mills do run, in the current scenario, it will be difficult to get raw materials such as yarn, colours and machine tools, Harihar added. The financial uncertainty has forced Harihar (and many others like him from Odisha) to register with the Government of Odisha's portal dedicated to help the pravsi sramika (migrant labourers) working outside the state to return home. The Odisha govt has issued detailed guidelines enforcing a mandatory registration for migrant workers and 14-day forced quarantine for every person entering Odisha during and after the lockdown. Having already suffered a huge loss after the Cyclone Fani made landfall in their area Brahmagiri, the lockdown has been a double whammy for Harihar and his family. The cyclone devastated his home while also damaging the paddy crop and the orchard. The damage from the cyclone ostensibly is the reason that a large number of youths from the area have migrated to work in Surat, Mumbai, Kerala, Chennai, and Goa. Balaram Pradhan, a resident of Kulangi Village under Sorada Tahsil in Odisha’s Ganjam district, is in the same boat. Balaram who is working at Eddupally under Ernakulam district in Kerala, expressed strong dismay over the second round of the national lockdown, saying it jeopardised his plan to earn more and get married soon. Balaram had planned to surprise his parents and brothers by purchasing a bike for his family. But now it has been put on hold. A construction labourer, 24-year-old Balaram comes from a family of migrant workers. His father is still working at a textile mill in Surat while one brother works in the construction sector like him. His younger brother is continuing to study. Since the state government has come up with an elaborate plan to bring migrant workers home and quarantine them for 14 days, people like Balaram and Harihar have no other option but to give their consent to the terms in writing. The larger question though is: How will they stay in their own villages and yet not meet their near and dear ones? Quarantine centres set up across villages in Odisha Dedicated quarantine-cum-isolation centers have been set up in villages, municipal areas and panchayats across the state. Public places such as schools, colleges, cyclone-cum-flood shelters, anganwadi kendras and panchayat buildings have been converted into temporary hospitals and isolation centres. The state has set up at least 7,125 temporary medical centres (TMCs) in 6,798 gram panchayats which have 2,27,000 beds. Besides these, special COVID-19 hospitals have been established in almost all 30 district headquarters and four private medical college hospitals have been tasked to operationalise 500-bed hospitals each. According to state government estimates, 5 lakh migrants are expected to arrive in the state after the nationwide lockdown is lifted and the Odisha government is making special arrangements to bring them home. Just before the announcement of the second nationwide lockdown in April, violent demonstrations were reported from Surat in Gujarat, with Odia migrant workers taking to the streets near Diamond City, Pandesara, Sachin GIDC and Patel Nagar areas, demanding that they be sent back to their homes. Odia migrant workers in other cities across the country as well as abroad have also sent videos narrating their innumerable suffering and plight. While 4,86,000 migrant labourers have already registered so far, exodus of another 5 lakh is expected in the next couple of months due to uncertainty over jobs, opined social scientist Subas Panda. Social distancing biggest issue While arrangements have been made to accommodate migrant labourers returning from other states, the challenges are plenty, including arranging the logistics for their safe travel to their villages in Odisha, and then settling them in quarantine centres with proper facilities. The state government has earmarked a huge budget for that purpose. According to sources from government, each gram panchayat has been provided with Rs 5 lakh for setting up quarantine centres and additional amount will be released for food and other requirements. However, despite these elaborate arrangements a larger question is emerging: How to ensure social distancing? The Ministry of Home Affairs while relaxing the lockdown measurers allowed the movement of stranded migrant labourers after 4 May, from one state to another, and has asked the states to strictly adhere to the health protocol and Standard Operating Procedures. Even the World Health Organization (WHO), the scientific community and public health experts world over have underlined the need to ensure social distancing to preven the spread of the virus. Experts are also sceptical whether authorities will be able to maintain social distancing while transporting the migrant workers from different parts of the country to the quarantine centres located in the vicinity of their homes. "It will not be possible to maintain social or physical distance while transporting them for over thousands of miles," a senior transport department official said on condition of anonymity. Though Odisha has relatively a very small number of COVID-19 cases (154), because of its overwhelming migrant population, the state is now a sitting duck for further spread of the disease. Nearly 30 lakh Odias are working across the country and abroad as migrant labourers mostly in construction, textile, hospitality, plywood and food processing industries. A vast section of them, nearly 10 lakh, are employed by Surat's (Gujarat's) textile, diamond, jari, olanga ship breaking industry, and the petroleum and other industries. Besides, more than 3 lakh are in Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, while a  large section of them are working in south India’s booming construction sector, power looms, tea gardens, plywood, food processing and brick kilns. Apart from them, Odia migrants are also found in large numbers in Goa, Raipur, Kolkata, Delhi, Punjab, Himachal and Haryana. These migrants are reportedly now feeling insecure and are living in constant fear because of the uncertainty about their jobs and daily living due to the outbreak and are desperate to return home. Their desperation is evident from the fact that nearly 5 lakh Odia migrants have registered in the state government’s website expressing a desire to return home. The arrival of migrants in such a large number, also means that the authorities must ensure that all social distancing measures are followed to the T. Considering most migrants live in slums or in dense and dingy conditions at sites of factories and construction sites, they generally leave behind their family or parents back home. So, there will be an obvious urge to meet their spouses, children, parents and other family members once they return. It would be difficult to suppress that instinct, as per a sociologist. Besides, family may also try to provide homemade food, beverages to the migrant workers, and that may lead to conflicts between law enforcing agencies and the community. The much talked about social distancing to keep the coronavirus away could soon become a thing of the past. Additional chief secretary of health and coordinator-in-charge of social distancing, Pradipta Kumar Mahapatra, however, seems confident that the entire operation will be successful. He said that the govt has made adequate arrangements so that social distancing is maintained and ensure that there is no community transmission even if positive cases are discovered. “We have worked out a protocol. Immediately after their arrival, they (migrant workers) will go for a medical screening. ASHA, ANM and anganwadi workers have been trained for this. A five-member panchayat team will look after their quarantine arrangements and supervision with support from administrative officials, and all suspected cases will be referred to the panchayat-level COVID-19 health centre for further check up and isolation,” he said. “The most challenging part would be finishing the 14-day self-quarantine period and upon testing negative, mainstreaming them back into the society and their family,” Mahapatra added. According to a conservative estimate, the Government of Odisha is going to bear the burden of additional expenditure of Rs 3,000 crore to bring back migrants, their safe quarantine, food, bed and medical expenses. Upon the completion of 14-day quarantine, each of the migrants will be paid Rs 2,000 besides their food, personal usable kit and transportation. Villages demand police protection “You will need to deploy police and officials to enforce social distancing, but it will not be possible to provide police protection to each and every quarantine centre located in remote villages,” said Bamadev Sahu, a retired police officer. The government needs to mobilise villagers and involve the community, Sahu observed. "We have requested District Collector to provide at least one policeman to each centre, so that minimum protocol is maintained," said Sashmita Nanda, chairperson of the Odapada Block under Dhenkanal district. "We will ensure they follow guidelines of the  government to which they have already given consent, otherwise we will take action against them," added Nanda, informing that the block has made arrangements for 12,00 migrants. Significantly, Odisha is the first state to vest the power of a collector to sarpanchs especially to manage quarantine centres and the large influx of migrant population to rural areas. “It’s good that the chief minister has assigned us with the power of a collector, but it will be difficult to enforce because almost all those who will come here and get quarantined are our known people. We will appeal to them to maintain discipline and will definitely ensure their safe quarantine period. We have trained volunteers from our village to guard the centre,” said Bijaya Das, sarpanch of Brhmabarad Gram Panchayat. Das further added that the village has became extra cautious because the first case of Tablighi Jamaat in the state was found in the Brhmabarad village. Though he has recovered, the fear still remains in the locality. The West Bengal connection Odisha is among the first states to register the migrants bound homeward. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in a video message on 29 April appealed to the public to be more vigilant, cautious, sensible and supportive as lakhs of Odia migrants will return to the state with Centre now allowing migrants to return to their homes. Patnaik, however, has linked the present spike of cases in state’s northeastern districts with the arrival of migrant workers from Kolkata. Overall, 60 persons have been traced to Kolkata where they worked as labourers or street vendors. Naresh Jena, a human rights activist and a senior advocate in Odisha High Court said that because of the negligence shown in quarantining migrants who had returned from West Bengal, the situation in districts of Jajpur, Bhadrak and Balasore worsened. “The looming crisis may blow up if we will be unable to maintain discipline in quarantine centres because people who are supposed to be in home quarantine for 14 days are seen moving freely in nearby markets, socialising and were visiting relatives and acquaintances,” he said. Tafahima Akhtar, a women's rights activist, however, said the migrant workers alone can't be held responsible. “Everybody from the police and local administration to relatives and villagers are to be blamed for this,” she said. "See people have the general tendency to mingle with friends, family and acquaintances, and the urge is stronger when they return from outside. They don’t understand that they might be carrying the virus because as it has been seen, initially all are asymptomatic,’’ added Akhtar. She further observed that because of the late warning and lack of awareness on public health, the Tablighi Jaamat case was blown out of proportion and a gross mismanagement was found. Despite that, the fear of a spike in cases after the return of migrant workers to Odisha looms large in the state as almost 50 percent confirmed COVID-19 cases in Odisha now have a West Bengal connection. Past paints grim picture, but officials optimistic To the utter surprise of the local administration, traditional marine and inland fishermen who were working outside the state in Tamil Nadu have taken advantages of the sea route to reach their homes. "During the last week, hundreds of them entered Odisha and Andhra Pradesh via the Bay of Bengal as according to them, that was the only option left," said K Kotesh of Pati Sonepur Village. "These fishermen even purchased a motor boat. They paid Rs 1,76,000 to come home as everything looked grim in their eyes," added Koteshu. Not only that, more than 2 lakh migrant workers had entered Odisha during and before the announcement of the lockdown. "Those who were identified were rushed to quarantine centres while the government agencies are still searching for others with help from gram panchayats," stated secretary of United Artist’s Association Mangaraj Panda. Mangaraj further said that though three persons were placed in a school converted to a quarantine centre under Patrapur block in Ganjam district, one of the largest migrant-originating districts in the state, nobody came to perform health check-up for weeks. Vijaya Amruta Kulange, Collector and District Magistrate of Ganjam, however, says that the district is prepared to host at least 2 lakh migrant population who have registered with the government portal and are coming from Surat (Gujarat), Kerala, Mumbai, Andhra Pradesh, Karnatak and Tamil Nadu. "We have created facilities in 503 gram panchayats and 10,000 beds are already placed and ready with future requirements also. In no case we would allow family members to meet up or provide food to migrants in quarantine because the government has already arranged everything. They can have glance of their family members from a safe distance, we will strictly adhere to the protocol of social distancing, etc,” Kulange asserted. Even beds are arranged in a way to ensure safe distance is maintained while staying in government facilities, he added. Psychosocial counselling key, say experts Mental health experts are of the opinion that despite making arrangements for their safe quarantine, psychosocial counseling during quarantine is of utmost important because most of the migrant workers have already gone through unprecedented difficulties after the alarm was sounded by WHO on the COVID-19 pandemic. “Our recent experiences with stranded migrant population show that almost all are living with constant fear and uncertainty over their job, income and infection of the disease. These, besides the fear for their near and dear ones as well as the pandemic situation prevail over the entire world and country,” said director, Mental Health, and Government of Odisha Dr Sarada Prassana Swain. States like Kerala have treated migrants from other states as guests. They have provided migrants with television, carrom boards, mobile top-ups and even psychosocial counseling to allay their fears. Migrants have reportedly expressed happiness over the facilities provided by the Kerala government. “We shall ever be grateful to the Government of Kerala for looking after us in this difficult one-and-a-half month period. When we return to our state, we will spend the prescribed quarantine time without any hesitation,” said Abdan Kumar, a construction worker from Koraput, Odisha.

http://sansaartimes.blogspot.com/2020/05/odisha-gearing-up-to-quarantine-5l.html

[brajeshupadhyay]

Coronavirus Outbreak Updates: 83% patients in Maharashtra asymptomatic, working to slow down doubling rate, says state health minister

23:54 (IST)

Coronavirus in Italy Latest Updates

COVID-19 toll in Italy crosses 25,000

Deaths in Italy related to the coronavirus pandemic topped 25,000 on Wednesday.

The number of dead and new positives continue to plateau for Italy, the first western country to be hit by the crisis. The civil protection agency reported 437 people had died with the virus in the last 25 hours, a 1.7% increase in the death toll to 25,085. The number of positive cases rose 1.5% to 183,857.

(AP)

23:41 (IST)

Coronavirus in Pakistan Latest Updates

Imran Khan tests negative for COVID-19

Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan on Wednesday tested negative for the novel coronavirus, his aide was quoted as saying, as the number of the COVID-19 cases crossed 10,000 in the country.

Khan, 67, agreed for the test after Faisal Edhi, the son of late philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi and chairman of the Edhi Foundation, who met him last week tested positive for the coronavirus.

23:36 (IST)

Coronavirus in Bihar Latest Updates

Bihar reports 2 more COVID-19 cases 

Reports on Wednesday said that two new coronavirus cases were reported in Bihar, taking the total number of cases in the state to 143.

23:33 (IST)

Coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh Latest Updates

26 more people test positive for COVID-19 in Indore

The Indore chief medical officer said that 26 more people have tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday, taking the total number of cases in the district to 945 including 53 deaths.

23:27 (IST)

Coronavirus in UK Latest Updates

UK's COVID-19 toll crosses 18,000

The British government says 759 more people with the coronavirus have died in UK hospitals, taking the total to 18,100. The daily increase reported was lower than the 823 in the previous 24-hour period, AP reported.

The UK's death toll is the fourth highest in Europe, behind Italy, Spain and France, all of whom have reported more than 20,000 deaths. 

23:21 (IST)

Coronavirus in US Latest Updates

New York governor says meeting with Trump was 'productive'

Governor Andrew Cuomo described his meeting with US President Donald Trump as “productive” and the two leaders agreed to double New York's testing capacity to 40,000 tests a day as the death toll from the Covid-19 surpassed 15,000 in the state.

Cuomo, giving his daily press briefing on the Covid-19 pandemic, said numbers in the state of hospitalizations and intubation are coming down. "We're in a relatively good place in downstate New York, the curve is on the descent. The question is now how long is that descent. Is it a sudden drop off, is it one week, two weeks, three weeks, six weeks we don't know, but better to be going down than to be going up,” he said.

(PTI)

23:17 (IST)

Coronavirus in Assam Latest Updates

Assam govt asks private school to cut fees by 50% for March, says report

India Today reported that the Assam government on Wednesday told private schools in the state to cut the fees for March by 50 percent in light of the coronavirus pandemic

23:04 (IST)

Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Updates

COVID-19 patient claims Delhi's LNJP hospital isn't admitting him

ANI quoted a COVID-19 positive patient as alleging that Delhi's LNJP hospital is not admitting him for immediate treatment. He also says that he and three other patients walked to the hospital on Wednesday while there are seven more COVID-19 patients at his home.

#WATCH A COVID19 positive patient alleges that Delhi's LNJP hospital is not admitting him for immediate treatment. He also says that he and 3 other patients walked to the hospital today while there are 7 more COVID19 patients at his home. pic.twitter.com/mun0IvsIex

— ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2020

22:45 (IST)

Coronavirus in Karnataka Latest Updates

Karnataka govt promulgates Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Ordinance, 2020

Karnataka government has promulgated the Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Ordinance, 2020. The state government has now powers to punish those who obstruct public servants during discharge of their duties.

22:31 (IST)

Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Maharashtra minister says 83% cases were asymptomatic

Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope said that 83 percent cases in the state were asymptomatic, adding that plasma treatment is likely to be tried in Mumbai.

"Projection rate of Maharashtra is scary, but don't get scared. We will increase the days of doubling of rate, so this projection won't be true," he was quoted as saying.

22:21 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Bill Gates praises Modi over COVID-19 approach

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates writes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi: "We commend your leadership and the proactive measures you and your government have taken to flatten the curve of the COVID-19 infection rate in India, such as adopting a national lockdown, expanding focused testing to identify hotspots for isolation, quarantining, and care, and significantly increasing health expenditures to strengthen the health system response and promote R&D and digital innovation."

"I’m glad your government is fully utilizing its exceptional digital capabilities in its COVID-19 response and has launched the Aarogya Setu digital app for coronavirus tracking, contact tracing, and to connect people to health services," he added.

Gates also said he is grateful to see that PM Modi is seeking to balance public health imperatives with the need to ensure adequate social protection for all Indians.

(ANI)

22:11 (IST)

Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Mumbai reports 309 new coronavirus cases today

The BMC said that Mumbai reported 309 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, taking the total number of cases to 3,754.

Meanwhile, 10 more deaths were reported on Wednesday, with which the toll in the city rose to 160. A total of 425 people have been discharged so far after recovery, including 17 people in the last 24 hours, the statement added.

21:59 (IST)

Coronavirus in Chhattisgarh Latest Updates

Two COVID-19 patients discharged in Raipur today

AIIMS Raipur said that two more COVID-19 patients were discharged on Wednesday. The total number of COVID-19 cases in the state is 36, including eight active cases and 28 discharged.

21:49 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Australia praises India's COVID-19 approach

The coronavirus pandemic is stretching much of the world's governmental capacity and terrorists are likely to exploit the situation including by fostering communal tension, Australian High Commissioner-designate Barry O'Farrell said on Wednesday.

In an address at the National Defence College through video-conference, O'Farrell also said India may be one of the most successful developing countries in managing the pandemic and lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's global outreach to deal with it.

He said Modi is also one of the leading voices shaping the G20 into a body instrumental in leading the world into post-COVID-19 recovery, and was an early voice advocating for reforms to the World Health Organisation.

"We've seen some remarkable leadership from India since this crisis began. The world is facing an unprecedented health challenge for which no government has a perfect answer," O'Farrell said.

It's laudable not just that the Indian government acted so quickly to stem the virus's spread, but also that it continues working to mitigate the lockdown's impact on India's most vulnerable. It's an enormous challenge for the world's most populous nation," he added.

(PTI)

21:39 (IST)

Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Maharashtra govt to increase surveillance, plasma therapy begins in state

Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope said, "We've increased surveillance, screening, testing and treatment. We've improved our doubling rate of positive patients to 7.1 days. Our aim is to protect everyone and bring mortality rate to zero. We've started plasma therapy in the state."

21:23 (IST)

Coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh Latest Updates

UP govt says Pratapgarh district is COVID-19 frree

The Uttar Pradesh health department said that the state's Pratapgarh district has become COVID-19-free. Pool testing has been started at RIMS in Saifai. 3,500 RT-PCR tests are being conducted daily in Uttar Pradesh.

21:11 (IST)

Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Updates

Delhi reports 92 new COVID-19 cases, 1 death

The Delhi health department said that 92 new COVID-19 positive cases and one death were reported in the National Capital on Wednesday. The total number of cases in Delhi is now 2,248, and the toll is at 48.

20:56 (IST)

Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Updates

Delhi containment zones rise to 89

The list of COVID-19 'containment zones' in Delhi rose to 89 after two areas in the Lado Sarai area added to the list.

20:49 (IST)

Coronavirus in West Bengal Latest Updates

IMCT asks Bengal govt for presentation on COVID-19 situation in state

ANI reported that Inter-ministerial central team (IMCT) on Wednesday sought a presentation from the West Bengal government on the level of testing, availability of oxygen and ICU beds, and ventilators.

20:43 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Modi to address gram panchayats on 24 April

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj on Wednesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address various gram panchayats across the country on 24 April on the occasion of National Panchayati Raj Day, through video-conferencing.

20:40 (IST)

Coronavirus in Gujarat Latest Updates

Over 100 cases reported in Gujarat today

The Gujarat health department said that 135 new COVID-19 positive cases were reported in the state on Wednesday, taking the total number of cases to 2,407 including 179 cured/discharged and 103 deaths.

20:32 (IST)

Corobavirus in Uttar Pradesh Latest Updates

Uttar Pradesh reports 112 new COVID-19 cases today

Reports said that 112 new coronavirus cases were reported in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday. The total number of cases in the state is now 1,455. Of these, 1,255 are active cases, while, 173 have been discharged and 21 have been dead.

20:24 (IST)

Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Updates

Safdarjung nursing officer tests positive for COVID-19

The Safarjung hospital on Wednesday said that a nursing officer has tested positive for COVID-19 at the hospital.

"She was posted at Gyane HDU (high dependency unit) at the facility. At present,she is admitted in the corona unit of the hospital. Previously, four doctors were also found COVID-19 positive," the statement siad.

20:13 (IST)

Coronavirus in West Bengal Latest Updates

300 active cases in Bengal so far

The West Bengal said that there are 300 active cases of COVID-19 in West Bengal, of which 79  patients have been cured while 15 others have succumbed to the infection. A total of 7,037 samples have been tested in the state so far.

20:06 (IST)

Coronavirus in Jharkhand Latest Updates

One new COVID-19 case reported in Ranchi

The Jharkhand government said that one more positive case of COVID-19 was reported in Ranchi's Hindpiri. The total number of cases in Jharkhand rose to 46.

19:53 (IST)

Coronavirus in Uttarakhand Latest Updates

No new COVID-19 cases reported in Uttarakhand today

The Uttarakhand government on Wednesday said that no new COVID-19 case was reported in the state for the second consecutive day. The total number of cases stands at 46, out of which 23 patients have recovered.

19:45 (IST)

Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates

431 new COVID-19 cases reported in Maharashtra 

The Maharashtra health department said that 431 new COVID-19 cases and 18 deaths were reported on Wednesday in the state, taking number of cases to 5,649 and deaths to 269 in the state.

Out of the new deaths, 10 reported in Mumbai. 789 patients have recovered from the disease in the state so far.

19:40 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Centre to take up labour reforms in 'big way'

Reports quoted Labour Secretary Heeralal Samariya as saying that labour reforms will be "taken up in a big way", and that labour codes to be a reality soon.

He said that the labour reforms will be taken in a big way in coming months and labour codes will become a reality soon.

“We are going for the labour reforms and have already got the report from our Parliamentary Standing Committee. Also, we are getting report for the industrial relations code, social security code. In coming months, we will see these codes will become the reality,” he said.

19:33 (IST)

Coronavirus in Chandigarh Latest Updates

No COVID-19 toll reported in Chandigarh so far

The Chandigarh administration on Wednesday said that the number of COVID-19 cases stands at 27 in the union territory, including 14 cured patients. No death has been reported due to the infection so far. 529 samples have been tested.

19:23 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Amarnath Yatra 2020 cancelled over COVID-19 pandemic

ANI reported that this year's Amarnath Yatra has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

19:13 (IST)

Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Nine new COVID-19 cases reported in Dharavi

Reports said that nine new coronavirus cases were reported in Mumbai's Dharavi on Wednesday, taking the total cases in the area to 189. The toll stands at 12.

19:03 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Modi hails Cabinet's ordinance on violence against healthcare workers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said, "The Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 manifests our commitment to protect each and every healthcare worker who is bravely battling COVID-19 on the frontline. It will ensure safety of our professionals. There can be no compromise on their safety!"

18:42 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

India reports 1,486 new COVID-19 cases, total rises to 20,471

The Union health ministry, in its evening update, said that India's total number of coronavirus cases rose to 20,471 on Wednesday. This includes 15,859 active cases, 3,959 cured/discharged/migrated and 652 deaths.

1.486 new cases and 49 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours.

18:34 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Modi to interact with CMs on 27 April

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to interact with the chief ministers of all states via video conference on 27 April, ANI reported.

18:27 (IST)

Coronavirus in Himachal Pradesh Latest Updates

No new COVID-19 case reported in Himachal Pradesh today

The Himachal Pradesh government said that no new case of COVID-19 has been reported in the state on Wednesday. There are 23 active cases in the state, 11 patients have recovered and one person has died.

18:18 (IST)

Coronavirus in Kerala Latest Updates

11 new COVID-19 cases reported in Kerala today

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that 11 people tested positive for COVID-19 in the state on Wednesday. Of these, seven were reported in Kannur, two in Kozhikode, and one each in Kottayam and Malappuram.

18:13 (IST)

Coronavirus in West Bengal Latest Updates

26 new COVID-19 cases reported in Bengal in 24 hours

The West Bengal government on Wednesday said that 26 new coronavirus cases have been reported in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of active cases to 300 in the state. No deaths have been reported, and the toll remains at 15.

Reportedly, 79 have been cured and discharged so far, including six in the last 24 hours. 7,037 tests have been conducted so far, including 855 in the past day.

18:05 (IST)

Coronavirus in Karnataka Latest Updates

Nine new COVID-19 cases reported in Karnataka today

The Karnataka government said that nine new COVID-19 cases —  two reported in Bengaluru, five in Kalaburagi, two in Mysuru — have been confirmed in the state from Tuesday 5.00 pm to 5.pm on Wednesday.

"The total number of coronavirus cases in the state is now 427, including 131 discharged and 17 deaths," the statement added.

18:00 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

AAP MP asks Modi to bring back Indians stranded abroad

Bhagwant Mann, AAP Lok Sabha MP from Sangrur, on Wednesday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his intervention for bringing back Indians stranded in foreign counties amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Bhagwant Mann, AAP Lok Sabha MP from Sangrur, writes a letter to PM Narendra Modi, seeking his intervention for bringing back Indians stranded in foreign counties amid #CoronavirusPandemic. pic.twitter.com/BV6BXdKXbf

— ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2020

17:54 (IST)

Coronavirus in Haryana Latest Updates

260 COVID-19 cases reported in Haryana so far

Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that so far, 260 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the state, out of which 153 people have recovered and three have died.

"511 tests have been conducted on each 10 lakh people in the state. There is no case in three districts," he added.

17:49 (IST)

Coronavirus in Telangana Latest Updates

Telanagana govt says asymptomatic secondary contacts won't be tested

Telangana Government says ‘Asymptomatic Secondary Contacts’ WILL NOT be tested, instead kept in home quarantine for 28 days (time increased from 14 days.). Only Primary Contacts will be tested and kept in Government Quarantine Centres.

17:34 (IST)

Coronavirus in Nepal Latest Updates

3 new COVID-19 cases reported in Nepal

The Nepal government said that three new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed on Wednesday. "They were kept in Army’s quarantine in Tandi. The total number of positive cases rise to 45," the statement said.

17:27 (IST)

Coronavirus in West Bengal Latest Updates

Bengal govt says no COVID-19 testing kits from ICMR available as of today

The West Bengal health ministry, providing the status of the three kinds of COVID-19 testing kits approved by the ICMR in the state, said, "As on 22 April, WBDHFW has 0 kits supplied from ICMR/NICED which can test a COVID-19 patient as per ICMR recommendations. Assuring all citizens that every possible effort is being made to address this situation."

3. Antigen Kits - Not supplied to hospitals in Bengal. Thus, as on 22nd Apr, WBDHFW has 0 kits supplied from ICMR/NICED which can test a COVID patient as per ICMR recommendations Assuring all citizens that every possible effort is being made to address this situation (2/2)

— Department of Health & Family Welfare, West Bengal (@wbdhfw) April 22, 2020

17:19 (IST)

Coronavirus in Odisha Latest Updates

One new COVID-19 case reported in Odisha

One new COVID-19 case was reported from Odisha's Jajpur on Wednesday, the state information and public relations department said. The total number of cases is now 83, including 50 active cases, 32 recovered, and one death.

17:10 (IST)

Coronavirus in West Bengal Latest Updates

West Bengal govt says claim of less tests being conducted is untrue

West Bengal chief secretary Rajiva Sinha on Wednesday said that "it is not true that we are doing less number of tests". His statement comes a day after the Centre sent teams to review the COVID-19 situation in the state.

"A total of  7,037 samples have been tested till now. There is a notice to withdraw testing kits, whose fault is it?," he added.

16:59 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

MHA tells states to ensure security for healthcare professionals

The MHA on Wednesday wrote to state governments, instructing them to "ensure adequate security to healthcare professionals, medical staff and frontline workers to prevent violence against them"., after the Union Cabinet approved an ordinance making violence against the professionals a non-bailable offence.

"Strict action to be taken against those who obstruct the performance of last rites of COVID-19 warriors succumbing to COVID-19. State governments, UTs requested to appoint Nodal Officers at State/UT level and at district level, who would be available 24*7 to redress any safety issue on the functioning of medical professionals.They should also take immediate and strict action in case any incident of violence takes place." the statement said.

State Govts/ UTs requested to appoint Nodal Officers at State/UT level&at Dist level, who would be available 24*7 to redress any safety issue on the functioning of medical professionals.They should also take immediate&strict action in case any incident of violence takes place:MHA https://t.co/Ii3SxsTrfU

— ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2020

16:52 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

Recovery rate improves to 19.36% in India, says Centre

The Union health ministry on Wednesday told the media that the recovery rate is 19.36 percent, up from the around 17 percent on Tuesday.

Additionally, 3,870 people have been cured so far  and the tally of coronavirus cases rose to 19,984 on Wednesday, reports said.

16:42 (IST)

Coronavirus in India Latest Updates

50 new COVID-19 deaths across India, says Centre

The Union health ministry was quoted by reports as saying that in the last 24 hours, 50 new deaths were reported due to coronavirus across India.

16:40 (IST)

Coronavirus in Rajasthan Latest Updates

Recruitment of 2,000 doctors begins in Rajasthan

Rajasthan health minister Raghu Sharma said that the process of recruitment of 2,000 doctors has begun in the state as per the announcement of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in the last state budget.

"We will complete the process in the next one and a half months. 735 doctors have recently been recruited and posted in hospitals. Recruitment process of 12,500 General Nursing & Midwife & Auxiliary Nurse Midwife had been completed but posting couldn't be done due to some litigations. After consultation with Advocate General,the CM has now given orders for posting of 9000 such staff," he added.

16:30 (IST)

Coronavirus in Punjab Latest Updates

COVID-19 patients in Punjab first hotspot district recover, says report

At least 18 patients have recovered from the coronavirus infection in Punjab's first hotspot district, Nawanshahr, The Indian Express reported on Wednesday.

"(The district) formally cured all infected patients after the result of the last novel coronavirus patient — a 16-year-old from Banga subdivision — came negative. As many as 18 patients have been cured and one death was reported from Nawanshahr (Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar) district. It has been almost a month (March 26) since the last positive case was reported from the district. The age of patients varies from a two-year-old to a 78-year-old man.," the report said.

Coronavirus Outbreak LATEST Updates: The BMC said that Mumbai reported 309 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, taking the total number of cases to 3,754.

Meanwhile, 10 more deaths were reported on Wednesday, with which the toll in the city rose to 160. A total of 425 people have been discharged so far after recovery, including 17 people in the last 24 hours, the statement added.

The Delhi health department said that 92 new COVID-19 positive cases and one death were reported in the National Capital on Wednesday. The total number of cases in Delhi is now 2,248, and the toll is at 48.

ANI reported that this year's Amarnath Yatra has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The West Bengal health ministry, providing the status of the three kinds of COVID-19 testing kits approved by the ICMR in the state, said, "As on 22 April, WBDHFW has 0 kits supplied from ICMR/NICED which can test a COVID-19 patient as per ICMR recommendations. Assuring all citizens that every possible effort is being made to address this situation."

The Union health ministry on Wednesday told the media that the recovery rate is 19.36 percent, up from the around 17 percent on Tuesday.

Additionally, 3,870 people have been cured so far and the tally of coronavirus cases rose to 19,984 on Wednesday, reports said.

Uttar Pradesh principal secretary (Medical and Health) Amit Mohan Prasad on Wednesday said that there are no COVID-19 active cases in the Pilibhit, Lakihimpur Kheri, Hathras, Bareilly, Prayagraj, Shahjahanpur, Maharajganj, Barabanki, Hardoi and Kaushambhi districts of the state.

The Cabinet on Wednesday approved an ordinance to make violence against health workers non-bailable offence. In case of serious injuries to healthcare workers, the guilty will face imprisonment up to to 7 years.

Those found guilty of attacking healthcare workers will face imprisonment and fine of Rs 50,000 to 2 lakh rupees and carries imprisonment from 3 months to 5 years if anyone found guilty, said Union minister Prakash Javadekar.

Six staff members including a doctor of Bhatia Hospital have tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday. They are currently being treated at the ICU care unit of Bhatia Hospital.

Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Wednesday said the Central committee has recommended an increase in the capacity of quarantine facility in Mumbai from 1,200 beds to 2,000, in light of the rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in the city.

Five more COVID-19 positive cases have been reported in Bihar on Wednesday.  Three cases were registered in Patna, 1 in Bihar Sharif and 1 in East Champaran. "Contact tracing is being done. The total number of positive cases in the state stands at 131." Sanjay Kumar, Principal Secretary, Health Dept, Bihar told ANI.

Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said the safety of doctors at their workplace is non-negotiable and that the government is committed to their cause while appealing to them to reconsider their proposed protest, prompting the IMA to withdraw its stir.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation announced that one of its employees has tested positive for coronavirus. Meanwhile, the number of cases rose to 19,984.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) withdrew their protest after their meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan via video-conferencing.

A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan, part of a battalion deployed in Jammu and Kashmir, has tested positive for COVID-19 in the national capital, a senior official said on Wednesday. The jawan, working as a nursing assistant, has been admitted to an isolation ward in a Delhi hospital, he said.

On Wednesday, 553 new COVID-19 positive cases were reported in the last 24 hours in Maharashtra as the total number of positive cases in the state stands at 5229, reports ANI. 19 more deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours as the total death in the state rises to 251.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan interacted with doctors and Indian Medical Association (IMA) through video conferencing on Wednesday. He appreciated their good work and also assured them security and appealed to them not to do even symbolic protest as proposed by them, as the government stands with them.

A 53-year-old coronavirus patient succumbed to the disease on Tuesday night, reports ANI. The death toll in the Pune district rises to 55 according to health officials.

64 new COVID-19 cases have been reported in Rajasthan, as of 9 am on Wednesday. The total cases in the state now at 1799, including 274 recovered, 97 discharged and 26 deaths, said Rajasthan Health Department.

West Bengal writes a letter to MHA, assures cooperation to central teams visiting the state to assess lockdown situation. The letter also noted that the Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT)  had arrived without any prior consultation with the state government and, therefore, 'there was neither such opportunity to provide any logistic support as envisaged in the order dated 19 April 2020 nor the team asked for any help.'

Total confirmed COVID-19 cases in India have risen to 19,984, according to the latest update from the Union Health Ministry. This number includes cases involving foreign nationals, patients who have recovered and the toll. The toll in India due to the novel virus has risen to 640.

President Donald Trump has said that he will halt issuing of new Green Cards or legal permanent residency for the next 60 days as part of his executive order to temporarily suspend immigration into the US. However, the move will not have any impact on those entering the country on a temporary basis, Trump said.

While coronavirus cases in India inched towards 19,000 on Tuesday, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) told state governments to stop using the China-made rapid antibody test kits for two days after Rajasthan flagged "inaccurate results".

The Union health ministry, in its daily press briefing, said that the toll from COVID-19 in India rose to 603 on Tuesday, while the number of cases rose to 18,985. Of them, 15,122 are active cases while 3,260 patients have recovered, the ministry added.

Officials also said that the recovery rate has improved to 17.5 percent in the country and a record number of 705 patients were cured and discharged on Monday itself. Overall, more than 3,300 persons have been cured and discharged so far.

The ICMR said that a total of 4,49,810 samples for COVID-19 infection had been tested till Tuesday, of which 35,852 were done on Monday.

As many as 29,776 samples have been tested in 201 labs under the ICMR network, and 6,076 at 86 private laboratories.

ICMR tells states not to use rapid antibody tests for two days

The Rajasthan government has stopped using the rapid testing kits procured from China after they delivered inaccurate results, PTI reported. The state government had received 30,000 kits through ICMR for free, while 10,000 kits were purchased at a cost of Rs 540 plus tax per kit.

The rapid testing kits, through which blood samples are tested, are aimed at speeding up screening and detection of suspected coronavirus patients as they take less time to show results in comparison to the swab-based tests carried out in pathology labs.

On Tuesday, Rajasthan's health minister Raghu Sharma said the kits gave only 5.4 percent accurate results against the expectation of 90 percent accuracy and therefore the kits "were of no benefit". He said the ICMR has been informed about the issue.

Taking note of the Rajasthan government's feedback, ICMR's Dr Raman R Gangakhedkar told journalists that states have been advised not to use these rapid test kits for two days and a fresh advisory will be issued after field validation by its team.

If any problems are detected, the companies will be asked for replacement, he added.

Maharashtra govt revokes lockdown exemptions in Mumbai, Pune

The Maharashtra government on Tuesday revoked lockdown relaxations and exemptions in Mumbai and Pune because "people are not behaving responsibly", the CMO was quoted as saying.

"The rest of the parts of the state to continue to have partial exemptions," the statement added.

Reportedly, the permission given to e-commerce companies to transport electronic goods, as well as to open sweets shops and confectioneries has been rolled back.

E-commerce companies will only be allowed to transport food, essential items, medicines and medical devices.

Additionally, the construction industry won't be allowed to work in the cities and adjoining areas and IT companies have also been asked to make the staff work from home.

There will also be no delivery of newspapers in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and the Pune Municipal Region (PMR), said reports quoting the CMO statement.

In Maharashtra, coronavirus cases rose by 552 on Tuesday, taking the total statewide total cases to 5,218. With 19 new deaths, the toll from the virus rose to 251, the state government said.

Meanwhile, Mumbai, which is one of the worst-affected cities across the country, reported 355 new COVID-19 patients on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases to 3,445 in the city. Out of 12 deaths in the city in 24 hours, eight had co-morbidities and four had age-related factors, the MCGM said.

The MCGM also said that 12 new cases were reported in Mumbai's densely-populated Dharavi area on Tuesday. The tally of cases in the area rose to 179, including a total of 12 deaths.

Centre, West Bengal govt standoff over IMCTs' visit to state

While West Bengal reported three more deaths on Tuesday, a political standoff emerged between the state and the Centre after the Ministry of Home Affairs said the state government was not cooperating with the central teams visiting there to assess the COVID-19 situation.

The state's ruling party Trinamool Congress said the visit of central teams to West Bengal was like "adventure tourism" and asked why such delegations were not sent to states with much higher numbers of infections and hotspots.

Later on Tuesday, one of the two teams sent to the state visited certain areas of Kolkata, escorted by the Border Security Force (BSF) and state police personnel.

At a daily press briefing on the COVID-19 situation, Home Ministry joint secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said the Centre has sent teams under Disaster Management Act to four states — Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal.

While Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan are extending full support, the government in West Bengal is not doing so, she said.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha responded to the allegations, saying that the state government is cooperating with the inter-ministerial central teams visiting the state to assess COVID-19 situation, but made it clear they cannot roam around with them leaving all work to fight the pandemic.

"We are helping them. There's no question of not doing that. But our stand is that we all are busy in fighting coronavirus... they cannot get information sitting in cars or at the guest house.

"We will share all information they want, taking time out of our busy schedule, but we will not be able to roam around with the central team shutting all our work," Sinha told reporters at the state secretariat.

115 families in President's Estate in Delhi quarantined

While new cases were also reported from various states including Odisha and Kerala — where the infection spread has been relatively slower — as many as 115 families residing at the President's Estate in Delhi have been put under self-isolation as a preventive measure after a sanitation worker's relative tested positive for the deadly coronavirus.

A Rashtrapati Bhavan communique, however, clarified that till date no employee of the President's Secretariat has tested positive and the Secretariat along with the local administration is taking all the preventive measures under the government guidelines.

A COVID-19 positive patient from central Delhi, who was neither an employee of the President's Secretariat nor a resident of the President's Estate, had died on 13 April and after contact tracing it was found that a family member of an employee of the President's Secretariat had been in contact with the deceased, the statement said.

The employee and his family members are residents of the President's Estate.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that there are currently 1,603 active cases of COVID-19 in the National Capital, while 47 people have died from the disese so far.

Kejriwal also announced a special testing facility for mediapersons from Wednesday, after Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra reported positive test results for several journalists and other staff members of media organisations.

COVID-19 cases rise to 1,337 in Uttar Pradesh, almost touch 1,000 in Telangana

At least 137 new coronavirus cases were reported in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday, taking the tally of cases in the state to 1,337. The toll stands at 21 in the state.

Meanwhile, Gujarat saw a rise of 127 cases in 24 hours, resulting in the toll rising to 2,066, which includes 131 recoveries and 90 deaths so far.

The Tamil Nadu government said that 76 people have tested positive for coronavirus in the state on Tuesday, taking total number of positive cases in the state to 1,596. One death was also reported, and the toll rose to 18 in the state.

Fifty-six new COVID-19 cases were reported in Telangana on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 928. This includes 711 active cases, 194 who were cured/discharged and 23 deaths, according to the latest update provided by the state health department.

Singapore extends partial lockdown, some countries move to reopen amid health warnings

Singapore prime minister Lee Hsien Loong on Tuesday extended the "circuit breaker" period until 1 June to control the spread of the deadly coronavirus and assured full care for foreign workers, including Indian nationals.

In a televised address to the nation, Prime Minister Lee said the government was committed to do its "utmost" to keep it this deadly virus at bay.

"We will extend the circuit breaker for four more weeks, ie, until 1 June," said Lee while giving an update on the COVID-19 and the rising number of cases among foreign workers living in dormitories.

Singapore reported 1,111 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, a majority of them foreign workers living in dormitories. A total of 9,125 people have been infected in the country.

Noting that businesses and workers would be hurt by the extension, the Singapore prime minister said, "But I hope you understand that this short-term pain is to stamp out the virus, protect the health and safety of our loved ones, and allow us to revive our economy."

"The government will continue to help our businesses and workers cope during the extended circuit breaker period. We will provide the same level of support to our workers and businesses as we are doing now," he said.

Meanwhile, Spain will begin allowing children out of their homes for brief periods next Monday, AP reported, adding that Denmark announced plans to reopen Tivoli Gardens, the Copenhagen amusement park that inspired Walt Disney. And Australia said doctors can resume non-urgent surgery next week.

Countries across Europe and beyond — joined in the US by a cascade of states — moved to gradually reopen amid warnings that acting too quickly could enable the virus to come back with a vengeance.

Meanwhile, UN leaders called for efforts to ensure that all people have access to testing, medical supplies, drugs and future vaccines, especially in developing countries.

Globally, the coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 1.7 lakh people, including over 42,000 in the US. Nearly 25 lakh infections have been reported worldwide so far, even as there are fears that the actual tally could be much more as tests are so far limited to serious or symptomatic cases in most countries.

In a press briefing, the World Health Organisation also warned against any rush to ease coronavirus restrictions, saying any such move could result in a resurgence of the disease.

The WHO said governments across the world need to remain vigilant to stop the deadly virus spread and lifting of lockdowns and other social distancing measures must be done gradually.

With inputs from agencies

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The toll stands at 12. 19:03 (IST) Coronavirus in India Latest Updates Modi hails Cabinet's ordinance on violence against healthcare workers Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said, "The Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 manifests our commitment to protect each and every healthcare worker who is bravely battling COVID-19 on the frontline. It will ensure safety of our professionals. There can be no compromise on their safety!" 18:42 (IST) Coronavirus in India Latest Updates India reports 1,486 new COVID-19 cases, total rises to 20,471 The Union health ministry, in its evening update, said that India's total number of coronavirus cases rose to 20,471 on Wednesday. This includes 15,859 active cases, 3,959 cured/discharged/migrated and 652 deaths. 1.486 new cases and 49 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours. 18:34 (IST) Coronavirus in India Latest Updates Modi to interact with CMs on 27 April Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to interact with the chief ministers of all states via video conference on 27 April, ANI reported. 18:27 (IST) Coronavirus in Himachal Pradesh Latest Updates No new COVID-19 case reported in Himachal Pradesh today The Himachal Pradesh government said that no new case of COVID-19 has been reported in the state on Wednesday. There are 23 active cases in the state, 11 patients have recovered and one person has died. 18:18 (IST) Coronavirus in Kerala Latest Updates 11 new COVID-19 cases reported in Kerala today Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that 11 people tested positive for COVID-19 in the state on Wednesday. Of these, seven were reported in Kannur, two in Kozhikode, and one each in Kottayam and Malappuram. 18:13 (IST) Coronavirus in West Bengal Latest Updates 26 new COVID-19 cases reported in Bengal in 24 hours The West Bengal government on Wednesday said that 26 new coronavirus cases have been reported in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of active cases to 300 in the state. No deaths have been reported, and the toll remains at 15. Reportedly, 79 have been cured and discharged so far, including six in the last 24 hours. 7,037 tests have been conducted so far, including 855 in the past day. 18:05 (IST) Coronavirus in Karnataka Latest Updates Nine new COVID-19 cases reported in Karnataka today The Karnataka government said that nine new COVID-19 cases —  two reported in Bengaluru, five in Kalaburagi, two in Mysuru — have been confirmed in the state from Tuesday 5.00 pm to 5.pm on Wednesday. "The total number of coronavirus cases in the state is now 427, including 131 discharged and 17 deaths," the statement added. 18:00 (IST) Coronavirus in India Latest Updates AAP MP asks Modi to bring back Indians stranded abroad Bhagwant Mann, AAP Lok Sabha MP from Sangrur, on Wednesday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his intervention for bringing back Indians stranded in foreign counties amid the coronavirus pandemic. Bhagwant Mann, AAP Lok Sabha MP from Sangrur, writes a letter to PM Narendra Modi, seeking his intervention for bringing back Indians stranded in foreign counties amid #CoronavirusPandemic. pic.twitter.com/BV6BXdKXbf — ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2020 17:54 (IST) Coronavirus in Haryana Latest Updates 260 COVID-19 cases reported in Haryana so far Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that so far, 260 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the state, out of which 153 people have recovered and three have died. "511 tests have been conducted on each 10 lakh people in the state. There is no case in three districts," he added. 17:49 (IST) Coronavirus in Telangana Latest Updates Telanagana govt says asymptomatic secondary contacts won't be tested Telangana Government says ‘Asymptomatic Secondary Contacts’ WILL NOT be tested, instead kept in home quarantine for 28 days (time increased from 14 days.). Only Primary Contacts will be tested and kept in Government Quarantine Centres. 17:34 (IST) Coronavirus in Nepal Latest Updates 3 new COVID-19 cases reported in Nepal The Nepal government said that three new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed on Wednesday. "They were kept in Army’s quarantine in Tandi. The total number of positive cases rise to 45," the statement said. 17:27 (IST) Coronavirus in West Bengal Latest Updates Bengal govt says no COVID-19 testing kits from ICMR available as of today The West Bengal health ministry, providing the status of the three kinds of COVID-19 testing kits approved by the ICMR in the state, said, "As on 22 April, WBDHFW has 0 kits supplied from ICMR/NICED which can test a COVID-19 patient as per ICMR recommendations. Assuring all citizens that every possible effort is being made to address this situation." 3. Antigen Kits - Not supplied to hospitals in Bengal. Thus, as on 22nd Apr, WBDHFW has 0 kits supplied from ICMR/NICED which can test a COVID patient as per ICMR recommendations Assuring all citizens that every possible effort is being made to address this situation (2/2) — Department of Health & Family Welfare, West Bengal (@wbdhfw) April 22, 2020 17:19 (IST) Coronavirus in Odisha Latest Updates One new COVID-19 case reported in Odisha One new COVID-19 case was reported from Odisha's Jajpur on Wednesday, the state information and public relations department said. The total number of cases is now 83, including 50 active cases, 32 recovered, and one death. 17:10 (IST) Coronavirus in West Bengal Latest Updates West Bengal govt says claim of less tests being conducted is untrue West Bengal chief secretary Rajiva Sinha on Wednesday said that "it is not true that we are doing less number of tests". His statement comes a day after the Centre sent teams to review the COVID-19 situation in the state. "A total of  7,037 samples have been tested till now. There is a notice to withdraw testing kits, whose fault is it?," he added. 16:59 (IST) Coronavirus in India Latest Updates MHA tells states to ensure security for healthcare professionals The MHA on Wednesday wrote to state governments, instructing them to "ensure adequate security to healthcare professionals, medical staff and frontline workers to prevent violence against them"., after the Union Cabinet approved an ordinance making violence against the professionals a non-bailable offence. "Strict action to be taken against those who obstruct the performance of last rites of COVID-19 warriors succumbing to COVID-19. State governments, UTs requested to appoint Nodal Officers at State/UT level and at district level, who would be available 24*7 to redress any safety issue on the functioning of medical professionals.They should also take immediate and strict action in case any incident of violence takes place." the statement said. State Govts/ UTs requested to appoint Nodal Officers at State/UT level&at Dist level, who would be available 24*7 to redress any safety issue on the functioning of medical professionals.They should also take immediate&strict action in case any incident of violence takes place:MHA https://t.co/Ii3SxsTrfU — ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2020 16:52 (IST) Coronavirus in India Latest Updates Recovery rate improves to 19.36% in India, says Centre The Union health ministry on Wednesday told the media that the recovery rate is 19.36 percent, up from the around 17 percent on Tuesday. Additionally, 3,870 people have been cured so far  and the tally of coronavirus cases rose to 19,984 on Wednesday, reports said. 16:42 (IST) Coronavirus in India Latest Updates 50 new COVID-19 deaths across India, says Centre The Union health ministry was quoted by reports as saying that in the last 24 hours, 50 new deaths were reported due to coronavirus across India. 16:40 (IST) Coronavirus in Rajasthan Latest Updates Recruitment of 2,000 doctors begins in Rajasthan Rajasthan health minister Raghu Sharma said that the process of recruitment of 2,000 doctors has begun in the state as per the announcement of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in the last state budget. "We will complete the process in the next one and a half months. 735 doctors have recently been recruited and posted in hospitals. Recruitment process of 12,500 General Nursing & Midwife & Auxiliary Nurse Midwife had been completed but posting couldn't be done due to some litigations. After consultation with Advocate General,the CM has now given orders for posting of 9000 such staff," he added. 16:30 (IST) Coronavirus in Punjab Latest Updates COVID-19 patients in Punjab first hotspot district recover, says report At least 18 patients have recovered from the coronavirus infection in Punjab's first hotspot district, Nawanshahr, The Indian Express reported on Wednesday. "(The district) formally cured all infected patients after the result of the last novel coronavirus patient — a 16-year-old from Banga subdivision — came negative. As many as 18 patients have been cured and one death was reported from Nawanshahr (Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar) district. It has been almost a month (March 26) since the last positive case was reported from the district. The age of patients varies from a two-year-old to a 78-year-old man.," the report said. Coronavirus Outbreak LATEST Updates: The BMC said that Mumbai reported 309 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, taking the total number of cases to 3,754. Meanwhile, 10 more deaths were reported on Wednesday, with which the toll in the city rose to 160. A total of 425 people have been discharged so far after recovery, including 17 people in the last 24 hours, the statement added. The Delhi health department said that 92 new COVID-19 positive cases and one death were reported in the National Capital on Wednesday. The total number of cases in Delhi is now 2,248, and the toll is at 48. ANI reported that this year's Amarnath Yatra has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The West Bengal health ministry, providing the status of the three kinds of COVID-19 testing kits approved by the ICMR in the state, said, "As on 22 April, WBDHFW has 0 kits supplied from ICMR/NICED which can test a COVID-19 patient as per ICMR recommendations. Assuring all citizens that every possible effort is being made to address this situation." The Union health ministry on Wednesday told the media that the recovery rate is 19.36 percent, up from the around 17 percent on Tuesday. Additionally, 3,870 people have been cured so far and the tally of coronavirus cases rose to 19,984 on Wednesday, reports said. Uttar Pradesh principal secretary (Medical and Health) Amit Mohan Prasad on Wednesday said that there are no COVID-19 active cases in the Pilibhit, Lakihimpur Kheri, Hathras, Bareilly, Prayagraj, Shahjahanpur, Maharajganj, Barabanki, Hardoi and Kaushambhi districts of the state. The Cabinet on Wednesday approved an ordinance to make violence against health workers non-bailable offence. In case of serious injuries to healthcare workers, the guilty will face imprisonment up to to 7 years. Those found guilty of attacking healthcare workers will face imprisonment and fine of Rs 50,000 to 2 lakh rupees and carries imprisonment from 3 months to 5 years if anyone found guilty, said Union minister Prakash Javadekar. Six staff members including a doctor of Bhatia Hospital have tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday. They are currently being treated at the ICU care unit of Bhatia Hospital. Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Wednesday said the Central committee has recommended an increase in the capacity of quarantine facility in Mumbai from 1,200 beds to 2,000, in light of the rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in the city. Five more COVID-19 positive cases have been reported in Bihar on Wednesday.  Three cases were registered in Patna, 1 in Bihar Sharif and 1 in East Champaran. "Contact tracing is being done. The total number of positive cases in the state stands at 131." Sanjay Kumar, Principal Secretary, Health Dept, Bihar told ANI. Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said the safety of doctors at their workplace is non-negotiable and that the government is committed to their cause while appealing to them to reconsider their proposed protest, prompting the IMA to withdraw its stir. The Ministry of Civil Aviation announced that one of its employees has tested positive for coronavirus. Meanwhile, the number of cases rose to 19,984. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) withdrew their protest after their meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan via video-conferencing. A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan, part of a battalion deployed in Jammu and Kashmir, has tested positive for COVID-19 in the national capital, a senior official said on Wednesday. The jawan, working as a nursing assistant, has been admitted to an isolation ward in a Delhi hospital, he said. On Wednesday, 553 new COVID-19 positive cases were reported in the last 24 hours in Maharashtra as the total number of positive cases in the state stands at 5229, reports ANI. 19 more deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours as the total death in the state rises to 251. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan interacted with doctors and Indian Medical Association (IMA) through video conferencing on Wednesday. He appreciated their good work and also assured them security and appealed to them not to do even symbolic protest as proposed by them, as the government stands with them. A 53-year-old coronavirus patient succumbed to the disease on Tuesday night, reports ANI. The death toll in the Pune district rises to 55 according to health officials. 64 new COVID-19 cases have been reported in Rajasthan, as of 9 am on Wednesday. The total cases in the state now at 1799, including 274 recovered, 97 discharged and 26 deaths, said Rajasthan Health Department. West Bengal writes a letter to MHA, assures cooperation to central teams visiting the state to assess lockdown situation. The letter also noted that the Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT)  had arrived without any prior consultation with the state government and, therefore, 'there was neither such opportunity to provide any logistic support as envisaged in the order dated 19 April 2020 nor the team asked for any help.' Total confirmed COVID-19 cases in India have risen to 19,984, according to the latest update from the Union Health Ministry. This number includes cases involving foreign nationals, patients who have recovered and the toll. The toll in India due to the novel virus has risen to 640. President Donald Trump has said that he will halt issuing of new Green Cards or legal permanent residency for the next 60 days as part of his executive order to temporarily suspend immigration into the US. However, the move will not have any impact on those entering the country on a temporary basis, Trump said. While coronavirus cases in India inched towards 19,000 on Tuesday, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) told state governments to stop using the China-made rapid antibody test kits for two days after Rajasthan flagged "inaccurate results". The Union health ministry, in its daily press briefing, said that the toll from COVID-19 in India rose to 603 on Tuesday, while the number of cases rose to 18,985. Of them, 15,122 are active cases while 3,260 patients have recovered, the ministry added. Officials also said that the recovery rate has improved to 17.5 percent in the country and a record number of 705 patients were cured and discharged on Monday itself. Overall, more than 3,300 persons have been cured and discharged so far. The ICMR said that a total of 4,49,810 samples for COVID-19 infection had been tested till Tuesday, of which 35,852 were done on Monday. As many as 29,776 samples have been tested in 201 labs under the ICMR network, and 6,076 at 86 private laboratories. ICMR tells states not to use rapid antibody tests for two days The Rajasthan government has stopped using the rapid testing kits procured from China after they delivered inaccurate results, PTI reported. The state government had received 30,000 kits through ICMR for free, while 10,000 kits were purchased at a cost of Rs 540 plus tax per kit. The rapid testing kits, through which blood samples are tested, are aimed at speeding up screening and detection of suspected coronavirus patients as they take less time to show results in comparison to the swab-based tests carried out in pathology labs. On Tuesday, Rajasthan's health minister Raghu Sharma said the kits gave only 5.4 percent accurate results against the expectation of 90 percent accuracy and therefore the kits "were of no benefit". He said the ICMR has been informed about the issue. Taking note of the Rajasthan government's feedback, ICMR's Dr Raman R Gangakhedkar told journalists that states have been advised not to use these rapid test kits for two days and a fresh advisory will be issued after field validation by its team. If any problems are detected, the companies will be asked for replacement, he added. Maharashtra govt revokes lockdown exemptions in Mumbai, Pune The Maharashtra government on Tuesday revoked lockdown relaxations and exemptions in Mumbai and Pune because "people are not behaving responsibly", the CMO was quoted as saying. "The rest of the parts of the state to continue to have partial exemptions," the statement added. Reportedly, the permission given to e-commerce companies to transport electronic goods, as well as to open sweets shops and confectioneries has been rolled back. E-commerce companies will only be allowed to transport food, essential items, medicines and medical devices. Additionally, the construction industry won't be allowed to work in the cities and adjoining areas and IT companies have also been asked to make the staff work from home. There will also be no delivery of newspapers in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and the Pune Municipal Region (PMR), said reports quoting the CMO statement. In Maharashtra, coronavirus cases rose by 552 on Tuesday, taking the total statewide total cases to 5,218. With 19 new deaths, the toll from the virus rose to 251, the state government said. Meanwhile, Mumbai, which is one of the worst-affected cities across the country, reported 355 new COVID-19 patients on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases to 3,445 in the city. Out of 12 deaths in the city in 24 hours, eight had co-morbidities and four had age-related factors, the MCGM said. The MCGM also said that 12 new cases were reported in Mumbai's densely-populated Dharavi area on Tuesday. The tally of cases in the area rose to 179, including a total of 12 deaths. Centre, West Bengal govt standoff over IMCTs' visit to state While West Bengal reported three more deaths on Tuesday, a political standoff emerged between the state and the Centre after the Ministry of Home Affairs said the state government was not cooperating with the central teams visiting there to assess the COVID-19 situation. The state's ruling party Trinamool Congress said the visit of central teams to West Bengal was like "adventure tourism" and asked why such delegations were not sent to states with much higher numbers of infections and hotspots. Later on Tuesday, one of the two teams sent to the state visited certain areas of Kolkata, escorted by the Border Security Force (BSF) and state police personnel. At a daily press briefing on the COVID-19 situation, Home Ministry joint secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said the Centre has sent teams under Disaster Management Act to four states — Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal. While Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan are extending full support, the government in West Bengal is not doing so, she said. Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha responded to the allegations, saying that the state government is cooperating with the inter-ministerial central teams visiting the state to assess COVID-19 situation, but made it clear they cannot roam around with them leaving all work to fight the pandemic. "We are helping them. There's no question of not doing that. But our stand is that we all are busy in fighting coronavirus... they cannot get information sitting in cars or at the guest house. "We will share all information they want, taking time out of our busy schedule, but we will not be able to roam around with the central team shutting all our work," Sinha told reporters at the state secretariat. 115 families in President's Estate in Delhi quarantined While new cases were also reported from various states including Odisha and Kerala — where the infection spread has been relatively slower — as many as 115 families residing at the President's Estate in Delhi have been put under self-isolation as a preventive measure after a sanitation worker's relative tested positive for the deadly coronavirus. A Rashtrapati Bhavan communique, however, clarified that till date no employee of the President's Secretariat has tested positive and the Secretariat along with the local administration is taking all the preventive measures under the government guidelines. A COVID-19 positive patient from central Delhi, who was neither an employee of the President's Secretariat nor a resident of the President's Estate, had died on 13 April and after contact tracing it was found that a family member of an employee of the President's Secretariat had been in contact with the deceased, the statement said. The employee and his family members are residents of the President's Estate. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that there are currently 1,603 active cases of COVID-19 in the National Capital, while 47 people have died from the disese so far. Kejriwal also announced a special testing facility for mediapersons from Wednesday, after Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra reported positive test results for several journalists and other staff members of media organisations. COVID-19 cases rise to 1,337 in Uttar Pradesh, almost touch 1,000 in Telangana At least 137 new coronavirus cases were reported in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday, taking the tally of cases in the state to 1,337. The toll stands at 21 in the state. Meanwhile, Gujarat saw a rise of 127 cases in 24 hours, resulting in the toll rising to 2,066, which includes 131 recoveries and 90 deaths so far. The Tamil Nadu government said that 76 people have tested positive for coronavirus in the state on Tuesday, taking total number of positive cases in the state to 1,596. One death was also reported, and the toll rose to 18 in the state. Fifty-six new COVID-19 cases were reported in Telangana on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 928. This includes 711 active cases, 194 who were cured/discharged and 23 deaths, according to the latest update provided by the state health department. Singapore extends partial lockdown, some countries move to reopen amid health warnings Singapore prime minister Lee Hsien Loong on Tuesday extended the "circuit breaker" period until 1 June to control the spread of the deadly coronavirus and assured full care for foreign workers, including Indian nationals. In a televised address to the nation, Prime Minister Lee said the government was committed to do its "utmost" to keep it this deadly virus at bay. "We will extend the circuit breaker for four more weeks, ie, until 1 June," said Lee while giving an update on the COVID-19 and the rising number of cases among foreign workers living in dormitories. Singapore reported 1,111 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, a majority of them foreign workers living in dormitories. A total of 9,125 people have been infected in the country. Noting that businesses and workers would be hurt by the extension, the Singapore prime minister said, "But I hope you understand that this short-term pain is to stamp out the virus, protect the health and safety of our loved ones, and allow us to revive our economy." "The government will continue to help our businesses and workers cope during the extended circuit breaker period. We will provide the same level of support to our workers and businesses as we are doing now," he said. Meanwhile, Spain will begin allowing children out of their homes for brief periods next Monday, AP reported, adding that Denmark announced plans to reopen Tivoli Gardens, the Copenhagen amusement park that inspired Walt Disney. And Australia said doctors can resume non-urgent surgery next week. Countries across Europe and beyond — joined in the US by a cascade of states — moved to gradually reopen amid warnings that acting too quickly could enable the virus to come back with a vengeance. Meanwhile, UN leaders called for efforts to ensure that all people have access to testing, medical supplies, drugs and future vaccines, especially in developing countries. Globally, the coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 1.7 lakh people, including over 42,000 in the US. Nearly 25 lakh infections have been reported worldwide so far, even as there are fears that the actual tally could be much more as tests are so far limited to serious or symptomatic cases in most countries. In a press briefing, the World Health Organisation also warned against any rush to ease coronavirus restrictions, saying any such move could result in a resurgence of the disease. The WHO said governments across the world need to remain vigilant to stop the deadly virus spread and lifting of lockdowns and other social distancing measures must be done gradually. With inputs from agencies

http://sansaartimes.blogspot.com/2020/04/coronavirus-outbreak-updates-83.html

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Schools, colleges shut till March 31 in Chhattisgarh due to Covid-19 outbreak - Times of India

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Schools, colleges shut till March 31 in Chhattisgarh due to Covid-19 outbreak - Times of India

RAIPUR: The Chhattisgarh government on Thursday declared holiday in schools and colleges till March 31 as a precautionary measure in view of the novel coronavirus outbreak in several parts of the country. However, exams will be held as per schedule in these educational institutes.

Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Thursday late evening chaired an emergency meeting of his cabinet colleagues and senior officials to review the preparedness to prevent any spread of the infection in the state, an official of the government’s public relations department here said.

No confirmed coronavirus case has been reported so far in Chhattisgarh, where samples of 44 persons screened for possible exposure to the virus tested negative till Wednesday, health officials said.

During the meeting, it was decided to shut schools and colleges till March 31 in view of an advisory issued by the Government of India related to coronavirus.

However, these facilities will be open on exam days within this period, the officials said. The chief minister directed health department officials to regularly review and monitor the arrangements made to deal with any situation.

He directed officials to make people aware to remain vigilant and avoid attending mass programmes.

On Wednesday evening, the Hidayatullah National Law University (HNLU) in Raipur district suspended its classes till March 18 as a precautionary measure after a few of its students were found suffering from cough, cold and fever.

Following the development, samples of two HNLU students, one from Delhi and another from Jabalpur, were sent for examination to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences(AIIMS), Raipur, a health official said.

Besides, blood sample of a CRPF jawan posted in naxal-hit Sukma district, has also been collected for examination, he said.

With these three samples, reports of a total of nine persons suspected to have been exposed to the virus are awaited in the state till Thursday, he said. The paramilitary jawan, whose sample was taken, returned to his duty place in Sukma on March 10 after a 30-day leave at his native place in Kerala, he said.

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