#Migrant workers apply to return Haryana

[newsaryavart]

1 लाख से अधिक प्रवासी मजदूर लौटना चाहते हैं हरियाणा, किया आवेदन Edited By Shefali Srivastava | नवभारतटाइम्स.कॉम | Updated: 09 May 2020, 03:16:00 PM IST सांकेतिक तस्वीर

[newscountryindia]

‘1.5 lakh migrant workers want to return to Haryana’ Image Source : FILE '1.5 lakh migrant workers want to return to Haryana' While nearly eight lakh migrant workers stranded in Haryana have registered themselves on a government portal to return to their native states, over 1.5 lakh of them have applied on the same portal from different states to return back to work, state Home Minister Anil Vij said on Saturday.

[brajeshupadhyay]

Coronavirus Outbreak LIVE Updates: India becomes 9th worst-hit country as cases climb to 1,65,799; toll stands at 4,706

08:36 (IST)

Coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh Latest Update

Monkeys steal coronavirus blood samples in Meerut

A troop of monkeys in India attacked a medical official and snatched away blood samples of patients who had tested positive for the novel coronavirus, authorities said on Friday.

The attack occurred this week when a laboratory technician was walking in the campus of a state-run medical college in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut. Authorities said they were not clear if the monkeys had spilled the blood samples.

DR SK Garg, a top official at the college said it was not clear if the monkeys could contract the coronavirus if they came into contact with infected blood. “No evidence has been found that monkeys can contract the infection,” Garg told Reuters.

08:33 (IST)

Coronavirus in Canada Latest Update

Canada bans large cruise ships till 31 October

Large cruise ships will continue to be prohibited from operating in Canadian waters until at least 31 October because of the coronavirus pandemic. Transport Minister Marc Garneau said the order applies to cruise ships with overnight accommodations and more than 100 passengers and crew. The move extends and expands an order issued in mid-March that barred ships with more than 500 passengers from Canadian waters until July.

Smaller ships will be allowed to operate after 1 July, but only with the permission of provincial and regional health officials.

Last year, 140 cruise ships brought more than 2 million visitors to Canadian ports. Several hundred Canadians were flown back to Canada and quarantined in Ontario after disembarking ships with outbreaks that docked in Japan and California. At least a dozen passengers from the Grand Princess cruise ship were diagnosed with COVID-19 after being quarantined in Trenton. One Canadian who had been on board the Diamond Princess died in Japan in March after being hospitalized with COVID-19.

08:24 (IST)

Coronavirus in South Korea Latest Update

39 new cases in South Korea; authorities pull up e-commerce giant Coupang

South Korea reported 39 new cases of the coronavirus, most of them in the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area, where officials have found more than a hundred infections linked to Coupang warehouse workers. Figures from South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Saturday brought national totals to 11,441 cases and 269 deaths. At least 12 of the new cases were linked to international arrivals.

Health workers have also found at least 266 infections linked to nightclubs and other entertainment venues in the Seoul metropolitan area, which saw huge crowds in early May as officials eased social distancing guidelines.

The resurgence in infections have alarmed officials as millions of children have been returning to schools nationwide.

08:21 (IST)

Coronavirus in China Latest Update

China reports four new cases, all from outside country

China reported four new confirmed cases of coronavirus on Saturday, all brought from outside the country and no new deaths.

63 people remained in treatment and another 401 were under isolation and monitoring for showing signs of having the virus or of testing positive for it without showing any symptoms.

08:20 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Update

Two UN peacekeepers serving in Mali succumb to COVID-19

The United Nations secretary-general has announced the deaths of two UN peacekeepers, who were working in Mali from COVID-19. Antonio Guterres said one was from Cambodia and the other from El Salvador.

Guterres said the COVID-19 pandemic has changed almost everything, but not “the service, sacrifice and selflessness” of the more than 95,000 men and women serving in the UN’s 13 peacekeeping missions around the world.

According to the UN peacekeeping department, there have been 137 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in UN peacekeeping operations, with the greatest number by far — 90 cases — in Mali. The deaths are the first from the virus among peacekeepers.

08:17 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Italy Latest Update

No critical infection spike in Italy, which will witness inter-regional travel soon

Italy’s health ministry has reported no critical coronavirus infection spikes in any region, giving a positive go-ahead for the planned 3 June reopening of Italy to inter-regional travel by Italians and Europeans alike.

The ministry on Friday issued a region-by-region breakdown of infection rates over the past week. The report said regions such as hard-hit Lombardy still showed a complex, high level of virus circulation, but said the situation was coming under control. The ministry recommended “caution, especially in the moment in which the frequency of movement of people across the national territory increases.”

08:09 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Update

695 arrivals and departures on Day 5 of resumed air services

Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Friday said that on day five of the resumption of domestic flights in the country, there have already been 371 departures and 324 arrivals, and the numbers continue to grow.

"Our airports continue to function smoothly. Total movement of 695 flights with 58,026 passenger footfall at airports. Total number of flyers 30,814," Puri tweeted.

08:02 (IST)

Coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh Latest Update

Indore reports 87 new cases, taking total in district to 3,431

As many as 87 new COVID-19 positive cases were reported in Indore on Friday, taking the total number of cases in the district to 3,431, including 1,775 who have been discharged after the treatment.

After three more deaths due to coronavirus, the district's toll has reached 129. Samples of 34,738 people have been collected in Indore for COVID-19 testing. 

07:57 (IST)

Coronavirus in Jharkhand Latest Update

45 daily new cases reported in Jharkhand

Forty-five new coronavirus cases and one death have been reported in Jharkhand, taking the total number of positive cases in the state to 521.

07:56 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in West Bengal Latest Update

Centre running 'Corona Express', not Shramik train: Mamata Banerjee

In the name of Shramik Express, Indian Railways is running "Corona Express", said West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while alleging that social distancing is not being maintained in special trains transporting migrant workers and other people to their homes.

"Law is equal for all but why all trains are running in full capacity? Why is the railways not maintaining social distancing? Passengers are not being served water and food in the trains," Banerjee said.

"Why are extra trains not being run? I was Railway Minister once. I had increased coaches, why can it not be done now? The Railways are bringing people from hotspot areas in huge numbers," she said.

The Chief Minister said that a decision has been taken to increase the state government's workforce capacity from 50 percent to 70 percent. Speaking further, the Chief Minister said, "The lockdown will continue with minimal effects. Jute mills and tea gardens will operate with 100 percent workforce capacity. We are together in this. I am sure with all your cooperation and understanding, Bengal will emerge victoriously."

She also announced that all religious places will open in the state from 1 June, where not more than 10 people will be allowed at any time.

Coronavirus Outbreak LATEST Updates: The number of COVID-19 cases in India has climbed to 1,65,799, making it the world's ninth worst-hit country by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Health Ministry said the death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 4,706 in the country, while the number of cases climbed to 1,65,799, registering an increase of 175 deaths and a record jump of 7,466 cases since Thursday 8 am.

According to Worldometer, India has now overtaken Turkey as the ninth worst-hit country in terms of total number of cases.

The Health ministry said the number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 89,987, while 71,105 people have recovered and one patient has migrated. "Thus, around 42.89 per cent patients have recovered so far," a senior Health Ministry official said.

The total confirmed cases include foreigners.

Of the 175 deaths reported since Thursday morning, 85 were in Maharashtra, 22 in Gujarat, 15 in Uttar Pradesh, 13 in Delhi, 12 in Tamil Nadu, eight in Madhya Pradesh, seven in Rajasthan, six in West Bengal, four in Telangana and one each in Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh and Haryana.

Of the total 4,706 fatalities, Maharashtra tops the tally with 1,982 deaths followed by Gujarat with 960 deaths, Madhya Pradesh with 321, Delhi with 316, West Bengal with 295, Uttar Pradesh with 197, Rajasthan with 180, Tamil Nadu with 145, Telangana with 67 and Andhra Pradesh with 59 deaths.

The toll reached 47 in Karnataka and 40 in Punjab. Jammu and Kashmir has reported 27 fatalities due to the disease, Haryana has 19 deaths, Bihar has 15 while Odisha and Kerala have reported seven deaths each.

Himachal Pradesh has registered five COVID-19 fatalities, while Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh and Assam have recorded four deaths each so far. Meghalaya has reported one COVID-19 fatality so far, according to the ministry data.

According to the ministry's website, more than 70 percent of the deaths are due to comorbidities.

According to the health ministry data updated in the morning, the highest number of confirmed cases in the country are from Maharashtra at 59,546 followed by Tamil Nadu at 19,372, Delhi at 16,281, Gujarat at 15,562, Rajasthan at 8,067, Madhya Pradesh at 7,453 and Uttar Pradesh at 7,170.

The number of COVID-19 cases has gone up to 4,536 in West Bengal, 3,296 in Bihar and 3,251 in Andhra Pradesh. It has risen to 2,533 in Karnataka, 2,256 in Telangana, 2,158 in Punjab, 2,036 in Jammu and Kashmir and 1,660 in Odisha.

Haryana has reported 1,504 coronavirus infection cases so far, while Kerala has 1,088 cases. A total of 856 people have been infected with the virus in Assam and 469 in Jharkhand.

Uttarakhand has registered 500 cases, Chhattisgarh has 399, Chandigarh has reported 288 cases, Himachal Pradesh has 276, Tripura has 242, Ladakh has 73 and Goa has 69 cases so far.

Manipur has reported 55 COVID-19 cases, Puducherry has 51 instances of infection while Andaman and Nicobar Islands has registered 33 infections.

Meghalaya has registered 21 cases. Nagaland has reported 18 infections, Arunachal Pradesh reported three cases, Dadar and Nagar Haveli has two cases, while Mizoram and Sikkim have reported a case each till how.

"4,673 cases are being reassigned to states," the ministry said on its website, adding, "Our figures are being reconciled with the ICMR."

State-wise distribution is subject to further verification and reconciliation, it said.

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[iasshikshalove]

Daily Current Affairs 30th April 2020

ONLY 30 LAKH FOUND MNREGA WORK IN APRILMGNREGA:Ministry: Ministry of Rural Development

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), also known as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS) is Indian legislation enacted on August 25, 2005.

The MGNREGA provides a legal guarantee for one hundred days of employment in every financial year to adult members of any rural household willing to do public work-related unskilled manual work at the statutory minimum wage.

The Ministry of Rural Development (MRD), Govt of India is monitoring the entire implementation of this scheme in association with state governments.

This act was introduced with an aim of improving the purchasing power of the rural people, primarily semi or un-skilled work to people living below poverty line in rural India.

An additional 50 days of wage employment are provided over and above 100 days in the notified drought affected areas or natural calamity areas in the country on recommendation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

Please click the below link to know about MNREGA:

https://iasshiksha.com/daily-current-affair/daily-current-affairs-14th-april-2020/

Why in News?

Although the Centre gave explicit instructions to reopen its flagship rural jobs scheme from April 20, only 30 lakh people were provided work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in April, about 17% of the usual, government data show.

In mid-April, only 1% of the usual number of workers had found employment.

The figures for this April are the lowest in five years, and show an 82% drop from the previous year’s figure of 1.7 crore workers.

Some States had zero workers as on April 29, showing they had not restarted their work sites at all.

Only 1,005 people got work in Haryana, along with 2,014 in Kerala and 6,376 in Gujarat, showing very low rates of employment.

Andhra Pradesh, on the other hand, has provided 10 lakh jobs, though it is still lower than the 25 lakh jobs provided last April.

In the light of government failure to provide sufficient work at a time when the loss of livelihoods due to the lockdown and returning migrant workers have increased the need for work in Indian villages, there is a rising demand for compensation wages to be paid to workers instead.

ORDINANCE ROUTE TO DEFER PAY IN KERALA

The Kerala Cabinet has cleared a draft Ordinance empowering the government for deferring six days’ salary of employees and teachers for five months to face the extraordinary fiscal crisis triggered by the COVID-19 outbreak.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters here on Wednesday that there was a steep fall in income and the crisis was unbearable.

The decision on deferment was made to overcome the crisis. Since the High Court had pointed out that the decision was legally untenable, the Cabinet decided to recommend the Governor to promulgate an Ordinance.

The Ordinance will also empower the government to impose a 30% cut in the salary, allowances and honorarium of Ministers and MLAs for a year.

The draft explains that in the event of any disaster or public health emergency, it shall be competent and lawful for the government to defer up to one-fourth of the total salary of an employee in any institution owned or controlled by the government, including aided and grant-in-aid bodies.

The High Court had said there was no sanction of law for the order to defer the salary and it amounts to deprivation of property of the employees and teachers who were affected by it.

Hence, the government had to issue the Ordinance under extraordinary circumstances.

Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac clarified that the government had the powers to deduct up to one-fourth of the total monthly salary of an employee for the management of the crisis that stemmed out of the public health emergency, but would strictly go by the earlier decision to defer the salary.

REGULATING ACADEMICS IS IN NATIONAL, PUBLIC INTEREST:SC

Regulating academics and imposing reasonable restrictions to ensure educational standards are in national and public interest, a three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court ruled, holding that the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) is mandatory for admission to medical colleges run by religious and linguistic minority communities.

The right to freedom of trade or business is not absolute. It is subject to “reasonable restriction in the interest of the students’ community to promote merit, recognition of excellence, and to curb the malpractices.

A uniform entrance test qualifies the test of proportionality and is reasonable.

NEET is intended to check several maladies which crept into medical education, to prevent capitation fee by admitting students which are lower in merit and to prevent exploitation, profiteering, and commercialisation of education. The institution has to be a capable vehicle of education.

The court said minority institutions were equally bound to comply with the conditions imposed under the law. The regulations, including admission through NEET, were neither divisive or dis-integrative. They were necessary.

The judgment was based on a challenge by the colleges to several notifications issued by the Medical Council of India (MCI) and the Dental Council of India (DCI) under Sections 10D of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956, and the Dentists Act, 1948, for uniform entrance examinations.

Professional educational institutions constitute a class by themselves. Specific measures to make the administration of such institutions transparent can be imposed.

The rights available under Article 30 [right of minorities to administer their institutions] are not violated by provisions carved out in Section 10D of the MCI Act and the Dentists Act and Regulations framed by MCI/DCI.

NEET APPLIES TO MINORITY COLLEGES: SC

The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) is mandatory for admission to medical colleges run by religious and linguistic minority communities, the Supreme Court held on Wednesday.

A three-judge Bench led by Justice Arun Mishra held that admissions solely through NEET for graduate and postgraduate medical/dental courses does not violate any fundamental and religious rights of minorities. NEET would apply for both aided and unaided medical colleges run by minorities.

The court dismissed arguments by the managements of several minority-run medical institutions, including the Christian Medical College Vellore Association, that bringing them uniformly under the ambit of NEET would be a violation of their fundamental right to “occupation, trade and business”.

The colleges had argued that imposing NEET would violate their fundamental rights of religious freedom, to manage their religious affairs, to administer their institutions.

They said the State was reneging on its obligation to act in the best interest of minorities.

But Justice Mishra, who wrote the 108-page judgment, said it was time the field of education returned to the “realm of charity”, a character it had lost over the years.

NEET was brought in to weed out malpractices in the field.

The court held that the rights of trade, business and occupation or religious rights “do not come in the way of securing transparency and recognition of merits in admissions”.

STUDY ON CHINA DAMS BRINGS THE BRAHMAPUTRA INTO FOCUS

A new study highlighting the impact of China’s dams on the Mekong river has raised fresh questions on whether dams being built on other rivers that originate in China, such as the Brahmaputra, may similarly impact countries downstream.

While China’s southwestern Yunnan province had above-average rainfall from May to October 2019, there was “severe lack of water in the lower Mekong”, the study found based on satellite data from 1992 to 2019.

The Mekong flows from China to Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

The Mekong River Commission, which comprises Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam, has said more scientific evidence was needed to establish whether dams caused a 2019 drought.

The study released this month said six dams built since the commissioning of the Nuozhadu dam in 2012 had altered natural flow of the river.

It was published by the Sustainable Infrastructure Partnership in Bangkok and the Lower Mekong Initiative, which is a U.S. partnership with all the downstream countries besides Myanmar.

The study was funded by the U.S. government.

Groundless Study:

China has maintained that the dams it is building on the river, known as the Lancang there, are “run of the river” dams that only store water for power generation.

The Foreign Ministry said the study was “groundless”. Yunnan had also suffered from drought, while the Lancang only accounted for 13.5% of the Mekong’s flows.

India has long expressed concerns over dam-building on the Brahmaptura. In 2015, China operationalised its first hydropower project at Zangmu, while three other dams at Dagu, Jiexu and Jiacha are being developed.

Indian officials have said the dams are not likely to impact the quantity of the Brahmaputra’s flows because they are only storing water for power generation. Moreover, the Brahmaputra is not entirely dependent on upstream flows and an estimated 35% of its basin is in India.

India does not have a water-sharing agreement with China, but both sides share hydrological data.

“We have got China to cooperate with us for warnings on how floods are moving down the Yarlung Tsangpo and into the Brahmaputra, so that we can warn our population living in low-lying areas and move them safely to higher ground,” said Gautam Bambawale, who was India’s Ambassador to China until December 2018.

“India will continue to raise the issue of river waters in the Brahmaputra with China, as that appears to be the only methodology to ensure what happened on Mekong does not happen on Brahmaputra.

Management Problem:

India, for the most part, doesn’t have a quantity problem but a management one,” added Ambika Vishwanath, who researches water security and is director of the Kubernein Initiative.

“We really need to worry more about activity in China affecting quality, ecological balance, and flood management.”

The Mekong study, she added, was not conclusive on the question of how China’s dams had affected quantity of flows.

“To state that the basin had less water because of activities in China alone is misleading, mainly because that only considers the water flowing into the lower basin at one station in Thailand,” she said, adding that the study did not consider other dams and water-use along the course of the river.

The lower basin isn’t entirely dependent on flows from China, but also receives water from tributaries in all four countries, which the study did not account for.

INDIA REMAINS ON U.S. PRIORITY WATCH LIST

Special 301 Report:

The Special 301 Reportis prepared annually by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) that identifies trade barriers to United States companies and products due to the intellectual property laws, such as copyright, patents and trademarks, in other countries.

By April 30 of each year, the USTR must identify countries which do not provide “adequate and effective” protection of intellectual property rights or “fair and equitable market access to United States persons that rely upon intellectual property rights”.

By statute, the annual Special 301 Report includes a list of “Priority Foreign Countries“, that are judged to have inadequate intellectual property laws; these countries may be subject to sanctions.

In addition, the report contains a “Priority Watch List” and a “Watch List“, containing countries whose intellectual property regimes are deemed of concern.

Why in News?

India continues to be on the ‘Priority Watch List’ of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) for lack of adequate intellectual property (IP) rights protection and enforcement, the USTR said in its Annual Special 301 Report.

India remained one of the most challenging economies for IP enforcement and protection, the report said, using language it has used previously.

Algeria, Argentina, Chile, China, Indonesia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine and Venezuela are also on the Priority Watch List.

While India made “meaningful progress” to enhance IP protection and enforcement in some areas over the past year, it did not resolve recent and long-standing challenges, and created new ones.

The same assessment was made in the 2019 report.

These long-standing concerns were about innovators being able to receive, maintain and enforce patents particularly in the pharmaceutical sector; concerns over copyright laws not incentivising the creation and commercialisation of content; and an outdated trade secrets framework.

“India also further restricted the transparency of information provided on state-issued pharmaceutical manufacturing licenses, continues to apply restrictive patentability criteria to reject pharmaceutical patents, and still has not established an effective system for protecting against the unfair commercial use, as well as the unauthorized disclosure, of undisclosed test or other data generated to obtain marketing approval for pharmaceuticals and certain agricultural chemical products.

The report also mentioned high customs duties on medical devices and Information and Communications Technology.

These goods categories were persistent challenges in trade talks between the two countries last year — the language used in the 2020 report in this context is the same as in the 2019 report.

Online IP enforcement in India has improved, the report said, but progress is undercut by factors including weak enforcement by courts and the police, lack of familiarity with investigative techniques and no centralised IP enforcement agency.

[vsplusonline]

Realtors to face labour shortage as workers rush to return home

New Post has been published on https://apzweb.com/realtors-to-face-labour-shortage-as-workers-rush-to-return-home/

Realtors to face labour shortage as workers rush to return home

MUMBAI | BENGALURU | NEW DELHI: Despite government allowing construction activity across all the regions including the red zones, realty developers and contractors are now staring at a labour shortage after labourers who had stayed back have expressed willingness to return to their native villages, a development that could push back completion dates of projects by 2-3 months.

In such a scenario, realty developers and contractors would have to shell out additional wages or incentivise workers to retain them at sites at least for urgent pre-monsoon work.

So what triggered this change? While earlier no transport was allowed or available for migrant workers to return to their villages, the government is now making mass transport and other related arrangements to send workers back home this time.

“It’s a catch 22 situation for us as well as the government. They will definitely go; we will have to deal with it by incentivising workers at least for the sites that need urgent attention due to onset of monsoon. Hopefully, the supply of raw material will smoothen out soon,” said Jaxay Shah, national chairman, CREDAI.

Builders and contractors are also facing a major challenge of planning their site work given the uncertainty around workers’ availability as many of them may hesitate to return soon.

Experts says this will disturb the schedules and delay construction activity that will ultimately push deliveries of projects further.

“As the supply chain for construction materials is expected to be normalised in the next few weeks, insufficient labour strength could severely impact the construction operations of these companies in the weeks to come,” said a Shapoorji Pallonji E & C spokesperson.

And experts say that the sector has already lost out on significant part of summer that is considered to be crucial for construction activity.

The government has provided relaxation in terms of construction activity even in the red zones, but only with existing available labourers at the sites and with a condition that no workers be allowed from other zones.

Following this, realty developers with large construction activity across its sites may manage to hold some workers back by doling out additional incentives.

However, smaller developers would face difficulties given their scale of construction and ability to absorb higher cost burden.

While Haryana’s Gurugram and Faridabad had allowed construction last week only, Delhi and UP towns like Noida and Ghaziabad allowed construction to resume from Monday.

However, with no cash flows, developers are unable to incentivise the labourers.

The rush among migrant workers across major cities to apply for the government’s transport arrangement to leave for their natives is an indication that not many workers are keen to stay put at sites.

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08:36 (IST) Coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh Latest Update Monkeys steal coronavirus blood samples in Meerut A troop of monkeys in India attacked a medical official and snatched away blood samples of patients who had tested positive for the novel coronavirus, authorities said on Friday. The attack occurred this week when a laboratory technician was walking in the campus of a state-run medical college in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut. Authorities said they were not clear if the monkeys had spilled the blood samples. DR SK Garg, a top official at the college said it was not clear if the monkeys could contract the coronavirus if they came into contact with infected blood. “No evidence has been found that monkeys can contract the infection,” Garg told Reuters. 08:33 (IST) Coronavirus in Canada Latest Update Canada bans large cruise ships till 31 October Large cruise ships will continue to be prohibited from operating in Canadian waters until at least 31 October because of the coronavirus pandemic. Transport Minister Marc Garneau said the order applies to cruise ships with overnight accommodations and more than 100 passengers and crew. The move extends and expands an order issued in mid-March that barred ships with more than 500 passengers from Canadian waters until July. Smaller ships will be allowed to operate after 1 July, but only with the permission of provincial and regional health officials. Last year, 140 cruise ships brought more than 2 million visitors to Canadian ports. Several hundred Canadians were flown back to Canada and quarantined in Ontario after disembarking ships with outbreaks that docked in Japan and California. At least a dozen passengers from the Grand Princess cruise ship were diagnosed with COVID-19 after being quarantined in Trenton. One Canadian who had been on board the Diamond Princess died in Japan in March after being hospitalized with COVID-19. 08:24 (IST) Coronavirus in South Korea Latest Update 39 new cases in South Korea; authorities pull up e-commerce giant Coupang South Korea reported 39 new cases of the coronavirus, most of them in the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area, where officials have found more than a hundred infections linked to Coupang warehouse workers. Figures from South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Saturday brought national totals to 11,441 cases and 269 deaths. At least 12 of the new cases were linked to international arrivals. Health workers have also found at least 266 infections linked to nightclubs and other entertainment venues in the Seoul metropolitan area, which saw huge crowds in early May as officials eased social distancing guidelines. The resurgence in infections have alarmed officials as millions of children have been returning to schools nationwide. 08:21 (IST) Coronavirus in China Latest Update China reports four new cases, all from outside country China reported four new confirmed cases of coronavirus on Saturday, all brought from outside the country and no new deaths. 63 people remained in treatment and another 401 were under isolation and monitoring for showing signs of having the virus or of testing positive for it without showing any symptoms. 08:20 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Update Two UN peacekeepers serving in Mali succumb to COVID-19 The United Nations secretary-general has announced the deaths of two UN peacekeepers, who were working in Mali from COVID-19. Antonio Guterres said one was from Cambodia and the other from El Salvador. Guterres said the COVID-19 pandemic has changed almost everything, but not “the service, sacrifice and selflessness” of the more than 95,000 men and women serving in the UN’s 13 peacekeeping missions around the world. According to the UN peacekeeping department, there have been 137 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in UN peacekeeping operations, with the greatest number by far — 90 cases — in Mali. The deaths are the first from the virus among peacekeepers. 08:17 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Italy Latest Update No critical infection spike in Italy, which will witness inter-regional travel soon Italy’s health ministry has reported no critical coronavirus infection spikes in any region, giving a positive go-ahead for the planned 3 June reopening of Italy to inter-regional travel by Italians and Europeans alike. The ministry on Friday issued a region-by-region breakdown of infection rates over the past week. The report said regions such as hard-hit Lombardy still showed a complex, high level of virus circulation, but said the situation was coming under control. The ministry recommended “caution, especially in the moment in which the frequency of movement of people across the national territory increases.” 08:09 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Update 695 arrivals and departures on Day 5 of resumed air services Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Friday said that on day five of the resumption of domestic flights in the country, there have already been 371 departures and 324 arrivals, and the numbers continue to grow. "Our airports continue to function smoothly. Total movement of 695 flights with 58,026 passenger footfall at airports. Total number of flyers 30,814," Puri tweeted. 08:02 (IST) Coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh Latest Update Indore reports 87 new cases, taking total in district to 3,431 As many as 87 new COVID-19 positive cases were reported in Indore on Friday, taking the total number of cases in the district to 3,431, including 1,775 who have been discharged after the treatment. After three more deaths due to coronavirus, the district's toll has reached 129. Samples of 34,738 people have been collected in Indore for COVID-19 testing.  07:57 (IST) Coronavirus in Jharkhand Latest Update 45 daily new cases reported in Jharkhand Forty-five new coronavirus cases and one death have been reported in Jharkhand, taking the total number of positive cases in the state to 521. 07:56 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in West Bengal Latest Update Centre running 'Corona Express', not Shramik train: Mamata Banerjee In the name of Shramik Express, Indian Railways is running "Corona Express", said West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while alleging that social distancing is not being maintained in special trains transporting migrant workers and other people to their homes. "Law is equal for all but why all trains are running in full capacity? Why is the railways not maintaining social distancing? Passengers are not being served water and food in the trains," Banerjee said. "Why are extra trains not being run? I was Railway Minister once. I had increased coaches, why can it not be done now? The Railways are bringing people from hotspot areas in huge numbers," she said. The Chief Minister said that a decision has been taken to increase the state government's workforce capacity from 50 percent to 70 percent. Speaking further, the Chief Minister said, "The lockdown will continue with minimal effects. Jute mills and tea gardens will operate with 100 percent workforce capacity. We are together in this. I am sure with all your cooperation and understanding, Bengal will emerge victoriously." She also announced that all religious places will open in the state from 1 June, where not more than 10 people will be allowed at any time. Coronavirus Outbreak LATEST Updates: The number of COVID-19 cases in India has climbed to 1,65,799, making it the world's ninth worst-hit country by the coronavirus pandemic. The Health Ministry said the death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 4,706 in the country, while the number of cases climbed to 1,65,799, registering an increase of 175 deaths and a record jump of 7,466 cases since Thursday 8 am. According to Worldometer, India has now overtaken Turkey as the ninth worst-hit country in terms of total number of cases. The Health ministry said the number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 89,987, while 71,105 people have recovered and one patient has migrated. "Thus, around 42.89 per cent patients have recovered so far," a senior Health Ministry official said. The total confirmed cases include foreigners. Of the 175 deaths reported since Thursday morning, 85 were in Maharashtra, 22 in Gujarat, 15 in Uttar Pradesh, 13 in Delhi, 12 in Tamil Nadu, eight in Madhya Pradesh, seven in Rajasthan, six in West Bengal, four in Telangana and one each in Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh and Haryana. Of the total 4,706 fatalities, Maharashtra tops the tally with 1,982 deaths followed by Gujarat with 960 deaths, Madhya Pradesh with 321, Delhi with 316, West Bengal with 295, Uttar Pradesh with 197, Rajasthan with 180, Tamil Nadu with 145, Telangana with 67 and Andhra Pradesh with 59 deaths. The toll reached 47 in Karnataka and 40 in Punjab. Jammu and Kashmir has reported 27 fatalities due to the disease, Haryana has 19 deaths, Bihar has 15 while Odisha and Kerala have reported seven deaths each. Himachal Pradesh has registered five COVID-19 fatalities, while Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh and Assam have recorded four deaths each so far. Meghalaya has reported one COVID-19 fatality so far, according to the ministry data. According to the ministry's website, more than 70 percent of the deaths are due to comorbidities. According to the health ministry data updated in the morning, the highest number of confirmed cases in the country are from Maharashtra at 59,546 followed by Tamil Nadu at 19,372, Delhi at 16,281, Gujarat at 15,562, Rajasthan at 8,067, Madhya Pradesh at 7,453 and Uttar Pradesh at 7,170. The number of COVID-19 cases has gone up to 4,536 in West Bengal, 3,296 in Bihar and 3,251 in Andhra Pradesh. It has risen to 2,533 in Karnataka, 2,256 in Telangana, 2,158 in Punjab, 2,036 in Jammu and Kashmir and 1,660 in Odisha. Haryana has reported 1,504 coronavirus infection cases so far, while Kerala has 1,088 cases. A total of 856 people have been infected with the virus in Assam and 469 in Jharkhand. Uttarakhand has registered 500 cases, Chhattisgarh has 399, Chandigarh has reported 288 cases, Himachal Pradesh has 276, Tripura has 242, Ladakh has 73 and Goa has 69 cases so far. Manipur has reported 55 COVID-19 cases, Puducherry has 51 instances of infection while Andaman and Nicobar Islands has registered 33 infections. Meghalaya has registered 21 cases. Nagaland has reported 18 infections, Arunachal Pradesh reported three cases, Dadar and Nagar Haveli has two cases, while Mizoram and Sikkim have reported a case each till how. "4,673 cases are being reassigned to states," the ministry said on its website, adding, "Our figures are being reconciled with the ICMR." State-wise distribution is subject to further verification and reconciliation, it said.

http://sansaartimes.blogspot.com/2020/05/coronavirus-outbreak-live-updates-india_30.html

[brajeshupadhyay]

Haryana sees reverse migration trend as COVID-19 cases drop; 1.5 lakh workers from UP, MP and Bihar apply to return to state

Chandigarh: In a bright sign for resumption of economic activities amid the Covid-led lockdown across the country, the migrant workers, who left various states for their native places amid the shutdown, have begun expressing willingness to return to work, indicate developments in Haryana.

Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij on Saturday said over 1.5 lakh migrant workers have applied on government portal, expressing their willingness to return back to work in the state.

Vij said most of these 1.5 lakh workers, who have registered themselves to return, belong to Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

He also said on the same portal nearly 8 lakh migrant workers, however, have registered themselves for leaving the state.

“Nearly 1.5 lakh migrant workers want to return to Haryana while 8 lakh of them have registered themselves for leaving the state for their native states,” Vij said.

“Most of the 1.5 lakh who want to come back are from Bihar, UP and MP. They want to come here as commercial activities have started and they are hopeful that they can find a job,” he said.

Asked how Haryana can facilitate those migrants willing to come back during the lockdown, Vij said, “We are talking to the states to which they belong.”

Most of the migrants who want to return have applied to come to industrial towns of Gurgaon, Sonipat, Jhajjar, Rewari, Faridabad and Panipat, said officials.

They said that most of these who have applied to return may have left before the lockdown or during its initial few days.

Asked if the resumption of the state's industry and economic activities would not be affected due to more workers seeking to leave the state and than those willing to return, Vij said, “We and the rest of the country and the world is facing a situation that we are bound to face some difficulties.

“But we cannot stop those migrant workers who want to go back with their states too being ready to have them back. We can only persuade these workers and we are already doing that. We are seeking to assure them that the Haryana government will take care of all their needs, but we cannot force them to stay back,” he said.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had on Wednesday reiterated his appeal to migrant workers not to leave the state and instead start working in manufacturing units which have been allowed to resume operations, saying the coronavirus situation in the state was much better.

He had said migrants must compare the situation in their native places with that in Haryana before taking a decision.

The chief minister, however, had said if anyone still wanted to leave, the state government has already made arrangements for their return as per the Centre's guidelines.

On Wednesday, the first special train from Hisar carrying 1,200 migrant workers left for Katihar in Bihar.

More such migrants wanting to go back will be sent back within the next seven days through 5,000 buses and 100 trains, with the state government being ready to bear the entire cost of their transportation.

As many as 23,452 migrant labourers have so far been sent to their home states free of cost by various trains and buses arranged by the state government during the past three days, a statement had said here on Friday.

Meanwhile, Vij said 66 persons from Haryana were among the stranded Indians, who were brought back home on Friday as part of the Centre's mega repatriation mission Vande Bharat.

“As many as 66 persons from Haryana returned from abroad and they have been quarantined in a facility in Gurgaon,” he said.

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[brajeshupadhyay]

Chandigarh: In a bright sign for resumption of economic activities amid the Covid-led lockdown across the country, the migrant workers, who left various states for their native places amid the shutdown, have begun expressing willingness to return to work, indicate developments in Haryana. Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij on Saturday said over 1.5 lakh migrant workers have applied on government portal, expressing their willingness to return back to work in the state. Vij said most of these 1.5 lakh workers, who have registered themselves to return, belong to Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. He also said on the same portal nearly 8 lakh migrant workers, however, have registered themselves for leaving the state. “Nearly 1.5 lakh migrant workers want to return to Haryana while 8 lakh of them have registered themselves for leaving the state for their native states,” Vij said. “Most of the 1.5 lakh who want to come back are from Bihar, UP and MP. They want to come here as commercial activities have started and they are hopeful that they can find a job,” he said. Asked how Haryana can facilitate those migrants willing to come back during the lockdown, Vij said, “We are talking to the states to which they belong.” Most of the migrants who want to return have applied to come to industrial towns of Gurgaon, Sonipat, Jhajjar, Rewari, Faridabad and Panipat, said officials. They said that most of these who have applied to return may have left before the lockdown or during its initial few days. Asked if the resumption of the state's industry and economic activities would not be affected due to more workers seeking to leave the state and than those willing to return, Vij said, “We and the rest of the country and the world is facing a situation that we are bound to face some difficulties. “But we cannot stop those migrant workers who want to go back with their states too being ready to have them back. We can only persuade these workers and we are already doing that. We are seeking to assure them that the Haryana government will take care of all their needs, but we cannot force them to stay back,” he said. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had on Wednesday reiterated his appeal to migrant workers not to leave the state and instead start working in manufacturing units which have been allowed to resume operations, saying the coronavirus situation in the state was much better. He had said migrants must compare the situation in their native places with that in Haryana before taking a decision. The chief minister, however, had said if anyone still wanted to leave, the state government has already made arrangements for their return as per the Centre's guidelines. On Wednesday, the first special train from Hisar carrying 1,200 migrant workers left for Katihar in Bihar. More such migrants wanting to go back will be sent back within the next seven days through 5,000 buses and 100 trains, with the state government being ready to bear the entire cost of their transportation. As many as 23,452 migrant labourers have so far been sent to their home states free of cost by various trains and buses arranged by the state government during the past three days, a statement had said here on Friday. Meanwhile, Vij said 66 persons from Haryana were among the stranded Indians, who were brought back home on Friday as part of the Centre's mega repatriation mission Vande Bharat. “As many as 66 persons from Haryana returned from abroad and they have been quarantined in a facility in Gurgaon,” he said.

http://sansaartimes.blogspot.com/2020/05/haryana-sees-reverse-migration-trend-as.html

[brajeshupadhyay]

Coronavirus Outbreak LIVE Updates: Odisha records highest single-day spike in COVID-19 cases with 26 more testing positive; 245 infected so far

08:27 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Jammu and Kashmir Latest Updates 

In Photos: First flight to evacuate medical students of J&K from Bangladesh 

The flight to bring back stranded Indian students from Bangladesh will leave at 11 am on Friday. All the 167 passengers are medical students from Srinagar studying in Dhaka. 

The first flight from Dhaka (Bangladesh) to Srinagar with 167 passengers will leave at 11 am with all medical students from Jammu and Kashmir. #VandeBharatMission pic.twitter.com/cXGTkFsTdD

— ANI (@ANI) May 8, 2020

08:08 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates 

At least 14 migrant workers run over by goods train in Aurangabad

At least 14 migrant labourers in Maharashtra, who were headed home to Chhattisgarh, were killed by a goods train at Gadhe jalgaon area of Aurangabad on Friday morning. 

The tragic incident occurred when the migrant workers were asleep on the rails between Badnapur and Karmad. 

They were resting on the railway tracks at the time of the accident and meant to catch a train from Aurangabad to their village.

Over 12 #MigrantLabourers heading back to home state were crushed to #death by a goods train at Gadhejalgaon of #Aurangabad, #Maharashtra @6am. They were resting on railway tracks at the time of accident.#MigrantLivesMatter #COVID19 #MigrantWorkers @TOIIndiaNews #coronavirus

— Mohammed Akhef (@MohdAkhefTOI) May 8, 2020

07:43 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Madhya Pradesh Latest Updates 

Liquor purchasers get marked with indelible ink in Hoshangabad dist

Madhya Pradesh's Hoshangabad district Excise officer Abhishek Tiwari on Friday said that the district is keeping a record of all customers who are purchasing alcohol by applying indelible ink to their fingers. 

"The indelible ink is being applied to the index finger of buyers coming to purchase liquor, in Hoshangabad district. It's being done to trace people in near future if needed," Tiwari told ANI.

"Besides, all the customers are being asked to put down their names, address and mobile number in the register kept at the liquor shops," he said.

MP: Indelible ink is being applied to index finger of buyers coming to purchase liquor,in Hoshangabad dist.Excise officer Hoshangabad,Abhishek Tiwari says "It's being done to trace people in near future if needed. Register with their details is also being maintained on all shops" pic.twitter.com/WjoS7W5GYf

— ANI (@ANI) May 8, 2020

Coronavirus Outbreak LATEST Updates: With 26 more people testing positive for the novel coronavirus in Odisha, the total number of confirmed cases in the state climbed to 245 on Friday.

According to media reports, Kendrapara reported five positive cases and Bhadrak detected two cases while, rest of the 19 cases were registered in Ganjam district.

At least 14 migrant labourers in Maharashtra, who were headed home to Chhattisgarh, were killed by a goods train at Gadhe jalgaon area of Aurangabad on Friday morning.

The tragic incident occurred when the migrant workers were asleep on the rails between Badnapur and Karmad.

They were resting on the railway tracks at the time of the accident and meant to catch a train from Aurangabad to their village.

The toll from COVID-19 disease in India rose to 1,783 while the number of novel coronavirus cases climbed to 52,952 on Thursday, registering an increase of 89 deaths and 3,561 cases in the last 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry said.

However, a PTI tally of numbers reported by states and UTs till 6.45 pm put the total number of confirmed cases at 53,950.

The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 35,902 while 15,266 people have recovered and one patient has migrated, it said.

In what comes as worrying news, as many as 77 inmates and 26 officials of Arthur Road jail in Mumbai have contracted coronavirus. According to India Today, tests were conducted on all inmates and staffers a day after a 45-year-old prisoner facing narcotics-related charges tested positive.

Meanwhile, speaking at a virtual global Buddha Purnima event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India is making every effort to save the life of every citizen from coronavirus, but it is also taking its global obligations during the pandemic very seriously.

He also said that India's growth will always be aiding global growth.

State-wise cases

The highest number of confirmed cases in the country is from Maharashtra at 16,758 followed by Gujarat at 6,625, Delhi at 5,532, Tamil Nadu at 4,829, Rajasthan at 3,317, Madhya Pradesh at 3,138 and Uttar Pradesh at 2,998.

The number of COVID-19 cases has gone up to 1,777 in Andhra Pradesh and 1,516 in Punjab. It has risen to 1,456 in West Bengal, 1,107 in Telangana, 775 in Jammu and Kashmir, 693 in Karnataka, 594 in Haryana and 542 in Bihar.

Kerala has reported 503 coronavirus cases so far, while Odisha has 185 cases. A total of 127 people have been infected with the virus in Jharkhand and 120 in Chandigarh.

Uttarakhand has reported 61 cases, Chhattisgarh has 59 cases, Assam and Himachal Pradesh have 45 each, while Tripura has 43 and Ladakh has registered 41 cases so far.

As many as 33 COVID-19 cases have been reported from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Meghalaya has registered 12 cases, Puducherry has nine, while Goa has seven COVID-19 cases.

Manipur has two cases. Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Dadar and Nagar Haveli have reported a case each.

A total of 89 deaths deaths have been reported since Wednesday, of which 34 people died in Maharashtra, 28 in Gujarat, nine in Madhya Pradesh, four each in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, three in Rajasthan, two each from Punjab and Tamil Nadu and one each from Delhi, Haryana and Orissa.

Of the 1,783 fatalities in the country, Maharashtra tops the tally with 651 deaths, Gujarat comes second with 396 deaths, followed by Madhya Pradesh at 185, West Bengal at 144, Rajasthan at 92, Delhi at 65, Uttar Pradesh at 60 and Andhra Pradesh at 36.

The death toll due to COVID-19 climbed to 35 in Tamil Nadu while Telangana and Karnataka have reported 29 fatalities each due to the disease. Punjab has registered 27 COVID-19 deaths, Jammu and Kashmir eight and Haryana seven. Kerala and Bihar have reported four deaths each.

Jharkhand has recorded three COVID-19 fatalities. Odisha and Himachal Pradesh have reported two deaths each.

Meghalaya, Chandigarh, Assam and Uttarakhand have reported one fatality each, according to the ministry data.

77 inmates of Mumbai jail test positive

As many as 77 inmates  and 26 staff members of Arthur Road prison were found to have contracted coronavirus after coming in contact with a cook who had caught the infection.

"The prisoners will be quarantined with the help of the Mumbai civic body," Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh said.

Deshmukh also said that to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus in jails, the state government had decided to release on parole some 5,000 prisoners who have been sentenced to less than seven years' imprisonment.

Hindustan Times quoted an unnamed senior police official claiming that the state-run JJ Hospital authorities have already collected swab samples of 150 people from the prison and more samples are being collected.

“The possibility of COVID-19 having entered the prison through BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) cleaning staff, sanitisation workers, or through essential services that used to come to the jail cannot be ruled out,” the officer told the newspaper requesting anonymity.

Repatriation of Indians stranded abroad begins

The first of the two flights from the UAE carrying 177 Indian nationals left for Kerala on Thursday, as India began its biggest ever repatriation exercise to bring back its citizens stranded abroad amidst the international travel lockdown over the coronavirus pandemic.

A total of 354 Indian nationals, including 11 pregnant women and a pair of twins, will return home on Thursday in the two flights from the UAE to Kerala as part of the repatriation exercise named 'Vande Bharat Mission'.

The Air India Express flight IX452 took off from Abu Dhabi to Kochi, which will be followed by a Dubai-Kozhikode flight of the same airline.

Passengers started arriving at Abu Dhabi and Dubai airports as early as 9.30 am on Thursday. Some of the passengers were carrying the Indian flags.

"All of them have cleared the tests,” Consul General of India in Dubai Vipul was quoted as saying by the Gulf News.

Harsh Vardhan holds meeting with state home ministers

On Thursday, Union Health minister Harsh Vardhan held a meeting with the health ministers of Uttar Pradesh and Odisha, and senior officials from both Centre and state governments to review the situation, actions being taken and preparedness for management of COVID-19.

He noted that in comparison to other countries, India is in a better condition as the fatality rate is 3.3 percent and recovery rate is 28.83 percent.

The minister also said that among the active cases, 4.8 percent patients are in ICU, 1.1 percent on ventilators and 3.3 percent on oxygen support.

The testing capacity has increased in the country and it is 95,000 tests per day. Cumulatively, 13,57,442 tests have been done so far for COVID-19.

There are 180 districts with no new cases in less than 7 days, 180 districts with no new cases in 7-13 days, 164 districts which have not had reported any new cases in 14-20 days and 136 districts with no new cases since the last 21-28 days.

In view of the increase in the number of migrant labourers expected to reach their native states in the days to come, the Union health minister noted that a robust strategy and mechanism need to be drawn up for their testing, and quarantine and treatment of the positive cases.

Japan approves Gilead Sciences' Remdesivir as COVID-19 drug

Japan has approved Gilead Sciences Inc’s Rmdesivir as a treatment for COVID-19, the country's health ministry said on Thursday, making it the country’s first officially authorised drug for the coronavirus disease.

Japan reached the decision just three days after the US drugmaker filed for fast-track approval for the treatment.

Remdesivir will be give to patients with severe COVID-19 symptoms, a Japanese health ministry official said at a press briefing. With no other approved treatments for COVID-19, interest in the drug is growing around the world.

With inputs from agencies

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[brajeshupadhyay]

08:27 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Jammu and Kashmir Latest Updates  In Photos: First flight to evacuate medical students of J&K from Bangladesh  The flight to bring back stranded Indian students from Bangladesh will leave at 11 am on Friday. All the 167 passengers are medical students from Srinagar studying in Dhaka.  The first flight from Dhaka (Bangladesh) to Srinagar with 167 passengers will leave at 11 am with all medical students from Jammu and Kashmir. #VandeBharatMission pic.twitter.com/cXGTkFsTdD — ANI (@ANI) May 8, 2020 08:08 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates  At least 14 migrant workers run over by goods train in Aurangabad At least 14 migrant labourers in Maharashtra, who were headed home to Chhattisgarh, were killed by a goods train at Gadhe jalgaon area of Aurangabad on Friday morning.  The tragic incident occurred when the migrant workers were asleep on the rails between Badnapur and Karmad.  They were resting on the railway tracks at the time of the accident and meant to catch a train from Aurangabad to their village. Over 12 #MigrantLabourers heading back to home state were crushed to #death by a goods train at Gadhejalgaon of #Aurangabad, #Maharashtra @6am. They were resting on railway tracks at the time of accident.#MigrantLivesMatter #COVID19 #MigrantWorkers @TOIIndiaNews #coronavirus — Mohammed Akhef (@MohdAkhefTOI) May 8, 2020 07:43 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Madhya Pradesh Latest Updates  Liquor purchasers get marked with indelible ink in Hoshangabad dist Madhya Pradesh's Hoshangabad district Excise officer Abhishek Tiwari on Friday said that the district is keeping a record of all customers who are purchasing alcohol by applying indelible ink to their fingers.  "The indelible ink is being applied to the index finger of buyers coming to purchase liquor, in Hoshangabad district. It's being done to trace people in near future if needed," Tiwari told ANI. "Besides, all the customers are being asked to put down their names, address and mobile number in the register kept at the liquor shops," he said. MP: Indelible ink is being applied to index finger of buyers coming to purchase liquor,in Hoshangabad dist.Excise officer Hoshangabad,Abhishek Tiwari says "It's being done to trace people in near future if needed. Register with their details is also being maintained on all shops" pic.twitter.com/WjoS7W5GYf — ANI (@ANI) May 8, 2020 Coronavirus Outbreak LATEST Updates: With 26 more people testing positive for the novel coronavirus in Odisha, the total number of confirmed cases in the state climbed to 245 on Friday. According to media reports, Kendrapara reported five positive cases and Bhadrak detected two cases while, rest of the 19 cases were registered in Ganjam district. At least 14 migrant labourers in Maharashtra, who were headed home to Chhattisgarh, were killed by a goods train at Gadhe jalgaon area of Aurangabad on Friday morning. The tragic incident occurred when the migrant workers were asleep on the rails between Badnapur and Karmad. They were resting on the railway tracks at the time of the accident and meant to catch a train from Aurangabad to their village. The toll from COVID-19 disease in India rose to 1,783 while the number of novel coronavirus cases climbed to 52,952 on Thursday, registering an increase of 89 deaths and 3,561 cases in the last 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry said. However, a PTI tally of numbers reported by states and UTs till 6.45 pm put the total number of confirmed cases at 53,950. The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 35,902 while 15,266 people have recovered and one patient has migrated, it said. In what comes as worrying news, as many as 77 inmates and 26 officials of Arthur Road jail in Mumbai have contracted coronavirus. According to India Today, tests were conducted on all inmates and staffers a day after a 45-year-old prisoner facing narcotics-related charges tested positive. Meanwhile, speaking at a virtual global Buddha Purnima event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India is making every effort to save the life of every citizen from coronavirus, but it is also taking its global obligations during the pandemic very seriously. He also said that India's growth will always be aiding global growth. State-wise cases The highest number of confirmed cases in the country is from Maharashtra at 16,758 followed by Gujarat at 6,625, Delhi at 5,532, Tamil Nadu at 4,829, Rajasthan at 3,317, Madhya Pradesh at 3,138 and Uttar Pradesh at 2,998. The number of COVID-19 cases has gone up to 1,777 in Andhra Pradesh and 1,516 in Punjab. It has risen to 1,456 in West Bengal, 1,107 in Telangana, 775 in Jammu and Kashmir, 693 in Karnataka, 594 in Haryana and 542 in Bihar. Kerala has reported 503 coronavirus cases so far, while Odisha has 185 cases. A total of 127 people have been infected with the virus in Jharkhand and 120 in Chandigarh. Uttarakhand has reported 61 cases, Chhattisgarh has 59 cases, Assam and Himachal Pradesh have 45 each, while Tripura has 43 and Ladakh has registered 41 cases so far. As many as 33 COVID-19 cases have been reported from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Meghalaya has registered 12 cases, Puducherry has nine, while Goa has seven COVID-19 cases. Manipur has two cases. Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Dadar and Nagar Haveli have reported a case each. A total of 89 deaths deaths have been reported since Wednesday, of which 34 people died in Maharashtra, 28 in Gujarat, nine in Madhya Pradesh, four each in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, three in Rajasthan, two each from Punjab and Tamil Nadu and one each from Delhi, Haryana and Orissa. Of the 1,783 fatalities in the country, Maharashtra tops the tally with 651 deaths, Gujarat comes second with 396 deaths, followed by Madhya Pradesh at 185, West Bengal at 144, Rajasthan at 92, Delhi at 65, Uttar Pradesh at 60 and Andhra Pradesh at 36. The death toll due to COVID-19 climbed to 35 in Tamil Nadu while Telangana and Karnataka have reported 29 fatalities each due to the disease. Punjab has registered 27 COVID-19 deaths, Jammu and Kashmir eight and Haryana seven. Kerala and Bihar have reported four deaths each. Jharkhand has recorded three COVID-19 fatalities. Odisha and Himachal Pradesh have reported two deaths each. Meghalaya, Chandigarh, Assam and Uttarakhand have reported one fatality each, according to the ministry data. 77 inmates of Mumbai jail test positive As many as 77 inmates  and 26 staff members of Arthur Road prison were found to have contracted coronavirus after coming in contact with a cook who had caught the infection. "The prisoners will be quarantined with the help of the Mumbai civic body," Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh said. Deshmukh also said that to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus in jails, the state government had decided to release on parole some 5,000 prisoners who have been sentenced to less than seven years' imprisonment. Hindustan Times quoted an unnamed senior police official claiming that the state-run JJ Hospital authorities have already collected swab samples of 150 people from the prison and more samples are being collected. “The possibility of COVID-19 having entered the prison through BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) cleaning staff, sanitisation workers, or through essential services that used to come to the jail cannot be ruled out,” the officer told the newspaper requesting anonymity. Repatriation of Indians stranded abroad begins The first of the two flights from the UAE carrying 177 Indian nationals left for Kerala on Thursday, as India began its biggest ever repatriation exercise to bring back its citizens stranded abroad amidst the international travel lockdown over the coronavirus pandemic. A total of 354 Indian nationals, including 11 pregnant women and a pair of twins, will return home on Thursday in the two flights from the UAE to Kerala as part of the repatriation exercise named 'Vande Bharat Mission'. The Air India Express flight IX452 took off from Abu Dhabi to Kochi, which will be followed by a Dubai-Kozhikode flight of the same airline. Passengers started arriving at Abu Dhabi and Dubai airports as early as 9.30 am on Thursday. Some of the passengers were carrying the Indian flags. "All of them have cleared the tests,” Consul General of India in Dubai Vipul was quoted as saying by the Gulf News. Harsh Vardhan holds meeting with state home ministers On Thursday, Union Health minister Harsh Vardhan held a meeting with the health ministers of Uttar Pradesh and Odisha, and senior officials from both Centre and state governments to review the situation, actions being taken and preparedness for management of COVID-19. He noted that in comparison to other countries, India is in a better condition as the fatality rate is 3.3 percent and recovery rate is 28.83 percent. The minister also said that among the active cases, 4.8 percent patients are in ICU, 1.1 percent on ventilators and 3.3 percent on oxygen support. The testing capacity has increased in the country and it is 95,000 tests per day. Cumulatively, 13,57,442 tests have been done so far for COVID-19. There are 180 districts with no new cases in less than 7 days, 180 districts with no new cases in 7-13 days, 164 districts which have not had reported any new cases in 14-20 days and 136 districts with no new cases since the last 21-28 days. In view of the increase in the number of migrant labourers expected to reach their native states in the days to come, the Union health minister noted that a robust strategy and mechanism need to be drawn up for their testing, and quarantine and treatment of the positive cases. Japan approves Gilead Sciences' Remdesivir as COVID-19 drug Japan has approved Gilead Sciences Inc’s Rmdesivir as a treatment for COVID-19, the country's health ministry said on Thursday, making it the country’s first officially authorised drug for the coronavirus disease. Japan reached the decision just three days after the US drugmaker filed for fast-track approval for the treatment. Remdesivir will be give to patients with severe COVID-19 symptoms, a Japanese health ministry official said at a press briefing. With no other approved treatments for COVID-19, interest in the drug is growing around the world. With inputs from agencies

http://sansaartimes.blogspot.com/2020/05/coronavirus-outbreak-live-updates_8.html