Month: April 2020

With an increase of 591 cases on Thursday, the count of confirmed COVID-19 cases in India reached 5,865 on the 16th day of 21-day long lockdown, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The COVID-19 figure includes 5,218 active cases, while 478 patients have been cured and discharged or migrated as of Thursday. The total deaths due to the infection stood at 169.

Maharashtra with 1,135 confirmed cases has the highest number of COVID-19 patients in the country, while Tamil Nadu (738) and Delhi (669) are the two next most affected regions.

Fresh cases on Thursday were reported from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, and Kerala among other States and UTs. The highest number of deaths — 72 — has also been reported from Maharashtra in the country.

At the regular media briefing on Thursday, Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry, said that high-level teams have been constituted to coordinate with the States on “containment plan, hospital preparedness, and ventilator management” in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.

Aggarwal also said that twenty domestic manufacturers in India have been developed for the production of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) kits and orders for 1.7 crore PPE kits have been placed.

The Joint Secretary also informed that a Group of Ministers (GoM) including Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, which met today discussed the strategy regarding labs and on increasing lab samples in hot spots and clusters.

“The supply of PPE, N95 masks and ventilators has also been discussed in the Group of Ministers meeting. The Group of Ministers noted that it is necessary that our healthcare professionals, who are serving us like warriors, receive the full support of the community,” Aggarwal said.

Meanwhile, the Government of India has sanctioned Rs 15,000 crore for ‘India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package’, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).

Here’s a quick read on the COVID-19 related updates:

1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the people from all sections of society are working towards ensuring a ‘coronavirus-free nation’ and has urged everyone to download the AarogyaSetu app.
2. The Centre has announced Rs 15,000 crore for ‘India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package.’ The funds sanctioned will be utilised for immediate COVID-19 Emergency Response — Rs 7,774 crore and rest for medium-term support (1-4 years) to be provided under the mission mode approach.
3. A total of 223 labs comprising a network of 157 government and 66 private laboratories are conducting a rigorous screening process, according to the MoHFW.
4. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that containment exercise will be carried out in 21 areas of Delhi where COVID-19 cases have been found. These areas will be completely sealed and residents will be home quarantined.
5. Two labs of CSIR- Centre For Cellular And Molecular Biology and Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB) have started working on whole-genome sequencing of a novel coronavirus, to understand the evolution of COVID-2019 virus.
6. Indian railways are converting 5,000 coaches into isolation units, of which 3,250 have been converted in order to prepare 80,000 isolation beds.
7. Odisha government on Thursday extended the COVID-19 lockdown till April 30, becoming the first state to do so. The closure of educational institutions was extended until June 17.
8. The local administration in Ranchi, Jharkhand, announced that the Hindpiri locality of the city is being sealed for the next 72 hours to prevent the spread of the coronavirus after two COVID-19 positive cases were reported from the area.
9. Uttarakhand government has also sealed seven areas from where positive cases were reported in the state.
10. One lakh thirty thousand samples have been tested so far for the coronavirus, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). An ICMR official added that the positivity rate for COVID-19 ranges between 3-5 per cent in the last 1-1.5 months and has not increased substantially. (ANI)

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has started distributing essential commodities among people at different districts in Jammu and Kashmir including Baramullah and Anantnag during the lockdown in order to provide them some relief.

Rajesh Kumar, IG Operations said, “We are giving ration packets containing 5 kg rice, 4 kg flour, 2 kg sugar, 1 kg salt, 2 kg potatoes and 1litre milk to families.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a nationwide 21-day lockdown on March 24 to combat the spread of coronavirus.

India’s tally of coronavirus cases has risen to 5,734, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Thursday.

Out of the 5,734 cases; 5,095 are active COVID-19 cases and 472 cases have been recovered/discharged and one case migrated.

The death toll has also risen to 166 after 17 new deaths were reported in the last 24 hours. (ANI)

Like in India after the Nizamuddin Markaz congregation, in Pakistan too the Tablighi Jamaat is facing criticism for organising its annual mass assembly at Raiwind Markaz last month in the wake of the outbreak of coronavirus.

According to a Dawn report, the Jamaat organised its annual mass assembly despite strong opposition by the Punjab province government.

The outlet citing a report by the Punjab Special Branch, stated that around 70,000-80,000 members of the organisation gathered to participate in a congregation on March 10. The Jamaat’s management are claiming that over 2,50,000 people participated in its annual event.

The congregation was also attended by 3000 people who had arrived from 40 countries and who could not go back because Pakistan halted all international flights due to worsening pandemic situation.

The Jamaat has been criticized in India and Malaysia after several of its members tested positive for the coronavirus leading to a surge in a number of cases.

So far, Pakistan has reported 4196 confirmed positive cases of coronavirus and 60 deaths in the country have been linked to the deadly infection.

The virus had already adversely affected several countries when its spread began to show presence in Pakistan last month.

The Dawn reported that Raiwind city with a population of around two lakh has been completely locked down after several hundred members of Jamaat tested positive.

Around 10,263 people who attended the gathering last month have been quarantined in 36 districts of Punjab with the search on for thousands of other participants. Of the 539 members of the Tableeghi Jamaat who tested positive for the virus so far, the highest number of cases has been reported from Raiwind Markaz — 404.

As the Jamaat continued to ignore the instructions, authorities engaged the top administration officials of the organisation and after several meetings, the six-day event was cut short to three days.

“Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Zulfiqar Hameed held meetings with the top admin officials of the Jamaat to engage them when reports emerged that thousands of its members are attending annual event,” Saddar Division SP (Operations) Syed Ghazanfar was quoted as saying.

The Lahore Division commissioner and the DIG Operations visited the congregation site and held another round of dialogues with the management, reported Dawn.

“We kept the top management of the Tableeghi Jamaat engaged and finally they cut the six-day event short to three days,” Ghazanfar said.

According to him, the majority of them returned to their destinations but around 5,000, including 3,000, foreigners are still there in Markaz.

The organisation has also come under criticism from Punjab Health authorities who have declared that the cases of the virus in the province are rising because of “carelessness” of the Jamaat members “who keep on meeting the public as a part of their preaching after their return to the areas they belonged to.”

Dawn cited a senior health official as saying the health authorities have “repeatedly requested the Tableeghi Jamaat management to curb its activities and cooperate with them to stop the spread of the virus in Punjab.” (ANI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday held three-and-a-half hour long meeting via video conferencing with Parliament floor leaders of all major political parties over the lockdown situation in the country.

Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader Chirag Paswan said that PM mentioned suggestions he had received over the lockdown and said that almost everyone advocated not lifting the restrictions as of now.

“PM said that suggestions he is getting are for continuing the lockdown. I suggested that whenever lockdown is lifted, it should be in a phased manner. We should keep interstate borders sealed, even entry from one district to another district should be restricted,” said Paswan.

According to the leader, almost all floor leaders suggested that this lockdown should not be lifted in the present situation and should be continued.

While speaking on his suggestion to the PM, Paswan said that many central government scheme beneficiaries are not aware of the free ration they are entitled to get and this needs to be properly advertised.

Almost every floor leader spoke extensively on issues faced by farmers. “The Prime Minister heard everyone carefully and took notes of the suggestions,” said Paswan while mentioning that every leader assured the PM that they will support the decision taken by the government.

The meeting via video conference was attended by Congress’ Ghulam Nabi Azad, TMC’s Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut, BJD’s Pinaki Misra, NCP’s Sharad Pawar, SP’s Ram Gopal Yadav, SAD’s Sukhbir Singh Badal, BSP’s Satish Chandra Mishra, YSRCP’S Vijay Sai Reddy and Mithun Reddy, JDU’s Rajeev Ranjan Singh among others.

The PM has been interacting with various stakeholders and leaders since the imposition of the lockdown on March 25. Recently, the PM had interacted with former Presidents Pratibha Patil and Pranab Mukherjee and former prime ministers Manmohan Singh and HD Deve Gowda over the issue.

He also had an interaction with Congress president Sonia Gandhi and regional parties leaders including DMK’s MK Stalin, TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav, Odisha Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik and Shiromani Akali Dal’s Prakash Singh Badal.

(ANI)

The Supreme Court on Wednesday suggested that all tests to identify coronavirus positive patients should be conducted free of cost and asked the Central government to look into creating a mechanism for providing reimbursement for the same.

A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan, while hearing a PIL via video-conferencing, suggested that the test should be conducted free of cost in the identified private laboratories and said that the court will pass appropriate order on the matter.

The apex court was hearing a PIL filed by lawyer and petitioner Shashank Deo Sudhi seeking direction to the Centre and other respective authorities to provide free of cost the testing facility for COVID-19 to all citizens in the country.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted that 118 laboratories were doing 15,000 test capacity per day and added that 47 private laboratory chains have also been involved for the same.

During the hearing, the court asked the Centre to ensure private labs don’t charge a high amount for the test and suggested that the government can create an effective mechanism for reimbursement from the government for tests.

Mehta said that they will look into the suggestion and will try to devise what can be done best.

Sudhi, on the other hand, submitted that testing of coronavirus is very expensive and therefore the Central government should take all necessary steps to provide free of cost the testing facility for COVID-19 kits and others to all citizens in the country.

(ANI)

With an increase of 773 cases in the last 24 hours, India’s tally of COVID-19 cases crosses the 5,000 mark with 5,194 cases, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday.

Out of the 5194 cases, 4,643 cases are reported to be active cases while 401 people have recovered/discharged and one migrated.

The ministry has reported 10 new deaths in the last 24 hours increasing the toll to 149.

According to the Ministry, Maharashtra is the worst-hit state with 1,018 positive cases reported. Tamil Nadu is second in terms of most number of positive cases with 690 cases.

Delhi has 576 reported COVID-19 cases so far.

(ANI)

The Uttar Pradesh government will strictly implement the lockdown in the hotspots located across the 15 districts in the state. As per the government, these areas will be completely cordoned off and civilian passes will stay suspended while essentials would be delivered to citizens at their doorsteps.

“The Chief Minister held a detailed meeting today and has given orders for identifying hotspots in those 15 districts which have six or more cases of coronavirus, and taken necessary action,” said Additional Chief Secretary, Awanish Awasthi on Wednesday while addressing a press conference.

“There are 22 such hotspots in Agra, 13 in Ghaziabad, 12 in Gautam Budh Nagar, 12 in Kanpur, 4 in Varanasi, 3 in Shamli, 7 in Meerut, 1 in Bareilly, 3 in Bulandshahr, 3 in Basti, 3 in Firozabad, 4 in Saharanpur, 4 in Maharajganj, 1 in Sitapur and 8 big plus 4 small hotspots in Lucknow. With public support we will implement lockdown very strictly in these areas,” he said.

“The lockdown will stay in place in all other places as earlier. However, there is no need to panic,” he added.

Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) HC Awasthi and the state’s Principal Health Secretary Amit Mohan were also present at the presser.

“Sanitation will be improved in those areas, the area will be cordoned off and a drive will be carried out for the same. The civilian passes issued will stay suspended during this period. The Civil Supplies department will provide medicines, and all other essentials will be provided at the doorstep. Identification of the houses in which the patients lived and their close houses will be carried out,” said DGP.

Further, the Additional Chief Secretary added that in these areas loudspeakers will be used to spread awareness and drones might be used for surveillance.

“The whole district have not been identified, only very limited areas will be sealed and this will be done till the morning of April 15. I want to make it very clear,” said the Awanish Awasthi.

The Principal Secretary, Health meanwhile, said that a total of 343 cases of COVID-19 had been indentified in the state as of yet.

“There are total 343 positive cases of COVID-19 in the state, out of these 187 are from people associated with Tablighi Jamaat. Out of the total 343 cases, 26 people have been cured and discharged in the state,”

The official said that for better management of resources, pooling of patients will be carried out, whereby patients from three or four districts will be treated at one point.

He said that age wise analysis had revealed that 16 per cent of patients are in the 0-20 year age group, while the majority of the patients i.e. 44 per cent are in the 21-40 year age group. Moreover, 41-60 years category had 27 per cent of the patients, and only 13 per cent patients are from the 61 plus age group.

He also said that all medical colleges in all districts have been provided with hydroxychloroquine for medical personnel and added that the state government is now planning to escalate the number of tests conducted per day for identification of COVID-19.

“From tomorrow onwards we will ramp up testing and double the number of tests to almost 1,500 samples per day. Even in districts with no cases, cases with severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) will be sampled to find out whether there is any transmission or not,” he said.

(ANI)

Transporters are finding difficult to streamline the supply chain of the essential goods with only 15 per cent of trucks on the road due to the coronavirus lockdown, the national body of transporters All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) said.

AIMTC is an apex body of Transporters – (both Cargo and Passenger) serving the industry for the last 84 years. It represents around 1 crore truckers and 55 lakhs tourist buses and operators.

“We have approximately 12.5 lakh trucks with the national permit. But during the period of lockdown, only 2 lakh to.2.5 lakh trucks with national permits are on road,” Kultaran Singh Atwal, President of AIMTC told ANI.

Atwal said that the government should also allow opening up offices of the transporters engaged in transporting essential goods and issue passes for that.

Meanwhile, Rajender Kapoor, President of Delhi Goods Transport Organisation said “Our office staff can’t move from loading to unloading points for supervision as they don’t have passes.

According to MHA guidelines, drivers don’t need passes, with valid driving licences they can carry essential goods.”

“We have around 1 crore trucks registered with our associations but we don’t have drivers to drive trucks, no labour to load/unload essential goods as they left for their native places due to the lockdown,” Kapoor said.

Kapoor said trucks to Coimbatore, Nagpur or Kolkata have been stranded due to the lockdown.Praveen Khandelwal, General Secretary, Confederation of All India Traders suggested that the process of obtaining passes should be eased.

(ANI)

Many State governments and experts are requesting the Central government to extend the lockdown enforced to combat the coronavirus. The Centre is now thinking in this direction, government sources said.

“Many State governments, as well as experts, are requesting the Central government to extend the lockdown. The Central government is thinking in this direction,” sources said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on March 24 announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown as a precautionary measure to control the spread of the coronavirus.

India’s tally of COVID-19 positive cases rose to 4,421, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Tuesday. Out of the 4,421 cases, 3,981 are active cases while 325 have been cured or discharged and one has migrated. The total toll stands at 114.

(ANI)