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Mon, 20 April 2020
Don't politicise Palghar lynching: NCP to BJP
Timeline Refresh
23:40 Don't politicise Palghar lynching: NCP to BJP
Maharashtra NCP president Jayant Patil on Monday asked the BJP not to politicise the Palghar lynching incident in which three persons were beaten to death by a mob apparently on suspicion that they were thieves.
Referring to a tweet of BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra, Patil, a Cabinet minister in the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government in the state, said the NCP had no involvement into the incident.
In his tweet, Patra shared one of the videos of the Palghar lynching and asked people of Maharashtra to identify a person seen in it.
Replying to Patra, Patil tweeted, "Stop misleading. Gadchinchale Gram Panchayat in Palghar is ruled by BJP and the Sarpanch Chitra Chaudhari was present at the time of incidence. NCP has no involvement in the incident. A party worker had gone to venue on the police request. Stop politicising the issue".
The state government has already ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident that took place on the night of April 16 when three Mumbai residents who were on their way to Surat in Gujarat in a car were lynched by villagers in Palghar district on the suspicion that they were thieves/ child-lifters.
-- PTI
23:13 Madhya Pradesh Cabinet to be expanded on Tuesday
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will expand his Cabinet on Tuesday, sources said.
Chouhan had taken oath as the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh last month.
He earlier served as the state's CM between 2003 and 2018.
-- ANI
22:45 WHO head warns worst of virus is still ahead
The head of the World Health Organization has warned that 'the worst is yet ahead of us' in the coronavirus outbreak, raising new alarm bells about the pandemic just as many countries are beginning to ease restrictive measures.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus didn't specify exactly why he believes that the outbreak that has infected nearly 2.5 million people and killed over 166,000, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University, could get worse.
Some people, though, have pointed to the likely future spread of the illness through Africa, where health systems are far less developed.
Tedros alluded to the so-called Spanish flu in 1918 as a reference for the coronavirus outbreak.
"It has a very dangerous combination and this is happening... like the 1918 flu that killed up to 100 million people," he told reporters in Geneva.
"But now we have technology, we can prevent that disaster, we can prevent that kind of crisis."
"Trust us. The worst is yet ahead of us," he said. "Let's prevent this tragedy. It's a virus that many people still don't understand."
22:27 A Global Crisis Like No Other Needs a Global Response Like No Other
I have been saying for a while that this is a crisis like no other. It is:
More complex, with interlinked shocks to our health and our economies that have brought our way of life to an almost complete stop;
More uncertain, as we are learning only gradually how to treat the novel virus, make containment most effective, and restart our economies; and
Truly global. Pandemics dont respect borders, neither do the economic shocks they cause.
The outlook is dire. We expect global economic activity to decline on a scale we have not seen since the Great Depression.
Read full HERE
22:17 Italy says current virus cases fall for the first time
Italy on Monday reported its first drop in the number of people currently suffering from the novel coronavirus since it recorded its first infection in February.
The civil protection service said 1,08,237 people were either being treated in hospital or were recovering at home after testing positive -- down 20 from the total reported on Sunday.
22:07 Delhi adds 5 areas to list of containment zones
Lane 24-28 of Tughlaqabad Extension, Block - G of Jahangirpuri, Flat number 265 to 500 of Sanjay Enclave, Block 34 of Trilokpuri and Block AF of Shalimar Bagh have been added to the list of containment zones.
Total number of containment zones in Delhi has now reached 84.
21:49 More transparent China is on virus, the better for all: Merkel
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday urged China to be as transparent as possible about the coronavirus outbreak, as debate swirls about how the deadly pandemic started.
"I believe the more transparent China is about the origin story of the virus, the better it is for everyone in the world in order to learn from it," she told reporters in Berlin.
21:21 Govt to use surplus rice to make hand-sanitiser
The government on Monday allowed use of surplus rice available with Food Corporation of India in making of hand-sanitiser, and blending with petrol at a meeting of the National Biofuel Coordination Committee chaired by Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
At the meeting of NBCC, it was approved that the surplus rice available with FCI could be converted into ethanol for utilization in making alcohol-based hand-sanitizers and ethanol-blended petrol, an official statement said.
20:50 429 new hospital deaths reported in England
A further 429 people have died with coronavirus in hospitals in England, latest figures show.
NHS England said that 348 of these deaths were reported over the weekend, while the others took place at earlier dates.
The new figures take the total number of confirmed deaths in hospitals in England to 14,829.
In Wales, a further nine deaths have been announced, taking the total number of hospital deaths reported by Public Health Wales to 584.
Daily figures released by the UK - and the nations within it - do not include deaths in the community, including care homes.
20:19 After Goa, Manipur becomes coronavirus-free
A day after Goa became first zero COVID-19 state in India, Manipur CM N Biren Singh has informed on Twitter that both the patients in the state, who were earlier declared coronavirus infected, have fully recovered and tested negative for the infection.
The 65-year-old second patient was found to have contracted the disease following his return from the Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi's Nizamudddin. The first case in the state was that of a 23-year-old woman who had returned from the UK.
"I am glad to share that Manipur is now Corona free. Both patients have fully recovered and have tested negative. There are no fresh cases of the virus in the state," Manipur CM N Biren Singh tweeted.
Manipur becomes second state after Goa to become coronavirus-free in India. The coastal state of Goa had a total of seven positive cases, of whom six had travel history and one was the brother of a positive patient. This makes Goa the first green State in the country with no case of coronavirus being reported from April 3.
19:45 Dharavi tally of COVID-19 cases up by 30 to 168
Dharavi slum sprawl in Mumbai on Monday reported 30 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total number of the affected people to 168, a BMC official said.
Dharavi, one of the prominent coronavirus hotspot in the worst-hit Mumbai, reported 11 deaths so far.
The new cases, including eight women, were detected from Dhorwada, 60 feet road, Shashtri Nagar, Minajuddin Khan Gala, PMGP colony, Padmagopal Chawl, Matunga Labour camp, Kalyanwadi, Kala Killa, Kunchi Kurve Nagar, Mukund Nagar and other areas from the slum colony, he said.
Meanwhile, thee more coronavirus positive cases were reported from Dadar in central Mumbai, taking the tally from that area to 25.
-- PTI
19:43 Tom and Jerry, Popeye director Gene Deitch passes away at 95
Oscar-winning illustrator and animator, Gene Deitch, has passed away at the age of 95.
Deitch, one the directors behind one of worlds most popular cartoons, Tom and Jerry, died in his apartment in Prague.
Born on August 8 in 1924, in Chicago, Deitch, whose full name was Eugene Merrill Deitch, was known for directing some of the most popular animator cartoons, including Popeye the Sailor Man, Munro, Tom Terrific and Nudnik.
19:13 283 COVID-19 cases in M'rashtra; tally at 4,483
With 283 new COVID-19 patients found in Maharashtra, their tally increased to 4,483 on Monday, said Health Minister Rajesh Tope.
Most of the fresh infections, 187, were detected in Mumbai, the city worst affected by coronavirus in the state, which leads the nationwide tally.
Tope shared the details from his official Twitter handle @rajeshtope11.
Maharashtra reported 283 new COVID-19 cases today, taking the tally to 4,483. It includes 187 from Mumbai, which is highest, followed by 22 from Vasai-Virar (located on outskirts of Mumbai)," said the minister.
The other areas where COVID-19 cases were detected on Monday are Kalyan and Dombivli (16), Thane (21), nine each from Navi Mumbai and Pimpri-Chinchwad, six from Panvel, seven from Mira Bhayandar, two from Raigad and one each from Satara, Bhiwandi, Nagpur and Solapur, Tope said.
-- PTI
19:05 Few employees globally tested positive for COVID-19, undertaken contact tracing: Infosys
Infosys on Monday said its few employees globally have tested positive for COVID-19, and the company has undertaken contact tracing measures to identify colleagues, if any, who interacted with them, in order to ensure they are appropriately quarantined.
The company -- which announced its Q4 and full year FY20 earnings on Monday but suspended the standard pratice of giving revenue outlook citing business uncertainty -- said it has anticipated a continued slowdown in the near-term influenced by a broad-based global economic recession.
"A few Infosys employees across the world have tested positive for COVID-19. The company is in touch with them and their families to provide active and continuous support to help them through the rest and recovery.
"Infosys has also undertaken contact tracing measures to identify colleagues, if any, who have interacted with them and ensuring that they are appropriately quarantined," Infosys said in a statement.
The company said with lockdowns effective in several parts of the world, 93 per cent of the Infosys global workforce is now working from home.
Infosys is approaching plans in the weeks ahead "with cautious optimism", while carefully monitoring advisories and adapting tactics to policies and injunctions in the cities, states and countries that it operates in.
-- PTI
18:48 T'gana talks to hotels to keep COVID-19 doctors
As a precautionary measure for doctors and nurses involved in COVID-19 treatment, the Telangana government is mulling keeping them in private
hotels at states expenses in case the situation so demands, a senior official said on Monday.
Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar has issued orders appointing a committee comprising three senior IAS officers -- Neetu Kumari Prasad, Raghunandan Rao and Lokesh Kumar -- to work out details such as number of hotel Srooms required, tariff and facilities required.
This is being done as a precautionary measure in case of relentlessness of the virus spread. The government is of the opinion that doctors and nurses as frontline personnel treating coronavirus patients need to be put in a safe environment, the official said.
"We are preparing a contingency plan. If such a situation arises where we will have a large number of patients, we do not want healthcare people to go home as there will be a risk to their families, the official said.
The committee, which has already shortlisted some places to keep the doctors and other paramedical staff, is negotiating with the managements of the hotels, the official added.
Delhi and Uttar Pradesh governments have already announced that doctors and other staff treating COVID-19 patients would be kept in five-star hotels.
-- PTI
18:16 Global coronavirus toll tops 1,65,000
The worldwide death toll from the novel coronavirus pandemic rose to 1,65,216 on Monday.
More than 2,403,410 declared cases have been registered in 193 countries and territories since the epidemic first emerged in China in December.
Of these cases, at least 537,700 are now considered recovered.
Many countries are testing only the most serious cases.
In the United States, now the worst-hit country, the death toll stood at 40,683 with 759,786 infections. At least 70,980 patients have recovered.
Italy is the next most affected country with 23,660 deaths and 178,972 confirmed infections.
It is followed by Spain with 20,852 fatalities and 200,210 confirmed infections, France with 19,718 deaths and 152,894 infections and Britain with 16,060 deaths and 120,067 cases.
China -- excluding Hong Kong and Macau -- has to date declared 4,632 deaths and 82,747 cases.
Europe has listed 1,183,307 cases and 104,028 deaths to date, the US and Canada together have 793,169 cases with 42,212 deaths, Asia 166,453 cases with 7,030 deaths, the Middle East 126,793 cases with 5,664 deaths, Latin America and the Caribbean 103,857 cases with 5,068 deaths, Africa 21,957 cases with 1,124 deaths and Oceania 7,879 cases with 90 deaths.
17:37 Make COVID-19 related equipment GST-free: Rahul
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday urged the government to waive GST on all COVID-19-related equipment.
He said it was "wrong" on the part of the government to charge Goods and Services Tax on sanitisers, soaps and masks.
"During this difficult time of COVID-19, we have been constantly demanding that GST should not be charged on all small, big equipment related to management of this epidemic," Gandhi tweeted in Hindi.
"It is wrong to collect GST on sanitisers, soaps, masks, gloves etc. from the people who are suffering from disease and poverty. We will stand by our demand of #GSTFreeCorona," he said.
Gandhi attached a list of items along with the GST charged on them by the government.
According to the list, 18 per cent GST is levied on sanitisers, liquid hand wash and furniture such as hospital beds and examination tables, 12 per cent on blood test strips, medical grade oxygen and hydrogen peroxide, and 5 per cent on masks, diagnostic kits and some life saving drugs including vaccines.
-- PTI
17:24 Prez expresses gratitude to police forces for ensuring lockdown
President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday expressed gratitude to police forces for ensuring the ongoing lockdown to combat the coronavirus with sensitivity and professionalism.
Kovind took to Twitter to thank fellow citizens, NGOs, social workers, religious and charitable organisations, Red Cross and many others who are serving the nation in different ways.
"I commend their spirit. I am confident of their sustained contribution in ensuring victory against COVID-19," he said.
The president said, "My thoughts are with all those serving the nation in the fight against COVID-19, despite grave risks to themselves and their families" and asked all to express gratitude to our police, armed forces and security personnel for their courage and determination."
"Internally, police forces are ensuring lockdown with sensitivity and professionalism. Armed and Paramilitary Forces are securing us against cross-border terrorism," he tweeted.
The lockdown was first announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 in a bid to combat the coronavirus pandemic. It was further extended till May 3.
-- PTI
Representational image
17:13 53 Mumbai journalists test +ve for COVID-19
At least 53 mediapersons from Mumbai have tested positive for coronavirus, a city civic official said on Monday. During a special camp organised at the Azad Maidan in Mumbai on April 16 and 17 for COVID-19 testing of scribes, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation collected swab samples of 171 mediapersons, including electronic and print media journalists, photographers and cameramen. "Out of the 171 mediapersons, 53 tested positive for coronavirus," BMC spokesperson Vijay Khabale said, adding that most of those who tested positive are asymptomatic at present. All the mediapersons found infected with coronavirus will be kept in isolation and a process was underway to find out suitable places to the purpose, he said. Efforts were also on to trace their high and low risk contacts.
Till Sunday, Mumbai recorded 2,724 coronavirus cases and 132 deaths due to the disease. PTI
16:59 Ban on doorstep delivery of newspapers: HC seeks Maha response
The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court on Monday sought the Maharashtra government's response to a plea challenging its circular prohibiting door- to-door distribution of newspapers in view of the coronavirus pandemic. Justice N W Sambre was hearing a petition filed by the Maharashtra Union of Working Journalists and the Nagpur Union of Working Journalists challenging the circular dated April 18. The government order stated that while newspapers can be sold at stalls, door-to-door distribution by vendors cannot be permitted at this stage looking at the rapid spread of coronavirus. The petition said the circular was "arbitrary, unreasonable and in violation of fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution of India".
16:57 80% of COVID-19 patients asymptomatic: Govt
R Gangakhedkar, ICMR, give us this extremely worrying information at the presser. He says out of 100 coronavirus patients, 80 per cent are asymptomatic or show only mild symptoms.
ICMR also responded to the West Bengal government's claims that the COVID-19 testing kits were defective. "We have received a grievance that in West Bengal, RTPCR kits are not working properly. These kits are US FDA approved and are of good standard. The only thing is they should be stored under 20 degrees temperature, otherwise, results may not be correct."
Meanwhile, as many as 835 new cases of COVID-19 have been detected in Maharashtra in the last 36 hours, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said on Monday. He said limited industrial activities have been allowed in certain areas of the state, but this should not be seen as indication that the threat of coronavirus has receded in any way. "There has been a rise of 835 cases of COVID-19 in Maharashtra in the last 36 hours. We are relaxing the
stringent norms of lockdown to restart the wheels of economy," he said.
16:39 Don't rush to declare Goa coronavirus-free: Cong to BJP govt
This is what the Congress had to say earlier on Goa's COVID-19-free status. The Congress said that the Goa government should not rush into declaring the state as "coronavirus free" as only 0.04 per cent of the population has been tested, state Congress chief Girish Chodankar said on Monday.
On Sunday, the Pramod Sawant government had announced that all seven COVID-19 patients had recovered and that there were no active cases in the state at present. "Data released by the state government on Sunday showed only 826 samples were sent for testing, out of which reports of 780 patients have been received till date. The state government should not hurry in declaring Goa coronavirus free. This data shows only 0.04 per cent of Goa's 16 lakh people have been tested between March 22 and April 19," said Chodankar. He said the BJP government in the state has claimed that 7,000 staff completed surveying 3.66 lakh houses in 24 hours, adding that "these statistics raise doubts on the authenticity of the health survey". -- PTI
16:35 Goa is COVID-19 free: Centre
Union Health Ministry briefing on the Coronavirus pandemic. "Since yesterday there have been 1553 additional confirmed COVID-19 cases, taking the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 17,265. There have been 36 more deaths in the last 24 hours," said Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry.
"So far, 2,546 people have been cured and recovery rate is 14.75 per cent. Duration of doubling rate for coronavirus which was 3.4 days before lockdown is now 7.5 days.
"Mahe in Puducherry, Kodagu in Karnataka and Pauri Garhwal in Uttarakhand have not reported any COVID-19 case in the last 28 days.
"The number of districts where no case has been reported in last 14 days has increased to 59. Goa is now COVID-19 free.
"COVID-19 growth has declined in Odisha and Kerala."
Image: Passengers get screened before boarding a flight to Moscow from Panaji on Friday. Pic: ANI
16:24 Silent spread fears grow as asymptomatic cases spike
Roughly two-thirds of all Covid-19 cases in 10 major states comprise people who did not show any symptoms at the time of testing, according to state government data that reinforced growing evidence that "silent spreaders" were unknowingly infecting others, and underlined the need for extensive testing to isolate such patients.
An analysis by Hindustan Times found that 65% of Maharashtra's 3,648 cases and 75% of Uttar Pradesh's 974 cases did not show symptoms at the time of testing. In Assam, 82% of 34 cases were of people with no symptoms.
In Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that that all 186 people diagnosed with COVID-19 the previous day had exhibited no symptoms of illness.
16:14 Monkey business
A caring man offers brinjals to monkeys on the road in Pushkar. Animal activists have urged people to feed stray dogs amid the lockdown. Pic: ANI
16:01 Follow lockdown norms in Ramzan: Muslim body
Prominent Muslim body Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind has appealed to Muslims to adhere to all the guidelines of the lockdown and perform all religious rituals during Ramzan, starting later this week, staying inside their homes. Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind general secretary Mahmood Madani also appealed to the community to help the poor and ensure 'sehri' (meal before start of fasting) and 'iftar' (meal at breaking of fast) is made available for the needy.
"It is an appeal to the Muslims in India that they adhere to the lockdown guidelines completely. They should not leave their homes without reason," the Jamiat appeal said. It also asked Muslims to perform prayers and other religious rituals inside their homes and adhere to the lockdown guidelines during Ramzan which is to start from April 24 or 25. -- PTI
15:53 LS Speaker goes to work
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at Parliament House today, as the Lok Sabha Secretariat resumed work from today after they were shut on March 24 for the lockdown.
15:52 Focus on deed, not doer: CRPF
With pictures of people giving essential goods to those in need during COVID-19 relief work flooding the media, the Central Reserve Police Force has directed its field units to avoid clicking close-up photographs of their personnel and distressed recipients to respect their privacy. The force recently sent a message to all its field units, saying while it was important to click photographs of these civic aid work being done across the country for "audit purposes", clicking pictures that show faces of the force officials and distressed recipients should be avoided.
"It must be kept in mind that the focus (of the camera) should be on the deed and not on the doer or receiver," the CRPF directive accessed by PTI said. "Hence, close-ups of the people involved in the activity should be avoided, while taking pictures and they should broadly depict the act or activities being undertaken so that no one feels that their privacy is being invaded," it said.
The directive said pictures should be taken with an aim to record proof for official "purposes of audit performance related projection and documentation". Pictures of people distributing food and other essentials are being seen over social media, newspapers and television news channels. "The directive was issued after observing that such noble activities of helping the needy should not become photo events but serve the real purpose catering to the distressed, stranded, hungry and poor," a senior official said.
The CRPF, the country's largest paramilitary force with about 3.25 lakh personnel in its ranks, has asked all its field formations to provide food and other essential items to poor and stranded during the ongoing 40-days lockdown in the country aimed to combat coronavirus. -- PTI
Image: Security personnel ride through a sanitizing tunnel installed at a CRPF camp in New Delhi. Pic: ANI
15:45 Mallya loses UK High Court appeal in extradition case
Embattled Liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya on Monday lost his High Court appeal against his extradition order to India in relation to charges of fraud and money laundering amounting to an alleged Rs 9,000 crores. The 64-year-old former Kingfisher Airlines boss had appealed to the High Court against his extradition to India at a hearing in February this year.
Lord Justice Stephen Irwin and Justice Elisabeth Laing, the two-member bench at the Royal Courts of Justice in London presiding over the appeal, dismissed the appeal in a judgment handed down remotely due to the current coronavirus lockdown. "We consider that while the scope of the prima facie case found by the SDJ [Senior District Judge] is in some respects wider than that alleged by the Respondent in India [Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED)], there is a prima facie case which, in seven important respects, coincides with the allegations in India," the judges ruled. Mallya is wanted in India on alleged fraud and money laundering charges amounting to an estimated Rs 9,000 crore. -- PTI
15:35
Liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya loses his High Court appeal in UK against his extradition order to India
15:34 Women who lead
The over 100-day relay protest at Shaheen Bagh is over. The protesters have not been thwarted by the government but by a malevolent force of nature -- Covid-19. That was the only force that could have ended their resolve. But they and their millions of supporters, among whom, with pride, my family and I number ourselves, have not abandoned their cause. This is just a pandemic-enforced pause.
Mani Shankar Aiyar's requiem for Shaheen Bagh. Do read
15:31 Too early for green zone tag to Goa, says minister
Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Sunday said it was too early to term the state as a "green zone" despite it having no active COVID-19 case at the moment. The state government, on Sunday, said all seven patients had recovered from the infection after treatment. "It is too early to tag our state a green zone. It is time to intensify testing, and we are now drawing up protocol for random testing, testing of migrant workers, industrial workers," he said.
Rane said smart kiosks would be set up at the borders, airport, port etc to broaden the scope of testing. -- PTI
15:20 Meet an IAS officer COVID-19 warrior
"The lockdown has taught us many things. It has hit all of us hard, especially the poor. But it has prepared all of us for a long battle till the vaccine comes," Pratyay Amrit, the senior-most bureaucrat in charge of disaster management in Bihar, tells Archana Masih/Rediff.com, explaining how a state with the largest migrant population is helping Biharis stranded in other states and defending its citizens from the virus. Read the interview here.
Image: Labourers sift through an onion harvest. The Centre has allowed harvesting of the Rabi crop from Monday. Pic: ANI
15:15 Telangana extends lockdown to May 7
With no significant dip in coronavirus positive cases, the Telangana government has issued orders to extend the ongoing lockdown till May 7 with stringent measures. "Government of Telangana is of the view that strict lockdown measures that have been implemented in the state since March 22 have played an important role in slowing down the spread of COVID-19 in the state. It is, therefore, necessary that stringent measures should continue to be in place to consolidate the containment measures in the state. In view of this, it is decided that lockdown measures as already in force in Telangana shall apply till May 7 in the state," a Government Order issued on Sunday said.
As part of the exercise to contain COVID-19 spread, the Centre has issued detailed guidelines listing activities that will remain prohibited across the country until May 3. Apart from activities that were permitted during the lockdown till April 14, the new guidelines provide for certain additional activities to be permitted from April 20.
As on Sunday, Telangana reported 858 coronavirus positive cases, with 651 active patients. As many as 21 have died due to coronavirus, while 186 have been discharged for hospitals after recovery. -- PTI
Image: Grin and bear it: A man walks past the Charminar in Hyderabad. The area is normally teeming with tourists, locals and street markets.
15:07 China silent over disappearances of Covid-19 whistleblowers?
Human rights advocates fear that the Chinese authorities have been secretly terrorising lawyers and activists speaking up about the coronavirus outbreak and are being branded as enemies of the state in the process.Based on an investigation in the matter, The Daily Mail on Sunday uncovered a "cynical and orchestrated" campaign by the Chinese regime to stop the country's 1.4 billion citizens from even discussing the appalling COVID-19 outbreak among themselves.
More than 5,100 people were arrested for sharing information in the first weeks of the outbreak, dissidents are being labelled as sick so the government can place them in medical quarantine, also health apps used by some millions of people to show they are clear of coronavirus are being used to monitor people's movements and further tighten control, the Mail stated citing the investigation.
The unprecedented crackdown began with reprimands issued to Dr Li Wenliang, 34, and seven other doctors for sending messages to fellow medics on December 30, warning them about the outbreak of a SARS-like illness in Wuhan Central Hospital and advising them to wear protective clothing.
Dr Li was forced to sign a police document saying he had 'seriously disrupted social order' and breached the law before he returned to work at Wuhan Central Hospital where he died of COVID-19 on February 7.
In the wake of it, the mainland's Communist leaders were shaken by a nationwide outcry which saw the hashtag #wewantfreedomofspeech shared two million times in the space of hours. But they had already embarked on a ruthless tightening of a vice-like grip on social media with the first of a string of high-profile disappearances.
A day before Dr Li's death, lawyer Chen Qiushi - whose videos of chaotic scenes in Wuhan hospitals with coronavirus victims lying in corridors were shared with an audience of more than 400,000 YouTube and 250,000 Twitter followers - went missing. His family was told the following day that he was being held in medical quarantine at an undisclosed location.
However, as soon as Chen realized that police were closing in on him just before his disappearance, he told his followers ominously: "As long as I am alive, I will speak about what I have seen and what I have heard. I am not afraid of dying. Why should I be afraid of you, Communist Party?" And he vanished days later.
Three weeks later, Li Zehua, 25 - a reporter with Chinese state TV who went rogue to report on the death toll in Wuhan - live-streamed his own arrest when plain-clothes police officers at his flat. Li became the third case of China's crackdown on whistleblowers.
Earlier that day Li, who filmed a series of videos showing desperate communities running low on food in virus-riddled areas of Wuhan, and gave his viewers a running commentary on how he was chased by police after visiting the Wuhan Institute of Virology, where it has been speculated the outbreak may have been started by a lab leak."I'm sure they want to hold me in isolation," he said in a panicked video clip as he sped away from the institute by car. "Please help me," became his last words.
The Chinese government has been silent over the fate of the whistle-blowers but all three are believed to be in secret detention centres - a sinister form of extrajudicial imprisonment described by officials as 'residential surveillance at a designated location'. -- ANI
Image: Dr Li Wenliang warned of the outbreak of a SARS-like illness in Wuhan Central Hospital. Pic: Reuters.
14:55 China moves to buyout Swedish iconic brands like Volvo, Hasselblad in COVID times
India's decision to place curbs on Chinese companies buying Indian corporate assets have come at the right time as China is seen moving aggressively to completely buyout iconic Swedish brands like Volvo and Hasselblad, in which China had been gradually building up stake over the years.
Leading Swedish companies, Volvo, the auto manufacturer setup in 1927 and Hasselblad, founded in 1841 and whose cameras have been used by NASA, are the two most iconic brands now have majority Chinese stakes.
In 2010, China's Zhejiang Geely Holding Group acquired the 93-year-old Volvo brand for USD 1.8 billion. In 2017, for nearly USD 3.8 billion, Geely also took a big share in AB Volvo, the truck manufacturer, which also has 3 industrial establishments in India and employs more than 3,500 Indians. The Geely group is also one of the biggest employers in Sweden.
In the same year, the leading Chinese drone manufacturer, DJI, became a majority shareholder in Hasselblad, Sweden's leading manufacturer of digital medium format cameras and lenses.
In 2017, the Chinese Wanda Group via its daughter company AMC theatres also took a stake in SF Bio, Sweden's largest cinema chain that has operations throughout Sweden as well as in Norway, Finland and other Baltic nations.
Now, as COVID19 chokes the Swedish industry and bleeds its economy, the cash rich Chinese are coming to Sweden for a bit of shopping even though, year there is an ongoing "lovers' quarrel" between the two countries at the diplomatic and governmental fronts.
Municipalities and provinces in Sweden are breaking away their `twin city' engagements with China over COVID-19. COVID-19 crisis means that not only many established Swedish businesses would be looking eastwards but also many start-ups and SME's that are teeming with innovative ideas.
It is a time when Indian businesses looking to establish themselves internationally must glance at Sweden and the Nordics, a place known for innovations and world class quality brands like IKEA, H&M etc. -- ANI
14:46 Palghar lynching not communal: Uddhav
Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray says nobody should think that the lockdown has been lifted. "We have just tried to revolve the wheel of the economy a bit. I've heard that some people are treating relaxations as lifting of lockdown. If they continue to behave like this we'll take strict measures."
India completed 26 days of the nationwide lockdown on Sunday. The coronavirus tally in the country stood at 17,265, while the death toll climbed to 543.
The Centre announced that selective relaxations will be given to non-containment zones in India after April 20 midnight, however, strict restrictions will continue in districts declared Covid-19 hotspots.
Speaking about the Palghar lynching incident, the Maharashtra CM said, "We've suspended two policemen and appointed ADG CID Crime Atulchandra Kulkarni to investigate the matter. Over 100 persons have been arrested including five main accused.
"There is nothing communal in this whole incident. I have spoken to Amit Shahji this morning."
The horrific incident in Palghar took place on April 16 when the three men
from Kandivali in Mumbai were going in a car towards Surat in Gujarat to attend a funeral. Their vehicle was stopped near a village in Palghar.
The three were dragged out of their car and beaten to death with sticks by a mob on suspicion that they were thieves.
14:33 Amid lockdown UP CM to skip father's funeral
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said he will not take part in the last rites of his father on Tuesday to ensure enforcement of lockdown and to defeat COVID-19 pandemic in the state.Yogi Adityanath's father Anand Singh Bisht passed away at AIIMS in the national capital on Monday. The Chief Minister also urged that there should be a minimal presence of people at the last rites of his father.
"Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's father left for his heavenly abode at 10.44 am. Our deepest condolences," State Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish K Awasthi said. Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel expressed grief over Bisht's death.Several leaders including Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, Kailash Vijayvargiya, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Kamal Nath have condoled the demise of Adityanth's father. -- ANI
13:45 Six central teams to assess attacks on docs
Six Inter-Ministerial Central Teams have been constituted by the Centre to assess the situation regarding the violations of lockdown, social distancing norms and attack on doctors, and submit a report to the Central Government. The Government said that the reported violations of lockdown measures pose a serious health hazard to public and risk for spread of COVID19.
"GoI to States: Violations to #lockdown measures reported, posing a serious health hazard to public & risk for spread of #COVID19: Incidents of violence on frontline healthcare prof; complete violations of social distancing norms; movement of vehicles in urban areas," MHA Spokesperson tweeted.
"Situation especially serious in Indore (MP); Mumbai & Pune (Maharashtra); Jaipur (Rajasthan); and Kolkata, Howrah, Medinipur East, 24 Parganas North, Darjeeling, Kalimpong & Jalpaiguri (West Bengal)," the Spokesperson said in another tweet.
"GoI constituted 6 Inter-Ministerial Central Teams (IMCT) to make on-spot assessment of situation, issue necessary directions to State Authorities for its redressal & submit their report to Central Government in larger interest of general public," the Spokesperson tweeted.
According to the MHA, IMCTs will focus on compliance and implementation of lockdown measures as per guidelines; supply of essential commodities, social distancing, the preparedness of the health infrastructure, safety of health professionals and conditions of the relief camps for labour and poor people. -- ANI
Image: Dr SC Aggarawal was injured after he and his team were pelted with stones in Moradabad last week: Pic: ANI
13:22 AirAsia cuts staff salaries by up to 20% for April
And the immediate impact of grounded flights: AirAsia India has cut the April salary of its staff by up to 20 per cent to tackle the airline's finances amid the suspension of all commercial services till May 3 due to the lockdown, a source has said. Those drawing Rs 50,000 per month or less have been spared from the wage cut.
The Bengaluru-headquartered budget carrier is the latest to join the other domestic airlines such as IndiGo, SpiceJet and Vistara, who have already taken similar measures to cut fixed cost amid grounding of their fleet.
"The senior management will take a pay cut of 20 per cent while the wages of the executives falling in others categories have been reduced by 17 per cent, 13 per cent and 7 per cent, respectively," the source who is privy to the development told PTI.
However, employees who are earning Rs 50,000 per month or less have not been given any pay cut as of now, he said. AirAsia India spokesperson refused to comment on the developments when contacted. -- PTI
13:19 Govt says flights will resume only if...
Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday clarified that the flight restrictions that have been imposed as a result of COVID-19 outbreak will be lifted once the spread of the infection is controlled. The Minister in a series of tweets repeated the earlier directions for the flights and made certain clarifications regarding the restrictions.
"I want to once again say that flight restrictions that are in place as a result of India's fight against COVID19 will be lifted once we are confident that spread of the virus has been controlled and it poses no danger to our country and people," Puri tweeted.
The Union Civil Aviation Minister said that earlier also he had mentioned that lifting the restriction would be "considered" after the lockdown ends.
"Our views and approach on restarting flights have been clearly stated. On 2nd April, I said--A decision to restart flights after this period remains to be taken--and reiterated this on 5th. On 14th when Lockdown extended, I said--we can CONSIDER lifting restrictions-- after Lockdown," he tweeted.
"On 18th April I again said -- so far no decision has been taken to open domestic and international operations -- and reiterated on 19th that -- no decision has been taken so far to commence domestic and international operations. An advisory was also issued to airlines," he wrote in another tweet. He added that since some airlines did not heed to the Union Ministry's advisory and opened bookings and started collecting money from flyers, a directive was issued to them on April 19 restraining them from doing so. They were also informed that they will be given sufficient notice and time to commence bookings.
13:12 FCI supplies 3.51 lakh tonnes of PDS grains in North East
State-run Food Corporation of India has supplied about 3.51 lakh tonne of foodgrains for distribution to the poor via ration shops in north eastern region during the ongoing lockdown notwithstanding the difficult hilly terrain, the food ministry said on Monday. Out of the 3.51 lakh tonne of foodgrains, 1.74 lakh tonne has been provided under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Anna Yojana, while the rest under the National Food Security Act, it said in a statement.
Under PMGAY, the Centre is giving for free 5 kg foodgrains per beneficiary and 1 kg pulses per household for three months under the Public Distribution System in the wake of lockdown. This is over and above the quota of 5 kg per person provided to 81 crore PDS beneficiaries at a subsidised rate under the NFSA. State-run FCI under the aegis of the Union Food Ministry has a mandate for procurement and distribution of foodgrains in the country.
The FCI has moved a record 158 rain loads carrying about 4.42 lakh tonnes of foodgrains during the 25 days of the lockdown period to north eastern states which is double its normal average of about 80 train loads per month. Of which, 3.51 lakh tonnes has been distributed to north eastern region, including 1.74 lakh tonne foodgrains under the PMGKAY. -- PTI
Representational image
12:56 Baby born to COVID-19 parents tests +ve
A newborn baby has tested positive for coronavirus in Rajasthan's Nagaur district, an official said Monday. "The baby born on Saturday is coronavirus positive. Her mother, father and other family members too are COVID-19 patients," Nagaur chief medical and health officer Dr Sukumar Kashyap said. Dr Shadab Ali, in-charge of Basni primary health centre where the pregnant woman was admitted, informed the family that the newborn was coronavirus positive. The test report of the baby came on Sunday. In Nagaur, 59 people have tested positive so far. A 62-year-old man from the district, who was admitted at SMS hospital in Jaipur, died on Sunday night. -- PTI
12:50 Kerala responds to Centre's rap on lockdown
Kerala Chief Secretary Tom Jose responds to the Centre's displeasure in the relaxation of lockdown guidelines in the state. "Kerala has received a letter from the Centre (regarding dilution of lockdown guidelines). We are discussing what can be done. If needed, necessary modifications will be made," Jose said.
Earlier Kerala Minister Kadakampally Surendran said relaxations were given abiding by directions issued by the Centre. The Centre may have asked for an explanation, due to some misunderstanding. Once we give an explanation, I hope the issue will be solved. We followed all norms set by the Centre."
The Union home ministry took strong objections to the Kerala government's decision to allow opening of restaurants, bus travel in cities and opening of MSME industries in municipal areas, saying it amounts to dilution of its lockdown guidelines.
12:42 If we dont travel, we can still live relatively happy lives, so...
"The travel business is different because few of us really have to travel. Yes, there may be unavoidable work travel. We may want to see our families if we live away from them and we do enjoy vacations. But basically, if we dont travel, we can still live relatively happy, contented lives."
Vir Sanghvi on the the (sad) future of travel. Do read
12:25 Harvesting of wheat, delayed by lockdown, begins in Varanasi
Harvesting of wheat, deferred by the farmers in Varanasi, due to the national lockdown imposed to contain the coronavirus, has now begun. While a few farmers said that they had panicked because of the COVID-19 threat, others mentioned that they had been facing problems caused by the lack of field labourers.
"We couldn't find any field labourers, due to the lockdown imposed. No one would step out of the house back then. However, at the present the situation is better than before as labour is now available," said Ram Naresh Dubey, a farmer.
Talking about the difficulties faced by farmers this season, another farmer Suresh said, "Harvesting of wheat was delayed as we couldn't get the tractors or threshing machines due to the lockdown, and since we are closer to the city area, the scare of COVID-19 was prevalent and we didn't step out of our houses." -- ANI
12:20
Official sources tell ANI that some 'field' reporters in Mumbai have tested positive for COVID19. More details awaited.
12:19 Man attempts suicide saying he was COVID-19 positive
A man attempted suicide by trying to jump off the third floor of Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi on Sunday saying he was COVID positive. He was rescued.
12:17 Don't dilute lockdown guideline: Centre to states
The Centre has asked states and union territories to strictly comply with the lockdown measures announced to combat the novel coronavirus pandemic and not to dilute them at any level. In a communication to chief secretaries of state governments and Union Territory administrations, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said some states and UTs are issuing orders allowing activities which have not been allowed as per the guidelines issued by the home ministry under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
"I would again urge you to ensure compliance of the revised consolidated guidelines, and direct all authorities concerned for their strict implementation in letter and spirit without any dilution and to ensure strict compliance of lockdown measures," he said.
The consolidated revised guidelines on the measures to be taken by central ministries and departments, and state and Union Territory governments were issued on April 15 after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced extension of the nationwide lockdown till May 3. The lockdown was earlier from March 25 to April 14. The home ministry has sought strict implementation of the guidelines in all parts of the country to contain the spread of COVID-19.
The home secretary also drew the attention of the chief secretaries to the guidelines which categorically say that state and Union Territory governments will not dilute them in any manner and strictly enforce the same. They can, however, impose stricter measures than the guidelines as per the requirement of local areas. Bhalla also pointed out to a recent Supreme Court observation that all state governments, public authorities and citizens will faithfully comply with the directives and orders issued by the Union of India in letter and spirit in the interest of public safety. -- PTI
12:11 LS, RS secretariat resume work
Rajya Sabha staff wait for elevators at the secretariat, while standing in marked circles, in a bid to maintain social distancing. Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha secretariat resume work from today after they were shut on March 24 in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak.
12:09 Odisha policeman suspended for entering Jagannath temple amid lockdown
A police inspector in Odisha has been suspended for allegedly entering Shree Jagannath temple in Puri, in violation of the ongoing lockdown imposed to contain the spread of novel coronavirus, a senior officer said on Monday. A case has been registered against the inspector for his misconduct, the officer said.
"DGP has placed Inspector Deepak Kumar Jena IIC Badachana PS under suspension for his misconduct. Puri Singhdwar PS Case no 40/2020 has also been registered against him," the Odisha police tweeted. Despite a ban on the entry of people and congregation at places of worship enforced in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, the officer along with his family members had entered Shree Jagannath temple through the south gate of the 12th century shrine on Saturday evening, police said.
The matter came to light after a havildar on-duty, who had tried to stop them from entering the temple, lodged an FIR at Singhadwar police station. After preliminary investigation, a case was registered against Jena for violating regulations imposed in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, and further enquiry is in progress, the officer said. All places of worship in Odisha including Shree Jagannath temple have been closed for devotees amid the lockdown. -- PTI
12:04 15 districts across 9 states report over 50% Covid-19 cases
15 districts across nine states account for half the cases -- data that will come in useful as India opens up its unaffected (and relatively less affected) areas for business and other activities, albeit with social distancing and other norms, starting Monday. The data also shows that five districts, Mumbai, Indore, Jaipur, Pune and Ahmedabad, account for around a third of all cases. Read the report here.
The spot where the trio was lynched by a mob in Palghar, Maharashtra
11:53 Palghar lynching victims had Rs 6 lakh cash on them
'Sushil Giri, Chikne Maharaj, and Nilesh Tilghate had Rs 6 lakh cash on them when they were lynched on Thursday, but the money is missing, alleged the family and close associates of the deceased. A mob of 450 people from the tribal community in Palghar district had beaten the trio to death suspecting them to be thieves,' reports Diwakar Sharma in Mid-Day, on the heinous crime in Maharashtra that has shocked one and all.
"It seems that the tribals looted the cash and killed the trio mistaking them to be thieves, as only Rs 300 cash was recovered from the deceased," Diwakar, priest at the Pimpleshwar Mahadev Temple in Kandivli where Sushil Giri was head priest, tells Sharma, here.
In another report in Mid-Day, Diwakar Sharma writes: 'The Palghar police have formed several teams -- at least 40 officers in each -- to conduct a combat operation to catch the absconding accused hiding in the dense forest area.'
He quotes Superintendent of Police, Palghar district, Gaurav Singh as hinting at the use of technology and sniffer dogs to track down the killers.
"If required, we will take the help of drone cameras and the dog squad to track down the accused. They will be arrested soon as we have been working round the clock to surround them in the jungle," Singh tells Sharma, here.
11:29 Situation serious in Mumbai, Kolkata: Govt
The Centre on Monday said the COVID-19 situation is "especially serious" in Mumbai, Pune, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata and a few other places in West Bengal, and violation of lockdown measures risk the spread of the novel coronavirus.
In a communication to state governments and union territories, the home ministry said there have been several incidents of violence against COVID-19 frontline healthcare professionals, complete violation of social distancing norms and movement of vehicles in urban areas. These should be stopped, it said.
The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 543 and the number of cases climbed to 17,265 in the country on Monday, according to the Union health ministry.
The situation is "especially serious" in Indore in Madhya Pradesh, Mumbai and Pune in Maharashtra, Jaipur in Rajasthan, and Kolkata, Howrah, East Medinipur, North 24 Parganas, Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Jalpaiguri in West Bengal, the ministry said.
"Violation of lockdown measures reported, posing a serious health hazard to public and risk for spread of COVID-19," it said.
The central government has constituted six Inter-Ministerial Central Teams to make on-spot assessment of the COVID-19 situation in these places and issue necessary directions to the four states -- Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and West Bengal -- for redressal.
The teams will submit their report to the central government in the larger interest of the general public, the ministry said.
"The IMCTs will focus on compliance and implementation of the lockdown measures as per guidelines, supply of essential commodities, social distancing, preparedness of health infrastructure, safety of health professionals and conditions of relief camps for labourers and poor people," a home ministry spokesperson said.
The lockdown was first announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 in a bid to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
It was further extended till May 3. -- PTI
10:47 Gurinder Chadha's aunt dies of COVID-19 complications
Indian-origin British filmmaker Gurinder Chadha's aunt has died due to coronavirus complications. The director said her aunt passed away on Sunday in a hospital in the UK. "Today we said goodbye to my dearest bhuaji /aunt from #covid19 complications. She was my dad's little sister," Gurinder wrote alongside a family picture. "She survived the Partiton of India and sadly for us, her family no one could be with her in person in her final moments," she added.
The "Bend it like Beckham" director thanked two nurses in the Surrey hospital who held her aunt's hand, FaceTimed her children who all chanted Sikh prayers during which "her soul departed." "God bless the #nhsheroes who made my dear aunts passing humane," she added. -- PTI
Image: Filmmaker Gurinder Chadha Instagrammed this sepia image of her aunt (seated).
10:41 COVID-19 deaths: Maha highest, Assam lowest
Update on the COVID-19 tally and death toll in the country: The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 543 and the number of cases climbed to 17,265 in the country on Monday, according to the Union health ministry.
-- A total of 24 deaths were reported since Sunday evening.
-- Twelve deaths were reported from Maharashtra
-- Twelve deaths were reported from Maharashtra
-- Five from Gujarat
-- Three from Rajasthan
-- Two each from Delhi and Karnataka.
This is the statewise breakup of the 543 deaths.
Highest number of 223 fatalities was reported from Maharashtra, followed by Madhya Pradesh (70), Gujarat (63), Delhi (45) and Telengana (18). The death toll reached 17 in Uttar Pradesh while Punjab and Karnataka reported 16 deaths each. Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have reported 15 deaths each. Rajasthan has registered 14 fatalities. The disease has claimed five lives in Jammu and Kashmir, while Kerala and Haryana have recorded three COVID-19 deaths each. Jharkhand and Bihar have reported two deaths each, while Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Assam have reported one fatality each, according to the ministry's data. -- PTI
Image: An ill senior citizen is taken in a cart in Kolkata amid a complete shutdown of public transport due to the nationwide lockdown.
10:22 Mumbai's north-east community faces racism and cash crunch
Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the lockdown is being extended to May 3, spa owner Leo Tharmi Raikhan's phone has been ringing incessantly. The calls are from friends who hail from the North Eastern states of Mizoram and Manipur and, like him, came to Mumbai to make a living. "Most are employed at restaurants, satellite kitchens, spas and salons. Due to the lockdown, they are surviving without salaries. And now, the landlords are threatening to throw them out," says Raikhan, 34, who runs Only and Only Spa in Kalina.
His political clout as president of BJP's North Central Christian Minority cell and his semi-Mumbaikar status has made him the go-to person for the community. Over the last few days, he has been negotiating with landlords to defer payments. "Some have agreed, others haven't. Many said that the flats are their only source of money."
Read the report here
10:17 Defective ICMR tests kits delaying results: WB
The Health Department of West Bengal has alleged defective test kits supplied by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) being the reason behind the delay in COVID-19 testing in the state. In a series of tweets, the state Department of Health and Family Welfare said: "Apropos a mischievous report circulating in social media about the alleged delay in the time taken for testing swab samples in West Bengal, it is clarified that...the testing kits supplied by ICMR-NICED about two weeks ago have started to throw up a large number of 'inconclusive' results, necessitating a repeat/ 'confirmatory' test run, thereby causing a delay in the generation of the final test report," it tweeted."
The apparently defective test kits supplied by ICMR-NICED, Kolkata are resulting in a high number of repeat/ confirmatory tests and causing delays and other attendant problems at a time when we are battling a pandemic. This is an issue that ICMR needs to look into immediately," the health department said in another tweet.
The health department also said testing kits were being supplied from the National Institute of Virology, Pune but it has been routed from ICMR-NICED recently.
"There was no problem earlier when the testing kits were being received directly from National Institute of Virology, Pune. Recently, the supplies to Government Labs in West Bengal have been routed through ICMR-NICED, Kolkata," the department tweeted.
"This problem has been faced not just by Government labs in the State but other testing labs in the country, based on their feedback shared in the relevant user groups," it said in another tweet. -- ANI
10:07 Punjab rules out lockdown relaxation till May 3
The Punjab government has ruled out any relaxation in the curfew till May 3 barring wheat procurement. The move came after Chief Minister Amarinder Singh reviewed the current situation arising out of the coronavirus outbreak with senior officers from the administration and police department.
On Sunday evening, the chief minister ruled out any relaxation in the curfew, except as needed to ensure the procurement of wheat, till May 3, when he will again review the situation, a press release said. With the decision, all exemptions given from April 20 to industries in rural areas, booksellers, dhabas, shopkeepers dealing in air-conditioners and those involved in sand and gravel mining and stone crushing have been withdrawn.
The state government had allowed booksellers; dhabas; shops selling air-conditioners, coolers, fans; and those dealing in sand and gravel mining and stone crushing to operate. In line with the Centre's guidelines, industrial activity was also allowed in the state's rural areas, provided that the operators of industries, employing 10 or more persons, make all arrangements for the stay or transport of workers.
Singh ordered strict enforcement of the curfew in all districts with no relaxation or concessions whatsoever even during Ramzan beginning this week. He also made it clear that no special curfew passes should be issued to the people on account of Ramzan. -- PTI
10:00 Lockdown relaxations by Kerala a violation: MHA
The Home Ministry red flags the Kerala government's additional relaxation measures during the lockdown and shot off a letter to CM Pinarayi Vijayan.
Government of India wrote to the Government of Kerala over the dilution of guidelines issued by the MHA and the violation of the MHA Order dated 15th April 2020 issued under the Disaster Management Act 2005.
The Kerala government has announced relaxation of the lockdown restrictions in two zones, allowing among others private vehicles movement in an odd-even basis and dine-in services at hotels from Monday.
The Kerala government has circulated a set of revised guidelines for lockdown measures in the state in an order dated April 17. The relaxations of restrictions imposed would come into effect in the Green and Orange-B zones in the state from Monday.
Aadditional activities allowed by Kerala government includes opening of local workshops, barber shops, restaurants, book stores, MSMEs in municipal limits, bus travel in the cities/ towns for short distances etc.
"Allowing bus travel in towns, pillion rider on two wheelers, 2 passengers in back seat of a car are violations of the lockdown," the government of India's letter said.
Image: COVID diagnosis has become easier in Ernakulam district with the installation of the real-time polymerase chain reaction laboratory at the Kalamassery Medical Collage Hospital. The results of the tests could be available in under three hours. Pic: ANI
Representational image
09:31 MP govt to make available 50 lakh low cost masks at PDS shops
The Madhya Pradesh government has planned to procure 50 lakh low cost cotton masks and facilitate their availability at fair price shops for public to contain the spread of coronavirus. The government will get these masks stitched by women from urban areas in the state, a public relations official said on Monday. A decision on this was taken during a meeting called on Sunday by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on the state's preparations to fight COVID-19. The masks will be made available at all ration shops covered under the public distribution system (PDS), the official said, adding that the preparation of masks would also provide employment to women.
In the first phase of the initiative, the government will procure 50 lakh cotton masks, which will not only be cost effective but also reusable after washing, he said. Women of urban areas, who wish to engage themselves in the mask-making activity, can get themselves registered with the government and secure an order to make 1,000 masks, he added. -- PTI
09:25 India's COVID-19 cases 17,265, deaths 543
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare announces the COVID-19 tally for the last 24 hours. There are 1553 new cases and 36 deaths reported in the last 24 hours. India's total number of #Coronavirus positive cases rises to 17,265 (including 14,175 active cases, 2546 cured/discharged/migrated and 543 deaths).
The Indian Council of Medical Research on Sunday said that India's COVID-19 testing capacity is expected to reach 1 lakh per day by the end of May.
"The daily COVID-19 testing capacity at various laboratories in the country is being increased and is expected to reach to 1 lakh test per day by May 31," it said.Accordingly, a total of 16 regional depots are being set up and are modelled into self-contained units by strengthening manpower, resources and infrastructure.Besides these, depots at the National Institute of Malaria Research here and the National Institute of Virology in Pune would also function as central depots.As per the Union Health Ministry's latest bulletin, 16,116 people have detected positive for coronavirus in the country, of which, 519 people have succumbed to the infection.
Image: The dispossessed wait for rations and relief at a camp in Hyderabad. Pic: ANI
09:06 Workers gather outside jute mills in Barrackpore
Workers have gathered outside closed jute mills here even as the state government has allowed 15 per cent of the workforce for the resumption of operations in mills during lockdown from today. One of the workers said, "Mills have not opened. We were called here by our contractor. We have not received any information from mills."
In his address to the nation on April 14, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the extension of lockdown till May 3 and also said that restriction will be relaxed in places where there is no hotspot after April 20 soon.
The Ministry of Home Affairs on April 15 released new lockdown-guidelines for the country listing select economic activities that will be allowed to function after April 20 only after the review of the COVID-19 situation in India.
The total number of COVID-19 cases in India reached 16,116 and the death toll climbed to 519, till 5 PM (IST) on Sunday. -- ANI
08:52 China reports decline in new coronavirus cases
China's new confirmed coronavirus cases dropped to 12 with eight of them reported from Chinese nationals coming from abroad, taking the total tally to 82,747, health officials said on Monday. The overall confirmed cases on the mainland had reached 82,747 by Sunday, including 4,632 people died of the disease, 1,031 patients still being treated and 77,084 others who had been discharged after recovery.
China's National Health Commission (NHC) said on Monday that 12 new confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported in the country on Sunday, of which eight were imported indicating a drop in the recent cases. The other four new cases were domestically transmitted, the NHC said in its daily report, noting that three cases were reported in Heilongjiang Province and one in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
No death was reported Sunday on the mainland. As of Sunday, China has a total of 1,583 imported cases with 841 were being treated with 43 in severe condition, the NHC said. -- PTI
08:48 Gandhi at the time of the Spanish flu
What would the Mahatma have done now, with Covid-19 upon us? Gopalkrishna Gandhi finds answers in a column for the Telegraph. Do read
08:45 10 Indonesians linked to Tablighi Jamaat sent to jail after completing quarantine
Ten Indonesian nationals, who were caught hiding in a mosque in Dhanbad on return from Delhi's Tablighi Jamaat congregation last month, have been sent to jail after they completed the mandatory 14 days of quarantine, the police said on Sunday. The police produced them in the court after they ended the isolation period and tested negative for COVID-19. They were charged with violation of the Foreign Visa Act and Disaster Management Act, 2005, said Surendra Singh, officer-in-charge Govindpur Police Station, Dhanbad.
These Indonesians were caught hiding in a mosque on return from the national capital in Dhanbad's mosque in Govindpur. A total of 12 people were hiding in the mosque. While 10 of them are from Indonesia, the remaining two belong to Maharashtra.
After registering an FIR against them, the police sent them to the quarantine center.In the same case, 11 foreign Muslims have been sent to jail from Jamshedpur on Saturday. Along with this, action has been taken on 21 foreigners who had come to give religious teachings.
Delhi's Jamaat meet has emerged as a major hotspot in spreading the virus in different parts of the country. -- ANI
08:43 More COVID-19 tests in US than India, 9 others
The United States has carried out more tests for the novel coronavirus pandemic than 10 other countries, including India, taken together, President Donald Trump has said. Trump asserted on Sunday that the US continued to make steady progress in its war against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the country had tested 4.18-million people.
"That's a record anywhere in the world," he said. "We have done more testing than all of these countries combined -- France, United Kingdom, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, India, Austria, Australia, Sweden and Canada," Trump told reporters at a news conference in the White House.
The number of COVID-19 deaths in the US crossed 40,000 and the total infections were more than 764,000 so far. New York, the epicentre of the deadly COVID-19 in the US, has 2,42,000 cases and over 17,600 fatalities so far. It has registered a 50-percent decline in new cases over an eight-day period. "That's a fantastic climb," Trump said. "That's a beautiful thing to see after going through the opposite."
According to Trump, countries like Italy and Spain, which initially were reluctant in closing their country, had to pay a huge price. "We would've had millions of people die if we didn't do this,' he said, referring to the earlier projections of massive deaths if there were no social-distancing measures and the country was not closed.
More than 95 percent of America's 330 population are under stay-at-home order. "Instead, it looks like we'll be at about a 60,000-mark, which is 40,000 less than the lowest number (1,00,000) thought of," he said. "It's similar to a flu."
The president listed out the steps being taken by his administration on a war footing to address the challenge posed by the pandemic. "We are doing a great job," he said. Trump highlighted that the situation continued to improve with the declining trajectory of cases in Seattle, Detroit, New Orleans, Indianapolis and Houston Metro areas. -- PTI
08:36 Palghar lynching: 110 including 9 juveniles held
Palgarh Police have arrested 110 people including nine juveniles, in connection with the lynching of three persons by the villagers, suspecting them as thieves on Sunday.
While 101 people have been remanded in police custody till April 30, nine others have been sent to a juvenile home.
"110 people have been arrested in this case out of which nine are juvenile. 101 people have been remanded in police custody till 30th while other have been sent to a juvenile home. Further investigation is going on in the matter. An enquiry has also been initiated to look into the incident," the Palgargh Police tweeted.
Three people, who were travelling from Kandivali in Mumbai to Gujarat via interior roads of Palghar, were beaten to death on April 17 by Gadchinchle villagers, suspecting them as thieves, police said on Sunday.T
he three men were taken to the hospital where they were declared brought dead, police said.
K Shinde, District Magistrate, Palghar, said the police reached the spot immediately but villagers continued to attack the three men. -- ANI
08:18 16 killed in shooting in Canada's Nova Scotia
At least 16 people were killed in a shooting rampage in Canada's Nova Scotia on Sunday, police said.
Officials said the suspected shooter was also dead.
Brian Sauve, President of National Police Federation Union, said a police officer was among those killed in a shooting and another was injured.
Police identified the man believed to be the shooter as Gabriel Wortman, 51, who was thought to live part-time in Portapique.
Authorities said he wore a police uniform at one point and made his car look like a Royal Canadian Mounted Police cruiser.
"This is one of the most senseless acts of violence in our province's history," said Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil.
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