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Thu, 25 June 2020
Patanjali should've waited for approvals: Naik
Timeline Refresh
22:56 Patanjali should've waited for approvals: Naik
Ayush Minister Shripad Naik said that Patanjali Ayurved should not have advertised its newly-launched ayurvedic drugs for COVID-19 before getting final approvals.
"They (Patanjali Ayurved) should not have advertised it (Coronil) before getting final approvals. We have asked them to complete the requisite procedures. They have sent it to us and we will take a decision soon," Naik said.
The AYUSH Ministry had said on Tuesday that it has taken cognisance of news in the media about Ayurvedic medicines developed for the treatment of COVID-19 by Patanjali Ayurved Ltd, Haridwar and said the company has been asked to 'stop advertising/publicising such claims till the issue is duly examined'.
Patanjali Ayurved on Tuesday launched 'Coronil and Swasari' claiming it to be Ayurvedic cure for treating COVID-19 and said clinical trials have shown favourable results. -- ANI
22:10 All regular train services cancelled till Aug 12
All regular mail, express and passenger services as well as suburban trains have been cancelled till August 12, the Railway Board said on Thursday.
Source said that the decision was taken keeping in mind the increasing number of coronavirus cases in the country.
However, all special trains -- 12 pairs running on the Rajdhani routes since May 12 and 100 pairs operating since June 1 -- will continue, they said.
The limited special suburban services which began recently in Mumbai to ferry essential services personnel identified by the local authorities will also continue to run, officials said.
'All tickets booked for the regular time-tabled trains for journey date from 01.07.20 to 12.08.20 also stand cancelled. Full refund will be generated,' the Railway Board order stated.
Earlier, the Railways had cancelled all trains till June 30. -- PTI
22:02 Maha registers highest spike of 4,841 cases
Maharashtra's COVID-19 tally on Thursday increased by 4,841cases -- a new single-day high -- taking the count to 1,47,741, while the death toll rose to 6,931, said a health official.
The state also reported deaths of 192 more patients, taking the total fatalities to 6,931, he said.
Out of these, 109 deaths took place in the last 48 hours, while the remaining 83 occurred earlier, but were not listed as those caused by COVID-19, the official said.
They were added to the fatality count on Thursday, he said.
Also, 3,661 patients were discharged from hospitals in the state, taking the number of recoveries to 77,453, the official said.
With this, the number of active patients in the state stood at 63,342.
Maharashtra COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases 1,47,741, new cases 4,841, deaths 6,931, discharged 77,453 active cases 63,342, people tested so far 8,48,026. -- PTI
21:40 China tried to intrude, we responded: Gadkari
Union minister Nitin Gadkari said on Thursday that China tried to intrude into Indian territory but India 'responded' to it.
The Bharatiya Janata Party leader was addressing a virtual rally of party workers in Western Maharashtra from Nagpur through video link.
"We know that our borders are not safe. China, in a way tried to intrude on our border but we responded to it," he said, referring to the stand-off in Galwan valley in Ladakh.
"Since the days of late prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Indian government has always tried to maintain cordial relations with neighbouring countries," he said. "India is not expansionist," the Union minister added.
"India never tried to take a single (square) foot of land (even) from a small country like Bhutan. It was the Indian government that fought for and freed Bangladesh but we did not grab their land.
"We freed the country, ensured that a government was formed there and we came back. Our policy towards neighbouring states is just, cordial and cooperative," Gadkari said. -- PTI
Representative image
21:24 83 die in Bihar due to thunderstorms in 24 hrs
At least 83 people died due to
thunderstorms in Bihar in the last 24 hours, according to Chief
Minister's Office.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced Rs 4
lakhs each for the families of deceased.
13 people died in
Gopalganj, 8 each in Madhubani and Nawada, 6 each in Baghalpur and
Siwan, 5 each in Darbhanga, Banka, East Champaran and 3 each in Khagaria
and Aurangabad.
Due to thunderstorms, two people each lost their lives
in West Champaran, Kishanganj, Jamui, Jahanabad, Purnia, Supaul, Buxar,
Kaimur while one death each was reported in Samastipur, Shivhar, Saran,
Sitamarhi and Madhepura. -- ANI
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan
20:51 Imran Khan calls Osama bin Laden a 'martyr
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday called slain al Qaeda chief and 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden a "shaheed" (martyr) and said that Islamabad faced "embarrassment" by taking part in America's war on terror.
Speaking in parliament during the budget session, Khan said the American forces entered Pakistan and killed Laden without informing Islamabad after which everyone started abusing his country.
"I don't think there's a country which supported the war on terror and had to face embarrassment for it. Pakistan was also openly blamed for US' failure in Afghanistan," Khan said.
"For Pakistanis across the globe, it was an embarrassing moment when the Americans came and killed Osama bin Laden at Abottabad...martyred him. The whole world started abusing us after that. Our ally came inside our country and killed someone without informing us. And, 70,000 Pakistanis died because of US' war on terror," he said.
Bin Laden was killed by US Navy Seals in Pakistan's Abbottabad in May 2011.
-- PTI
20:24 CBSE defers Teacher Eligibility Test
The Central Board of Secondary Education on Thursday postponed the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) scheduled on July 5, which will now be conducted when the situation is conducive, Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank' said.
"The 14th edition of CTET scheduled on July 5 has been postponed. A new date for examination will be intimated when the situation is more conducive for conduct of examinations," Nishank said. -- PTI
19:52 Patients need not visit Covid centres for assessment: Sisodia
Corona-positive persons
will not be required to visit COVID-19 care centres for a clinical
assessment for home isolation or hospitalisation, Delhi Deputy Chief
Minister Manish Sisodia said after a State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) meeting on Thursday.
It
has been decided to withdraw the Centre's order regarding the
requirement of COVID-19 care centre visit by corona-positive persons at the SDMA meeting, he added.
Sisodia
said those found COVID-19 positive through the rapid test will be
clinically assessed by medical officers on the spot.
In case of those
found positive for the disease through the RT-PCR test, the assessment
will be done by a home isolation team sent by the district surveillance
officer, he added.
Home isolation has been highly successful in Delhi
and around 30,000 coronavirus patients have been cured under the system,
the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said. -- PTI
19:43 Barber shops in M'rashtra to reopen from June 28
Hair saloons in Maharashtra will be allowed to reopen from June 28, after over three months of downing shutters due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown, a state minister said on Thursday.
State Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Vijay Wadettiwar said that during the state cabinet meeting held on Thursday, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray agreed to allow the saloons to reopen with adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs) about hygiene and cleanliness.
"The hair saloons will reopen. However, the use of sanitisers and face-masks will be mandatory for the hairdresser and the customer. Similarly, the cloth or towel used for one customer shall not be used for others," he said.
The saloon operators had demanded that they be allowed to do their business or else the government provide them a financial package, the minister said in his video message.
As many as 12 barbers have committed suicide in the last three months due to financial losses suffered due to the lockdown, Wadettiwar added.
The minister said that he raised the issue in the cabinet meeting and the chief minister agreed that the saloons could reopen from June 28 with conditions about the SOPs.
19:38 CBI files charge sheet against Yes Bank founder Rana Kapoor
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday filed a charge sheet in a court in Mumbai against Yes Bank founder Rana Kapoor and DHFL co-founders Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan for an alleged scam.
As per the central agency, in return for investment in DHFL debentures by Yes Bank, companies controlled by Kapoor and his family members got undue benefits. The scam started between April to June, 2018, when Yes Bank invested Rs 3,700 crore in short-term debentures of the scam-hitDewan Housing Finance CorporationLtd (DHFL), the CBI has alleged.
In return, Wadhawans allegedly "paid kickback of Rs 600 crore" in the form of loans to DoIT Urban Ventures (India) Pvt Ltd, a firm controlled by Kapoor's wife and daughters, it has claimed.
19:31 Maharashtra to go in for antigen testing for coronavirus
The Maharashtra government would conduct antigen tests, which would provide results of the Covid-19 tests within an hour, unlike the current waiting period of over 24 hours, state Health Minister Rajesh Tope said on Thursday.
Talking to reporters, Tope said that one lakh antigen test kits will soon be made available in the state.
"Procurement orders have been given. Priority would be given to conduct this test on the frontline Covid-19 workers, such as essential services staff, health workers, police and others," he said.
The state government has also decided to undertake rapid antibody tests, whose kits were being supplied by a South Korean company.
"It will help the state in finding out whether a person has contracted Covid-19 infection," Tope said.
18:58 Onus on India to ease tension: Chinese envoy
"We hope the Indian side meets the Chinese side halfway, avoids taking actions that may complicate the border situation and takes concrete actions to maintain stability in the border areas," he said.
The Indian and Chinese armies are locked in a bitter standoff in multiple locations in eastern Ladakh for the last six weeks, and the tension escalated manifold after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent clash in Galwan Valley on June 15.
The Chinese ambassador said 'mutual respect and support' is a sure way and meets the long-term interests of both countries, but at the same time, largely put the onus on India to ease tension in the region.
"China and India are both large developing countries and emerging economies with more than one billion people, and both have the historic mission of realising our own development and revitalisation," he said.
Striking a conciliatory tone after raising tensions in eastern Ladakh to a fever pitch, China on Thursday said it was ready to work with India to properly deal with the border standoff while noting that 'suspicion and friction' was a wrong path that goes against the fundamental aspirations of people of the two countries.
In an interview to PTI, Chinese Ambassador Sun Weidong said India and China are able to properly manage their differences, and called upon New Delhi to avoid taking actions that may 'complicate' the situation in eastern Ladakh.
He went on to add that at present, the overall situation in the China-India border areas is 'stable and controllable'.
"We hope the Indian side meets the Chinese side halfway, avoids taking actions that may complicate the border situation and takes concrete actions to maintain stability in the border areas," he said.
The Indian and Chinese armies are locked in a bitter standoff in multiple locations in eastern Ladakh for the last six weeks, and the tension escalated manifold after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent clash in Galwan Valley on June 15.
The Chinese ambassador said 'mutual respect and support' is a sure way and meets the long-term interests of both countries, but at the same time, largely put the onus on India to ease tension in the region.
"China and India are both large developing countries and emerging economies with more than one billion people, and both have the historic mission of realising our own development and revitalisation," he said.
He further said: "China and India are willing and able to properly manage differences."
In the last few weeks, both sides have held a series of diplomatic and military talks to cool down temperature even as Chinese military has increased its presence in all sensitive areas along the 3,500 km Line of Actual Control (LAC), the de facto border. -- PTI
18:53 Pak's continuation in FATF grey list vindicates India's position: MEA
India on Thursday said Pakistan's continution in the 'grey list' of global terror financing watchdog, FATF, vindicated its position that the country has not taken any appropriate action against terror networks operation from its soil.
It vindicated our position that Pakistan has not taken appropriate action against terror outfits, MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said during an online media briefing.
FATF on Wednesday decided to keep Pakistan in the 'grey list' as it has failed to check flow of money to terror groups like the LeT and the JeM.
The decision was taken at the Financial Action Task Force's third and final plenary held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On the Trump administration's decision to suspend H1B visas, Srivastava said India is assessing its impact on Indian industry. -- PTI
18:28 Jawan dies trying to rescue drowning colleagues at Galwan valley
A jawan of the Indian Army from Nashik district of Maharashtra has died while trying to save his colleagues who had fallen into a river along the India-China border in the Galwan valley, Minister of State for Home Satej Patil said on Thursday.
The jawan, Sachin More, was a native of Malegaon in Nashik district, around 200 km from Mumbai, he said.
Sachin More, who hailed from Malegaon tehsil, was posted on the India-China border. He died while trying to save his two colleagues who had fallen into a river.
They were posted in the Galwan valley, Patil said.
Galwan valley was the scene of a fierce clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers on June 15-16.
18:12 China moves back some troops to depth areas
In the ongoing dispute along the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh sector, China has moved back some of its troops and vehicles to depth areas in Galwan Valley following the meeting with the Indian side on June 22, sources said.
"On June 22, the Chinese side had given assurance that they will move back troops from front to the depth areas. In this regard, some troops and vehicles were moved back by them in the Galwan area," a source told ANI.
The step was taken by both the sides as they wanted to avoid a repeat of June 15 violent face-off as the troops were in close vicinity.
The June 22 meeting between Indian Army's 14 Corps Commander Lt Gen Harinder Singh and his Chinese counterpart took place at Moldo after which there was a consensus for mutual disengagement.
The commander-level talks were held after a violent face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in Galwan Valley in Ladakh on June 15.
India lost 20 of its soldiers in the violent face-off and 10 Indian soldiers were also held captive and later released. After the clash, Indian intercepts had revealed that the Chinese side suffered 43 casualties including dead and seriously injured.
India has said that the situation could have been avoided if the agreement at the higher level been scrupulously followed by the Chinese side.Following the face-off, China's Vice Foreign Minister Luo Zhaohui and Indian Ambassador to China Vikram Misri met in Beijing on June 16.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also held telephonic talks with Wang on June 17 and conveyed that what happened in Galwan was a 'pre-mediated and planned action that was directly responsible for the resulting violence and casualties'.
India on Wednesday conveyed its concern to China on the recent developments in Eastern Ladakh including on the violent face off in Galwan valley area on June 15 and emphasised that 'both sides should strictly respect and observe the Line of Actual Control'. -- ANI
17:42 Govt launches mobile app to enable people have easy access to blood
A mobile application that would enable people to access "safe blood" easily, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, was launched by Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Thursday. Developed by the E-Raktkosh team of Centre for Development of Advanced Computing under the Digital India scheme, the application will bring transparency and facilitate single-window access to blood services of the Indian Red Cross Society, officials said.
Vardhan said, "In the last few months, I received several complaints from people facing difficulties in accessing safe blood. Many people require blood-related services regularly because of certain medical conditions in their families. Through this app, four units of blood can be requisitioned at a time and the blood bank will wait for 12 hours for the person to collect it."
"At a time when the country is going through a pandemic, the mobile app will provide succour to all those who are in dire need of blood," the health minister said. Users with this app can know the live status of blood availability at the national headquarters of the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) blood bank in Delhi. Once a request is placed through the app, the requisite units become visible to national headquarters blood bank in its e-Raktkosh dashboard and this allows assured delivery within the specified time, the health ministry said in a statement.
The stock status of other Red Cross Blood Banks in the country is also visible in the app. It would also facilitate voluntary blood donation through its camp search feature that allows users to know the venue and time of scheduled camps nearby, officials said. -- PTI
17:37 China moves back some troops, vehicles to depth areas in Galwan Valley
In the ongoing dispute along the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh sector, China has moved back some of its troops and vehicles to depth areas in Galwan Valley following the meeting with the Indian side on June 22, sources said.
"On June 22, the Chinese side had given assurance that they will move back troops from front to the depth areas. In this regard, some troops and vehicles were moved back by them in the Galwan area," a source told ANI.
The step was taken by both the sides as they wanted to avoid a repeat of June 15 violent face-off as the troops were in close vicinity.The June 22 meeting between Indian Army's 14 Corps Commander Lt Gen Harinder Singh and his Chinese counterpart took place at Moldo after which there was a consensus for mutual disengagement.
The commander-level talks were held after a violent face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in Galwan Valley in Ladakh on June 15.India lost 20 of its soldiers in the violent face-off and 10 Indian soldiers were also held captive and later released.
After the clash, Indian intercepts had revealed that the Chinese side suffered 43 casualties including dead and seriously injured. -- ANI
17:32 Kejriwal launches video-calling at Delhi's LNJP
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday launched a video call facility for coronavirus patients admitted at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) hospital in New Delhi which would enable them to talk to their loved ones. LNJP was declared a COVID-19 hospital on March 17 and since then, it has successfully treated 2,700 coronavirus patients and sent them home. It is the only COVID-19 hospital in the country with 2,000 beds, he said.
The chief minister said that till now, relatives of coronavirus patients were not able to talk to them, but that that issue has been resolved.
"We have installed tablets in coronavirus wards and at a counter outside. These can be used by patients and their relatives for video calling," Kejriwal said.
After the launch, Kejriwal used the facility to talk to a few patients admitted to the hospital's COVID-19 ward.
Lauding LNJP doctors, the chief minister said the medics don't go home or meet their family members for days on end fearing that the infection may spread.
"All doctors here have worked really hard. You can imagine how tough it is to work wearing PPE kits in this heat," he said, adding the administration is responsible for shortcomings, if any, and not the healthcare workers.
"We (government) stand like a rock behind you. If you face any problem, we are there with you. We will work together to improve the facilities. Obviously, there is a scope for improvement," Kejriwal told the doctors.
Plasma therapy is being used on a large scale in LNJP, which has reduced the death rate among COVID-19 patients substantially. PTI
17:08 38 Maha cops test Covid +ve, 3 dead in 24 hours
Thirty-eight police personnel have tested positive for COVID-19 while three succumbed to the disease in the last 24 hours, said Maharashtra Police. The death toll has gone up to 54 among police personnel in the state.
So far, 3,282 police personnel have recovered and 991 are under treatment, with this the total number of COVID-19 positive police personnel has reached 4,326 across the State, Maharashtra Police informed.
With 1,42,900 confirmed cases of COVID-19 so far, Maharashtra remains the worst-affected state in the country, as per the Union Health and Welfare Ministry on Thursday. -- ANI
17:04 Army jawan from Maha dies trying to save colleagues along LAC
A jawan of the Indian Army from Nashik district of Maharashtra has died while trying to save his colleagues who had fallen into a river along the India- China border in the Galwan valley, Minister of State for Home Satej Patil said on Thursday. The jawan, Sachin More, was a native of Malegaon in Nashik district, around 200km from Mumbai, he said. Sachin More, who hailed from Malegaon tehsil, was posted on the India-China border. He died while trying to save his two colleagues who had fallen into a river. They were posted in the Galwan valley, Patil said. Further details were awaited. The Galwan valley was the scene of a fierce clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers on June 15.
Activist Rehana Fathima
16:58 Kerala activist poses semi-nude before children
The apex child rights body NCPCR on Thursday asked Kerala police to conduct an inquiry in the case of an activist who posed semi-nude in front of her minor children.
Controversial activist Rehana Fathima, who made a vain bid to enter the Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala in 2018, has been booked after she posed semi-nude in front of her minor children, allowing them to paint on her bare body and sharing the video on social media, police said on Wednesday.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, in a letter to Kerala DGP, said through the inquiry it needs to be ascertained as to whether such an indecent representation before children causes sexual harassment of the children and amounts to violation of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The child rights body further said the children might have suffered mental trauma and need tobe counselled. "It is regrettable that a mother has involved her children in such an indecent act. Due to this and the legal proceedings, possibly children had suffered mental trauma. So they may require counselling. Counselling to the children must be ensured through the District Child Protection Unit and the Child Welfare Committee," it said. "An action taken report of this matter may please be submitted to this Commission within seven days from the date of receipt of this communication," it said. PTI
16:54 BJP govt only interested in picking people's pockets: Priyanka
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday attacked the BJP-led NDA government over the repeated fuel price hike, saying it has become clear that the Centre is only interested in picking pockets of the people even in times of crisis.
Her attack came after diesel price in the national capital crossed the Rs 80 per litre mark for the first time ever on Thursday as oil companies raised prices for the 19th day, taking the cumulative rate to Rs 10.63 a litre. Petrol price, after a day's hiatus, was hiked by 16 paise and the increase in less than three weeks now totals Rs 8.66 per litre.
"By increasing the prices of petrol and diesel for the 19th consecutive day today, the BJP government has made it clear that it is more interested in picking pockets of the public even in the time of such a crisis," Priyanka Gandhi said in a tweet.
"The Congress has carried out a massive protest in Uttar Pradesh. People are not ready to tolerate this loot," the Congress general secretary in-charge eastern Uttar Pradesh tweeted. Petrol price in Delhi was hiked to Rs 79.92 per litre from Rs 79.76, while diesel rates were increased to Rs 80.02 a litre from Rs 79.88, according to a price notification of state oil marketing companies. Rates differ from state to state depending on the incidence of value-added tax. -- PTI
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16:41 70 workers in mask making factory in Pondy test +ve
Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Thursday said a case was registered against a private company manufacturing masks needed in the context of spread of COVID-19 in the Union Territory, for negligence in following lockdown norms, leading to rise in cases. He told reporters that there was alleged failure on the part of the factory to adhere to the norms of lockdown and consequently around 70 workers in the industry had tested positive for COVID-19.
The village, where these workers were coming from was also taken up for a thorough investigation and testing of the people. The factory was also closed following incidence of the COVID-19 among a good number of workers as there was no adoption of the norms by the management.
"The negligence on the part of the factory has resulted in workers contracting the pandemic and hence criminal action is being taken against the proprietor," the Chief Minister said.
Noting that the administration would use Rapid Antigen testing kits recommended by ICMR for quick testing of swabs and also to increase COVID testing in Puducherry, the CM said each rapid antigen test kit would cost only Rs 450 as against Rs 4500 incurred presently while using the Rapid PCR test kit. The results by doing Rapid Antigen testing would also be available in 30 minutes. This is cost effective and results are also available expeditiously," he said. -- PTI
16:36 Patanjali should not have advertised Coronil before approvals: Minister
AYUSH Minister Shripad Y Naik on yoga guru Ramdev's Corona 'cure'. "They (Patanjali Ayurved) should not have advertised it (Coronil) before getting final approvals. We have asked them to complete the requisite procedures. They have sent it to us and we will take a decision soon."
16:31 Delhi faces severe shortage of healthcare staff
As the number of beds in private hospitals for COVID-19 patients is being increased, there are complains of acute shortage of manpower -- doctors, nurses and other paramedical staff to treat coronavirus patients, putting further stress on the city's health infrastructure.
Private hospitals say the shortage is due to lack of experts to treat coronavirus-related complications and because a large number of healthcare staff has to undergo quarantine. Many medical professionals have quit the jobs due to fear of infection or family pressure, while others have demanded more money and insurance.
Demoralised staff, lack of government support, infection among healthcare workers, reluctance of families to allow their loved ones to work in COVID wards, patients preferring private facilities over government hospitals are also some reasons why private hospitals in the national capital are facing a shortage of staff.
Amid a surge in coronavirus cases and the government's impetus on increasing beds by turning banquet halls and hotels into COVID facilities and attaching them with hospitals, the managements of these hospitals are faced with their own internal crisis.
At the Delhi Heart and Lung Institute, a quarter of nurses had quit even before the hospital was converted into a COVID facility while another 15 percent nurses quit after it was turned into a coronavirus facility, citing reasons like parental pressure and personal fears and anxieties, according to hospital officials.
Similarly, at Saroj Super Speciality Hospital in Rohini, 40 to 50 per cent nurses stopped reporting to work citing reasons such as lack of transportation and refusal of families to let them be on COVID duty, said an official.
"There is a shortage of doctors. Our hospital has a cardiac unit and our doctors are trained to handle those cases. But with a disease that is hitherto unknown, you need many kinds of specialists, like internal medicine, respiratory medicine specialists, etc. They are not available, said Dr KK Sethi, chairman, DHLI.
The resident doctors who handle emergency units are refusing to work. Nobody wants to join the hospital if you tell them they will have to work in COVID wards. Those who are willing to work are asking for exorbitant salaries, almost three to four times of what they would usually get, he said. The Delhi government is increasing bed capacity in the national capital to tackle coronavirus cases, which are expected to touch 5.5 lakh by the end of next month, but experts feel it's being done without keeping in mind the human factor. Dr RK Mani, Medical Director & Chairman, Critical Care & Pulmonology, Batra Hospital, said it is important to maintain an optimal doctor-patient and nurse-patient ratio.
"Increase in bed without appropriate increase in staff is not ideal. There is a greater chance of infection to healthcare workers and among patients. There are the issues of loss of morale, exhaustion and burnout. They may get aggravated to the point that people may choose to leave their jobs," he said.
Explaining the optimal ratio, he said in ICUs there should be one nurse for not more than three patients and outside the ICU, the ratio should be one nurse for not more than six to eight patients. Similarly, a doctor cannot see more than eight patients in the ICU. -- PTI
Image: A banquet hall where a 100 bed COVID-19 care facility has been established in New Delhi. Pic: ANI
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16:10 Over 18 lakh people given ayurvedic concoction against virus: Rajasthan minister
Over 18 lakh people in Rajasthan were given an ayurvedic concoction as an immunity booster against coronavirus, state Health Minister Raghu Sharma said on Thursday. The minister said that the process for the distribution of the concoction (kadha) is still on.
Around 18.84 lakh people have been given a kadha from March 13 to June 24 for the prevention of the infection, the minister said, adding that the ayurvedic mixture was also given to corona warriors and their families. He said the state government is not leaving any stone unturned to promote the ayurvedic medical system. People are also being given immunity boosters mentioned in homeopathy and Unani medical systems, he said.
Apart from this, he said, the Ayurveda Department had started a giloy (a kind of herb) plantation campaign, 'Amrita', last month under which 1.50 lakh saplings are being planted. PTI
16:05 Cong seeks virtual Parl session to discuss LAC
The Congress on Thursday demanded that the government convene a virtual session of Parliament to discuss important issues before the country, especially the border standoff with China. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said during the 1962 war, then BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee demanded that a session of Parliament be convened to discuss it and then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru accepted his demand.
"A session of Parliament should be convened to discuss important issues. The Parliamentary Committees are also not meeting, even when there are key issues to be discussed," Khera said at a press conference.
The Congress leader said Parliament is the only medium where everyone can discuss the key issues and together work out a strategy to deal with them. Party spokesperson Manish Tewari on Wednesday accused the government of hiding behind rules to escape parliamentary oversight and demanded that a session be held soon to answer key queries of opposition parties.
"This government has walked the extra mile to hide behind rules, to escape parliamentary oversight. This is nothing short of the emasculation of Parliament," he said.
"Unfortunately, presiding officers of both the Houses should have walked the extra mile to prevail upon the government, not should try to subvert Parliament in this manner and escape parliamentary oversight," he said.
His colleague and party spokesperson Gaurav Gogoi cited the government's experience of having conducted a bilateral summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart.
"Surely we can have a special session of Parliament to discuss important issues, keeping in mind both social distancing and the importance of national security," Gogoi said.
15:27 Central health team to visit Guj, Maha, T'gana
A Central Team led by Lav Agarwal, Jt Secretary, Ministry of Health will visit Gujarat, Maharashtra and Telangana between 26th-29th June. The team will interact with the state officials and coordinate with them to strengthen ongoing efforts for management of COVID-19, a Health Ministry, notification says.
The ministry says cases per lakh in India currently stands at 33.39 against the worlds 120.21 cases/lakh. Also, deaths/lakh in the country is currently amongst the lowest in the world with 1.06 deaths/lakh against the world average of 6.24 deaths/lakh.
During the last 24 hours, a total of 13,012 COVID-19 patients have been cured. So far, a total of 2,71,696 patients have been cured of the virus. The recovery rate is 57.43%.
Image: An ASHA worker visits people under home quarantine. Pic: ANI
15:19 Housing sales may plunge 81% in April-June
Housing sales are estimated to decline by 81 per cent to 12,740 units during April-June period of this calendar year due to COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown, property consultant Anarock said on Thursday.
As many as 68,600 units were sold during April-June 2019 across seven major cities - Delhi-NCR, Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata, Anarock said in a report.
New launches may plunge by 98 per cent to only 1,390 units as against nearly 69,000 units in the corresponding period of 2019. "A massive drop in both new launches and housing sales were, of course, expected on the back of a complete lockdown for most of this quarter," Anarock Property Consultants Chairman Anuj Puri said.
The nationwide lockdown was imposed on March 25 to curb the spread of coronavirus disease, bringing the construction as well as sales activities to a grinding halt.
"Technology adoption has played a big role in housing sales of late, with many developers now strengthening their digital sales capabilities," he added. Housing sales are likely to fall by 83 per cent in Delhi-NCR to 2,100 units in April-June 2020 from 12,640 units during the corresponding period of the previous year, the report states.
In the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, sales may drop by 83 per cent to 3,620 units from 21,360 units during the period under review. Sales in Bengaluru are seen at 2,990 units, a 77 per cent drop from 13,150 units. Pune can witness a drop of 79 per cent to 2,160 units from 10,490 units, while Hyderabad may see 85 per cent dip to 660 units from 4,430 units. Sales in Chennai are likely to fall by 84 per cent to 480 units from 2,990 units. Kolkata, too, is expected to see a 79 per cent dip to 730 units from 3,540 units. -- PTI
15:08 HUL to drop word 'Fair' from its skincare brand Fair & Lovely
FMCG major HUL on Thursday said it will drop word 'Fair' from its popular skin care brand Fair & Lovely, citing its commitment towards a more inclusive vision of beauty.
The company has announced to stop the usage of word 'Fair' in the brand name as part of its rebranding exercise and is now waiting for regulatory approvals, Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) said in a statement. As part of the rebranding, HUL will also be announcing the new name for the 'Fair & Lovely' Foundation, set up in 2003 to offer women scholarships to pursue their education.
According to HUL Chairman and Managing Director Sanjiv Mehta, in addition to the changes to Fair & Lovely, the rest of HUL's skincare portfolio will also reflect the new vision of positive beauty.
"The brand's vision is to adopt a holistic approach to beauty that cares for people, that must be inclusive and diverse - for everyone, everywhere. The brand is committed to celebrating all skin tones, the company said. -- PTI
14:53 Delhi hotel body bans Chinese guests
In a mark of protest against aggression at the border, Delhi Hotel and Guest House Owners Association on Thursday announced that it has decided not to host any Chinese nationals at its associated hotels across the national capital.
"Everyone in the country is protesting against Chinese aggression in their own way. Delhi Hotel Association has decided that we will not allow any bookings for Chinese people at our hotels. We will not allow them to stay at our hotels," association's General Secretary Mahendra Gupta told ANI here.
He said, "how can we allow people, who intend to harm our country, to stay at our hotels?"
Commenting on the potential financial strain from the decision on hotels amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Gupta said that the country is bigger than anything else.
This comes days after 20 Indian Army personnel lost their lives in a violent face-off with Chinese troops in Ladakh's Galwan valley, following which several high-level meetings between the two countries were held to deescalate the situation.
Indian intercepts have revealed that the Chinese side suffered 43 casualties including dead and seriously injured in the violent clash. -- ANI
Image: Activists of Vishwa Hindu Parashid, stands on a poster of the images of Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Chinese flag during an anti-China demonstration in Agartala on Wednesday. Pic: ANI
Representational image
14:47 People gather at Mumbai mosque, five booked
A case has been registered against five persons, including the trustees of an Andheri- based mosque, for allegedly violating the COVID-19 lockdown norms after a group of people assembled in the premises on Thursday, police said. The DN Nagar police received a call that some people had assembled at Eidgah Masjid in Andheri in the morning, following which a team was sent there, an official said.
The police found that no social distancing norms were followed in the premises and further probe revealed that people had not gathered for prayers, but were there for some discussion, he said.
"As of now, we have mentioned the names of five people, including the trustees, in the FIR. A case has been registered under section 188 (disobeying an order issued by public servant) and other relevant provisions of the IPC," senior inspector Parmeshwar Ganame of DN Nagar police station said. -- PTI
14:35
ICSE also agrees with Govt's decision to cancel remaining exams.
14:27 CBSE Class 10, 12 exams cancelled
The Solicitor General on Thursday told the Supreme Court that CBSE Class 10 and 12 exams scheduled for July 1 and 15 have been cancelled.
The government told the SC that Delhi, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have conveyed their inability to conduct examinations.
Class 12 students will will have the option of either accepting their grades on the basis of internal assessments or to sit in exams at a future date.
Results of both Class 10 and 12 will be published by schools on July 15.
ICSE likely to follow suit, as it had told SC that it would follow CBSE's decision on the matter.
14:25 Cough, fever most prevalent symptoms of COVID-19, study confirms
A persistent cough and fever have been confirmed as the most prevalent symptoms of COVID-19, according to a major review of studies which identified fatigue, loss of smell and difficulty in breathing among other major symptoms.
The study, published in the journal PLoS ONE, ratifies the list of symptoms listed by the World Health Organisation at the start of the pandemic.
The researchers, including those from the University of Leeds in the UK, combined data from 148 separate studies to identify the common symptoms experienced by over 24,000 patients from nine countries, including the UK, China and the US.
The researchers said the study is one of the biggest reviews ever conducted into COVID-19 symptoms.
They acknowledged that there is likely to be a large proportion of people who had the virus but did not display symptoms.
-- PTI
14:03 Normalcy in Mumbai by August, says health expert
With Mumbai witnessing a surge in COVID-19 cases over the last three months, there may be respite soon as a fall in positive cases and strong recovery numbers has been seen in past few days.
According to experts if this trend continues, Mumbai may see a flattening of the curve by mid July and normalcy by the start of August if precautionary measures remain in place.
CEO of Wockhardt Hospital Mumbai, Dr Parag Rindhani, who is a microbiologist, told ANI: "In the past three months, we have seen several cases of COVID-19 and now, fortunately, we are seeing a decrease in numbers. With this trend, we can expect a flattening of the curve by mid-July, which BMC commissioner has also said, and the normalcy of life can be expected by the beginning of August."
"But it is conditional as people would have to behave responsibly for that, else we cannot deny the possibility of a second wave," he added.
Dr Rindhani further spoke about the monsoon-related diseases and said soon it will become difficult to segregate COVID and non-COVID patients.
"In the coming days, we are going to face another challenge for COVID-19 treatment as we will have patients suffering from fever due to malaria, dengue or other monsoon related diseases. And then, it will be more difficult to segregate COVID and non-COVID patients," the expert said.
Wockhardt was one of the hospitals which itself was affected by COVID badly as its 60 staff nurses and doctors were infected by coronavirus while treating the patients but now all have recovered and are giving their service to the other patients.
CEO Dr Rindhani himself got infected with COVID-19 and admitted to the ICU for over a week.
Now, Wockhardt is working as one of the biggest private COVID facilities in Mumbai.
With 1,42,900 confirmed cases of COVID-19 so far, Maharashtra remains the worst-affected state in the country, as per the Union Health and Welfare Ministry on Thursday. - ANI
13:48 Fire at Mumbai's Raghuvanshi Mills
Fire breaks out at a building in Raghuvanshi Mills in the Lower Parel area of Mumbai; 8 fire tenders are at the spot.
13:25 Dial 1056 for help in battling lockdown stress: Kerala health minister
Kerala Health MinisterKK Shailaja, who has been spearheading the state's success story in battling the coronavirus pandemic, announces a new measure. "We are launching a psychosocial project for counselling students in association with the education department. Anganwadi and Asha workers will be carrying out the fieldwork. Students will be given counselling over the phone. The helpline number is 1056. The Health Department with Women & Child Department is strengthening counselling services for people who are under stress due to COVID-19. We are counselling people through phones and in isolation wards. So far, we have provided counselling to over 5 lakh people."
Kerala has a total 3,451 cases so far, of which 1,620 are active patients and 1,807 recovered, according to yesterday's figures.
13:19 PM on Emergency: Salute people who faced torture
The sacrifice of people who fought for democracy during the Emergency will never be forgotten, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday. "Emergency was imposed on the country exactly 45 years ago. I salute the people who fought for the protection of India's democracy and faced torture," Modi tweeted in Hindi. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten by the country, he said. -- PTI
13:16 Rajasthan also bans sale of Ramdev's Coronil
Rajasthan follows in Maharashtra's lead. "Raghu Sharma, Rajasthan Health Minister, says, "We will not give permission to Patanjali to sell their anti-Corona drug in the state. We will decide once they get approval from Indian Council of Medical Research."
13:10 IMD declares monsoon onset over Delhi
The India Meteorological Department on Thursday declared the onset of monsoon over the national capital. Kuldeep Srivastava, the head of the regional forecasting centre of the IMD, said the monsoon has further advanced over some more parts of west and east Rajasthan, eastern parts of Haryana, Delhi, entire Uttar Pradesh and most parts of Punjab on Thursday.
"The northern limit of the monsoon passes through Nagor, Alwar, Delhi, Karnal and Ferozepur," he said. The MeT department also predicted heavy rainfall at isolated places in the national capital. Normally, the wind system reaches Delhi on June 27.
According to weather experts, the earlier than usual arrival of the monsoon in Delhi can be attributed to a cyclonic circulation which moved towards southwest Uttar Pradesh on June 19 and June 20, helping monsoon advance further. PTI
13:05 Three Maha cops succumb to Covid, toll 54
Three more personnel of the Maharashtra Police have succumbed to COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, said officials on Thursday.With these three fatalities, the COVID-19 death toll in Maharashtra Police has climbed to 54.
As many as 3,239 policemen have returned to their homes after recovering from the disease.At present, 991 police personnel are being treated for COVID-19. With 1,42,900 confirmed cases of COVID-19 so far, Maharashtra remains the worst-affected state in the country, as per the Union Health and Welfare Ministry on Thursday. -- ANI
12:57 FM 'anguished' by Cong's talk of democracy
The "power hungry" Congress government took away the rights of the people by clamping emergency this day 45 years ago and when the very same party spoke on democracy it was anguishing, BJP leader and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Thursday.
Recalling that the emergency came into effect in India on June 25, 1975, she said, it was promulgated by the "power hungry Congress party and they created a huge challenge for democracy by coming up with emergency." The emergency continued till March 21, 1977.
Addressing the BJP Tamil Nadu unit party workers via a virtual rally, she said: "People's rights were completely rejected. Why did the Congress party do it?It was hankering for power, it was for the sake of office. The law was broken and an emergency was declared."
The emergency era witnessed several atrocities, she alleged and said several leaders from the ranks of opposition were jailed and the DMK government led by late Chief Minister M Karunanidhi was dismissed. A DMK leader, Mayor Chittibabu died unable to bear the torture in prison, she alleged.
"That the Congress today has the guts to talk of democracy is anguishing," she said adding the DMK, however, joined hands with the Congress subsequently. She wondered what yardstick of democracy prompted the DMK to join hands with the Congress party. Also, she asked: "What right does the DMK have to raise questions on freedom of speech and democracy?" -- PTI
12:51 Maharashtra won't allow sale of Ramdev's Coronil
The Maharashtra government today said the sale of Patanjali Ayurveda's 'Coronil', touted by the Baba Ramdev-led company to be a cure for Covid-19, will not be allowed in the state.
Home Minister Anil Deshmukh tweeted a warning to the yoga guru, saying, the state will not allow the sale of spurious medicines.
"An abundant warning to @yogrishiramdev that Maharashtra won't allow sale of spurious medicines," the Maharashtra Home Minister said.
Deshmukh said the National Institute of Medical Sciences, Jaipur will find out whether clinical trials of Patanjali Ayurveda's 'Coronil' were done at all.
The Home Minister of Maharashtra had on Wednesday welcomed the move of the Ayush Ministry to ban the advertisement of Coronil. "Claims of a cure for Corona without sharing clinical trials, sample size details, registration with authorities can't be acceptable. It's great that @moayush banned such advt. There can be no compromise with public health & well-being at all," Anil Deshmukh tweeted.
Patanjali Ayurveda claimed that it has found a cure for coronavirus infection on Tuesday.
Hours after the launch of Coronil, the Union Ayush Ministry had asked the firm to provide the details, telling it to stop advertising it till the issue is examined.
Patanjali Ayurved Ltd was asked to provide details of the name and composition of the medicines being claimed for coronavirus infection treatment, information on sites or hospitals where the research study was conducted and the protocols followed, besides details of the Institutional Ethics Committee clearance and CTRI registration among others.
12:22 Dope-cleared Sanjita Chanu to finally get Arjuna award for 2018
Cleared of the dope taint, two-time Commonwealth Games gold-winning weightlifter Sanjita Chanu will finally get the coveted Arjuna award which has been on hold since 2018. A Sports Ministry source confirmed that Chanu will be conferred with the Arjuna award as per a 2018 Delhi High Court order, which directed the selection committee to consider her and keep the decision in a sealed cover to be disclosed only if she was absolved of the doping charges.
"Sanjita (Chanu) is absolved of all the doping charges by the international federation, so we will have to abide by the Delhi High Court order and consider her for the Arjuna award," the ministry source told PTI. After she was ignored for the 2017 Arjuna Awards, Chanu had filed a writ petition before the Delhi HC challenging the decision to exclude her from the list of those recommended for the coveted honour. During the pendency of the case, she tested positive for a banned substance in May 2018.
But the High Court, in its order in August that year, directed the committee to consider her for the award and keep its decision in a sealed cover, pending a decision on her appeal against dope charges.
The International Weightlifting Federation dropped the doping charge against Chanu due to "non-conformities" in the handling of her sample last month. The Manipuri plans to seek compensation from the IWF for the "trauma" she endured. The IWF cleared her based on a recommendation from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), following which the national federation wrote to the Sports Ministry to comply with the High Court order. -- PTI
12:17 Use of statins linked to lower death rate in Covid patients: Study
Using cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins is associated with a lower death rate in patients hospitalised with COVID-19, according to a large-scale study.
The research, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, also showed that mortality risk and other negative outcomes were not increased by combination therapy consisting of statins and blood pressure-lowering drugs called angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs).
"These results support the safety and potential benefits of statin therapy in hospitalised patients with COVID-19 and provide a rationale for prospective studies to determine whether statins confer protection against COVID-19-associated mortality," said study senior author Hongliang Li of Wuhan University in China.
"Moreover, our findings represent an important contribution to the accumulating clinical evidence regarding the beneficial or detrimental effects of prescribing ACE inhibitors or ARBs to patients with COVID-19," Li said.
Currently, there is no vaccine or specific antiviral drug approved to prevent or treat severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, which causes COVID-19, the researchers noted. Because a vaccine or drugs for COVID-19 will likely not be available for months or even years, repurposing clinically approved therapies might be a more attractive option, they said. -- PTI
12:14 'China hell-bent on changing status quo at border'
Amid talks between India-China to ease border tensions, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Thursday said despite New Delhi's effort to "diffuse the tense situation" along the Line of Actual Control, Beijing is "hell-bent on altering the status quo" at the border.
"In spite of all our endeavours to diffuse the tense situation along LOAC which even resulted in 20 precious lives of our army, China is hell-bent upon altering the status quo," Chowdhury tweeted.
The Congress leader said that China is "fervently encroaching" India's land at the cost of the country's security and territorial integrity.
"China is furtively and fervently encroaching our land in a steady manner much to the peril of Indian security and territorial integrity, it is a catch-22 situation for us, but we can not afford ourselves to be cowed down by the red army," he added.
He further said that India must tackle Chinese aggression using all necessary means.
"They are to be repulsed back by whatever means, our arsenals are not meant for hatching eggs, so strike back, drive back, force back the Chinese aggression, god will be Indian in deciding the course of the conflict," he said.
India and China are currently in talks to ease the ongoing border tensions after 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives in a violent face-off in the Galwan valley after an attempt by the Chinese troops to unilaterally change the status quo during the de-escalation in eastern Ladakh.
Army Chief General MM Naravane visited forward areas in Eastern Ladakh on Wednesday and reviewed the operational preparedness in the sector. -- ANI
11:55 Coronavirus cases in Pakistan cross 192,000-mark
The coronavirus cases in Pakistan crossed the 192,000-mark after 4,044 new COVID-19 infections were detected in the last 24 hours, the health ministry said on Thursday.
According to the Ministry of National Health Services, 148 more people died due to the deadly virus in the country, taking the death toll to 3,903. With the detection of 4,044 new cases in the last 24 hours, the coronavirus tally in the country now stands at 192,970, it said.
Sindh reported maximum number of 74,070 infections, followed by 71,191 in Punjab, 23,887 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 11,710 in Islamabad, 9,817 in Balochistan, 1,365 in Gilgit-Baltistan and 930 in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. A total of 81,307 patients have recovered so far from the disease. Health authorities have so far conducted 1,171,976 coronavirus tests, including 21,835 in the last 24 hours. PTI
11:48 Work for Kushinagar Airport started during SP govt's tenure: Akhilesh
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has said that the work on Kushinagar Airport, which has been declared an international airport by the Union Cabinet, was started during his government's tenure in the state.
"Congratulations to those who started the work of Kushinagar airport, which is approved by the Cabinet as an International Airport and which was started during the SP government," Yadav tweeted (translated from Hindi).
"Meerut, Moradabad, Chitrakoot, Azamgarh, and other airports the work for which was started by the SP government should be given approval at the earliest," he added.
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had on Wednesday approved for the declaration of Kushinagar airport in Uttar Pradesh as an International airport.Kushinagar Airport is located in the vicinity of several Buddhist cultural sites like Sravasti, Kapilvastu, Lumbini (Kushinagar itself is a Buddhist cultural site) and declaration as an "International Airport" will offer improved connectivity, a wider choice of competitive costs to the air-travellers.
The decision will result in the boosting of domestic/international tourism and the economic development of the regions. -- ANI
ISRO chief K Sivan
11:38 Pvt sector can now build rockets: ISRO chief
The private sector will now be allowed to carry out space activities like building of rockets, satellites and providing launch services, ISRO chief K Sivan said on Thursday. He said the private sector can also be part of the inter-planetary missions of the Indian Space Research Organisation. The Cabinet on Wednesday approved participation of the private sector in the entire range of space activities, including planetary exploration missions. Sivan, however, added that ISRO's activities are not going to reduce and it will continue to carry our space-based activities including advanced research and development, inter-planetary and human space flight missions.
The ISRO chief said: "The government has approved the establishment of an autonomous nodal agency - Indian National Space, Promotion & Authorisation Centre - for taking independent decisions with respect to permitting and regulating the activities of private companies in space sector.
"It will act as a national nodal agency for hand-holding and promoting private sector in space endeavours and for this ISRO will share its technical expertise as well as facilities
"Space sector, where India is among handful of countries with advanced space technology, can play significant role in boosting industrial base of India. The government has decided to implement reformed measures to leverage ISRO's achievement by opening space sector for pvt enterprises.
"The department of Space will promote sector space activities to enable it to provide end to end space services, including building & launching of rockets and satellites as well as providing space-based services on commercial basis.
"If space sector is opened (for pvt enterprises), potential of entire country can be utilised to scale up benefits from space technology. It'll not only result in accelerated growth of sector but also enable Indian industry to be important player in global space economy.
"With this, there is an opportunity for large scale employment in the technology sector and India becoming a global technology powerhouse."
11:26 75 lakh+ Covid tests conducted till June 24: ICMR
The Indian Council of Medical Research on Thursday informed that over 75 lakh COVID-19 tests were conducted by various laboratories across the country till June 24.
Moreover, 2,07,871 samples were tested in the last 24 hours."75,60,782 samples tested till June 24. 2,07,871 samples tested in the last 24 hours," the ICMR said.
In an effort to ramp up testing capacity, the ICMR has approved a total of 1,000 COVID-19 testing labs in both public (730) and private sector (270). This includes RT-PCR labs (557); TrueNat Labs (363) and CBNAAT Labs (80).
The latest advisory of ICMR on COVID-19 strategies advises all concerned state governments, public and private institutions to take required steps to scale-up testing for COVID19.
The ICMR had also recommended all laboratories and hospitals initiating testing through the rapid antigen test need to ensure that all symptomatic negative patients should be essentially referred to a real-time RT-PCR test for COVID19. The data of individuals tested by RT-PCR will need to be entered through the lab performing the RTPCR test.
With the highest single-day spike of 16,922 cases in the last 24 hours, India's COVID-19 count reached 4,73,105 on Thursday.The country also saw 418 deaths in the last 24 hours, which pushed its death toll to 14,894, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said. -- ANI
10:51 'If our troops had fired, anything could have happened'
"By not opening fire, we have restricted the space for LoC kind of activities," Lieutenant General S L Narasimhan (retd) -- a member of the National Security Advisory Board and Director General, Centre for Contemporary China Studies at the ministry for external affairs -- tell Rediff.com's Archana Masih. Read the interview here
10:47 Germany confirms 630 new coronavirus cases, count crosses 1,92,000
Germany has confirmed 630 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, with the total count reaching 192,079, the Robert Koch Institute said on Thursday. The death toll has grown by 13 to 8,927 people within the same period of time. A day earlier, the country confirmed 587 new cases and 19 fatalities.
The World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic on March 11. To date, more than 9.4 million people have been infected with the coronavirus worldwide, with over 482,000 fatalities, according to Johns Hopkins University. -- Sputnik/ANI
10:32 Leaders feeling suffocated in Cong: Amit Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday hit out at Congress for "unceremoniously sacking" its spokesperson and said that leaders in the opposition party are "feeling suffocated".
To substantiate his point, Shah referred to the recent Congress Working Committee meet in which senior members and younger members raised a few issues, however, they were "shut down".
Taking to Twitter, Shah posted two English dailies' articles titled -- "Not scared of PM Modi, but many in the party dodge him: Rahul at Congress Working Committee meet" and "Congress removes Sanjay Jha as party spokesperson after critical article".
Last week, Jha was dropped as AICC spokesperson and Abhishek Dutt and Sadhna Bharti appointed as National Media Panelist of Congress party.
"During the recent CWC meet, senior members and younger members raised a few issues. But, they were shouted down. A party spokesperson was unceremoniously sacked. The sad truth is - leaders are feeling suffocated in Congress," the Union Minister tweeted.
Meanwhile, Shah also targetted Congress on the completion of 45 years of emergency, which was imposed by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on June 25, 1975 and asked the party to self introspect.
"As one of India's opposition parties, Congress needs to ask itself: Why does the Emergency mindset remain? Why are leaders who do not belong to 1 dynasty unable to speak up? Why are leaders getting frustrated in Congress? Else, their disconnect with people will keep widening," he wrote. -- ANI
10:24 Naxals set ablaze vehicles in Chhattisgarh
In Chhattisgarh, Naxals have set ablaze 6 vehicles including 2 JCBs engaged in road construction in Kukanar area of Sukma district, yesterday.
10:19 UK PM terms Sino-India standoff very serious
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called on India and China to engage in dialogue to sort out their border issues as he described the escalation in eastern Ladakh as a very serious and worrying situation which the UK is closely monitoring. The first official statement of Johnson came during his weekly Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons on Wednesday.
Responding to Conservative Party MP Flick Drummond on the implications for British interests of a dispute between a Commonwealth member and the world's largest democracy on the one side, and a state that challenges our notion of democracy on the other, he described the escalation in eastern Ladakh as a very serious and worrying situation, which the UK is "monitoring closely".
"Perhaps the best thing I can say is that we are encouraging both parties to engage in dialogue on the issues on the border and sort it out between them," the Prime Minister said.
In a statement in New Delhi on Wednesday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India and China have agreed that expeditious implementation of the previously agreed understanding on disengagement of troops from standoff points in eastern Ladakh would help ensure peace and tranquillity in the border areas. -- PTI
10:03 Covid warriors: ASHA workers may get pay hike
As many as 65,000 ASHA workers in Maharashtra are likely to get a monthly pay hike of Rs 2,000 as an incentive for their hard work during the time of the COVID-19 crisis, a government official said. The Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA workers) have so far been earning about Rs 10,000 per month, he said.
"State Health Minister Rajesh Tope has finalised a proposal for their salary hike which would be discussed in the Cabinet meeting. If the proposal is cleared, the ASHA workers would get a monthly hike of Rs 2,000," the official from the health and family welfare department told PTI on Wednesday.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the ASHA workers have been assigned the task of surveillance in urban and rural areas and the state government now plans to give them an incentive for their work. As of now, their salary structure includes a basic payment of Rs 2,000 each contributed by the state and the Centre along with additional payment as per their efficiency and the number of people they cover (as part of various government welfare schemes), the official said. "Now, the state wants to increase its contribution by Rs 2,000," the official said. PTI
Infosys was the top loser
09:59 Sensex falls over 300 pts in early trade ahead of F&O expiry
Equity benchmark Sensex tumbled over 300 points in early trade on Thursday tracking losses in index-heavyweights HDFC twins, Infosys and ICICI Bank ahead of the expiry of June derivatives. Weak cues from global markets also weighed on investor sentiment here, traders said.
After touching a low of 34,499.78, the 30-share index was trading 343.59 points, or 0.99 per cent, lower at 34,525.39. Similarly, NSE Nifty fell 99.10 points, or 0.96 per cent, to 10,206.20.
Infosys was the top loser in the Sensex pack, shedding around 3 per cent, followed by HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, IndusInd Bank, Asian Paints, ICICI Bank and HDFC. On the other hand, Bajaj Auto, ITC, NTPC, UltraTech Cement and Reliance Industries were among the gainers. In the previous session, the BSE barometer closed at 34,868.98, down 561.45 points, or 1.58 per cent, and the broader Nifty tumbled 165.70 points, or 1.58 per cent, to end at 10,305.30.
On a net basis, foreign institutional investors bought equities worth Rs 1,766.90 crore on Wednesday, provisional exchange data showed. -- PTI
09:48 One family's greed for power... HM on Emergency
Home Minister Amit Shah on the 45th anniversary of the imposition of Emergency rule on the 25th of June 1975. "On this day, 45 years ago one family's greed for power led to the imposition of the Emergency. Overnight the nation was turned into a prison. The press, courts, free speech... all were trampled over. Atrocities were committed on the poor and downtrodden."
The Emergency refers to a 21 month period from 1975 to 1977 when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had a state of emergency declared across the country.
The groom, Jalandhar-based, Kamal Kalyan
09:44 Lockdown delays marriage of Pak bride and Indian groom
Pakistan-based Sumaila and a resident of Jalandhar Kamal Kalyan, who got engaged online in 2018, have sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention in securing visas for Sumaila and her family members for their wedding.
The duo, scheduled to get married in March, had to delay the wedding in the wake of COVID-19 and lockdown. Now, Sumaila has urged Prime Minister Modi, through the media, to allow visas for her and her family members.Sumaila wants to get married to Kalyan as soon as visas are granted by the Indian government.
Speaking over the phone, Sumaila said: "Kalyan has prepared the papers for visa sponsorship. But he was unable to send these papers to Pakistan due to COVID-19 lockdown. I urge the Government of India that both countries should issue visas in the matter of marriage soon and open borders."
Meanwhile, Kamal Kalyan from Jalandhar, said: "I appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to grant a visa to Sumaila so she can come to India and we can get married. I had completed the requisite paperwork but the process was stalled due to corona lockdown."
Kamal and Sumaila have not met each other so far. They have been communicating with each other over the phone. Their families agreed on the relationship on January 26, 2018, and they got engaged through a video call.
Om Prakash, Kamal's father, said that Sumaila is the daughter of his cousin Asiya.
"Sumaila is the daughter of my cousin Asiya so I decided to fix this relationship. My son got engaged but he could not get married due to lockdown," he said. -- ANI
09:22 India records biggest spike of nearly 17K cases
India records highest single-day spike of 16,922 new Covid-19 positive cases and 418 deaths in last 24 hours.
According to the ministry of health, positive cases stand at 4,73,105 including 1,86,514 active cases, 2,71,697 cured/discharged/migrated and 14,894 deaths.
AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria said India is also vulnerable to second wave of coronavirus and people should continue to follow social distancing, wearing mask and other precautions, after cases begin to decline. He sais that in order to contain the outbreak of Covid-19, a limited lockdown in hotspots, where volume of cases is very high, may be considered along with a micro-plan to prevent leakage of cases from these areas to other non-containment areas.
09:09 Lockdown in Bengaluru? Decision at 11 am today
Karnataka Cabinet will meet at 11 am on Thursday to decide on further lockdown in the city in view of surging Covid-19 cases.
A day after setting off a debate saying the government may have to consider lockdown, Health Minister B Sriramulu maintained that if the cases in the city continued to increase the matter would be discussed with the expert committee, with Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and a decision taken.
"We have an expert committee, and if the cases continue to increase we will discuss with them, with the Chief Minister and take a decision. Also the Central government will be consulted," he had said.
08:36 Over 8.4 lakh students to appear for Karnataka Class 10 exam today
Amid the coronavirus scare, the Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board is set to hold the 10th standard exam from Thursday.
As over 8 lakh students appear for the examination, the Karnataka government has said all precautions are in place.
The exam was supposed to take place on March 27 but due to the lockdown it was postponed.
"We are taking all precautionary measures to ensure the safety and security of the children in association with the home department and the health department," Karnataka Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar said on Wednesday.
"This examination is not a prestige issue for the government. This is the challenge we are accepting as our duty," he said. As many as 8,48,203 students would appear for the examination. Each examination hall would have only 18 to 20 students.
According to the education minister, adequate arrangements such as sanitisers and providing of masks have been made at the centres. He requested students to bring with them water bottles from home. For those who fail to bring it, water has beenarranged at the centres.
"We will sanitise the exam halls everyday after the exams are over. In addition to it, every examination centre will have physical education teachers deployed to ensure social distancing among the students," Kumar said.
08:05 Global Covid-19 cases top 9.4 million
As per Johns Hopkins Universitys tally, global confirmed Covid-19 cases have climbed to 94,05,800 while the death toll has mounted to 4,82,128.
The United States continues to be the hardest hit with 23,80,452 cases.
The US is followed by Brazil, Russia, India, and the United Kingdom.
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom said he expects the global COVID-19 case tally to reach one crore next week. He reiterated the urgent need to use all tools to suppress the transmission of the novel coronavirus.
01:49 10 ISRO launches 'disturbed' due to lockdown
Ten space missions being prepared for launch this year have been disturbed due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown besides delay in the human space and Moon missions, Indian Space Research Organisation chief K Sivan said on Wednesday.
The ISRO will make an assessment of the impact of the lockdown on its missions, he said.
The ISRO chief added that the space agency had planned 10 launches.
Because of this (pandemic), everything got disturbed. We have to make an assessment after the COVID-19 issue is resolved, Sivan told PTI.
Gaganyaan will be impacted because of the lockdown all industries have not yet started functioning, Sivan said, adding that in the last few months, the work on the Mission had stopped.
ISRO is dependent on the private sector for manufacturing equipment for its launch.
The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) which provide equipment to the ISRO are among the worst-hit due to the lockdown, coupled with migration of labourers.
All our missions (including Chandrayaan-3) have been impacted, he said.
We have to assess the impact of the lockdown on Gaganyaan, Sivan added.
After the hard landing of Chandrayaan-2 last year, ISRO had planned to launch Chandrayaan-3, which was scheduled to be launched later this year.
Gaganyaan, the human space mission, envisages to send three Indians to space by 2022.
The four test pilots selected for this mission are currently undergoing training in Russia, but even that was impacted due to coronavirus lockdown in the country. -- PTI
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