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Thu, 07 May 2020
Trump's valet tests positive for coronavirus
Timeline Refresh
23:50 Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav hospitalised
Former defence minister and Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav has been admitted to a private hospital in Lucknow after he complained of stomach and urine-related problems, a party spokesperson said.
The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister had gone to the Medanta Hospital on Wednesday night for his routine checkup, but the doctors admitted him for monitoring his health over some stomach and urine-related issues, Rajendra Chaudhary said.
"His condition is now stable. He is feeling better," he said.
Mulayam's son and SP president Akhilesh Yadav, his younger brother and former state minister Shivpal Singh Yadav and other leaders visited him in the hospital on Thursday to enquire about his health, Chaudhary said.
-- PTI
23:23 Trump's valet tests positive for coronavirus
A member of the military serving as one of US President Donald Trump's valets has tested positive for the coronavirus, the White House said Thursday.
It said Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have since tested negative for the virus and 'remain in good health'.
It marked the latest coronavirus scare for the US president, and the first known instance where a person who has come in close proximity to the US president has tested positive since several people present at his private Florida club were diagnosed with COVID-19 in early March.
The person tested positive on Wednesday, the White House said.
White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said in a statement, "We were recently notified by the White House Medical Unit that a member of the United States Military, who works on the White House campus, has tested positive for Coronavirus."
Several valets cater to the US president and his guests at the White House, both in the West Wing and in the White House residence.
23:06 692 new coronavirus cases take Mumbai tally to 11,219
With 692 new coronavirus cases recorded in Mumbai, the tally jumped to 11,219 on Thursday, while 25 fresh deaths took the toll to 437, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said.
According to a BMC release, 538 new suspected patients of coronavirus were admitted in various hospitals of the city.
Also, 148 recovered patients were discharged from hospitals, it said.
The BMC said out of the 692 news cases recorded in the city, samples of 170 were tested at various private labs between May 2-5.
-- PTI
22:37 Flight with Indians from UAE lands in Kochi
The first Air India Express flight carrying Indian citizens from Abu Dhabi landed at the airport in Kochi on Thursday night as India launched its biggest ever repatriation exercise in its history to bring back its nationals stranded abroad amid the international travel lockdown over the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Air India Express flight IX 452 with 177 passengers and four infants landed at the Cochin International Airport at 10.09 pm, an airline spokesman said.
Another Air India Express flight IX 344 with 177 passengers and five infants from Dubai is expected to land at the Kozhikode Interantional Airport at 10.45 pm, he said.
The evacuated citizens will be sent to the quarantine facilities set up by the administration in their respective districts,Kerala government officials said.
-- PTI
22:14 Japan approves Remdesivir for COVID-19 patients
Japan has approved the use of the experimental anti-viral drug remdesivir, for the treatment of coronavirus patients with severe symptoms.
Researchers in the US released some good news last week about a possible treatment for coronavirus evidence that the experimental drug may help patients recover more quickly from the infection.
The US Food and Drug Administration has authorized remdesivir for emergency use in patients with severe Covid-19.
The Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare granted special approval of the drug, developed by the US's Gilead Pharmaceutical, just three days after it applied for approval.
21:53 on Arun Gawli's daughter to tie knot on May 8 amid lockdown
Former don Arun Gawli's daughter Yogita will marry Marathi actor Akshay Waghmare in a simple home ceremony at Dagadi Chawl in central Mumbai on Friday amid the COVID-19 lockdown, an official said on Thursday.
The family has informed the Agripada police about the ceremony and only three to four guests each from both families were expected to attend, the official said.
The families have assured the police that they will follow the lockdown rules, he said.
The wedding was earlier scheduled to take place on March 29, but was postponed due to the lockdown, a source from the family said.
Gawli, who is serving a life sentence in the 2007 Kamlakar Jamsandekar murder case, is now out on parole.
-- PTI
21:33 Mumbai police tries to quell army rumours
Reacting to rumours being circulated on Whatsapp and other social media about the army being called into Mumbai, the Mumbai police on Twitter said, "We know there is a lot of free time. But it can definitely be utilised to do things better than spreading #rumours! Neither do you need to hoard essentials nor is the army or paramilitary being called out. Just stay calm and stay home. That's all we need to do to combat #corona."
21:17 Vizag gas leak: Cops file case against plant
The management of a chemical plant near Vizag where a gas leak left 11 people dead and hundreds hospitalised on Thursday was booked on charges including culpable homicide not amounting to murder and causing death by negligence police said.
In a related development, the Andhra Pradesh High Court took cognizance of the styrene gas leak and issued notices to the state and the Central governments, while observing how such a plant was allowed to operate in the midst of human habitations.
Hours after the fatal early morning leak, the Gopalapatnam police registered the case against the management of the LG Polymers Ltd under Indian Penal Code sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life and personal safety of others) and 338 (causing grievous hurt).
Taking up the matter on its own (suo motu), the court also appointed the AP High Court Bar Association president as amicus curiae in the case and posted it for further hearing next week.
-- PTI
20:35 MHA allows chariot construction for Rath Yatra
The Union home ministry on Thursday made it clear that the decision of holding the Rath Yatra in Puri would be taken by the Odisha government keeping in mind the prevailing COVID-19 situation, but allowed construction of the chariot for the religious procession.
In a letter to the Odisha government, the home ministry said the activity of chariot construction was allowed to be undertaken in the 'Ratha Khala', which is situated on both sides of the Grand Road in front of the Jagannath temple office and the Sri Nahar palace, subject to fulfilling conditions.
No religious congregation should take place in the 'Ratha Khala' and complete segregation of it should be ensured, the ministry said.
However, the decision of holding the annual Ratha Yatra would be taken by the state government, keeping in view the conditions prevailing at that point of time, the letter said.
According to the guidelines issued for the ongoing lockdown, religious congregation is strictly prohibited.
The ministry said the managing committee of the Shri Jagannath Temple, following a meeting on Monday, urged for allowing construction of the chariot in the 'Ratha Khala'.
The committee said no religious congregation takes place in the 'Ratha Khala' as it is a workplace and not a public place accessible to the general public.
-- PTI
20:24 72 inmates at Arthur Road jail have COVID-19
As many as 72 inmates of Arthur Road jail in Mumbai have contracted coronavirus and they will be quarantined separately, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said .
Earlier, the state government had isolated eight prisons in the state including the Arthur Road prison, and ordered that no new person will be allowed to enter and those inside, including jail staff, will not be allowed to leave prison during lockdown.
But despite the precautions, 72 inmates of Arthur Road prison were found to have contracted coronavirus after coming in contact with a cook who had caught the infection, Deshmukh told reporters.
"These prisoners will be quarantined with the help of the Mumbai civic body," he said.
-- PTI
20:11 All of China is now at 'low-risk' for coronavirus outbreak, government says
More than five months after the coronavirus pandemic broke out in China, all mainland counties are now at a "low-risk" of the outbreak, the government said today.
National Health Commission spokesperson Mi Feng said China is still faced with a high level of uncertainty.
"We should continue to push ahead with treatment and rehabilitation management and recogniwe our routine efforts to prevent a resurgence," he added.
China hasn't reported any new coronavirus deaths in 22 days and no new domestic transmission cases have been reported in four days.
China has reported at least 82,885 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, including 4,633 deaths.
19:30 'Glitch in regfrigeration unit led to gas leak'
A technical glitch in the refrigeration unit attached to the two styrene tanks at a chemical plant near Vizag caused the vapour leak that killed 11 people and affected around 1,000 on Thursday, a senior district official said quoting a preliminary report.
The leak at the LG Polymers Limited was so intense that "only around 9.30 am could we understand what exactly it was as the thick fog that formed in the area cleared," District Collector V Vinay Chand said.
"Styrene monomer is normally in a liquid state and is safe below a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius. But, because of the malfunctioning of the refrigeration unit, the chemical started gasifying," he said, quoting the preliminary report submitted by the Factories Department.
The technical glitch caused the temperature in the chemical storage tank to rise above the safety level of 20 degrees, leading to gasification and consequent evaporation of styrene, he told reporters.
As many as 11 people, including children, were killed in the early morning gas leak, that raised fears of a serious industrial disaster.
-- PTI
19:12 K'taka resumes trains for migrants after row
Taking a U-turn, the Karnataka government has decided to deploy special trains from Friday to send back stranded migrant workers to their natives and sought approval of receiving states for the process, days after it
abruptly withdrew a request sent to the Railways.
On Thursday, the government wrote to Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Odisha conveying it's decision and seeking their consent for receving the workers, official sources said.
In separate letters, state Principal Revenue Secretary N Manjunatha Prasad, who is also the Nodal Officer for Migrant labourers movement, asked his counterparts to give in principle approval for movement of special trains everyday, starting from Friday.
Prasad informed his Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal counterparts that Karnataka intends to run two trains to the states a day till May 15 for ferrying the thousands of migrant workers stranded in the city and other districts due to the COVID-19 lockdown.
The state planned to run one train each a day to Manipur and Tripura.
The fresh move came two days after the government withdrew its request to the railways to run special trains for the migrants within hours of making it on Tuesday.
The decision to withdraw the plea for special trains was made hours after chief minister B S Yediyurappa on Tuesday appealed to the workers to stay put in the state assuring them that they would be provided jobs with the easing of lockdown curbs.
Yediyurappa's appeal, second since last week, came amid fears expressed by industries and construction sector about shortage for labourers as they resume operations.
However, the desperate workers, left without jobs for long, have been keen on returning home.
Incidentally, a section of migrant labourers from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha and West Bengal had created a ruckus in the city on May 4, demanding that they be sent home.
They also allegedly roughed up some policemen. -- PTI
19:07 CISF official posted at Mumbai airport succumbs to coronavirus
A 55-year-old Central Industrial Security Force head constable posted at the Mumbai international airport has succumbed to novel coronavirus, a senior official said Thursday.
The 1.62-lakh-personnel strong force, tasked primarily to guard civil airports and vital infrastructure in the aerospace and nuclear domain, has reported 32 active COVID-19 cases so far, the official said.
The head constable was admitted to a Mumbai hospital on Wednesday and he later succumbed to the infection, they said, adding he was posted at the Mumbai international airport.
This is the fourth death among paramilitary forces with two being in the Border Security Force and one in the Central Reserve Police Force. -- PTI
19:04 JEE-Advanced to be held on Aug 23
The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE-Advanced) for admission to IITs will be conducted on August 23, the HRD Ministry announced on Thursday.
The exam was earlier scheduled to be held on May 17, but was deferred due to the coronavirus lockdown.
"JEE-Advaned will be conducted on August 23," HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' said.
On Tuesday, the government had announced to hold the JEE-Mains from July 18 to July 23. -- PTI
19:03 AI flight with 177 Indians leaves from UAE
The first of the two flights from the United Arab Emirates carrying 177 Indian nationals left for Kerala on Thursday, as India began its biggest ever repatriation exercise to bring back its citizens stranded abroad amidst the international travel lockdown over the coronavirus pandemic.
A total of 354 Indian nationals, including 11 pregnant women and a pair of twins, will return home on Thursday in the two flights from the UAE to Kerala as part of the repatriation exercise named 'Vande Bharat Mission.'
The Air India Express flight IX452 took off from Abu Dhabi to Kochi, which will be followed by a Dubai-Kozhikode flight of the same airline.
Passengers started arriving at Abu Dhabi and Dubai airports as early as 9.30am on Thursday. Some of the passengers were carrying the Indian flags.
Indian Ambassador Pavan Kapoor was seen enquiring about the procedure from some of the passengers undergoing medical screening at the Abu Dhabi airport.
"Kudos to all the passengers for waiting patiently for their turn for medical screening and many thanks to all the frontline health workers and airport staff for extending full support," the Indian embassy in Abu Dhabi tweeted.
There are no suspected COVID-19 cases among the first batch of passengers being repatriated on Thursday.
"All of them have cleared the tests," Consul General of India in Dubai Vipul was quoted as saying by the Gulf News.
He said the criteria of passengers' selection included medical cases, loss of jobs, pregnant women and senior citizens. Those with complications and financial issues were also picked.
On Monday, the Indian government announced plans to begin a phased repatriation of its citizens stranded abroad from May 7.
The government also said that Air India will operate 64 flights from May 7 to May 13 to bring back around 15,000 Indian nationals stranded abroad amid the COVID-19-induced lockdown. -- PTI
18:40 Puri: Flights will resume only when....
So when will airlines resume flights? Will Indians take to the skies on May 18, when the third phase of the nationwide lockdown ends? That's the biggest question on everyone's mind.
In a recent interview to CNN-News18, Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has said that domestic flights will only resume when both the departure and arrival cities are in the green zone, not otherwise.
He also told CNN-News18 that there will not be one big-bang resumption of flights but it will happen in a phased manner, with domestic airlines taking to the skies first.
18:28 I feel pressure, I feel scared too like everyone else: M S Dhoni
His ice cool demeanour is the stuff of legends but former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has no qualms conceding that he is not immune to pressure and fear.
Dhoni, lending support to MFORE -- an initiative offering mind conditioning programs to achieve peak performance in sports -- offered his perspective on the issue of mental health.
"In India, I feel there is still a big issue of accepting that there is some weakness when it comes to the mental aspects, but we generally term it as mental illness," Dhoni was quoted as saying in a press release issued by MFORE.
MFORE stated that Dhoni made these comments while speaking to coaches from various sports during an interaction, which was organised before the country went into a lockdown to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Nobody really says that, when I go to bat, the first 5 to 10 deliveries my heart rate is elevated, I feel the pressure, I feel a bit scared because that's how everybody feels - how to cope with that?" the World Cup-winning icon asked.
"This is a small problem but a lot of times we hesitate to say it to a coach and that's why the relationship between a player and coach is very important be it any sport," said Dhoni, who hasn't played any international cricket since India's World Cup semifinal exit last July.
Highlighting the importance of a mental conditioning coach, Dhoni said: "Mental conditioning coach should not be the one who comes for 15 days, because when you come for 15 days you are only sharing the experience.
"If the mental conditioning coach is constantly with the player, he can understand what are the areas which are affecting his sport," Dhoni, who led Chennai Super Kings captain to three IPL titles, said.
India skipper Virat Kohli was quoted as saying that mental clarity was important in life.
"I think mental health and mental clarity is the most important factor in life; not just in sports," he said.
MFORE has been founded by former Indian batsman S Badrinath and Saravana Kumar.
Star Sports 1 Tamil is set to launch a show 'Mind Masters by MFORE' on May 10, where besides Dhoni, Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin along with others will share their thoughts on mind conditioning and mind skills in sports. -- PTI
18:20 Shocked, saddened over gas leak: S Korean envoy
South Korean ambassador Shin Bong-kil on Thursday said he was "shocked and saddened" over the gas leak incident at a chemical plant in Visakhapatnam which killed at least 11 people and left around 1,000 sick.
The plant is owned by South Korean petrochemicals giant LG Chem.
"I am shocked and saddened by the news of the accident that occurred at the LG Polymers Plant in Venkatapuram that caused loss of valuable lives and many falling ill," Shin said.
"This was a highly unfortunate incident and our deepest condolences go out to those affected by this tragic event. We pray for the speedy recovery of those who have been taken ill," he said in a brief statement.
The plant was established in 1961 as Hindustan Polymers. It was taken over by the LG Chem in July 1997 and was rechristened LG Polymers India Private Limited, according to the company website.
Separately, the LG Chem Ltd said the gas leak has been brought under control and that the company was investigating the accident.
"The gas leakage is now under control, but the leaked gas can cause nausea and dizziness, so we are investing every effort to ensure proper treatment is provided swiftly," it said in a statement.
"We are investigating the extent of damage and the exact cause of the leak and deaths," it added.
Director General of National Disaster Response Force S N Pradhan said 11 people have lost their lives and 20-25 people are in critical stage due to the gas leak. -- PTI
18:08 MSME sector on verge of collapse: Gadkari
Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said micro, small and medium enterprises sector is on the verge of collapse and urged major industries to release the outstanding dues to such companies within a month.
He said the position of MSMEs was "worst" as they were now engaged in a "battle for their survival".
The minister also noted that the pendency of dues owed to MSME units by the central government, state governments, public sector undertakings and major industries was "very high".
"My request to all of you, as members of major industries, if it is possible for you to at any cost release the payment within a month. Don't take more time than that otherwise the situation is very bad," the MSME minister said in an interaction via video-conference with the members of SIAM Institute.
"But still if anywhere you have a problem, please be positive about this sector, because this is really on the verge of collapse. Now it is a very important thing if you can help them, within a month if you can give their payment it will be good," Gadkari said.
The minister said he was trying to introduce a scheme envisaging setting up of a "rolling fund" where the interest cost on the payments due to MSMEs shall be borne either by the supplier or the purchasing industry.
Gadkari said the "rolling fund will be helpful for MSMEs to get their working capital".
Last month, the minister had said the government will set up a Rs 1 lakh crore fund to repay outstanding payments to MSMEs owed by the central and state government undertakings as well as major industries.
Gadkari had said he has devised a scheme to set up the fund, and the proposal may be placed before the Cabinet for approval once the finance ministry gives its go-ahead.
"We have decided to set up a fund of Rs 1 lakh crore. We will insure this fund with the government paying the premium. We will come up with a formula for sharing of the interest burden between the paying entity and payment-receiving entity and banks against this fund, for the payments due to MSMEs which are stuck with the PSUs, centre and state governments and major industries," Gadkari had said. -- PTI
17:53 Delhi, Mumbai, 6 other cities hold key to fight against COVID-19
Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad are among the cities that hold the key to India's fight against the coronavirus pandemic as these cities account for the majority of COVID-19 cases, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said on Thursday.
"Cities which hold the key to India's fight against COVID-19: Mumbai accounting for 20 per cent, Delhi 11%, Ahmedabad is around 9%, Pune around 4%, Chennai 4%, Indore around 3%, Thane also close to 3% & Jaipur around 2.5%. Testing, contact-tracing, & community surveillance critical," Kant said in a tweet.
The death toll due to COVID-19 in the country rose to 1,783 while the number of cases climbed to 52,952 on Thursday, registering an increase of 89 deaths and 3,561 cases in the last 24 hours, the Union health ministry said.
17:39 Bangladesh lifts curbs on mosque prayers as lockdown eases
Bangladesh on Thursday allowed Muslims to attend prayer congregations in mosques as the government continues to ease the lockdown restrictions amid the coronavirus outbreak which has infected 12,425 people in the country so far.
However, mosque leaders are not allowed to organise Iftar gatherings on the mosque premises in line with the social distancing rules, the Bdnews24.com reported
The mosques and devotees have been asked to comply with a set of safety protocols to hold prayer congregations, the Religious Affairs Ministry said.
Bangladesh announced a nationwide lockdown to enforce social and physical distancing norms on March 26 amid a surge in coronavirus cases and deaths.
The government subsequently restricted congregations at mosques to a maximum of five worshippers for the daily prayers, including the cleric and other officials, in an effort to bridle the escalating coronavirus crisis.
The Friday prayers were limited to 10 worshippers while only 12 devotees were allowed to participate in the Taraweeh prayers during Ramzan.
In keeping with the hygiene rules to reduce the risk of contagion, the new guidelines issued by the ministry said mosques are not allowed to use common carpets for prayers while devotees are required to carry individual prayer mats from home, the news portal reported.
Places of worship must be cleaned with disinfectants before every prayer session five times a day.
Mosque must also install hand-washing facilities equipped with soaps or provide hand sanitisers at the entrances.
Devotees must perform their ablutions at home and wash their hands with for at least 20 seconds.
Worshippers must wear masks to the mosques while maintaining a space of at least three feet between each other when they line up for the prayers.
Children, the elderly, any sick person or those engaged in treating the sick will not be allowed to participate in congregations
Failure to comply with these guidelines will be met with legal action, the ministry warned.
The novel coronavirus cases on Thursday crossed the 12,000 mark in Bangladesh as 706 more people tested positive in the last 24 hours, the health authorities said.
With the latest figure, the number of total confirmed cases jumped to 12,425.
The total number of deaths in the country stood at 186 till Wednesday. -- PTI
17:18 Amit Shah becomes granddad for 2nd time
Home Minister Amit Shah must be over the moon, for his son Jay Shah and daughter-in-law Rishita have become parents to another girl child.
Breaking the news Journalist Deepal Trivedi tweeted: 'Congratulations @AmitShahbhai for becoming a grand dad for the second time. @JayShah congratulations to you for becoming a dad to yet another princess! Best wishes Rishita and Sonalben.'
17:14 COVID-19 attack on US worse than 9/11: Trump
United States President Donald Trump has said the coronavirus outbreak has hit America harder than the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor during World War II, or the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001, pointing the finger at China.
Since emerging in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December, the coronavirus is confirmed to have infected 1.2 million Americans, killing more than 73,000.
Because of the preventive social-mitigation measures and complete shutting down of states and businesses, more than three crore people in the US have applied for unemployment benefits.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on Wednesday, President Trump said: "We went through the worst attack we've ever had on our country, this is worst attack we've ever had.
"This is worse than Pearl Harbour, this is worse than the World Trade Center. There's never been an attack like this," he said during a meeting with the nurses, who are on the frontline of the battle against the COVID-19.
"And it should have never happened. Could've been stopped at the source. Could've been stopped in China. It should've been stopped right at the source. And it wasn't."
The Trump administration is weighing punitive actions against China over its early handling of the global emergency.
Washington is also pressing Beijing to allow American experts to probe the origin of the deadly virus, including if it escaped from a virology laboratory in Wuhan.
China has stoutly denied the allegations and said the US wants to distract from its own response to the pandemic ahead of the November presidential election in which Trump is seeking re-election.
At another White House event, when reporters asked him about his comments earlier that likened COVID-19 to the Pearl Harbour and September 11, 2001 attacks, Trump said, "I view the invisible enemy as a war. I do not like how it got here, because it could have been stopped, but no, I view the invisible enemy like a war."
"Hey, it has killed more people than Pearl Harbour. And it has killed more people than the World Trade Center. The World Trade Center was close to 3,000. Well, we are gonna beat that by many times, unfortunately. So, yeah. We view it as a war," he added.
"This is a mobilisation against a war. In many ways, it is a tougher enemy. We do very well against the visible enemies. It is the invisible enemy. This is an invisible enemy. But we're doing a good job," the president said.
The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have projected that the American economy will enter into recession and according to the White House, the country is likely to experience a minus 15-20 per cent growth in the second quarter of the current financial year.
The number of daily deaths and fresh cases of infections have shown signs of decline and as a result, a large number of states have started opening up their economy.
Trump said the White House Task Force on coronavirus has done a great job in containing the deadly disease.
"We will be leaving the task force indefinitely. We will see. You know at a certain point it will end. Things end, but we will be adding some people to the task force," he said.
16:54 Robert De Niro wants to play Andrew Cuomo in pandemic-themed film
Whenever a film based on the coronavirus pandemic will be made, Hollywood veteran Robert De Niro says he would like to play the role of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who has been receiving global praise for his leadership during the COVID-19 outbreak. Stephen Colbert on "The Late Show" video chat asked the 76-year-old actor which real-life figure he would like to play in a potential movie on the pandemic. To which De Niro replied, "Cuomo".
"The Irishman" star, who is a vocal critic of President Donald Trump, said the governor was doing "what a president should do". When Colbert asked De Niro, if Cuomo could be POTUS one day, he said, "Yes, I could see it." The actor called Trump an "idiot" for largely ignoring the warning signs of the pandemic and expressed disappointment in the current administration's attempts to control the outbreak.
"Pandemics have been in the world before and people survived them. It's appalling. It's all about him getting re-elected. I have no words for it anymore. I'm nonplussed. Dumbfounded..." he said. "His enablers are not doing anything, not standing up to him. What could be worth it for them to sacrifice their souls to make this deal with the devil?" he asked. -- PTI
16:43 Govt working on big-bang economic package
The government is working on a comprehensive financial package not only for MSMEs but for all sectors of the economy, a top official said on Thursday. "Government of India, Prime Minister's Office and the Department of Economic Affairs are already working on a package, which includes not only the MSME but also the entire industry. All sectors of the economy being taken care of by a comprehensive package, being worked out in the government," said Giridhar Aramane, Secretary in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
He was speaking during an interaction with members of SIAM (Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers) Institute via video conferencing. Participating in the same meeting, Union Minister for MSME and Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari also said "a package is going to be declared".
The demand for a package to stimulate the economy has been growing from various quarters, including industry bodies and MSME sector experts. India's micro, small and medium enterprises, which contributes 29 per cent to the country's growth and 48 per cent to exports, is a major employment generator.
However, the sector is facing a huge crisis amid coronavirus pandemic, with millions of units staring at losses and the prospect of job cuts as they struggle to survive. -- PTI
16:38 Covid testing kit developed by researchers in Bengal gets ICMR nod
A low-priced COVID-19 testing kit designed by a group of researchers in West Bengal has received the approval of ICMR, and would soon be employed to examine samples, an official statement said on Thursday. The kit 'DiAGSure nCOV-19 Detection Assay' can meet the growing demand for testing equipment across the country to a certain extent. Priced around Rs 500, the device has demonstrated a near-100 per cent accuracy in detecting the virus in a short span of 90 minutes, the statement said quoting an ICMR report.
Developed indigenously, one kit can test up to 160 patients, it said. The researchers, under the guidance of former CSIR scientist Samit Adhyay, put together the kit in a matter of one-and-half months with logistic support from Koustubh Panda, the head of the biotechnology department, University of Calcutta, the statement said. -- pti
16:35 BMW resumes operations at Chennai plant
German luxury carmaker BMW on Thursday said it has resumed operations on a single shift basis at its manufacturing plant in Chennai. BMW Group India started operations at its Chennai plant on May 7 in accordance with guidelines issued by local authorities, the company said in a statement.
Local production at the plant will be started with less than 50 per cent of the regular workforce, it added. All other employees will continue to work from home, the automaker said.
The manufacturing plant has resumed operations in single shift and depending on the pandemic situation and government advisories, deployment of staff will be adjusted steadily, it added. -- PTI
Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu
16:33 Parliament committee meetings via video conference?
Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday asked secretary generals of both Houses to explore if parliamentary committee meetings can be held through video conference. This comes in view of demands from various Members of Parliament for holding such meetings through video conference amid the COVID-19-induced lockdown.
The secretary generals have been asked by Naidu and Birla to submit a report on the matter soon. The Rajya Sabha chairman and the speaker met at the Uparashtrapati Niwas on Thursday and discussed the role being played by MPs during the COVID-19 pandemic and the feasibility of holding committee meetings.
In view of the prevailing situation and in the context of restrictions on travel across the country, the two felt that if the situation does not allow regular conventional meetings of the committees in the near future, alternative means of enabling such meetings can be explored. "They have directed the secretary generals of both the Houses to examine in detail the pros and cons of Parliamentary Committees holding meetings by video conferencing by taking into considerations the present Rules of Business of both the Houses of Parliament, the practices and experiences of various countries in respect of such virtual meetings and the time required to enable secure technology platforms required for such mode of meetings," a statement from the chairman's office said.
The report of the two top officials of Parliament will form the basis for a considered decision by both the presiding officers in the matter, it said. -- PTI
16:30 Air evacuation begins: AI flights head to UAE
Two Air India Express flights left Kerala for the United Arab Emirates on Thursday as India set in motion the exercise to evacuate its citizens stranded in the Gulf region due to the COVID-19 lockdown. At least 340 passengers, mostly Keralites, including pregnant women, infants and those with medical emergencies, will be among those to be brought back from Abu Dhabi and Dubai on board the two flights, expected to return to Kochi and Kozhikode airports in the state late Thursday night.
The flight to Kochi will take off from Abu Dhabi at 4.15 pm and reach the destination at 9.40 pm, while the other to Kozhikode is scheduled for departure from Dubai at 5 pm and arrive at 10.40 pm, official sources said. In addition to the air evacuation, three naval ships, left for Maldives and UAE on Tuesday to bring back Indian citizens.
State Chief Secretary Tom Jose said only COVID-19 negative patients will be boarding the flights and still the returnees, barring pregnant women and children and elders, will be under institutional quarantine for seven days. Those under quarantine arranged by the government at various places, including hotels, would be screened after seven days and will be allowed to go for home quarantine if they did not test positive, he told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram. -- PTI
File pic
16:14 4 Covid patients recover after plasma therapy
Amid the ongoing debate in the medical fraternity about the efficacy of the plasma therapy on COVID-19 patients, a private hospital in Indore has claimed that four such persons recovered from the infection after undergoing this therapy. A district health official confirmed that plasma therapy was used on some coronavirus positive persons at the privately-run Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences and said that as per the doctors at that hospital it helped these patients in their recovery.
Talking to PTI on Thursday, head of the Chest Disease Department at SAIMS, Dr Ravi Dosi, said that one of these four patients is a 26-year-old woman.
"According to the protocol set by the Indian Council of Medical Research for the plasma therapy, we had started clinical trial on the woman and three male patients aged 23, 40 and 55 years from April 26. Now all four patients are free of COVID-19 infection," he said. Consent was obtained from all four patients prior to the clinical trial of plasma therapy, he added.
16:12 40% increase in sales of essentials at Kirana stores during lockdown
There has been an increase of 40 per cent in consumer expenditure on essential goods at Kirana stores since the imposition of the countrywide lockdown, said a study by SnapBizz.SnapBizz is a Bengaluru-based company which provides new-age solutions to convert the neighbourhood retail and grocery stores.
According to the report, there was a major spike in sales in Mid-March as an indication of panic buying that took place followed by a low spell till Easter weekend, post which, sales have improved. The study also found a decline in the number of Kirana stores operating ever since the lockdown took effect for various reasons.
The study analysed over 1.7 million consumer bills recorded in the SnapBizz network of Kirana stores spreads across 7 cities which include Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad.
The report further added that before lockdown, the FMCG brands/distributors used to chase the retailers to supply more goods and the retailers used to chase the consumers to sell the goods to them. -- PTI
16:09 COVID-19: TN govt employees to superannuate at 59
Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Thursday ordered extension of the age of retirement of Tamil Nadu government employees to 59 from 58 amid stepped up efforts to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the State. The order, increasing the age of superannuation is applicable to government employees, teachers, lecturers and professors in government and aided schools and colleges besides State public sector units, an official release said.
The government's move is expected to aid accelerated measures to curb the spread of the contagion and treat the rising number of positive patients. As on Wednesday, Tamil Nadu had 4,829 coronavirus positive patients.
Chief Minister Palaniswami's order extending the age of retirement comes into force with immediate effect, the release added. Already, the services of government doctors, nurses and other medicalpersonnel who were to superannuate on March 31 and April 30 wereextended for two more months.-- PTI
A victim lies unconscious on the road in Vizag
15:48 500 kg of chemical to neutralise Vizag gas leak
Vizag gas leak update: 500 kilos of Para-tertiary butyl catechol (PTBC) chemical will be airlifted from Daman by the Andhra Pradesh government for neutralizing the gas leak at the Visakhapatnam plant, says Ashwani Kumar, Secretary to Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. He said the decision to do so comes after a request by the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister to the Gujarat CM. Rupani then gave the orders to chemical companies in Vapi to send the chemical by road to Daman.
The Centre on Wednesday said 11 people died and 1,000 others were exposed to the gas leak at a chemical factory in Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. Director General of National Disaster Response Force SN Pradhan said leakage from the factory is now minimal but the NDRF personnel will be at the spot till it is totally plugged.
As of now 11 people have lost their lives due to the gas leak, he said at a hurriedly convened press conference here. Member of the National Disaster Management Authority Kamal Kishore said that about 1,000 people living in nearby areas of the factory have been exposed to the gas leak. Pradhan said 500 people belonging to 200-250 families living in 3 km radius have been evacuated to the safer places.
Princess Hend Al Qassimi
15:37 'Stop Indian media from exporting hate to Gulf'
The UAE Federal Public Prosecution last week issued a warning against discrimination and reminded people that offenders face tough fines and jail sentence. The UAE's Combating Discrimination and Hatred law says: "Any person, who commits any act of discrimination of any form by any means of expression or by any other means, shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a period not less than five years, and by a fine not less than Dh500,000 and not exceeding Dh1 million or either one of these two penalties". Read the opinion piece here.
Image: Princess Hend Al Qassimi, a member of the royal family of United Arab Emirates, has called out a series of Islamophobic posts on Twitter.
Representational image
15:29 Soon, 2 lakh Covid tests per day with Pune's Mylab kits
Pune-based Mylab Discovery Solutions on Thursday said it has expanded production capacity to manufacture COVID-19 RT-PCR test kits that would enable 2 lakh tests per day to meet the growing demand in the country. Until now, Mylab has already manufactured testing kits for conducting 6.5 lakh tests and has supplied them to 140 sites, including labs and hospitals in over 20 states, Mylab said in a statement.
As per the production plan, the company is scaling-up its manufacturing to enable 2 lakh tests per day, it added. "It overwhelms me to see our efforts with Mylab in making India self-reliant in combating COVID-19 fructified," Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla said.
As the production capacity increases from 20,000 tests per day to 2 lakh COVID-19 tests a day, "we will now be able to meet India's growing demand for testing completely," he added.
The company has also received approval from Indian Council of Medical Research for its RNA extraction kit 'Maverick' to further streamline the RT-PCR testing process, Mylab said.
"We aim to make India self-reliant with high-quality testing. As we ramp-up our production, our focus on quality is more than ever," Mylab Discovery Solutions MD Hasmukh Rawal said. In early April, Mylab had said that it has partnered with Adar Poonawalla and Abhijit Pawar to scale up the operations and escalate faster delivery of the COVID-19 testing kits. -- PTI
Jaipur's 'Nirbhaya Squad'
15:25 Jaipur's 'Nirbhaya Squad' distributes sanitary pads in COVID zones
The all-women 'Nirbhaya Squad' of the Jaipur police has been distributing sanitary pads in COVID-19 containment zones in the city during the ongoing lockdown. The Nirbhaya Squad, in collaboration with 'Jaipur Padman', assessed the problems of women living in curfew-hit areas due to the novel coronavirus and joined hands to distribute sanitary pads free of cost.
The joint team has so far distributed 3,000 packets of sanitary pads to the needy women living in containment zones of the walled city area. The bike-borne squad was formed last year with women trained in martial arts for warding off any threat faced by women in school, colleges, malls or at bus stops. The team of 80 women constables has been taking out flag marches in the curfew-hit areas to give message of social distancing and staying home.
"We came to know about the problem that women were facing due to the lockdown which is in force from last over a month. A few social workers also joined the movement. Distribution of sanitary pads was difficult in curfew-hit areas so we took help of the Nirbhaya Squad," a member of Jaipur Padman group, Ashish Parashar, said.
He said that it came to the fore that men were reluctant to buy sanitary pads from medical shops for women members of their families in slum areas. -- PTI
15:20 UP govt lifts ban on sale of paan masala without tobacco
The Uttar Pradesh government has lifted its ban on 'paan masala' which does not contain nicotine and tobacco, according to an official order. "The ban on manufacturing and sale of 'paan masala' imposed on March 25 has been lifted," Commissioner Food Security and Drug administration Anita Singh said in the order issued on Wednesday.
The order, however, clarified that the ban on manufacture, storage and sale of 'gutka/paan masala' with nicotine and tobacco will continue. The sale of these products will be in accordance with the guidelines of the Home Department.
The Yogi Adityanath government had banned manufacture and sale of 'paan masala', saying the move would help stop the spread of coronavirus in the state.
"Manufacturing, sale and storage of 'paan masala' is being banned in the state till further orders," Food Security Commissioner Ministhy S had said in an order issued on March 25. "Spitting 'paan masala' can help in spreading COVID-19," the order had said. PTI
15:15 Vizag gas leak: Rs 1 cr compensation for families of deceased
AP CM Y S Jaganmohan Reddy announces Rs 1 crore each as relief to kin of people killed in Visakhapatnam gas leak tragedy; offers cash assistance to injured.
15:13 4 Tablighi jamaatis from Assam, K'taka booked for spreading COVID-19 in UP
A total of 24 Tablighi Jamaat members from Karnataka and Assam were booked for staying in a mosque without giving information to police in Kairana town in Shamli district, a police official said. According to SHO Yashpal Dhama, a case was registered on Wednesday against 24 people of the Jamaat under provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.
The accused were found residing in Patwari mosque in Kairana town in Shamli district since April 23. In another similar case, police registered a case against 10 Tablighi Jamaat members for residing in a mosque without giving prior information at Shernagar village under New Mandi police station in Muzaffarnagar district. Police said a case was registered on Wednesday against the 10 Jamaat members under IPC Section 188 and Section 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act in this connection.
Among the 10 people, one member tested positive for the virus and Shernagar village was declared a hotspot by authorities. The Jamaat members residing in Shernagar village had apparently come from Delhi's Nizamuddin on March 23. PTI
Gas-affected patients at a hospital in Vizag
15:10 Vizag gas leak: Over a 1000 exposed, 11 dead
The Centre on Wednesday said 11 people died and 1,000 others were exposed to the gas leak at a chemical factory in Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. Director General of National Disaster Response Force SN Pradhan said leakage from the factory is now minimal but the NDRF personnel will be at the spot till it is totally plugged. As of now 11 people have lost their lives due to the gas leak, he said at a hurriedly convened press conference here.
Member of the National Disaster Management Authority Kamal Kishore said that about 1,000 people living in nearby areas of the factory have been exposed to the gas leak. Pradhan said 500 people belonging to 200-250 families living in 3 km radius have been evacuated to the safer places. -- PTI
15:02 Children among gas affected in Vizag
Children being treated at King George Hospital in Vizag after the gas leak at at RR Venkatapuram village. Pic: ANI
15:00 Vizag gas leak: Chandrababu writes to Union Ministers for help to treat victims
TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu has written to Union Minister Piyush Goyal requesting him to send medical experts to treat people affected by Styrene gas in Visakhapatnam.Naidu copied the letter to Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Health & Family Welfare as well, with a request to provide support immediately.
The letter was also copied to Member Secretary, NDMA, Government of India, New Delhi for information and necessary action and to the Chief Secretary, Government of Andhra Pradesh, with request to take immediate necessary and follow up action.
"It is extremely saddening to know the leakage of Styrene Gas from LG Polymers India Private Limited located in RRV Puram, Naidu Thota, Visakhapatnam. As of now few people died, while around 2000 people have fallen sick due to the leakage," Nadidu said in the letter.
"In this context, I would like to bring your attention primarily towards public health. Since, there may not be required expertise in Visakhapatnam city to treat the people affected with Styrene Gas, I request you to send medical experts from India and Globally to treat the victims of Styrene Gas. Further, COVID-19 infects the lungs and reduces the immunity of the person. Hence, it is essential that the medical aid should be two-pronged keeping in mind Styrene Gas and COVID-19," he stated in the letter.
The TDP chief added, "Necessary equipment to estimate the radius affected by Styrene Gas may be immediately provided for analysing the radius affected by Styrene Gas. All the people and animals in the estimated affected radius may be evacuated at once and provide them with necessary medical aid. In this crucial time, it is also vital for us to recognise the importance of animals in general and domestic animals in particular. Veterinary experts may be deployed to treat the animals." -- PTI
14:56 Vizag gas leakage minimal, toll rises to 10
Vizag gas leak update: NDRF DG SN Pradhan, says the leakage from the factory is now minimal and the NDRF will be there till it is totally plugged. The number of deaths has gone up to 10. "Over a 1,000 others living close to factory have been exposed to gas leak," he said.
"300 others are admitted at various hospitals," Visakhapatnam District Medical and Health Officer, Tirumala Rao, said.
Vizag DGP Damodar Goutam Sawang has said that an investigation will be carried out to ascertain how the incident took place.
Image: An affected woman is being taken for treatment at King George Hospital after the gas leak at LG Polymers industry in RR Venkatapuram village, Visakhapatnam. Pic: ANI
IMAGE: A father rushes to take his child for treatment at King George Hospital after a major chemical gas leakage at LG Polymers industry in RR Venkatapuram village, Visakhapatnam, on Thursday. Photograph: PTI Photo
14:47 NHRC notices to Centre, AP over Vizag deaths
The National Human Rights Commission on Thursday issued notices to the Centre and the Andhra Pradesh government over deaths and suffering of people due to gas leakage from a chemical plant in Visakhapatnam district, officials said.
Right to life of the victims has been grossly violated.
At a time when human lives across the country are at stake due to spread of COVID-19 virus and everyone is forced to stay indoor, the gruesome tragedy has come as a bolt from the blue for the people, the right panel said in a statement.
The NHRC said it has taken suo motu cognizance of media reports about the death of eight persons and over five thousand others falling sick due to leakage of styrene gas in the district early morning.
The leakage of the gas has reportedly affected people within a radius of about 3 kilometers.
Many people could be seen lying on roads while some complained of difficulty in breathing and rashes on their bodies, it said.
Accordingly, the Commission has issued a notice to the chief secretary, government of Andhra Pradesh calling for a detailed report in the matter including status of the rescue operation, treatment provided to the sick and relief and rehabilitation provided by state authorities to the affected families.
The Commission also asked the Corporate Affairs ministry to examine whether norms laid down under relevant provisions of the law are being implemented at the particular industrial unit and to submit a report to the Commission, it said.
Responses from all the these authorities are expected within four weeks, the statement said. -- PTI
IMAGE: A father rushes to take his child for treatment at King George Hospital after a major chemical gas leakage at LG Polymers industry in RR Venkatapuram village, Visakhapatnam, on Thursday. Photograph: PTI Photo
14:47 NHRC notices to Centre, AP over Vizag deaths
The National Human Rights Commission on Thursday issued notices to the Centre and the Andhra Pradesh government over deaths and suffering of people due to gas leakage from a chemical plant in Visakhapatnam district, officials said.
Right to life of the victims has been grossly violated.
At a time when human lives across the country are at stake due to spread of COVID-19 virus and everyone is forced to stay indoor, the gruesome tragedy has come as a bolt from the blue for the people, the right panel said in a statement.
The NHRC said it has taken suo motu cognizance of media reports about the death of eight persons and over five thousand others falling sick due to leakage of styrene gas in the district early morning.
The leakage of the gas has reportedly affected people within a radius of about 3 kilometers.
Many people could be seen lying on roads while some complained of difficulty in breathing and rashes on their bodies, it said.
Accordingly, the Commission has issued a notice to the chief secretary, government of Andhra Pradesh calling for a detailed report in the matter including status of the rescue operation, treatment provided to the sick and relief and rehabilitation provided by state authorities to the affected families.
The Commission also asked the Corporate Affairs ministry to examine whether norms laid down under relevant provisions of the law are being implemented at the particular industrial unit and to submit a report to the Commission, it said.
Responses from all the these authorities are expected within four weeks, the statement said. -- PTI
IMAGE: Affected children being treated at King George Hospital after a major chemical gas leakage at LG Polymers industry in RR Venkatapuram village, Visakhapatnam, on Thursday. Photograph: PTI Photo
14:38 Gas leak under control, says LG Chem
The gas leak at the Visakhapatnam polymers plant that killed at least eight people is now under control, the units' South Korean parent firm LG Chem said on Thursday.
LG Chem, which operates the plant, said it is cooperating with Indian authorities to help residents and employees.
'The gas leakage is now under control, but the leaked gas can cause nausea and dizziness, so we are investing every effort to ensure proper treatment is provided swiftly,' LG Chem said in a statement.
The firm is looking into what caused the leak of styrene monomer gas, which is used for producing plastic.
'We are investigating the extent of damage and the exact cause of the leak and deaths,' it added in a statement.
Stating that the plant operations were suspended because of coronavirus lockdown at the time of the accident, the firm said none of the LG Chem's employees have died in the accident.
LG Chem said it was seeking to ensure casualties received treatment quickly.
Company staff reportedly inspecting machines to restart the factory noticed the leak and raised an alarm. -- PTI
14:31 Maha Cong bears travel expenses of 4,627 migrant workers
The Maharashtra Congress said it has borne the travel expenses of 4,627 migrant labourers who wished to return to their home states amid the COVID-19 lockdown.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi announced that the party's state unit had borne the travel cost of 4,627 migrant labourers, who wished to go to their home states from different parts of Maharashtra in the last two days, a release issued in Mumbai on Thursday stated.
The party bought tickets for 2,019 migrant workers travelling by trains from Nagpur to Muzaffarpur in Bihar and Wardha to Patna, it was stated.
The Chandrapur city and rural district Congress committee paid for the transportation of 239 labourers who were heading to Patna.
Apart from this, the Congress also ensured health check-ups for migrant workers, helped them fill travel forms and provided water, food, sanitisers and masks for the journey, the statement read.
Moreover, the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee has also set up a helpline for migrants in each district, the statement said. -- PTI
14:03 Vizag: Spread of vapours depends on wind speed
The spread of styrene monomer vapours in the air depends on the wind speed and currently personnel are working to neutralise the air with chemicals such as 4-tert-Butylcatechol (TBC), a senior official of the Department of Factories said on Thursday.
A major leak from a chemical plant of LG Polymers near here in the wee hours impacted villages within a five-km radius, leaving eight people dead and scores of citizens complaining of breathlessness, nausea and other problems.
"The officials are using inhibitors to neutralise the vapours. Slowly the vapours are reducing. It was not arrested fully. They are using neutralisers such as TBC (4-tert-Butylcatechol (TBC)," Joint Chief Inspector of Factories, Visakhapatnam, J Siva Sankar Reddy told PTI.
Exposure to styrene, also known as ethenylbenzene, vinylbenzene can affect the central nervous system (CNS), causing headache, fatigue, weakness, and depression.
It is primarily used in the production of polystyrene plastics and resins, according to experts.
"The spread may be two or three kilometres wide. It depends on the wind speed. We cannot exactly say how many kilometres it has spread to. If the wind flow is heavy, there is a chance that it will spread more in the air," the official added.
Reddy said the chemical plant was not operational due to the lockdown.
"The company was planning to reopen it soon. There were just a few employees -- security guards and maintenance personnel there at the time of the incident," he said.
According to Reddy, the firm, which has 350 to 400 employees, has all necessary permits to operate.
LG Polymers was established in 1961 as 'Hindustan Polymers' for manufacturing Polystyrene and its Co-polymers at Visakhapatnam. It merged with Mc Dowell & Co. Ltd of UB Group in 1978, according to the company's website.
Taken over by LG Chem (South Korea), Hindustan Polymers was renamed as LG Polymers India Private Limited (LGPI) in July 1997, it said.
Company officials were not available for comment. -- PTI
To avoid this, WB begins online liquor sales
13:54 Online booking, home delivery of liquor to begin in Bengal
To avoid crowding and minimise footfall at liquor stores, the West Bengal State Beverages Corporation has launched an eRetail portal for online booking and home delivery of alcohol.
According to the website of the WBSBCL, any person, who is older or of 21 years of age, can register as a buyer on the portal for getting home delivery of liquor.
"For ensuring social distancing and minimising footfall at retail outlets, WBSBCL has launched eRetail for online booking and home delivery of liquor," notification on the website read.
The interested persons can fill in their details, full name, mobile number, address, email, among others to register as a buyer and get liquor delivered at their doorsteps.
Prior to this, the Chhattisgarh and Punjab governments too had allowed home delivery of liquor in their respective states with certain conditions.
Liquor stores around the country have been allowed to reopen by the Centre during phase three of the coronavirus-induced lockdown.
Long queues, with people flouting social distancing norms, were seen on liquor stores around the country as enthusiasts lined up to get their hands on their favourite drink.
With people at these outlets failing to follow social distancing norms, apprehensions were expressed regarding the spread of COVID-19. -- ANI
13:51 Kejriwal announces Rs 1 crore ex-gratia for cop who died of Covid
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday condoled the death of a Delhi Police constable due to coronavirus and said his family will be provided with an ex-gratia of Rs one crore. "Amit ji did not care for his life and kept serving us Delhi people. He got infected with corona and passed away. I pay homage to his sacrifice on behalf of all Delhi people. An ex-gratia of Rs 1 crore will be given to his family," Kejriwal said in a tweet.
The 31-year-old constable, who hailed from Sonipat, was posted at Bharat Nagar Police Station in northwest Delhi, police said. On Tuesday evening, when the constable reported that he was feeling uncomfortable, he was immediately taken to the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital where he was declared brought dead, said a senior Delhi police officer.
The report from RML hospital is awaited but result from the test facility in Ashok Vihar confirmed he was coronavirus positive, he said. The constable is survived by wife and a 3-year-old son, he added. -- PTI
13:50 Akshaya Patra served 4 cr meals to needy
Over four crore meals have been served to the needy across the country by the non-profit organisation Akshaya Patra in its effort to aid the government's relief efforts during the lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic. "Akshaya Patra and its supporting organisations have served over 4 crore meals to the people from vulnerable communities, as of May 3, 2020," according to an official statement issued on Thursday.
These include nearly 2 crore freshly cooked meals that have been served to daily-wage earners, industrial workers, labourers at construction sites, etc., and more than 5 lakh food relief kits with essential groceries-amounting to over 2 crore meals-that have been distributed to the affected people, it said.
"We firmly believe in the power of collective social responsibility and collaborative action. I take this opportunity to extend my deepest gratitude to the various Governments, our corporate partners, individual donors, motivated volunteers, and all our well-wishers for enabling us to serve 4 crore meals so far,' said Chanchalapathi Dasa, vice-chairman, Akshaya Patra. -- PTI
13:19 2 sailors of INS Netaji Subhas tested for COVID-19 after flu- like symptoms
Two sailors of INS Netaji Subhas, a land-based logistics hub of the Indian Navy here, were tested for COVID-19 after they showed flu-like symptoms, a defence spokesperson said on Thursday. The close contacts of the two sailors have been quarantined, spokesperson Wing Commander M S Hooda said. He said the test results of the two sailors, who showed flu-like symptoms, were awaited.
"Following laid down protocols/procedures, the other personnel have been quarantined as a precautionary measure," the spokesperson said in a statement. He, however, did not specify the number of personnel at INS Subhas who have been quarantined. -- PTI
13:18 Mi-17 helicopter makes emergency landing in Sikkim
An Mi-17 medium-lift transport helicopter of the Indian Air Force made an emergency landing near Mukutang in Sikkim on Thursday due to bad weather, officials said. All four aircrew of the IAF and two Indian Army personnel on board the chopper are reported to be safe, they said. The helicopter was on a routine air maintenance sortie from Chaten to Mukutang and it sustained damage in the incident, the officials said. "An investigation has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident," an IAF spokesperson said. -- PTI
13:16 Video shows bodies lying near COVID-19 patients in Mumbai hospital
A video purportedly showing bodies of COVID-19 victims lying unattended near coronavirus patients at a civic-run hospital here has surfaced, following which a BJP MLA hit out at the Shiv Sena-ruled Brihanmummbai Municipal Corporation. Latching on to the video, BJP legislator Nitesh Rane said this shows the BMC does not pay attention to the safety of patients.
The video purportedly showed some bodies lying near COVID-19 patients undergoing treatment at the Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital in Sion area of Mumbai. Rane tagged the video in a tweet on the micro-blogging site on Wednesday night.
"Sion Hospital has shown utmost negligence by letting COVID-19 patients sleep among the bodies of those who died of the same disease. The BMC boasts of being the richest civic body but pays no attention towards the safety of patients," the BJP leader said on Thursday. He noted that the hospital in Sion mostly gets patients from Dharavi, the biggest slum area in the country.
"Is this how we treat our working class? Such carelessness of the medical staff and the Sion hospital could result in further spread of coronavirus infection," he said.
As the video stirred a controversy, the hospital's dean Dr Pramod Ingale said relatives of the those who died of COVID-19 are reluctant to take the bodies. "That is the reason why the bodies were kept there unattended. We have now removed the bodies and are probing the matter," he said.
Asked why the bodies were not shifted to a mortuary, Ingale said, "There are 15 slots in the hospitals mortuary of which 11 are already filled. If we shift all the bodies to the mortuary, it will be a problem for bodies of those who died of causes other than COVID-19." Till Wednesday, Mumbai reported 10,527 COVID-19 cases and 412 deaths. -- PTI
Image: Workers arrange beds made of corrugated boxes at the Manohar Joshi Jr College at Dharavi. Pic: ANI
13:09 Memories of Bhopal
A child lies on the ground after inhaling Styrene gas which leaked from the LG Polymers plant in RR Venkatapuram village, Visakhapatnam early this morning. At least 8 people have lost their lives in this tragic incident.
13:06 Fresh Covid cases mainly in Maha, Delhi, Gujarat
The death toll due to COVID-19 in the country rose to 1,783 while the number of cases climbed to 52,952 on Thursday, registering an increase of 89 deaths and 3,561 cases in the last 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry said. The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 35,902 while 15,266 people have recovered and one patient has migrated, it said.
"Thus, around 28.83 per cent patients have recovered so far," a senior health ministry official said. The total number of cases also include 111 foreign nationals. Data analysis by Shamika Ravi, former member of the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council, shows active cases are now growing at 6.6% -- so doubling every 11 days.
Fresh cases are mainly coming from Maharashtra, Delhi and Gujarat. A big second wave in cases is being seen in Tamil Nadu but there are large recoveries in the state too.
On the COVID death rate per million people parameter, five states are pulling up the national average -- Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal.
On the death rate per million count, Delhi has managed to stabilize its death rate despite high case load, while West Bengal is seeing a large increase, according to Ravi's data analysis. A total of 89 deaths have been reported since Wednesday morning, of which 34 people died in Maharashtra, 28 in Gujarat, nine in Madhya Pradesh, four each in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, three in Rajasthan, two each from Punjab and Tamil Nadu and one each from Delhi, Haryana and Orissa, according to the Health Ministry. -- PTI
13:01 Kotak Mahindra Bank declares 10% pay cut for staff
While we keep you updated on news from the tragic gas leak at Vizag, in other news, private sector lender Kotak Mahindra Bank has decided on a 10 per cent pay cut for the employees earning above Rs 25 lakh per annum, in a business sustainability move amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a communication. The move comes weeks after the top management voluntarily surrendered 15 per cent of their payments for 2020-21.
"What seemed like a 2-3 months phenomenon in the beginning, has turned out to be a pandemic with serious implications on both lives and livelihood. More importantly, it is increasingly clear that the pandemic is not going away anytime soon," Kotak's group chief Human Resources officer Sukhjit S Pasricha said in an internal note. The move to recalibrate salaries is driven by the objective of business sustainability, Pasricha said. -- PTI
12:57 Vizag gas leak: 8 dead, 246 hospitalised
The death toll from the styrene gas leak near Vishakapatnam on Thursday climbed to eight and the Andhra Pradesh government ordered a probe into the incident, the state police chief said here. Chief Minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy held a high-level review meeting to take stock of the situation and ordered a probe into the matter, state DGP D Gautam Sawang said.
As many as eight people were killed in the styrene gas leak incident at LG Polymers Limited plant at R R Venkatapuram near Visakhapatnam in the wee hours of Thursday. The DGP said there was no more leakage of gas and the situation was now "stable and under control".
At least 246 persons with health complications are undergoing treatment at the King George Hospital, Visakhapatnam and 20 of them are on ventilator support, he told reporters after the meeting with the chief minister.
In all, over 800 persons were evacuated from R R Venkatapuram following the gas leak and most of them only needed first aid. The chief minister ordered an inquiry into the gas leak incident, the DGP said. "How the gas leaked and why the neutraliser at the plant did not prove effective in containing the leak will all be investigated. Styrene, though, is not a poisonous gas and can be fatal only if inhaled in excess quantity," Sawang said. PTI
Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com
12:11 Can India benefit if factories from China were relocated?
The Economic Research Department report from the State Bank of India, 'How can COVID benefit India with trade and factory diversion from China', authored by Dr Soumya Kanti Ghosh, group chief economic adviser of the bank, makes interesting observations.
'Although, the Revealed Comparative Advantage for India is lower than China as far as Capital Goods Exports are concerned, India can still capitalise on this opportunity to push its Capital Goods exports,' it says.
'However, the bigger opportunity right now is in consumer goods sector, in which India has an RCA greater than China.
'For consumer goods sector, looking at the MSME profile of the country, the biggest concentration is in the textile and clothing sector(17.30%), food products (12.30%) and crop and animal production (10.0%).
'Although we do have comparative advantage in textiles and animal goods, in food products we are not competitive. The government can give a direct push to this sector, so that MSME firms involved in food product manufacture get benefitted.
'Although 2020 is a lost year in terms of trade, India can think long-term and build relations so that it can occupy the space vacated by China,' the report concludes. 'With just 1.7% in world's merchandise exports, India has a long road ahead to catch up with China. But it must be now, now and now!'
11:45 Vizag gas leak occurred as plant was resuming ops
The gas leak incident in Vishakhapatnam took place as a plastic factory, that was closed during lockdown, was being prepared for resumption of operations, the NDRF chief said on Thursday. About 80-100 people have been hospitalised after a gas, Styrene, leaked in the area at about 2:30 am, NDRF Director General S N Pradhan said.
He said a special gas leakage team of the force is on the spot and checking on people who are feeling uneasy. Styrene gas that affects the central nervous system, throat, skin, eyes and some other parts of the body, he said.
"I think what we understand is that this plastic factory was being re-started for operations and the gas leaked after an accident occurred," he said. -- PTI
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11:18 Cop succumbs to Covid, 5th death in Maha police
A 58-year-old assistant sub- inspector of police has died of coronavirus in Maharashtra's Solapur district, an official said on Thursday. With this, five police personnel from the state have so far succumbed to the viral infection. The assistant sub-inspector, posted at Solapur MIDC police station, was admitted to the civil hospital there on Tuesday after he tested positive for coronavirus. He died while undergoing treatment at the hospital on Wednesday, the official said. The victim, who was set to retire after four months, was on duty till last week, he said.
Maharashtra Police expressed grief over the personnel's demise. "DGP and all ranks of Maharashtra Police offer their condolences to the bereaved family, the state police said in a tweet. Last month, three personnel of Mumbai Police and one of Pune Police died of COVID-19. So far, 456 police personnel, including 42 officers, have tested positive for coronavirus in the state. -- PTI
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11:11 Over 150 Mizos return without informing govt, quarantined
The Mizoram government has quarantined over 150 people who have returned to the state without informing the state authorities, an official said. They came back to the state from Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura, the home department official said. "A total of 154 people, who returned from four northeastern states, have been quarantined in different districts," home secretary Lalbiaksangi told PTI.
These people, were those who were stuck in Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura due to the ongoing lockdown, have travelled back without informing the government, deputy resident commissioners (DRCs) of Mizoram houses and Young Mizo Associations, creating a gap in the management system, she said. "It does not mean that these people were not sent to quarantine facilities. But the fact is that they were left out from the list as they did not report to DRCs and YMAs before they returned," she said on Wednesday.
The Mizoram government had carried out an exercise to bring back nearly 700 people, who were stranded in the four states of the north-east region, between April 30 and May 2. -- PTI
10:46 Vizag gas leak: PM calls for meeting with NDMA
PM Narendra Modi has called for a meeting of the NDMA at 11 am today over the gas leak in Visakhapatnam. "Spoke to officials of MHA and NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority) regarding the situation in Visakhapatnam, which is being monitored closely. I pray for everyone's safety and well-being in Visakhapatnam," the PM said.
Home Minister Amit Shah said the incident in Visakhapatnam was disturbing. "Have spoken to the NDMA officials and concerned authorities. We are continuously and closely monitoring the situation. I pray for the well-being of the people of Visakhapatnam."
At least six people have been killed and about 120 hospitalised after a gas leak incident in RR Venkatapuram village in Visakhapatnam on Thursday.
"There was styrene gas leak. Gas has been neutralised. An NDRF team has reached the spot. We got information and alerted villagers and evacuated the village. Now we are conducting a door-to-door search," RK Meena, CP Visakhapatnam city said.
He added, "Most of the adults vacated the village but some women and children were stuck there. They were rescued by our team. The maximum impact of the gas leak was in about 1 to 1.5 km radius but the smell of the gas was till 2-2.5 km. About 100-120 people have been shifted to hospital. Total six persons have died in the incident including a six-year-old child. An FIR has been registered."
Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister's Office said that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will leave for Visakhapatnam and visit King George Hospital where those affected by gas leak incident are being treated.
"Chief Minister is closely monitoring the situation and has instructed the district machinery to take immediate steps and provide all help," said Andhra Pradesh CMO.
The gas leakage took place at LG Polymers industry in RR Venkatapuram village here on Thursday, said Tirupathi Rao, District Medical & Health Officer.
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10:02 2 crore Indian babies will be born amid Covid
India is projected to record the highest number of births in the nine months since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic in March, with more than 20 million babies expected to be born in the country between March and December, according to a top UN body. The United Nations Children's Fund warned that pregnant mothers and babies born during the pandemic across the world were threatened by strained health systems and disruptions in services.
An estimated 116 million babies will be born under the shadow of COVID-19 pandemic, UNICEF said on Wednesday, ahead of Mother's Day, observed on May 10. These babies are projected to be born up to 40 weeks after COVID-19 was recognised as a pandemic on March 11. The highest numbers of births in the 9 months since the pandemic was declared are expected to occur in India, where 20.1 million babies are projected to be born between March 11 and December 16.
Other countries with the expected highest numbers of births during this period are China (13.5 million), Nigeria (6.4 million), Pakistan (5 million) and Indonesia (4 million), it said. "Most of these countries had high neonatal mortality rates even before the pandemic and may see these levels increase with COVID-19 conditions," UNICEF said.
It is estimated that there will be 24.1 million births in India for the January-December 2020 period. UNICEF warned that COVID-19 containment measures can disrupt life-saving health services such as childbirth care, putting millions of pregnant mothers and their babies at great risk.
Even wealthier countries are affected by this crisis. In the US, the sixth highest country in terms of expected number of births, over 3.3 million babies are projected to be born between March 11 and December 16.
"New mothers and newborns will be greeted by harsh realities," UNICEF said, adding they include global containment measures such as lockdowns and curfews; health centres overwhelmed with response efforts; supply and equipment shortages; and a lack of sufficient skilled birth attendants as health workers, including midwives, are redeployed to treat COVID-19 patients. UNICEF said its analysis was based on data from World Population Prospects 2019 of the UN Population Division. An average full-term pregnancy typically lasts a complete 9 months, or 39 to 40 weeks. For the purposes of this estimate, the number of births for a 40-week period in 2020 was calculated.
09:33 Covid cases in India rises to half a lakh
The total number of COVID19 positive cases in India rises to 52,952 including 35,902 active cases, 1783 deaths, 15,266 cured/discharged and 1 migrated: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The death toll due to COVID-19 rises to 1,783.;
09:16 GOI guidelines for Indians to be evacuated from US
The Indian government has decided to facilitate the return of Indian nationals from the United States, who could not return due to COVID-19 related international travel restrictions, in a phased manner. Air India will be operating non-scheduled commercial flights from the US to various cities in India from May 9 to 15 in the first phase.
Since the number of seats on the flights are limited, passengers with compelling cases such as those facing medical emergencies or requiring return due to bereavement in the family. Students, pregnant women, elderly or those facing expiry of visas will be given priority and identified through an electronic random selection method.
The cost of travel from the designated airport in the US to the designated airport in India will be borne by the passenger.
The Embassy/Consulates will share the details of passengers identified with Air India offices that will contact them directly regarding booking of tickets and mode of payment. Refund or adjustments, if any, for previously booked tickets may be processed separately with the Air India.
All passengers will be required to undergo medical screening before boarding the flight and only asymptomatic passengers will be allowed to travel.
All passengers on arrival in India will be medically screened and will have to download and register on Aarogya Setu app.
All passengers will need to undergo a 14-day mandatory quarantine on arrival in India in institutional quarantine facilities on payment basis as per the protocols framed by the Indian government.
A COVID test would be done after 14 days and further action would be taken according to applicable health protocols.
All passengers will have to follow the procedures including health protocols issued by the US government on departure and by the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Civil Aviation and other concerned authorities of the Government of India before, during the journey and on arrival in India.
All passengers will be required to sign an undertaking, which will be collected from them at the airport before boarding the flight. -- ANI
08:58 Train carrying students from Kota reach Muzaffarpur
Crowds swell at Muzaffarpur railway station yesterday after a special train, carrying around 1318 students from Rajasthan's Kota reached the station. Social distancing norms were not followed at the railway station.
08:42 3 dead in gas leak at Visakhapatnam
Three persons, including one child, have died after a chemical gas leak at LG Polymers industry in RR Venkatapuram village, Visakhapatnam. The affected are being taken to hospital after they complained of burning sensation in eyes and breathing difficulties. Police, fire tenders, ambulances are at the spot. Details awaited.
08:15 Electronics, hardware shops to open in Mumbai
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday night amended its previous order and allowed reopening of standalone electronics and hardware shops in the city during the coronavirus-enforced lockdown.
Civic commissioner Praveen Pardeshi said there was an urgent need to keep such shops open to some extent.
'It has been observed that many essential and life- saving medical equipment, IT systems related to health systems and machines, vehicles are in a state of disrepair due to closing down of electronics and hardware shops.
'Hence, there was an urgent need to keep such shops open to some extent,' read the BMC's amended order signed by Pardeshi.
Pardeshi directed all assistant commissioners of wards to permit one standalone electronic and hardware shop on each road to remain open during the lockdown.
According to BMC officials, in view of the order some electronics and hardware shops could be opened from Thursday.
On Tuesday night, Pardeshi, in an order, had directed closure of all non-essential services, including liquor shops, in the city. -- PTI
00:08 Blood thinners may help Covid-19 patients: Study
Blood thinning drugs may help save some patients worst affected by coronavirus, doctors reported Wednesday.
Their findings could point a way to help the virus-related issue of blood clots throughout the body. The team at Mount Sinai Hospital says it is now running experiments to see which anticoagulants may work best, and at which doses.
Our findings suggest that systemic anticoagulants may be associated with improved outcomes among patients hospitalized with Covid-19, they wrote in their report, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Dr Valentin Fuster, director of Mount Sinai Heart and physician-in-chief of the Mount Sinai Hospital, and colleagues looked at more than 2,700 patients treated at Mount Sinai in New York City, which has been hit hard by coronavirus. Starting in March, some patients were given anti-clotting drugs based on bedside decisions made by doctors.
The team started taking a systematic look at whether the drugs made a difference. They did, especially for patients who were put on ventilators to help them breathe.
They found 29 per cent of patients on ventilators who were given blood thinners died, compared to 63 per cent of patients on ventilators who were not given blood thinners.
The patients who received anticoagulants did better than those who didnt, Fuster told CNN.
The findings are not clear-cut enough yet to make solid recommendations. The team noted that patients who were already severely ill were more likely to be given the blood thinners.
The researchers did not find that the patients who got blood thinners were significantly more likely to have bleeding problems one of the risks of the drugs.
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