Coronavirus India Live Updates:
The 100,000 milestone has been delayed by almost three weeks due to the lockdown, first imposed on March 24. Computer modeling projections early last month had shown that at the rate the disease was spreading in the country at that time, if no lockdown had been put in place, this milestone would be reached by the end of April, if not earlier.
It had taken India 14 days to travel from zero to hundred cases, from March 2 to March 15, if the first three cases discovered in Kerala on January 29 are discounted. In the next 14 days, that is on March 29, the number of infections had reached 1,000. From there to 10,000 took another 15 days, and at that rate, India seemed headed towards 100,000 cases by the end of April, if the disease was allowed to spread exponentially, entirely unchecked.
However, it was at that time that the lockdown started to show its impact, and the spread of infection slowed down considerably. At the end of April, there were less than 35,000 cases in India.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has asked states to allow plying of more trains to ferry migrant workers, adding that more clarity is needed about the departure of trains or buses. It also said that lack of clarity about running of trains, buses coupled with rumours is causing unrest amongst migrant workers.
The May 18 letter sent to all states by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) came in the backdrop of migrants continuing to hit the road due to limited availability of trains and buses.
It said, “District Authorities may be directed to request Ministry of Railways for running trains, where required and ensure that no migrant worker has to resort to walking on roads or railway tracks to reach his destination. As you may be aware, Area officers in Ministry of Home Affairs already assisting State Nodal officers and Railway Nodal officers in the movement of stranded labour. We would be happy to facilitate the process further.”
Meanwhile...
Global carbon emissions are set to see their steepest fall this year since World War II, thanks to unprecedented lockdown measures enforced around the world to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The Center for International Climate and Environmental Research, in its evaluation of the pandemic’s effect on carbon missions, has predicted that emissions will fall between 4.2 and 7.5 per cent on last year, as against a rise of 1 per cent that was earlier predicted of 2020 before the COVID-19 outbreak.
“In terms of a relative drop, you’d have to go back to the first half of the last century, around WWII. Certainly, in modern times, this is an unprecedented drop,” The New Scientist quoted Glen Peters of the research centre as saying.
But the decline in carbon emissions does not mean it would slow down climate change. “If emissions go down 5 per cent this year overall, given that climate change is a cumulative problem, it basically makes no difference at all,” Peter told the website. A 5% drop is equivalent to 0.001 degree Celsius less warming, he said.
A total of 14 Covid-19 related deaths were reported on Wednesday, taking the toll in Pune to 235. As many as 174 new cases were also reported in Pune, taking the total number of infected persons to 4,544.
Of the 14, five persons died on Wednesday, including an 80-year-old man from Tadiwala Road, who was admitted on May 9 at Sassoon General Hospital. He also had hypertension and ischaemic heart disease.
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In another case, a 69-year-old woman from Shirur, who was admitted on May 13 at Sahyadri Hospital (Nagar Road), succumbed to the infection on Wednesday. The woman had acute renal failure with lymphoma. READ MORE
Six new cases of coronavirus emerged in Gurgaon on Wednesday, bringing the count of total cases in the district to 226. “Of the six who have tested positive today, four are contacts of people who had tested positive earlier, while the new cases are from Bharti Chowk and Sector 32 respectively,” said a spokesperson of the Gurgaon district administration.
Faridabad also recorded 13 new cases on the day, including the niece of a 45-year-old man among six people who have succumbed to the infection in the district so far.
“The niece of the Bharat Colony resident who had died due to coronavirus last week has tested positive today. Apart from her, among those who have tested positive are a multi-purpose health worker of the health department, currently posted at Ballabhgarh, and a 28-year-old man working at a company in Manesar,” said a spokesperson of the Faridabad district administration.
“A 57-year-old woman who works as a teacher at a Delhi school has also tested positive, along with a 21-year-old engineering student residing at Dabua colony,” he said. Faridabad has so far recorded 176 cases of coronavirus, of which 90 people have recovered. (ENS)
Noida-Delhi borders will remain sealed, the Gautam Buddh Nagar administration said Wednesday as it released guidelines for the fourth phase of the lockdown. According to officials, a clarification regarding movement between Delhi and Noida has been sought from the state government and the rules will be in place till directions are received.
The UP government order for the lockdown Monday had read, “Except those staying in containment zones in Delhi, anyone can travel to Noida, Ghaziabad. Local administration will provide guidelines for the same.”
The administration further clarified that as per MHA guidelines, entry of domestic helps, drivers, service personnel among others will not be restricted. Read more
A team of scientists in Pune have developed an eco-friendly and non-toxic handwash solution and a disinfectant solution. According to experts, this disinfectant solution can be safely used to wash edible foods, vegetables and raw meat before consumption.
“The handwash is composed of a nanomaterial having antiviral properties and is mixed with an herbal aromatic ingredient. Since it does not contain toxic ingredients, it is safer for use than commercially available variants,” said Ravindra Chaudhari of Shri Shiv Chhatrapati College, Junnar, one of the members of the project.
The handwash solution is water-based. “It is biologically compatible which makes it safe for the environment,” said senior scientist Dinesh Amalnerkar, former director general, Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (CMET).
The return of migrants to Uttarakhand may pose a new challenge for the state, with almost 84 per cent of the COVID-19 cases detected in the last 10 days having entered Uttarakhand recently. Also, while cases were earlier reported from plain areas, the recent cases have been detected in hill districts.
Fifteen new cases were detected on Tuesday, and officials said that all of them have history of travel outside the state. Seven cases were reported from Nainital, three from Udham Singh Nagar, two each from Pauri Garhwal and Bageshwar and one from Chamoli. Read more
People in the age group of 50-59 years constituted over 26 per cent of the total COVID-19 fatalities in the national capital, according to official figures. At least 176 people have died in Delhi due to the coronavirus, authorities said.
Of the total deceased patients, 92 were aged 60 and above, accounting for over 52 per cent of the fatalities here. Forty-seven of them were aged between 50-59 years (26.71 per cent) and 37 were less than 50 years (21.02 per cent), according to the latest health bulletin released on Wednesday.
Actor Ranvir Shorey on Wednesday took to Twitter to complain about the Mumbai Police after his car was allegedly stopped by on-duty policemen. The actor has claimed that it was an emergency situation but the police have refuted the allegations.
In a series of tweets, the actor said, “My car was impounded for taking my domestic help for his wife’s delivery to hospital. Officer in-charge says a child being delivered is not an emergency. Please advise.”
A while later, as the policemen refused to budge, he again tweeted saying, “Even as other officers have understood the situation and are sympathetic, the OIC, Vijay K Kadam at Jogeshwari highway police chowki decided to file an FIR and impound my car. This is plain harassment.” Read more
From maintaining six feet distance from the victim at a crime spot, taking precautions while handling dead bodies, sanitising weapons, granting bail for a bailable offence at the spot as far as possible – Delhi Police Commissioner S N Shrivastava issued fresh guidelines to the force to preventing the spread of Covid-19.
The 11-page circular issued Wednesday has details on general precautions at police stations, micro-grouping, beat patrolling, crowd control, protest sites, crime and hospital spot visits, handling bodies, arresting protocol, and role of SHOs and ACPs. As per the circular, at police stations, all personnel should wear masks and gloves, and disinfect weapons, anti-riot gear, blinkers, dragon light, computers and printers. Read more
Maharashtra, the state worst hit by Covid-19, accounts for about a third of all cases in India, and two out of every five deaths. Mumbai, in turn, accounts for three out of every five cases in Maharashtra, and also three of every five deaths.
Amid these high numbers, epidemiologists also point to some encouraging recent trends. While the number of cases is rising, the growth rate has slowed. The death rate among the infected too has been declining. And the recovery rate too has encouraged experts.For both the state and the city, the case and death counts in April were 30 to 50 times the corresponding counts in March. The growth rates between April and the first 20 days of May, however, have been well behind the growth rates between March and April.
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Rushing home against all odds only to discover that you are no longer welcome is a predicament being faced by many among the millions of migrant workers who have returned, and are still in the process of returning, to their native places in the wake of the pandemic.
Owing to the highly contagious nature of the disease, there is a change in people’s attitude towards the migrants who traditionally spend eight to 10 months in the metro cities and return home for a few months every year. Click here to read more.
The death toll due to COVID-19 in Ahmedabad rose to 602 on Wednesday with 26 more patients succumbing in hospitals here, while the tally of cases increased to 9,216 with the addition of 271 new infections, the state health department said.
Ahmedabad also reported recovery of 107 coronavirus patients, taking the number of such people to3,130.
There are 5,484 active cases in the district, the health department said. (PTI)
Two policemen died due to coronavirus infection in Mumbai on Wednesday, an official said here. It took the number of police personnel who have died due to the pandemic in Maharashtra to 14, ten of them in Mumbai.
A 57-year-old police constable attached to Parksite Police Station in the eastern suburbs died at Seven Hills hospital in Andheri, an official said. He had tested positive for virus eight days ago, the police official said.
An assistant sub-inspector of traffic branch also died due to the infection during the day. He was attached to Sahar traffic police, the official said.
At least 1,388 police personnel including 142 officers have tested positive for coronavirus in Maharashtra, 700 of them in Mumbai alone. (PTI)
At least 73 new Covid-19 cases detected in Jammu and Kashmir; total number of cases reaches 1,390.
At least 14 people died due to Covd-19 in Pune on Wednesday, taking the toll in the city to 221. The are also recorded 152 new Covid-19 cases today.
The Indian Railways has run 1,813 'Shramik Special' trains since May 1 and ferried over 22 lakh migrants back home, the national transporter said on Wednesday.
Of the 1,813 trains, 301 trains are in transit and 1,512 have arrived. More than 143 trains are in the pipeline, the railways said.
Most migrant trains have terminated in Uttar Pradesh (912), followed by Bihar (398). As many as 583 trains originated from Gujarat and 320 from Maharashtra.
The operation of these trains has, however, led to a political mud-slinging, with the opposition accusing the Centre of charging fares from migrants and the central government criticising some states having non-BJP governments for allegedly not providing permission for the special trains to run.(PTI)
Taking shelter in make-do camps at an exhibition ground in Hyderabad, distressed migrant workers, stranded due to the nationwide lockdown, are now reconsidering their plans to go back home, and demanding jobs from the state government as curbs are gradually eased.
Walking into the huge temporary shelter in Nampally,a few elderly men can be seen sleeping while holding on to their minimum belongings, some lazily chatting away in groups, some seated in a circle playing cards, and a few others aimlessly strolling. With signs of normalcy returning in the city, as businesses and offices prepare to open, almost everyone in the shelter is seeking a job opportunity in the city after a failed chance to go back home.
From nearly 1300 inmates in the last week of March, the shelter is left with less than 150 persons at the moment. Languishing in the temporary shelter run by NGOs with the state’s assistance, migrant workers reiterate that they are neither beggars nor prisoners and demand that their livelihoods be restored by the government if they are not going to be sent back. Read more
Manipur reports eleven more COVID-19 cases on Wednesday taking the total positive cases to 20 and 18 active cases 10 of the eleven cases are from Churachandpur district who had returned from Chennai by train while one is from Imphal East district All the samples were tested at JNIMS.
Six new coronavirus cases were reported in Gurgaon today. Four of these are contacts of peope who tested positive earlier, in Shakti Park, Sector 38, and Sikanderpur. Other two are residents of Bharti Chowk and Sector 32. Total cases now 226.
In Faridabad, 13 new coronavirus cases were detected, including the niece of a Covid-19 patient who had succumbed to the infection, a MPHW of health dept, and an employee of a Manesar company. Total cases now 176, of who 90 have recovered and 6 have succumbed to the infection.
Three fresh cases of COVID-19 were reported on Monday taking the total number of cases in the Union territory of Puducherry to 13, even as the government underscored the need to wear masks to contain the spread of the infection.
Director of Health and Family Welfare Service S Mohan Kumar told PTI that a person and his sonreturned from Abu Dhabi and tested positive for the COVlD-19 on Tuesday.
He said the two were admitted to the Indira Gandhi Government Medical College hospital on Wednesday where already seven patients were under treatment.
The result of examination of the swabs of his wife and another son, also returnees from Abu Dhabi, was awaited, the director said. (PTI)
At least 743 people (including 83 from Maharashtra) tested positive for Covid-19 in Tamil Nadu today, taking the total cases to 13,191. Chennai reported 557 cases today.
In March, as the lockdown started, Valiben Palas, 58, from Raiyavan village in Dhanpur taluka of Dahod’s tribal district, was worried. She was unable to sell her produce of two quintals of wheat and one quintal maize farmed on her 15-bigha landholding.
Another widow from the same village, Shakuben Palas, 32, had run out of food. The BPL-card holder’s main source of income comes from a small half-acre landholding. To feed her family of three children, the sole breadwinner usually has to migrate to Saurashtra in the harvest season.
In Ahmedabad, like elsewhere in the country, several NGOs have been repurposing themselves to help stranded migrants, marginalised families and other groups seeking help during the lockdown. Read more
BMC says 25 new coronavirus patients found in Mumbai's Dharavi taking tally of cases in area to 1,378, with no new death reported, toll stands at 56. (PTI)
The Gautam Budh Nagar administration on Wednesday clarified that the entry of domestic maids, drivers, and service personnel will be permitted in non-containment zones during lockdown 4.0. The statement comes in response to resident welfare associations (RWAs) restricting the entry of domestic workers.
In a press release, the administration said entry of such personnel will be permitted in the non-containment zones given the consent of both the house resident and service personnel.
The statement further said that the RWA’s can only impose restrictions to the extent of enforcing guidelines of compulsory wearing face cover, compulsory sanitisation, thermal screening, and precautionary measures to ensure personal hygiene. The RWA’s can also set up an internal system to regulate number of people who can enter the lift.
In a steep spike in COVID-19 cases in Kerala, 24 people were infected on Wednesday, taking the infection tally to 666, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said.
At least 74,000 people are under observation, 533 in various hospitals, including 156 admitted today.
Of the positive cases, all but one are returnees--12 from abroad and 11 from other states-- eight from Maharashtra, where 22,563 coronavirus positive cases have been registered, and three from neighbouring Tamil Nadu, where the cumulative tally has crossed 12,000, the chief minister said.
One person from Kannur had been infected through contact. The total number of people who have been infected by the virus so far has touched 666, while the active cases stood at 161, Vijayan told reporters.
Five people have recovered and have been discharged from hospitals today. (PTI)
Vadodara Covid-19 cases rose to 750 with 20 new cases detected today.
The death toll due to the coronavirus in Karnataka rose to 41 after a 43-year-old man in Bengaluru died on Wednesday. He had a travel history from Vellore, Tamil Nadu. Meanwhile, the total cases rose to 1,462 with 67 new cases confirmed in the last 24-hours.
100th Shramik Special train leaves from Karnataka.
The Centre on Wednesday said flight services would begin from Monday, laying the ground for gradual resumption of scheduled commercial flight operations that have been shut since March 25.
“Domestic civil aviation operations will recommence in a calibrated manner from Monday May 25, 2020. All airports and air carriers are being informed to be ready for operations from May 25. SOPs for passenger movement are also being separately issued by @MoCA_GoI,” Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri tweeted.
Till 12.30 pm, over 25 lakh tests done; yesterday for the second time we crossed one lakh tests: Dr R R Gangakhedkar, ICMR
Health Secretary Luv Agarwal says the Covid-19 recovery rate has improved to 39.62 per cent. "4.2 people per lakh population across the world have died due to Covid-19. In India it is 0.2 deaths per lakh population," he said.
Health Secretary Luv Agarwal: Globally, 62 people per lakh have been affected with Covid-19. Whereas in India, only 7.9 people per lakh population have been affected by the coronavirus.
He also said it is satisfactory to note that 42,298 people have recovered and the number of active cases are 61,149.
US President Donald Trump has said it is a "badge of honour" for America to "lead" the world with 1.5 million confirmed coronavirus cases since it means the US is testing more people for the disease that has killed over 300,000 people across the world.
The US has 1.5 million confirmed coronavirus cases and over 91,000 deaths, both the world's highest.
"I look at that as, in a certain respect, as being a good thing because it means our testing is much better," he said on Tuesday at the White House as he hosted his first Cabinet meeting since the COVID-19 outbreak began.
"By the way," he told reporters, "you know when you say that we lead in cases, that's because we have more testing than anybody else."
"So when we have a lot of cases," he continued, "I don't look at that as a bad thing, I look at that as, in a certain respect, as being a good thing because it means our testing is much better."
He added: "So I view it as a badge of honour. Really, it's a badge of honour. (PTI)
Government allows states to hold board exams for Class 10 and 12. However, the centres can't be in containment zones. Use of masks and sanitisers mandatory. States to arrange transport.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on migrants: "We'll have to understand our responsibilities. They (migrant labourers walking to return to their native states)aren't just Indians but India's spinal cord. The country runs on their blood and sweat. It's everyone's responsibility. It's not the time for politics.
Public bus services resumed in Punjab on Wednesday almost two months after their suspension in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. Buses of the state-owned Punjab Roadways and Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) plied on select routes in non-containment zones within the state, officials said. The state government has said inter-state bus services will not resume till May 31.
Before the start of operations, all buses were sanitised. Passengers had to undergo temperature screening at bus stands before being allowed to board buses, officials said.
Social distancing norms were followed and it was ensured that passengers wore masks and their hands sanitised, they said. (PTI)
Around 1,600 migrant workers boarded train to Patna from Vadodara railway station on Wednesday. (Express photo by Bhupendra Rana)
Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Wednesday said the health department had increased the bed capacity at its designated COVID-19 hospital from 60 to 170 in view of the rise in cases of novel coronavirus. Goa has witnessed a sudden spurt in COVID-19 cases, with 41 people testing positive in the state till Wednesday morning.
The bed capacity of ESI Hospital was increased from 60 to 170, with a back-up of another 30 beds, the minister said.
"I would like to congratulate Dr Ira Almeida, medical superintendent of Hospicio Hospital, director of Health Services Dr Jose D'Sa, dean of Goa Medical College Dr Shivanand Bandekar and secretary health Nila Mohanan for increasing the bed capacity overnight," he said in a statement. (PTI)
Noida-Delhi borders will remain sealed, the Gautam Buddh Nagar administration said Wednesday as it released guidelines for the fourth phase of the lockdown.
According to officials, a clarification regarding movement between Delhi and Noida has been sought from the state government and the rules will be in place till directions are received.
As per the guidelines, a Noida resident can have two persons besides the driver in a private vehicle. In a three-wheeler public transport, only two persons besides the driver to be allowed as per the order. Read the full guidelines here
Violence broke out at Delhi’s Salahpur Majra village on the Delhi-Gurgaon border Wednesday morning, when workers from Delhi looking to reach industries and factories in Gurgaon were stopped at the border by Gurgaon Police due to restrictions on inter-state movement. According to police, the incident occurred around 9 am.
“There was a large crowd of people who had gathered at the border because they wanted to cross into Gurgaon the reach their workplaces. However, they could not be allowed to enter because of the border sealing and the additional restrictions, since they did not have the required passes. An argument broke out over this, with the workers eventually getting violent,” said Subhash Boken, PRO of Gurgaon Police.
“There was some amount of stone pelting that took place, but none of the police personnel sustained any serious injuries. Further action will be taken as per the law,” he said.
New Delhi has recorded the highest single-day spike in Covid cases today with 534 fresh infections in the last 24 hours. At least 10 more people have died from the disease, taking the toll to 176.
In phase 3 of Operation Samudra Setu, the Indian Navy will begin bringing home Indian nationals from Sri Lanka. INS Jalashwa will make its first voyage to Colombo and return on June 1, 2020.
In our special series on Covid-19 fighters, Tora Agarwala writes on how an Assam lawyer became the source of reprieve for thousands of stranded migrants during the lockdown. Aatifur Hussain, 27, has provided thousands of people with basic rations, so many that he has lost count. On his phone, contacts are saved as ‘Kerala’, ‘Noida’, ‘Mhr’ (Maharashtra) — “I don’t even remember their actual names now,” he says.
Around 500 personnel from the Kolkata Police Combat Force staged a protest in Kolkata on Tuesday against deployment in Covid-19 containment zones, as the chances of contracting the disease were high. According to a report in PTI, the protesters vandalised the vehicle of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Combat Battalion, Col Nevendera Singh Paul after he tried to converse with them.
“We are being sent on duty in high-risk areas. There are several policemen who have been infected with the virus. This cannot go on,” a police officer of the Combat Force told PTI.
The 73rd session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) took place virtually from May 18-19. During the session, countries, including India, accepted a resolution asking for an “impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation” of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) response to the pandemic as well as the identification of the “zoonotic” source of the coronavirus. Why is this resolution important? Click here to read
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has advised healthcare professionals to adopt a non-invasive autopsy technique which handling dead bodies, as the coronavirus can survive in a body for a certain period of time. The virus's survival gradually decreases with time, but the specific duration is yet to be ascertained. ICMR on Tuesday released its 'Standard guidelines for Medico-legal autopsy in COVID-19 deaths in India 2020'.
Here are some Covid-19 updates from across the country:
The Biplab Deb-led Tripura government has claimed it has the highest recovery rate of coronavirus in the country as 116 out of the 173 Covid-19 patients in the state have been treated and discharged from isolation. Four new positive cases were identified in Tripura today, taking the total number of infections to 173. Tripura Law Minister Ratan Lal Nath said while the national average for recovery rate is currently 39 per cent, Tripura stands at 68.83 per cent.
Nearly 170 Indian crew ship members landed in Goa this morning, after boarding a chartered flight from Italy. The crew members, who were working with the M/s Costa Cruise Company, had been stranded abroad due to the lockdown in India. "Goa International Airport receives 1st repatriation flight bringing to home 168 seafarers of Goa. All protocol for social distance, hand sanitisation in place, Process of testing to commence shortly," the state airport tweeted.
The rise in new infections is also due to enhanced testing. India has been testing more and more every day, and it is very well established that more the tests are done, higher would be cases detected. That is because most of the infected people are asymptomatic, and they can be detected only if they are tested. But they are as likely to infect others as those with symptoms. That is why experts and scientists keep on emphasising on the need for greater number of tests. Read Amitabh Sinha's explainer here
In a growing list of global trials on the efficacy of tuberculosis vaccines in preventing Covid-19, one is an upcoming 10-month trial being conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on the BCG vaccine. What is this vaccine? What will ICMR’s upcoming study on BCG vaccine look at? What is known about this vaccine’s action in Covid patients? All your questions answered in our explainer
The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation has planned to operate 2000 buses on Wednesday, of which 400 will be from Bengaluru alone (Majestic and Mysore Rd Satellite Bus stands). Yesterday, over 1535 buses were operated. All services are to destinations within the state.
Further, KSRTC has also extended timings of operating buses as the fourth phase of the nationwide lockdown to contain further spread of the novel coronavirus continues. Now, the last departures from stations will be at 7 pm.
One day after reporting zero active cases in Meghalaya, the state has reported a new case. The person, recently returned from Chennai, and was in institutional quarantine.
"One of the persons from Garo Hills, who came back from Chennai in the second batch has tested positive for COVID-19, the person is asymptomatic and has been in institutional quarantine in Tura. We are monitoring the situation," Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma Tuesday night. This bring the the total number of reported cases to 14, with 1 active, 12 recovered and one dead."We should not panic ... but need to handle this with utmost care and responsibility. We need to take care of elderly people and people with comorbid conditions. Asymptotic and young people are recovering from this by observing isolation," Sangma said.
A team of 105 medical professionals has left from Kerala to the UAR to help treat Covid-19 patients. They left this morning from the Cochin International Airport on a specially chartered Etihad aircraft, reported news agency PTI.
VPS Healthcare Director (India) Hafiz Ali Ullat said, "In UAE, we have been working with the government from the beginning. Sending a medical team is a part of our continuous effort in supporting the government there during this pandemic. The medical team will be following all the travel guidelines and maintain social distancing norms even on the flight," he said.
The prohibition of saliva to shine the ball only addresses the issue of transmission of the coronavirus through the saliva. In reality, despite a ban on saliva in place, the virus can continue to travel between people who are in close contact with one another, within about six feet; through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or even talks; when the infected droplets land on surfaces or objects around a person – unless the chain of transmission is not broken. Here, Kaunain Sheriff M explains why the ban is inconsequential if other precautions are not taken.
The national capital is witnessing traffic snarls this morning as life resumes, and people head out to work. Here are some pictures taken by our photo journalist Tashi Tobgyal.
The migrants at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border in Ghazipur are desperate, disillusioned, and convinced they are on their own. "You think walking was our first choice? This is our only option," they tell Yashee. “We know all about the government facilities, but they are using a mug to water a sugarcane field. The process to register for tickets is complicated, the fares are unaffordable, and the number of trains is too few.” Read the report here
With 5,611 cases in the last 24 hours, India’s tally of coronavirus infections Wednesday rose to 1,06,750. At least 3,303 people have died due to the disease, including 140 in the last day. There are only ten countries now with more cases than India.
From June 1,200 regular non-AC trains will run across the country, the Railways has said. While the routes are being finalised, it is likely these trains will run between cities with large migrant populations such as Surat, Ahmedabad, Delhi, and Hyderabad, and states such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar which are home to most of these migrant workers.
But in its new SOPs (standard operating procedures) sent to the states, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has said the “movement of Shramik Special trains shall be permitted by Ministry of Railways in consultation with Ministry of Home Affairs”. The train schedule, including stops and destinations, shall be finalised by the Ministry of Railways, “based on the requirements of states/ UTs”.
Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan will be appointed the chairman of the World Health Organization's (WHO) Executive Board on May 22, reported news agency PTI. Vardhan will succeed Dr Hiroki Nakatani of Japan, currently the Chairman of the 34-member WHO Executive Board.
The plight of migrants leaving the cities has been visible on streets all over India. Now, a new study has looked what is happening to poor, non-migrant urban workers. What were the findings? It arrived at three broad conclusions. First, the lockdown resulted in significant economic costs, with income falling by 57% and days worked falling 73%. Second, the lockdown resulted in “widespread compliance with public health directives: mask usage rose by 73 percentage points (pp); time spent indoors increased by 51 pp; smoking decreased by 13 pp; and hand-washing rose by 10 pp.” Third, the economic impacts of the lockdown were somewhat mitigated by government food assistance, but about 64% of the sample could not access these. Read our explainer here