Coronavirus India LIVE News Updates:
At least 85 personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF) tested positive for Covid on Wednesday, taking the number of infections within the force to 152. A Delhi Police constable died due to the disease; his colleagues are in self-quarantine.
The government Tuesday announced a Rs 13 a litre hike in excise duty on diesel and a Rs 10 a litre hike in excise duty on petrol in an attempt to shore up revenues as demand remains subdued due to the lockdown. Finance Ministry officials said the hike in excise duty, which comes into effect Wednesday, will not result in an increase in retail prices for the consumers.
This is the second hike in excise duty on fuel in two months by the Centre and comes after a hike in value added tax by several states over the last few days. A government notification said the special excise duty on petrol was hiked by Rs 2 a litre to Rs 12 a litre and by Rs 5 a litre to Rs 9 a litre for diesel. Road cess on both petrol and diesel has also been increased by Rs 8 a litre to Rs 18 a litre.
The government had on March 14 hiked the excise duty, and road and infrastructure cess by Rs 3 a litre each for both petrol and diesel. Government sources said the revenue generated from these duties would be used for infrastructure and other developmental expenditure.
The government has also suspended all visas granted to foreign nationals, barring a few categories, till flight operations remain shut owing to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
All existing visas granted to foreigners — except those belonging to diplomatic, official, UN international organisations, employment and project categories — shall remain suspended till prohibition on international air travel of passengers from and to India is lifted by the government, an order by the Ministry of Home Affairs read.
With the eased lockdown in Mumbai leading to huge crowds and compromised social distancing,Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner Praveen Pardeshi issued an order Tuesday, withdrawing relaxations for Mumbai and disallowing sale of liquor in the city. The order allowed only shops selling essential goods to operate.
“… It has been observed that the number of positive cases in the city of Mumbai have been rising and the downward trend is yet to set in and gathering of crowds in large numbers without following social distancing will be detrimental to the control of spread of virus and the advantage of the lockdown will be lost due to gathering of people in large numbers,” the order said.
Meanwhile, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School said in the Lancet that a one-size-fits-all approach to the coronavirus pandemic is likely to increase inequalities in the long term, so countries with less resources must let people get on with their lives — to work, earn money and put food on the table.
The first such train to Madhya Pradesh, carrying more than 300 passengers from Nashik, arrived at Misrod, a small suburban station, last week. On Wednesday, the train reached late by more than three hours.
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Passenger trains reached Habibganj, one of the two main stations in Bhopal (Express Photo by Milind Ghatwai)
Maharashtra MLA Nitesh Rana tweeted a video clip of a hospital in Mumbai's Sion which appears to be showing patients in the same room as bodies wrapped in sheets. "In Sion hospital..patients r sleeping next to dead bodies!!! This is the extreme..what kind of administration is this!" he said in the tweet.
According to Dr Daksha Shah, deputy executive health officer in BMC, the Civic body was notified about this now. "The dean is looking in to it," she said.
The BMC Wednesday allowed stand-alone electronic and hardware shop (not more than one on each road) to remain open in Mumbai, a day after it revoked lockdown relaxations in the city.
428 new cases of Covid-19 have been reported from Delhi in the last 24 hours. The total number of cases have reached 5,532 including 65 deaths. 74 more people have recovered on Wednesday.
In a bizarre incident in Karnataka, a man who was returning from a liquor shop bit a snake that crossed his path while he was riding his motorbike. A video that is viral on social media shows the man shouting and biting the snake.
According to the Range Forest Officer, the man has been identified as Kumar (38) and the incident took place at Mustur village in Kolar district’s Mulbagal. Kumar was later arrested by Mulbagal forest department officials and a case registered against him.
Speaking to Indianexpress.com, wildlife activist Sharath Babu said, “The snake that the man bit was a rat snake, which is called kere haavu in Kannada. Ptyas mucosa is its scientific name. A rat snake is a venomous viper that may end up killing the person biting it while it also dies.”
Air India has scheduled three flights tomorrow - Kochi to Abudhabi, Delhi to Singapore and Calicut to Dubai - to bering back Indians staranded in these foreign countries. Under the 'Vande Bharat' mission, Air India plans to bring stranded Indians from abroad amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown. However, the flight could not be oeprated today as the crew members' COVID-19 tests were not done on time, senior airline officials said.
Private hospitals, clinics and nursing homes in Ahemdabad city will be directed to open their services within 48 hours or stand to lose their licence to practice medicine, officials said, acocrding to PTI. The city has accounted for nearly 70 per cent of Gujarat's total number of cases and death toll. So far, Gujarat has recorded 368 deaths and total 6,245 coronavirus cases. "Private clinics/nursing homes/hospitals to be issued notices to open their clinics within 48 hours and be notified that they will lose their licences otherwise," said Additional Chief Secretary Rajiv Kumar Gupta.
Fresh 25 deaths and 291 coronavirus cases have been reported in Ahmedabad taking the toll to 291 and 4,735 infections, the health department informed, as per PTI tally.
A convict charged with murder, serving life term since 2005, sought parole from the Delhi High Court so he could find himself a wife and cure his “inner stress and depression” due to incarceration which has “exacerbated” due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The petitioner challenged the authorities December 2019 decision to reject his application for parole “to explore the possibility of finding a suitable match, to maintain social ties and family relations, and to curb inner stress and depression due to incarceration”.
A flying squad of Maharashtra’s excise department has seized a huge quantity of pure spirit, diverted to manufacture liquor instead of sanitisers. At least six persons have been arrested in Mumbai’s Ahmednagar distrcit, including the manager of a warehouse and general manager of Latur-based Siddhi Sugar and Allied Industries Pvt Ltd, an official told PTI. (READ MORE)
The number of novel coronavirus cases in West Bengal are characterised by a “very low rate of testing” and “the highest rate of mortality” in the country, the Centre said in a scathing observation Wednesday.
In a two-page letter to West Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said stricter enforcement of lockdown was necessary and the problems have arisen due to ostracism of healthcare professionals and lack of quarantine facilities in the state.
The West Bengal government Wednesday allowed the home delivery of liquor, with the state beverages corp launching a portal for placing orders
The total numebr of Covid-19 cases include 14,182 persons recovered or discharged from the hospitals cleared of the coronavirus and 1,694 deaths.
BJP sitting Lok Sabha member Jamyang Tsering Namgyal along with his family has been quarantined for 14 days at his residence in Leh district of the Union Territory of Ladakh.
Official sources that this followed soon after he reached Leh from Jammu by road on Tuesday. The District Disaster Management Authority has also pasted a notice outside his residence saying 'visitors not allowed'. Pointing out the total number of family members in the house as 'five', the notice mentions the 14 day quarantine period with effect from May 5.
Divisional Commissioner Saugat Biswas when contacted said that it has been done as per protocol prescribed to contain COVID-19 pandemic. Everybody who is coming to Ladakh from elsewhere the country is being quarantined, he said, adding that nearly 1,000 people stranded elsewhere have so far returned to Ladakh during the past over a week.
Gujarat reports 380 new COVID-19 cases and 28 deaths, taking total case count to 6,625 and fatalities to 396, PTI quotes state health officials as saying.
The Karnataka government on Wednesday hiked excise duty on liquor by 11 per cent to mop up revenues, two day after allowing its sale, following the easing of COVID-19 induced lockdown. This hike is in addition to the six per cent that was announced in the budget.
"Yes, this 11 per cent increase in excise duty is in addition to the six per cent announced in the budget," Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa told PTI.
According to sources, the hike will translate into a consumer paying Rs 5 more for an 180 ml bottle of liquor.
The hike is applicable on brandy, whisky, gin and rum, but not to beer, wine, toddy and feni, they said. (PTI)
COVID-19 cases continued to surge in Tamil Nadu as the state on Wednesday recorded a new all-time single day high of 771 additions, a big chunk linked to the hotspot of Koyambedu market here, and two fresh deaths, taking the total number of infections to 4,829. The toll due to the disease rose to 35.
While there are a number of children below ten years of age among the freshly infected, as many as 324 were from the state capital, whose tally rose to 2,328 cases, a health department bulletin said. Read our explained on why Tamil Nadu is latest cause for worry in the fight against Covid-19
Public transport services may resume operations soon and the government is formulating guidelines for safe usage adhering to social distancing norms to check the spread of coronavirus, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday.
"Public transport is likely to resume soon... Guidelines will be there," Road Transport, Highways and MSME Minister Gadkari said addressing members of Bus and Car Operators Confederation of India through video conference.
He said opening of transport and highways will go a long way in instilling confidence among the public and cautioned towards maintaining social distance and adopting all safety measures like hand wash, sanitizing, face masks, etc while operating buses and cars.
On demand of a bailout for passenger transport industry, Gadkari said the government is fully aware of their problems, and will fully support them to mitigate their issues.
He said that he is in regular touch with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who are working overtime to uplift the economy during these difficult days of COVID-19 pandemic. (PTI)
The total coronavirus cases in Jammu and Kashmir rose to 775 with 34 new cases being reported on Wednesday.
Warning that widespread closures of educational facilities present an unprecedented risk to children’s education and wellbeing, the UN agencies have laid down guidelines for reopening of schools that have been closed in most parts of the world due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
According to the guidelines framed by UNESCO, UNICEF, World Bank, and the World Food Programme, the best interests of children and overall public health considerations, based on an assessment of the associated benefits and risks to education, public health, and socio-economic factor, must be central to national and local authorities’ decisions to reopen schools.
The guidelines note that while there is not enough evidence yet to measure the impact of school closures on the disease transmission rates, the adverse effects of school closures on children’s safety and learning are well documented. Gains made in increasing access to children’s education in recent decades risk being lost and, in the worse cases, reversed completely. Read more
No new positive cases were reported in Kerala on Wednesday, while samples of seven people returned negative and only 30 COVID-19 patients are under treatment. There are no new hotspots either in the state.
Six people from Kottayam, including one from Idukki and another from Pathnamthitta have been declared cured on Wednesday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said.
The total positive cas touched 502, while 30 people are under treatment for the infection and 14,670 are under observation, including 268 in hospitals, he said.
Eight of the 14 districts have zero positive cases, including Kozhikode, Malappuram, Ernakulam and Thiruvananthpuram and there are no new hotspots in the state, the chief minister said. (PTI)
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce issued a notification on Wednesday prohibiting export of alcohol based sanitisers.
After more than a month, Assam’s first COVID-19 patient tested negative and was released from the Silchar Medical College Hospital on Thursday.
The 52-year-old was a cancer patient too, and spent nearly 35 days in the hospital. Assam reported one more recovery on Friday — the patient was released from the Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital in Guwahati.
Both were confirmed by Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who said that the patients were discharged from hospital after testing negative in three consecutive tests.
“Now the number of active cases in Assam is 9, with total 44 positive cases so far,” he said.
The minister also confirmed that ICMR Delhi had recognised Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh as an accredited lab for COVID-19 testing. The state now has seven such testing facilities.
Territorial Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Wednesday said the Centre should consult the states before deciding on extending the lockdown and classifying as red, orange and green zones according to the severity of the COVID-19 spread.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "Only, the state governments know the ground realities and the prevailing situation, hence the Centre should hold consultations with the states and take a decision on the extension of the lockdown."
He said only after getting the recommendation of the states should the Centre take a decision on the stretch of containment zone and also on further extension of the lockdown. (PTI)
Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb has announced to test all journalists working on the ground for coronavirus. In a tweet, Deb wrote, "Along with other frontline warriors, media personnel are also moving from one place to another for news coverage. In view of their safety, we have decided to test the samples of all media personnel who are working on the ground. #TripuraCares4all."
He also said the state government would soon announce a scheme to ensure safety of family members of journos working in the midst of coronavirus outbreak.
Meanwhile, vehicles carrying nearly 200 students of Tripura who were stranded at Kota of Rajasthan, reached Churaibari in northern district, where they were put under quarantine as standard operating procedure. They would be tested there for COVID-19 and if found unaffected, they would be released.
The state government earlier announced it would facilitate return of stranded people with authorities in respective states but expense of the journey would have to be borne by the passengers.
The Centre Wednesday launched the IVRS facility on the Aarogya Setu app to cater to people having feature phone or landline. The input provided by the citizen will be processed to send alerts to the citizen on the action to be taken to ensure their safety.
The Karnataka government on Wednesday announced a Rs 1,610 crore relief package for the benefit of those in distress due to the COVID-19-induced lockdown, and hiked excise duty on liquor by 11 per cent to mop up revenues.
The measures announced by the Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa include compensation of Rs 5,000 each to thousands of washermen, barbers, auto rickshaw and taxi drivers, whose daily life has been affected. It would also provide relief to farmers, flower-growers, MSMEs, large industries, weavers, and building workers.
The government has also hiked excise duty by 11 percent, which is in addition to the 6 per cent that was announced in the budget, he said.
"People from all sections of society are facing financial difficulties due to lockdown of more than one and a half months... the easing of lockdown does not mean it has ended. No one one should misuse relaxation, and cooperate in improving financial condition of the state," the Chief Minister said.
"With in a week we will transfer the amount to accounts (of beneficiaries). We have stopped all development activities and doing this on priority for the welfare of those in distress, despite financial limitation," he added. (PTI)
As of 5 pm on May 6, 2020, cumulatively 693 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in Karnataka, which includes 29 deaths and 354 discharges. 20 new cases have been confirmed in the last 24 hours.
The Gujarat Congress on Wednesday alleged that the 'Namaste Trump' event organised by the state BJP government in on February 24 here was responsible for the spread of coronavirus in the state.
State Congress president Amit Chavda said his party wants an independent probe through a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into this, and will approach the Gujarat High Court soon against government's "criminal negligence".
"People were asked to stand shoulder to shoulder on the road to greet the leaders. Lakhs of people were brought to the stadium in buses. This triggered spread of the virus. This event was not a mistake, but a criminal negligence. The 'Namaste Trump' event was responsible for community transmission of the virus," Chavda alleged.
"We will soon file a petition in the Gujarat High Court demanding a judicial inquiry in it through an SIT having field experts as its members. We will demand action against the government, GCA and the 'Trump Abhivadan Samiti' (committee formed to organise the event) through this petition," he added. (PTI)
Air India pilots and crew members were trained on how to evacuate Indians from abroad in Kerala today at the Medical College Ernakulam, Kalamassery. An expert infection control panel taught they about PPE kits, infection control practices and management of anticipated health emergencies during the flight. The first batch of Air India staff is scheduled to depart from Kochi on Thursday.
China has hit back at the US for stating that the coronavirus originated from a lab in Wuhan. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying Wednesday dared US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to show the "enormous evidence" he said he had to prove the same.
"He (Pompeo) said 'enormous evidence'. Then show us... Pompeo cannot present any evidence because he does not have any." Hua said. "This matter should be handled by scientists and professionals instead of politicians out of their domestic political need.
"On the issue of the origin of coronavirus, people have different opinions. I think tracing the origin is a very serious matter. That should be researched by scientists and professionals," she added.
In Shimla on Wednesday. Municiple corporation members disinfect a building amid the nationwide lockdown; food is distributed to the needy. (Express Photos: Pradeep Kumar)
Amid the nationwide lockdown, children with no access to the Internet and computers in Kerala are cut off from the education system as most of the schools have started online classes. Surrounded by the sea and backwaters of Alappuzha, a considerable population of children are from fishermen families or families that engage in daily wage jobs.
As Mumbai’s Dharavi has shown, managing a pandemic in a slum can be a nightmare. This is where Agartala’s Radhanagar Purba Basti has set itself apart with general cleanliness, social discipline and community engagement in effectively managing the requirements of the prolonged lockdown. Read our special story from our series 'Covid-19 Stories of Strength', by Facebook and The Indian Express.
An Italian firm Tuesday claimed it had developed a vaccine that could neutralise the novel coronavirus in human cells. According to tests carried out at Rome’s infectious-disease Spallanzani Hospital, the vaccine contained antibodies generated in mice that could work on human cells, Italian news agency ANSA reported.
Tests conducted on mice by a team of scientists at Italian medical firm Takis showed they developed antibodies after a single vaccination that could block the virus from infecting human cells, ANSA reported.
A Delhi Police constable died due to the coronavirus today, the first Covid-19 related casualty in the force. The constable was posted at North-West Delhi's Bharat Nagar police station. His colleagues have been asked to self-isolate. He is survived by his wife and three-year-old son.
Prakash Singh, chairman of the Indian Police Foundation, writes: "Perhaps, a new chapter is opening — which reveals a police that is more sensitive and humane, people-friendly and committed to the committed to the rule of law. This transformation would, however, need the support of the people, of the media and, above all, the legislators and parliamentarians." Read his column here
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on nations to ensure persons with disabilities are given equal access to prevention and treatment of Covid-19, as they are among the worst hit by the pandemic. “We cannot let this continue,” he said. “We must guarantee the equal rights of people with disabilities to access health care and lifesaving procedures during the pandemic.”
At least 85 personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF) tested positive for Covid on Wednesday, taking the number of infections within the force to 152. Of the total, 110 cases were reported from New Delhi, while the rest were from Tripura. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), on the other hand, has 137 infections.
Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad says, "Aarogya Setu absolutely robust app in terms of privacy protection and safety, security of data. Aarogya Setu app is for the safety of Indians in the public interest." --PTI
Gujarat to run 30 Shramik trains for 22,800 migrants today. This includes 18 trains to Uttar Pradesh, 7 to Bihar, 3 to Odisha and 2 to Jharkhand.
Also, 1550 Gujaratis stranded in USA, UK, Philippines, Singapore and Kuwait will be brought back on flights to Ahmedabad in Phase-I, says Gujarat government; First flight to arrive on May 7 from the Philippines carrying 250 passengers.
The MHA has directed the West Bengal government to allow cross-land border transportation through all Indo-Bangla borders without delay.
Tamil Nadu to make arrangements for TASMAC shops which will function from tomorrow. Each shop to have two constables, two home guards/volunteers. Barricades to be erected, the time slot has been fixed for different age groups, the token system is set to be followed.
The United Kingdom has drawn up a three-stage plan to ease the coronavirus lockdown that was first imposed at the end of March, The Times newspaper said. The government must review the lockdown by May 7 but Prime Minister Boris Johnson has made clear that he is worried about triggering a second deadly spike in cases. The first phase will involve small shops reopening alongside outdoor workplaces and the second will involve large shopping centres reopening, with more people encouraged to go into work, The Times said. Pubs, restaurants, hotels and leisure centres will be among the last to open, the newspaper said
The Delhi airport has handled over 300 evacuation flights for approximately 30,000 passengers and around 1,000 cargo flights from the beginning of the coronavirus-induced lockdown on March 25 to May 4, its operator DIAL said on Wednesday. A total of 44 countries like the USA, Britain, Germany, Japan and Norway operated flights to evacuate their stranded citizens from India, it said. "Till May 4, 2020, it (Delhi airport) handled around 1,000 cargo (scheduled and non-scheduled) and over 310 evacuation (arrival and departure) flight movements -- both domestic and international," the Delhi Airport International Limited (DIAL) said in a statement.
The Delhi airport has handled over 300 evacuation flights for approximately 30,000 passengers and around 1,000 cargo flights from the beginning of the coronavirus-induced lockdown on March 25 to May 4, its operator DIAL said on Wednesday. A total of 44 countries like the USA, Britain, Germany, Japan and Norway operated flights to evacuate their stranded citizens from India, it said. "Till May 4, 2020, it (Delhi airport) handled around 1,000 cargo (scheduled and non-scheduled) and over 310 evacuation (arrival and departure) flight movements -- both domestic and international," the Delhi Airport International Limited (DIAL) said in a statement.
The Indian Railways says that 20 more trains are planned to start today to ferry migrants to their home state. "As per the information received yesterday, we had run 38 Shramik Special Trains. Today 42 more trains planned. Till 1300 hrs today, we had run 22 trains making total tally till now to 115 trains. 20 more trains are planned to start today," the Railways said.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot put forward a demand for an extensive stimulus package. He said states have repeatedly requested the prime minister for a package, “but we are yet to hear from the government of India”. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said, “States are facing dire economic crisis. They need to be provided immediate assistance.” He said Chattisgarh is one state where 80 per cent of Small Industries have restarted and nearly 85,000 workers have returned to work.
During the meeting, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh slammed the Centre for ‘sitting in Delhi and deciding on classification of zones without knowing what’s happening on the ground.’ He also said that he has set up two committees, one to strategise on how to come out of the lockdown and the other on economic revival.
Former prime minister Manmohan Singh, who was also present at the meeting, said, “We need to know, as Soniaji said, what will happen after lockdown 3.0?”. “Soniaji has already pointed out. CM’s need to deliberate and ask as to what is the strategy of the government of India to get the country out of lockdown,” Singh asked.
The Congress party on Wednesday questioned the Centre over the criteria it adopted to judge how long the COVID-19-induced lockdown will continue and also asked to reveal the steps that will be taken after the curbs are lifted. Addressing a meeting of chief ministers of states where Congress is in power, party president Sonia Gandhi asked: “what after May 17?.” “After May 17th, What? and After May 17th, How?…what criteria is GoI (government of India) using to judge how long the lockdown is to continue…,” Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala quoted Sonia Gandhi as saying in the video conference with CMs.
India's service sector activity plummeted to a historic low in April, as strict restrictions on the movement of citizens and business shutdowns led the sector to a complete standstill, a monthly survey said on Wednesday. The IHS Markit India Services Business Activity Index stood at 5.4 in April, an extreme decline from 49.3 in March, and indicative of the most severe contraction in services output since records began in December 2005. As per the IHS Markit India Services Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), a print above 50 means expansion, while a score below that denotes contraction.
Domestic manufacturers have reached the capacity of producing nearly 2.5 lakh PPE and 2 lakh N-95 masks per day which is sufficient to meet the country's requirement in dealing with the novel coronavirus pandemic in the near future, the Group of Ministers (GoM) on COVID-19 has been informed. The GoM, which held its 14th meeting under the chairmanship of Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Tuesday, discussed various aspects pertaining to the ?performance, impact and benefits of the Aarogya Setu application. It also highlighted the need for ensuring stringent measures for quality control of personal protection equipment (PPE), masks, ventilators among others.
A Shramik Special train carrying nearly 1,200 migrant workers left from neighbouring Navi Mumbai for Rewa in Madhya Pradesh in the wee hours of Wednesday, the Central Railway said. The train left from Panvel station of Navi Mumbai at 12.45 am, carrying passengers "registered and nominated by the state government", the Central Railway (CR) informed on its Twitter handle. Nearly 1,200 migrants boarded the 24-coach special train while maintaining the physical distancing norms, a CR spokesperson said. On Tuesday night, the Central Railway operated two Shramik Special trains from Kalyan junction in neighbouring Thane district.
The United Nations chief says the world’s one billion people with disabilities are among the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a video and report Wednesday that the coronavirus crisis is revealing the extent of exclusion that the most marginalized members of society experience.
The coronavirus-induced fatalities has reached 257,000 Wednesday globally and the number of infections stood at 3,663,824. Several countries around the world saw a spike in cases as they seek ways to reopen their economies and ease lockdown restrictions. Britain on Tuesday became the first country in Europe to touch 30,000 Covid-19 deaths and surpassed France to become the world’s fourth worst affected country. Infections rose sharply again in Russia. China and South Korea each reported only two new cases.
# Australia seeks to re-start economy by July: As Australia is starting to lift curbs ad ease restrictions, the government is seeking ways to reopen businesses as soon as July. Prime Minister Scott Morrison will discuss health protocols at the National Cabinet meeting Friday that could enable businesses to open in a “COVID-safe environment”, with the government saying the shutdown was costing the economy A$4 billion ($2.6 billion) a week.
# Colombia extends lockdown till 25 May: Colombia’s mandatory quarantine will be extended for another two weeks with some sectors being allowed to restart their work, President Ivan Duque said Tuesday. “Between May 11 and May 25 we will extend the obligatory preventative isolation but recover space for productive life,” Duque said.
# UK launches trade talks with the US: The United States and Britain launched formal negotiations on a free trade agreement Tuesday, aiming to work quickly to seal a deal that could counter the economic fallout of the pandemic. The talks will be conducted virtually and will involve over 300 UK and US staff and officials in nearly 30 negotiating groups.
# Disney to reopen its park in Shanghai: Disney Tuesday said that it would reopen Shanghai Disneyland to a reduced number of visitors on May 11 after reporting profit cuts by $1.4 billion due to the coronavirus pandemic and closed theme parks around the world. The park would enforce strict social distancing measures on rides and in restaurants.
Despite over 71,000 deaths and 12 lakh positive coronavirus cases in the country, the Donald Trump administration is mulling winding down the White House Task Force on Covid-19 and delegating its responsibilities in a phased manner to the relevant federal agencies. There has, however, been a sharp decline in the number of new cases and deaths in the US in the last one week, as per Johns Hopkins University, which perhaps prompted Trump to say that the country has been able to flatten the curve. And with this decline, quite a few states have started to open up.
Hiring across India has declined by 62 per cent in April 2020 as compared to last year. The worst-hit are the hotel, restaurant, travel, airlines with a decline of over 91 per cent followed by auto or ancillary, retail, and accounting and finance, according to the latest report by Naukri.com – a job site. Even with a decline of 51 per cent in hiring the IT-software industry was among the least affected industries followed by BPO/ITES/KPO, pharma, biotech, healthcare, and teaching and education industry, as per the report.
For 14 hours, 15-year-old Firdos’s body lay under a red bedsheet in a tiny paint workshop in Bandra’s Bharat Nagar slums as his father Kasim Ansari ran from doctors and civic officials to the police and ambulance owners for documents to travel 1,900 km back home to Giridih, Jharkhand, where his teenage son will be buried. Read More
While there is debate on how much the lockdown has helped in “flattening the Covid-19 curve”, one thing is clear: It has led to a flattening of prices through a “leftward shift in the demand curve”. The best way to illustrate this is through two agricultural commodities — potato and milk — that were experiencing significant production shortfalls. In ordinary circumstances, it would have resulted in prices shooting up at this time. Instead, they have remained flat or even collapsed, thanks to the demand destruction from lockdown. READ MORE
Anganwadi worker Heena Shafi hands a pregnant woman two packets. One, for the 21-year-old expectant mother carries a hot water bag, towels, a set of comfortable nightwear and slippers. The other is for the baby — a soft, furry pink blanket, wipes, diapers, clothes, soap and few other essentials.
At the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) office at the Old Secretariat in Srinagar, Heena is part of an all-woman team of anganwadi workers who have been reaching out to pregnant women amidst the nationwide lockdown.
Kashmir has so far recorded 678 Covid cases and seven deaths, and the ICDS team in Srinagar and the administration are taking no chances.