Saturday, June 27, 2026
Home Blog Page 1193

Odisha starts plasma therapy to combat COVID-19

Subrat Kumar Sarangi

Bhubaneswar (NVI): Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the Plasma Bank at SCB Medical College & hospital, Cuttack, for providing treatment to the seriously ill COVID-19 patients.

Odisha becomes the third state in the country to adopt plasma therapy after Maharastra & Delhi.

A dedicated plasma bank has been set up at SCB Medical College and Hospital, designated as the nodal centre for the therapy. It will maintain a centralised registry of patients recovered from novel coronavirus.

Meanwhile, the therapy will be rolled out at Ashwini Hospital in Cuttack, SUM and KIMS Covid Hospitals in Bhubaneswar.

“This therapy will be made available free of cost to the people of the state,” Patnaik said.

Furthermore, the Chief Minister made an appeal to all the COVID survivors to come forward for donating plasma to help in the treatment process.

According to the experts, bodies of coronavirus recovery patients produce plasma in the blood which is given to a critical patient to fight COVID.

In addition to this, a 48-year-old critically-ill COVID-19 patient became the first person to receive the plasma therapy in Odisha at Ashwini COVID Hospital.

-CHK

State-wise details of Covid-19 cases in India

New Delhi (NVI): India’s coronavirus cases saw the highest single-day spike of 32,695, taking the total number of cases to 9,68,876, according to Union Health Ministry data.

Meanwhile, the death toll has climbed to 24,915 with 606 new fatalities being recorded since yesterday.

In worst-hit Maharashtra, the COVID-19 cases increased to 2,75,640, followed by Tamil Nadu with 1,51,820 cases, and Delhi with 1,17,993 cases.

Total positive cases in States/UTs:

Andaman and Nicobar Islands- 176

Andhra Pradesh- 35,451

Arunachal Pradesh- 462

Assam- 18,666

Bihar- 20,612

Chandigarh- 625

Chhattisgarh- 4,539

Dadar Nagar Haveli & Diu – 297

Delhi- 1,16,993

Gujarat- 44,552

Goa- 2,951

Haryana– 23,306

Himachal Pradesh- 1,341

Jammu and Kashmir- 11,666

Jharkhand- 4,320

Karnataka- 47,253

Kerala- 9,553

Ladakh- 1,142

Madhya Pradesh- 19,643

Maharashtra- 2,75,640

Manipur- 1,700

Meghalaya- 346

Mizoram- 238

Nagaland- 902

Odisha- 14,898

Puducherry- 1,596

Punjab- 8,799

Rajasthan- 26,437

Sikkim- 220

Tamil Nadu- 1,51,820

Telangana- 39,342

Tripura- 2,268

Uttarakhand- 3,785

Uttar Pradesh- 41,383

West Bengal – 34,427

State/UT wise total death toll:

Andhra Pradesh- 452

Arunachal Pradesh- 3

Assam- 46

Bihar- 180

Chandigarh- 11

Chhattisgarh- 20

Delhi- 3,487

Goa- 18

Gujarat- 2,079

Haryana- 319

Himachal Pradesh- 11

Jammu and Kashmir- 206

Jharkhand- 38

Karnataka- 928

Kerala- 35

Ladakh- 1

Madhya Pradesh- 682

Maharashtra- 10,928

Meghalaya- 2

Odisha- 77

Puducherry- 21

Punjab- 221

Rajasthan- 530

Tamil Nadu- 2,167

Telangana- 386

Tripura- 3

Uttar Pradesh- 1,012

Uttarakhand- 50

West Bengal- 1,000

A total of 6,12,815 people have been cured or discharged. Total active cases stand at 3,3,146.

-CHK

PM pays tribute to Swamishree Maharaj

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid his condolences to Acharya Shree Purushottampriyadasji Swamishree Maharaj, who was tested positive for coronavirus and had succumbed after falling seriously ill this morning in Surat, Gujarat.

He was admitted at CIMS hospital, Science City, on June 28 after he was tested positive for Covid-19. He was put on ventilator and also administered two doses of plasma therapy.

Taking to twitter, PM Modi wrote, “Acharya Shree Purushottampriyadasji Swamishree Maharaj was blessed with immense wisdom. His emphasis on community service, education and women empowerment will always be remembered. I will never forget my many interactions with him. Om Shanti.”

“We will always remember Acharya Shree Purushottampriyadasji Swamishree Maharaj for his noble service to society. He worked hard to alleviate human suffering and further compassion. He will be remembered by countless people, not only in India but globally,” PM further tweeted.

Acharya Swamishree Maharaj’s last rites were performed this morning and were broadcasted live at www.SwaminarayanGadi.com.

However, social distancing norms were compromised during the last rituals by his followers.

Shree Purushottampriyadasji Swamishree Maharaj was the fifth spiritual leader in Supreme Lord Shree Swaminarayan’s divine lineage and was a successor of Gurudev Shree Muktajeevan Swamibapa, and current Acharya of Shree Swaminarayan Gadi.

-RJV

Coronavirus cases surpass 13.5 million worldwide

Coronavirus cases

New Delhi (NVI): More than 13.5 million people around the world have been diagnosed with COVID-19, 7.5 million people have recovered, and more than 5,84,100 have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

In the US, the number of cases rose by 65,682 for a total of 3.9 million with at least 919 new deaths added to the tally of around 1,37,000.

In Brazil, the total number of coronavirus cases are nearing 2 million and currently stands at more than 1.96 million while the death toll in the country has crossed 75,000.

Meanwhile, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has again tested positive for coronavirus. Since catching the virus, the president has said he remains in good health and he would resume his normal work schedule if he tested negative this week.

Mexico’s health ministry recorded 6,149 newly confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the country’s total to 3,17,635. The ministry also reported 579 new deaths from the virus, bringing Mexico’s death toll to 36,906.

In Australia, the state of Victoria reported two more deaths and 317 cases on Thursday, the largest daily increase in cases for an Australian state since the start of the pandemic.

South Africa surpassed 300,000 confirmed coronavirus cases. The country’s 311,049 cases make up close to half of Africa’s total.

-CHK

Massive CASO launched by security forces in J&K’s Pulwama, Shopian

2 LeT militants surrender after gunfight in J&K's Kulgam
(Representational/file image)

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): Security forces have launched a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) in southern districts of Pulwama and Shopian in a bid to flush out terrorists, official sources said.

Officials said that joint teams of Army, police and CRPF launched the search operations in several villages in Shopian district that include Nully Poshwari, Imamsahib and Yuwam. “A joint search was launched in Chuwan, Keller village of Shopian also,” officials said.

They said that CASO was also launched in many Pulwama villages including Jamia Mohalla, Tiken area.

A police officer told NVI that it’s a “speculative CASO” and so far no contact has been established with the terrorists in any of the twin districts — Pulwama and Shopian. “Such CASOs are part of the security drills as it forces terrorists to change their locations and hideouts which ultimately helps us to track them down,” he said.

This year so far, 130 terrorists have been killed in a series of anti-militancy operations which includes top commanders of Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed outfit. Hizb has borne the maximum brunt as the outfit has lost 60 terrorists alone including its chief operational commander Reyaz Naikoo.

Official figures suggest that since June 1, 50 terrorists have been killed in various counter insurgency operations across Kashmir.

-CHK

Earthquake of 4.5 magnitude hits Rajkot

quake
Representational image

New Delhi (NVI): An earthquake measuring 4.5 magnitude on the Richter Scale hit Rajkot in Gujarat today morning, the National Center for Seismology (NCS) said.

The earthquake struck at 7:40 am at a depth of more than 10 kilometres beneath ground, according to the NCS. The epicentre of the earthquake was 22 km southwest of Rajkot.

Several other parts of the state including Amreli and Junagadh districts felt tremors.

This was the second earthquake to hit the western state this month. On July 5, a 4.2 magnitude earthquake was recorded with its epicentre around 14 kms from Bhachau in Kutch district of Gujarat.

However, there were no reports of any damage to life or property.

-RJV

COVID cases in India climb to over 9.6 lakh, death toll 24,915

India’s COVID tally tops 10.34 million with 16,505 new cases
(File/ Representational image)

New Delhi (NVI): India today registered biggest single-day spike with 32,695 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, raising the total number of cases to 9,68,876.

In addition to this, this is the first time that COVID-19 cases crossed the 30,000-mark in a single day.

Meanwhile, the death toll in the country stood at 24,915 with 606 fresh fatalities being reported in the past 24 hours, Union Health Ministry said.

As many as 6,12,814 COVID-19 patients have been cured and discharged so far. With this the recovery rate stands at 63.25 per cent in India.

In worst-hit Maharashtra, the COVID-19 cases increased to 2,75,640, followed by Tamil Nadu with 1,51,820 cases, and Delhi with 1,17,993 cases.

Maharashtra has also reported the highest number of deaths at 10,928, followed by 2,079 in Gujarat and 2,167 in Tamil Nadu.

The death toll in the national capital rose to 3,487, while 95,699 patients in Delhi have recovered so far, the healthy ministry data shows.

The other worst affected states are Gujarat (44,552), Uttar Pradesh (41,383), West Bengal (34,427) and Rajasthan (26,437).

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), in total, 1,27,39,490 samples were tested for COVID-19 in the country till July 15. Of these, 3,26,826 were tested yesterday.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal yesterday said that the COVID-19 situation in Delhi is under control, but cautioned against complacency.

Apart from this, Goa announced a three-day lockdown with stricter restrictions from July 17, in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus in the state.

-RJV

Jadav Payeng, the ‘Forest Man’ of India who planted an entire forest on his own

New Delhi (NVI): He planted one tree every day and then continued it for the next 37 years. Now, an island destroyed by years of flooding along the Brahmaputra river in eastern Assam is converted into a lush green forest where wildlife has thrived, with tigers and elephants often seen.

Meet Jadav Payeng, the Forest Man of India from Majuli, who was honoured with Padma Shri in 2015 for his tireless efforts. In March this year, Jadav received the 128th Commonwealth Points of Light award, which includes a certificate signed by Queen Elizabeth II, for his exceptional voluntary service to environmental conservation.

Payeng started his extraordinary journey in 1979 when he was just 16-years-old. He encountered a large number of snakes that had died due to excessive heat after floods washed them onto the tree-less sandbar along the Brahmaputra river. That is when he planted around 20 bamboo seedlings on the sandbar.

Concerned over the rise in temperature in the sandbar, Payeng started trees on his own and quietly transformed the piece of land into a forest. A part of the sandbar also lies in the famous Majuli island in Assam.

To plant a tee every day, he would walk for 20 minutes, take a boat to cross the river, then walk another 2 hours to reach the place. This has been the forest man’s daily routine for all these years.

Thanks to Jadav’s efforts, the land is now a paradise for biodiversity, including endangered Royal Bengal tiger and vultures. However, Jadav’s journey has not ended yet and he plans to plant 5,000 acres of more trees on Majuli.

Meanwhile, the Assam floods, which have wreaked havoc in the entire region, have affected his own house. A video is going viral on social media in which Jadav is seen walking in front of his house in knee-deep waters.

The video, originally shared by Manoranjan Pegu, was retweeted by Naveed Trumboo, an Indian Revenue Services (IRS) officer.

-ARK

‘Abducted’ BJP leader walks home in J&K’s Baramulla; Police says it rescued him

Mehrajuddin Malla (Left); his daughter (Right) had appealed to the abductors to release her father.

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) Vice President from Rafiabad constituency, Mehrajuddin Malla, who was abducted by unknown men in the morning outside his residence at Sopore in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, walked home this evening, police said while claiming that it has rescued him.

“We rescued him,” Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir, Vijay Kumar told NVI, without elaborating who had picked Mehrajuddin, also the vice president of Municipal Committee (MC) Watergam in Sopore. Family members of the BJP leader also said he reached home this evening safely.

Malla, Son of Ghulam Ahmed of Maraizgund had left his home at around 9 am to attend a marriage function at his friend’s house but he was allegedly abducted midway.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sopore, Javiad Iqbal had earlier said that they had put in all efforts to trace the missing BJP leader. BJP (J&K) spokesman Altaf Thakur had stated that Malla was the BJP leader and constituency president of the party for Rafiabad. “His father Ghulam Ahmed Malla is also a senior BJP leader and is affiliated with the BJP since long,” Thakur said.

Earlier in the day, Malla’s daughter appealed to the abductors to release her father, in a video. “My father only hope for us, so if he is with somebody, please allow him to return home. He left his home in the morning to attend a marriage function at this friend’s house, but he was kidnaped mid-way by some unknown people. Please allow my father to join back his family, we have no support other than him,” she had said in a video message.

-ARK

Australia now ready to join Malabar naval exercises: Report

(Pic: ABC News)

New Delhi (NVI): After prolonged hesitation, Australia finally appears inclined to join India, the US and Japan actively to activate the ‘Quad’, which is intended mainly to ensure free movement in the Indo-Pacific region in the backdrop of China’s growing assertiveness.

Giving an indication in this regard, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported that Australia “looks almost certain” to join annual Malabar naval exercises with India, the United States and Japan “as the four democracies tighten military cooperation to stare down a rising China”.

The media report, quoting an unnamed senior source of Australia, said there were “very positive signs” an invitation will soon be formally issued to the country.

“Since 2017, Australia, India, Japan and the US have intensified cooperation through the “Quad” security dialogue, but expanding Malabar to include all four nations would give the grouping a sharper military edge,” the report said.

It would also represent a substantial diplomatic and strategic victory for Australia, it said.

The proposal to form the Quad was mooted way back in 2007 but Australia, after committing itself, backed out in 2008, after apparently China talked tough against, what it saw, was an effort to encircle it.

India, the US and Japan have been maintaining that the grouping is not aimed against any country but only to ensure free and secure movement in the Indo-Pacific maritime zone, where piracy threats also exist.

Australia’s inclination to join the Malabar naval exercises, which are held annually but may be delayed this year due to coronavirus, comes against the backdrop of friction in its ties with China over the issue of the pandemic.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has recently held virtual meetings with  Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and discussed the regional situation.

India and Australia have elevated bilateral ties through a comprehensive strategic partnership and an agreement to allow reciprocal access to military bases.

1...1,1921,1931,194...1,648Page 1,193 of 1,648

MUST READ