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Coronavirus cases top 25.2 mn worldwide; US tally nears 6 mn

Coronavirus cases

New Delhi (NVI): The number of cases globally has hit almost 25.2 million, with deaths exceeding 8,46,000. More than 16.5 million have recovered, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

The total number of coronavirus cases in the United States is nearing 6 million, with states including Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota reporting daily records. Meanwhile, more than 1,83,000 people have died from the disease so far in the country.

Brazil’s coronavirus infections have surpassed 3.8 million while the death toll has crossed 1,20,000 in the country.

New Zealand has made face masks compulsory as it eases coronavirus restrictions in Auckland that were imposed after a sudden spike in cases.

Japan has recorded 600 new coronavirus cases, as new cases continue to decline from the recent peak of 1,605 on 7 August. The seven-day average for new cases is 757.

In South Korea, new infections have stayed under 200 for a second day in a row. The country reported 248 cases on Monday, including 238 local infections.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 610 to 2,42,381. The reported death toll rose by three to 9,298, the tally showed.

Greece’s health authorities reported that the coronavirus cases in the country have exceeded 10,000, half of which were reported just in August.

Australia’s state of Victoria has recorded 73 new coronavirus cases on Monday – its lowest total since July 3. The state’s death toll also increased by 41, including 22 cases at an elder care facility that were reported belatedly.

-CHK

India’s COVID tally crosses 36 lakh; death toll nearing 65,000

covid cases
File photo

New Delhi (NVI): India’s coronavirus tally crossed the 36 lakh-mark and stands at 36,21,246 with a spike of 78,512 new cases in the last 24 hours, Union Health Ministry confirmed

The country’s death toll has gone up to 64,469 with 971 new fatalities being reported during this period.

As many as 27,74,801 COVID-19 patients have been cured and discharged so far,
while active COVID-19 cases in India now stand at 7,81,975.

With this, the recovery rate stands above 76 percent at 76.63 percent in India.

In the worst-affected Maharashtra, the coronavirus cases climbed to 7,80,689, followed by Andhra Pradesh with 4,24,767 cases, and Tamil Nadu with 4,22,085 cases.

Other states with high virus cases are Karnataka (3,35,928), Uttar Pradesh (2,25,632) and West Bengal (1,59,785).

The coronavirus cases in national capital have increased to 1,73,390 with 4,426 deaths reported so far, according to the Health Ministry data.

In terms of deaths, Maharashtra tops the tally with 24,399 fatalities, ministry said.

According to Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the total number of samples tested for COVID-19 up to August 30 is 4,23,07,914 including 8,46,278 samples tested yesterday.

Meanwhile, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan yesterday expressed hope that we should have very significant control over COVID-19 by Diwali. “Hopefully that in the next couple of months, maybe by Diwali time, we should have a very significant control over the coronavirus,” he said.

-RJV

PM Modi, Prez extends Onam greetings

PM Modi
PM Narendra Modi (File photo)

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi today extended his greetings to the people on the occasion of Onam and said this is a unique festival, which celebrates harmony.

Taking to Twitter, PM Modi wrote, “Greetings on Onam. This is a unique festival, which celebrates harmony. It is also an occasion to express gratitude to our hardworking farmers. May everyone be blessed with joy and best health.”

PM Modi also shared a video clip of his mention of the festival in his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ radio broadcast on Sunday.

Greeting the nation on Onam, President Ram Nath Kovind said it a symbol of our rich cultural heritage and an expression of our gratitude to Mother Nature at the arrival of the new crop.

“Onam greetings to everyone! The festival of Onam is a symbol of our rich cultural heritage and an expression of our gratitude to Mother Nature at the arrival of the new crop. Let us take care of people from the weaker sections of the society and follow guidelines to contain COVID-19,” the President tweeted.

Onam, the biggest annual festival of Kerala, which falls in the month of Chingam, the first month according to the Malayalam calendar.

Onam festivities, which started on August 22, will continue till September 2. The celebrations spread over 10 days mark the Malayalam New Year and conclude with Thiruvonam.

The last four days are celebrated with much gusto as people wear new dresses, decorate their houses and prepare the traditional meals. This year, due to the pandemic things are slightly different.

-RJV

J&K’s Covid tally mounts to 37,163 with 786 fresh cases

Over 3,200 cops COVID positive in J&K and 15 succumbed to virus
File photo

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir today recorded 786 fresh coronavirus cases, including 85 travelers, taking the total number of positive cases in the Union Territory to 37,163.

Of the total cases, 28,627 are from Kashmir and 8,536 from Jammu division. Officials said among 786 new cases, 432 belong to Kashmir while 354 are from Jammu division, adding that the total number of positive cases in Kashmir has reached 28,627 including 22,097 recoveries. Total number of positive cases in Jammu division has reached 8,536 including 6,413  recoveries and 63 deaths.

The officials said that total number of active cases in J&K is 7,959 including 5,899 from Kashmir and 2,060 from Jammu division.

With 490 more recoveries, the tally of total recoveries in the UT has reached 28,510 which is 76.72 percent of the total cases.

Srinagar district alone has 9,186 positive cases which is more than the total number of positive cases in Jammu division where total cases are 8,536.

“Cases tested positive in J&K include 161 from Srinagar, 26 from Baramulla, 25 from Pulwama, 52 from Budgam, 38 from Anantnag, 37 from Bandipora, 30 from Kupwara, 11 from Kulgam, 08 from Shopian and 44 from Ganderbal in Kashmir division while as 354 from Jammu division include 258 from Jammu, 06 from Rajouri, 18 from Kathua, 09 from Udhampur, 07 from Samba, 05 from Doda, 06 from Poonch, 18 from Reasi and 27 from Kishtwar,” officials disclosed.

As per the daily information bulletin, 4,58,984 persons in J&K are under observation while 45,176 persons have been kept under home quarantine. Besides that, 7,959 persons are in isolation.

According to the bulletin, 3,60,122 persons have completed surveillance period and 45,033 persons are under home surveillance.

So far, results of 9,56,733 samples are available out of which 9,19,570 tested negative and 37,163 tested positive. Among positive cases, 7,959 are active and 28,510 persons have recovered.

-ARK

Jal Jeevan mission: ‘Smart eco-system’ to measure, monitor water supply in rural areas

Representational image

New Delhi (NVI): The Jal Jeevan Mission will be creating a smart rural water supply eco-system to measure and monitor the service delivery of the water supply in rural areas, Ministry of Jal Shakti said today.

The initiative has been taken to harness the initiatives like Atmanirbhar Bharat, Digital India and Make in India.

Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) being implemented in partnership with States aims at providing Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) to every rural household of the country by 2024.

The programme focuses on service delivery at the household level, ie supply of 55 lpcd of water of prescribed quality on a regular and long-term basis. The mission focuses on ‘service delivery’, rather only on infrastructure creation, the Ministry said.

In accordance to 73rd Amendment to the Constitution, Gram Panchayats at village level are to manage drinking water supply.

Thus, Gram Panchayat or its sub-committee, i.e. Village Water & Sanitation Committee/PaaniSamiti are required to function as a ‘local public utility’ for drining water management, water service delivery, greywater treatment& reuse, and take care of operation and maintenance of in-village water supply infrastructure for assured drinking water supply on regular basis, collect user charges for delivery of water supply services.

To facilitate States and Gram Panchayats or its sub-committee, i.e. PaaniSamiti, an automated system for measurement and monitoring of water service delivery is necessary. This necessitates the use of modern technology formeasurement and monitoring of the water service delivery and to capture and transmit service delivery data automatically for ensuring the quality of service, the Ministry of Jal Shakti said.

The Central Government aims to expand optic fibre network uptoall villages. In this regard, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that in next 1,000 days, all villages will be connected by fibre optic network.

In almost whole country, telecom connectivity has reached. IoT strategies are increasingly used to monitor the water quantity and quality.Recent technological advancements (such as IoT, Big Data Analytics, AI/ML, Cloud) and declining costs of mobile data, hardware (sensors), and software provide an opportunity to digitise water supply infrastructure in rural India.

Digitally enabled water supply infrastructure will help in near real-time monitoring and evidence-based policymaking. Digitisation of water supply infrastructure has the potential to help the Gram Panchayats as ‘local public utility’. More importantly, it will help anticipate and address future challenges, the ministry said.

National Jal Jeevan Mission has constituted a Technical Expert Committee to prepare a road map for measurement and monitoring of water service delivery system in rural areas. The committee has eminent members from academia, administration, technology and specialists from water supply sector.

The mission, in partnership with State Governments and sector partners has started facilitating sensor-based water supply system on pilot basis in various villages.

For instance, Gujarat has begun navigating the sensor-based rural water supply systems in 1,000 villages spread across five districts. Other States have also started pilot projects. The data collected from the field locations will be transmitted to the State and Central server and can be used to monitor the functionality ( quantity, quality and regularity of water supply) at the State and Central level, the Ministry said.

This will ensure to minimise service delivery outage and water loss and monitor the quantity and quality on a long-term basis. The additional advantage of this data would be to analyse the demand pattern of the user groups over time and use this information for demand management at the aggregate level, minimise non-revenue water, ensure proper management and effective operation and maintenance of water supply systems in the villages, it said.

-ARK

Vaccination, child immunisation drive to resume in Delhi from next month

Representational image

New Delhi (NVI): Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) and Anganwadi workers in the national capital have been asked to start the process of vaccination and child immunization with all necessary precautions in September amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

In this regard, the Delhi Women and Child Development Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam chaired a review meeting for Vaccination and Facilitation of Medical services through ASHA and Anganwadi Workers in the community in Delhi, today.

The meeting was attended by the Senior Officers of the Department of Women and Child Development (DWCD) and Department of Health (DOH) of Government of NCT of Delhi.

After the meeting, the Minister said that the partial Unlock process is underway but child immunization program is a necessity to keep the future of children healthy and safe.

He said that DWCD is directed to start the process of vaccination and immunization with all necessary precautions with the help of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) and
Anganwadi workers.

The Women and Child Development Minister said the ongoing activity of immunization was disrupted due to Covid-19 lockdown but after the partial unlock the immunization has been considered an essential aspect for which a decision has taken to restore the facilities to children in the best possible manner.

He informed that the Department of Health and Family Welfare has a vital role as it supports organizing immunization camps every month.

Gautam said that the Department of Women and Child Development through its 10,000 Anganwadi Centres in capital plays an important role in getting the children enrolled in Anganwadi Centers immunized.

This is done by holding immunization camp in each Anganwadi Center every month in coordination with the Health Department, the office of Women and Child Development Minister said in a statement.

As per the decision taken in today’s meeting, the Department of Women and Child Development and the Department of Health will start the immunization program in coordination. Under this, the Anganwadi workers will facilitate the medical functionaries for the outreach program for immunization.

The Anganwadi worker (AWW) and Anganwadi Helpers (AWH) will help Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANM) and Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) to organize and co-ordinate immunization camps in the capital. The immunization camp will be organized once a month in each Anganwadi center.

The AWW and AWH shall ensure the immunization of each child in their respective area. During the immunization camp, the AWW and AWH will mobilize the children due to immunization. One attendant with each child must be ensured by the AWW at the
time of immunization. For the immunization program, proper social distancing with all the safety measures will be ensured.

-ARK

Pakistan, Afghanistan the only 2 countries where polio is still endemic

New Delhi (NVI): It’s been almost 32 years since 1988 when WHO launched what was intended to be a twelve-year campaign to wipe out poliovirus and end the disease for all time but Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the two countries where polio is still endemic.

In fact, these are the only two countries that have not been able to wipe out the deadly virus that cripples children for whole life, partly due to misinformation, according to a UN report.

Interestingly, the African continent was declared free of wild polio just days ago. On August 25, the WHO certified the total eradication of poliomyelitis in Africa, after decades of work by a coalition of international health bodies, national and local governments, community volunteers and survivors.

At a time when the whole world is grappling to find a vaccine for the deadly coronavirus, Pakistan and Afghanistan still remain the last pockets of polio resistance. A reluctance to vaccinate is one of the issues that has contributed to sustained polio virus transmission in these countries.

Parents in some pockets of communities in these two countries refuse vaccines, due to rumours and beliefs they hold, according to Dennis Chimenya, a health worker with the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, who is part of a team trying to counter misconceptions, and save lives.

However, thanks to vaccinations, millions of children have been saved from paralysis and long-term suffering in Afghanistan and Pakistan, although the health workers in these countries have faced a lot of resistance and security threats during the polio campaigns.

The vaccination so far has not been easy and an innocuous campaign to ri the world of a crippling disease became a hostage to geopolitical wars.

Additionally, the programme has contained the transmission of the polio virus in the rest of the world, which remains free from the disease.

As per the UN report, the programme is not just about polio. It’s also about strengthening weak health systems and providing a wide range of essential services for children, especially amid the Covid-19 pandemic. These include providing vitamin A supplements, or deworming tablets.

In some of the highest risk areas, the UNICEF team also provide basic maternal and child health services that wouldn’t otherwise have been available. This has probably averted many child deaths, says Dennis Chimenya.

UNICEF gas played a crucial role in Pakistan during the COVID-19 pandemic, acting as a first responder, and helping the health system to deliver for the population.

Pakistan is a developing country, with a huge population facing multiple deprivations. So eradicating polio will take some more time in the country as hundreds of vaccinators and policemen have been assassinated by the Taliban in Pakistan.

Afghanistan also has a similar influence so both the governments of both these countries will have to create an atmosphere where the vaccination campaigns can operate without fear.

-ARK

India has ability to become toy hub of the world: PM

Efforts to wreak havoc & destruction in J&K thwarted again: PM on Nagrota encounter
Prime Minister Narendra Modi

New Delhi (NVI): The global toy industry is over Rs 7 lakh crore but India’s share is very small, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during his monthly Mann Ki Baat radio address today while calling upon young entrepreneurs to “team up for toys” as part of his government’s ‘vocal for local’ initiative.

While addressing the nation on the 68th edition of his radio address, PM Modi, in his yet another push for ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (seld-reliant India) said the country has the ability to become a toy hub for the entire world.

“Whereas toys augment activity, they also give flight to our aspirations. Toys, not only entertain, they also build the mind and foster an intent too,” PM said in his address, adding that even Rabindra Nath Tagore had said about the importance of toys.

“I read somewhere what Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore had said about toys, the best toy is that which is incomplete; a toy that children together complete while playing. Gurudev Tagore had said that during his childhood, he used to make his own toys and games with his friends, with materials available at home, using his own imaginationm,” he said.

He said that in the National Education Policy, a lot of attention has been given on the impact of toys on different aspects of children’s lives.

During his address, the PM also lauded various mobile apps that were part of the “app innovation challenge” and urged young entrepreneurs to develop computer games in the country. 

“In this era of computers and smartphones, there is a big trend of computer games. These games are played by children and grownups as well. But even in these games, their themes are mostly extraneous. Our country has so many ideas, so many concepts; our history has been very rich. Can we make games based on that?”

Apart from that, PM Modi also praised citizens for their patience and simplicity for their festivals amid the pandemic situation.

“At every event being organised in the country, the kind of patience and simplicity being witnessed this time is unprecedented. Even Ganeshotsav is being celebrated online at certain places; at most places eco-friendly Ganesh idols have been installed,” he said adding that there is a close link between nature and our festivals.

PM Modi also lauded the farmers for their perseverance amid the Covid-19 pandemic that led to an increase in the sowing of kharif crops by 7 percent compared to last year.

“The sowing of paddy has increased by approximately 10 percent, pulses close to 5 percent, coarse cereals almost 3 percent, oilseeds around 13 percent and cotton nearly 3 percent. For this I extend felicitations to the farmers of our country…I salute their perseverance,” he said.

-ARK

People of PoJK don’t want to live with Pakistan, says local leader

New Delhi (NVI): An overwhelming majority of local people of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan want freedom from Pakistani occupation and India should support them in realising this objective, a senior political leader from the region has said.

Sajjad Raja, Chairman of National Equality Party of Pakistan-occupied Jammu Kashmir Gilgit Baltistan (NEPJKGBL), also says that Pakistan is imparting training to terrorists at camps in PoJK, funding them and sending them across the Line of Control (LoC) to create violence and disturbances in Jammu and Kashmir (on the Indian side).

Raja says Pakistan has no love for Kashmiris and the real motive is to grab the natural resources of entire Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Asserting that people of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan want freedom, he said a journalist of PoJK, Tanveer Ahmed, conducted a survey which revealed that over 73 per cent of locals do not want to live with Pakistan. The survey involved detailed interviews of 10,000 people across all districts and tehsils of PoJK, he said.

“Pakistani occupation is not accepted by general public (in PoJK) as Pakistan does not give any sort of rights to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan is interested only in our natural resources. Pakistan has decided to grab these resources at the cost of our people and cost of our dignity and identity and our well being,” the Kashmiri political leader said.

About the Kashmiri Valley, he said Pakistan has bought some people there and “installed puppets”, through whom it sends money and arms there from PoJK to create disturbances and “to create false propaganda that Kashmiris don’t want to live with India”.

As one who has witnessed Pakistani brutalities, Raja advised his Kashmiri brethren in the Valley not to follow people like Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Yasin Malik and think about their own well-being and economic future.

He said Pakistan in no manner stands for Islam, as it claims, and that this fact was realised by the people of Bangladesh, who decided to separate 50 years back.

The Hurriyat Conference is funded by Pakistan and over the last 30 years, it has been working for the Pakistani objectives and motives. “I would request general public not to follow these people, who stand for Pakistan.”

About Pakistan’s support to cross-border terrorism, the native of PoJK said terror camps are being run by Pakistan in the woods on the mountains of PoJK, away from the general public. “But I have seen (the camps) with my own eyes (in PoJK). This is a fact which everyone knows. People are sent from PoJK with arms and funds to J&K to fight there. Pakistani establishment gives training here (PoJK) and KPK (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and sends them across the LoC,” he said.

About Pakistan’s consistent denial of existence of training camps, Raja said these denials are false. “We as people of Kashmir know it… Pakistan is sponsoring terrorism, Pakistan is funding terrorism, Pakistan is creating violence and hatred in J&K, just to capture resources. That is the Pakistani agenda… Pakistan is sending armed militiamen and terrorists to fight with Indian army and security agencies. This is not something hidden,” he said.

When referred to India’s demand that Pakistan should vacate territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan under its illegal occupation, Raja said he supports it.

He said India, under the Accession Treaty signed by Maharaja Hari Singh in October 1947, has the moral duty to protect property and well being of people of entire Jammu and Kashmir. “India should support people of PoJK who do not want to live under Pakistani occupation, so that Jammu and Kashmir can reunite.”

-ARK

Lost a well-experienced counter-insurgency cop in Srinagar gunfight: J&K DGP

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbagh Singh today said that in the overnight encounter at Pantha Chowk area in Srinagar, the J&K police lost a brave, well-trained and experienced counter insurgency cop, who had taken part in a series of successful anti-militancy operations over the years.

Speaking to reporters in Srinagar on the sidelines of the wreath-laying ceremony of Babu Ram, Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) of Special Operations Group (SoG) of J&K Police, the DGP said that he was a brave cop and a well-trained police officer who had been part of many anti-militancy operations in the Valley.

“In Panthachowk operation, we lost a well-trained, brave and experienced counter insurgency cop,” DGP told reporters. He said that yesterday evening, three bike-borne militants fired at the joint party of police and CRPF at a checkpoint at Panthachowk, Srinagar.

“It was a weapon snatching bid that was foiled by the alert troops, forcing the militants to leave behind their bike and take shelter in a nearby residential area,” he said.

The DGP said that teams of SoG and CRPF acted swiftly and cordoned off the area till senior officers of police and CRPF joined them to supervise the operation. “The operation lasted for the entire night. In the initial exchange, one militant was killed and we lost ASI Babu Ram. As the operation progressed, we killed two more militants,” the DGP said.

He said that the three slain militants belonged to Lashkar-e-Taiba and one of them was a commander active since past over a year.

“We brought the families of two others from the Pampore area who appealed to their children to surrender, but they refused and instead fired. This was done despite the fact that we lost our brave cop in the operation,” the DGP said.

He said one AK-47 rifle and pistols were recovered from the slain militants. Asked whether the three slain militants were involved in the August 14 Nowgam, Srinagar attack in which two cops were killed, the DGP said that police were investigating and nothing can be stated at this juncture.

-ARK

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