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J&K: 4 more test positive for Covid-19, toll reaches 49

(Updating earlier copy)

Mubashir Bukhari

Srinagar (NVI): Four more persons have been tested positive for coronavirus in Kashmir this evening, taking the total number of cases in Jammu and Kashmir to 49.

“Three more cases detected positive in Kasmir. A total of 48 cases now,” JK Government spokesperson Rohit Kansal said in a tweet.

In another tweet, Kansal said, “Another positive case reported by SKIMS Soura. Total 49.”

Earlier in the day, seven cases were tested positive-three in Jammu and four in Kashmir.

With four more cases, the total tally for the day has reached 11.

Meanwhile, 11,644 persons are under observation and 722 samples have been tested so far in the Union Territory.

The UT Government said that 355 people are under hospital isolation/quarantine while 659 have tested negative.

“Reports of 15 people are awaited. Two persons have died and two recovered so far,” the government said in a statement.

US extends social distancing guidelines till April 30

Coronavirus

New Delhi (NVI): The United States has extended the social distancing guidelines upto April 30, in view of the increasing number of infected cases and deaths in the country.

President Donald Trump, during a news conference, said that the deaths in the US from the coronavirus contagion can reach 1,00,000 or more, adding that if the death toll stays at or below 1,00,000, “we all together have done a very good job.”

Trump extended the guidelines after a public health expert warned that deaths from COVID-19 could reach till 2,00,000 in the US.

In New York, the death toll surged by 237 in 24 hours, and the state announced 7,195 new cases, according to the media reports.

In addition to this, a total of 1,42,502 positive cases of the disease have been reported in the US, with at least 2,425 deaths, according to John Hopkins University data.

Whereas in Italy, 756 deaths due to the contagion were reported taking the total number of fatalities to 10,779, as the country continues to be the worst affected due to the pandemic.

838 new coronavirus deaths were announced, marking the country’s highest daily jump in fatalities and bringing the total deaths to 6,528 with almost 80,000 positive cases, according to Spain’s Health Ministry.

Globally, a total of 7,22,435 infected cases have been reported with 33,997 deaths and 1,51,991 people have totally recovered from the coronavirus, according to John Hopkins University data.

PM shares his lockdown fitness routine

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi today shared some Yoga videos in a bid to encourage people to stay fit during the lockdown period.

The Prime Minister shared some animated videos of him practicing yoga on Twitter and said: “During yesterday’s Mann Ki Baat, someone asked me about my fitness routine during this time. Hence, thought of sharing these Yoga videos. I hope you also begin practising Yoga regularly.”

He also advised everyone to practice yoga in the lockdown period to curb the spread coronavirus.

PM in another tweet said, “I am neither a fitness expert nor a medical expert. Practicing Yoga has been an integral part of my life for many years and I have found it beneficial.”

“I am sure many of you also have other ways of remaining fit, which you also must share with others. The videos are also available in different languages, he added.

Nepal Govt extends lockdown by a week

New Delhi (NVI): The Nepal government has decided to extend the COVID-19 lockdown by a week. That means, the lockdown which was imposed on March 24 and was to reach maturity on March 31, will be effective till April 7 now.

The Himalayan reported that the Nepal government has issued a decree in this regard. A cabinet-level meeting of Nepalese government officials took place in Kathmandu today and the lockdown was further extended to slow the spread of coronavirus, the newspaper reported.

Apart from this, the Nepal government also extended ban on all international flights until April 15 as a preventive measure.

The Himalayan nation went into lockdown on March 24 in a bid to break the spread cycle of the pandemic, a day after the second person was tested positive for the contagion.

4.2 bn people globally lack adequate sanitation: UNDP

New Delhi (NVI): Around 4.2 billion people across the world are living without access to adequate sanitation, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has said at a time when an unprecedented thrust is being laid on cleanliness and repeated hand washing amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

Two out of every five people in the world do not have a basic handwashing facility with soap and water at home, the global body said.

”Washing hands is key to stopping the coronavirus. Yet, 785 million people remain without safe water for drinking, let alone handwashing,” the UNDP said.

Around 4.2 billion people live without access to adequate sanitation while 4 billion people experience water shortages for at least one month of the year.

By 2050, it is projected that at least one in four people will suffer recurring water shortages as the world has lost 70 per cent of its natural wetlands over the last century, the report said.

In 2015, around 71 per cent of the global population had safely-managed drinking water but 844 million people still lacked even basic drinking water.

2.9 billion people, globally, had safe sanitation in 2015, but 2.3 billion people still lacked basic sanitation. 892 million people practised open defecation, it said.

80 per cent of wastewater goes into waterways without adequate treatment. Water stress affects more than 2 billion people if this figure projected to increase, the report added.

Kashmir to Poonch: 24 labourers walk over 100 km to reach home

(Source: Twitter @Whiteknight_IA)

Mubashir Bukhari

Srinagar (NVI): Stranded in Kashmir due to lockdown over COVID-19 pandemic, at least 24 labourers from Rajouri district of Jammu walked over 100 Km on foot to reach their destinations.

These labourers were working in different parts of Kashmir but were stuck in the Valley due to strict restrictions and lack of transportation.

With no solution at hand, they decided to take a long journey on foot through mountainous terrain.

According to officials, these laborers had started their journey by foot from Shopian on Friday and reached Surankote in Poonch last evening.

The laborers walked more than a hundred-kilometer road stretch of Mughal Road which is filled with snowfall, they said.

District Commissioner, Poonch, Rahul Yadav told NVI that they have received 24 labourers from Shopian. “They are from Rajouri and we have screened them and sent to Surankote quarantine center,” Yadav said.

He said that the workers were not allowed to go forward. “For 14 days, we have kept them in quarantined, once that period ends, they will be allowed to go home,” he said.

COVID deaths in India rise to 27, total 1024 cases

New Delhi (NVI) The total number of coronavirus cases in India has risen to 1024 today, while 27 people have lost their lives due to the disease so far.

According to the latest data by the Health Ministry, the numbers include 48 foreign nationals. 95 patients have been cured or discharged in the country.

Meanwhile, Kashmir reported its second COVID-19 death today, a 52-year-old man from Tanmag, who succumbed to his disease at Government CD Hospital in Srinagar.

Yesterday, Kashmir reported total of 33 coronavirus cases in Kashmir, with 30 active ones. Around 13 people were tested positive for the virus yesterday.

So far, Maharashtra has reported 186 coronavirus positive cases, followed by Kerala at 182 and Karnataka at 76.

Kashmiri boy’s website to help Valley students learn amid lockdown

Mubashir Bukhari

Srinagar (NVI): With educational institutions closed due to COVID19 pandemic, a teenaged boy from Baramulla district of Kashmir has developed an online teaching portal for students of the valley.

Abid Ali Sofi, 18, who hails from Sopore town of Baramulla district, is helping so many home-bound students amid coronavirus crises.

Abid has developed ‘Blooming Dales’- an interactive website to teach students from classes 2nd to 10th online. He has spent Rs 5,000 from his pocket to develop this website that can even work on low-internet speed.

“When government closed all the institutions in Kashmir due to COVID19, students were sitting home, without anyone helping them. I got the idea of making some online platform, where they can learn something,” Abid told NVI in an exclusive chat.

Abid Ali Sofi

Presently, around 10 teachers have registered with him and 50 more teachers have agreed to work with him free of cost.

To begin with they are teaching Science, English, English grammar and Communication skills to students online. Students from Class 2nd till 10th can get the online coaching in these subjects.

Abid said one of the main reasons, why he was compelled to start an imitative like this was to restrict the movement of students to private tutors. “I saw most of the students going for private tuitions. But assembly of more people is dangerous, so that’s why I thought of starting something for student community,” he said.

Abid is now planning to open his Facebook page to spread word about this website, so that more and more students are connected to him.

He said whosoever wants to get connected to us they have to go the website, “they have to signup first, then we provide them User ID and password and once he/she logs in into the website, all the courses get unlocked,” Abid said.

To be part of this initiative to help the students, many teachers from Srinagar, north and south Kashmir have joined hands.

Bangladesh airs school lessons amid Covid-19 outbreak

New Delhi (NVI): In a bid to keep children learning in the country amid the coronavirus outbreak, Bangladesh today started broadcasting pre-recorded class lessons for secondary students.

The Bangladesh government has taken the step to minimise academic session loss as the educational institutions are closed. in the country due to coronavirus pandemic, The Daily Star reported.

The television lessons have been named as ‘my school at home’, by the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE), Daily Star reported, adding that the classes began at 9 AM with the Bangladesh national anthem.

In another development, the Bangladesh Army has said that its troops will continue to be on the streets until the government recalls it. The troops are currently deployed across the country to ensure social distancing among the people.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh has reported 48 confirmed coronavirus cases so far, with five deaths.

COVID-19: IAS, IPS, IRS associations to contribute to PM relief fund

New Delhi (NVI): Standing up together in the fight against COVID-19 outbreak, the IAS, IPS and IRS associations have decided to contribute their one day salary to the Prime Minister’s relief fund.

“All India Indian Revenue Service Association is thankful to the Hon’ble Prime Minister for leading from the front the unprecedented efforts aimed at containing the adverse effects of pandemic Covid-19,” read a statement by the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) association.

“We are also grateful to the Hon’ble Finance Minister for the announcement of large-scale relief efforts aimed at mitigating distress and suffering of those who live at the margins of society,” it added.

Indian Police Service (IPS) Association also contributed to the fund. “Central IPS Association @IPS_Association is making a humble contribution of Rs. 21 Lakhs to the #PMCaresFund. IPS Officers will contribute minimum one day’s salary also at their respective places of work. We are committed to deal with #covid19, whatever it takes,” the association said in a tweet.

Indian Administrative Service (IAS) Association, while announcing the contribution of one day salary by its members tweeted: “@IASassociation decides to contribute Rs. 21 lakhs to the PM-CARES Fund as its initial contribution to combat COVID 19. All members to contribute at least a day’s salary also. We shall leave no stone unturned to ensure that we win this fight against #COVID19. WE SHALL OVERCOME,” the association said in a tweet.

Apart from that, the employees of the Ministry of Defence have also volunteered to contribute their one day salary to the PM-CARES fund. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved a proposal in this regard today.

“It is estimated that around Rs 500 crore will be collectively provided by the Defence Ministry to the fund from various wings, including Army, Navy, Air Force, Defence PSUs and others,” The Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

Many government organisations and PSUs in the country have contributed to the PM-CARES Fund to fight Covid-19.

At an individual level, Bollywood stars and cricket celebrities have also contributed to the fund, in a bid to help the government in making arrangements for food, medicine, ventilators, etc.

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