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1,400 COVID-19 cases in Pakistan; death toll at 11

New Delhi (NVI): The coronavirus cases rose to 1,400 today in Pakistan, where 11 people have already died because of the pandemic, according to the country’s Health Ministry.

The infected cases in the country increased as Punjab became the new epicentre of the disease.

Punjab recorded a total of 448 coronavirus cases today, up from 419 yesterday, according to Dawn news.

Sindh province has 440 cases.

Most of the infected people in Pakistan had returned from Iran, which has more than 30,000 confirmed cases with more than 2,300 deaths.

Coronavirus: Modi sets up ‘PM CARES Fund’ for donations

(Pic courtesy: DD News)

New Delhi (NVI): As India struggles with coronovirus outbreak, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today set up Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund and urged citizens to donate for the war against COVID-19.

“It is my appeal to my fellow Indians, Kindly contribute to the PM-CARES Fund. This Fund will also cater to similar distressing situations, if they occur in the times ahead. This link has all important details about the fund,” he tweeted.

“Respecting that spirit, the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund has been constituted. This will go a long way in creating a healthier India,” he said.

In the following tweets, he said, “PM-CARES Fund accepts micro-donations too. “It will strengthen disaster management capacities and encourage research on protecting citizens.”

He added, “Let us leave no stone unturned to make India healthier and more prosperous for our future generations.”

The objective of the fund is to deal with any kind of emergency or distress situation, posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rlys to give refund for cancelled trains

New Delhi (NVI): Railways today decided to give full refund to passengers who had booked tickets for journey during the period from March 21 to April 14.

The order states if a train is cancelled by Railways for the journey period from March 21 to April 14, passengers need to file Ticket Deposit Receipt (TDR) with journey details up to June 21 to get back refund.
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The railways shall provide a utility through which the passenger can avail refund of balance amount deducted during cancellation of such tickets

The tickets cancelled after March 27, full refund shall be payable in respect of all such cancellation.

However, In case of e-tickets, balance refund amount shall be credited to the account of the passenger from which tickets was booked for tickets cancelled prior to March 27.

PM interacts to J&K student evacuated from Wuhan

Mubashir Bukhari

Srinagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today held a telephonic conversation with a Jammu and Kashmir youth, who was evacuated from China’s Wuhan city, the epicentre of coronavirus, and asked him to share his experience there.

PM spoke to Nizamur Rehman, a resident of Kaskoot Banihal in Jammu and Kashmir, who is pursuing MBBS in Wuhan. Rehman, along with 60 Kashmiri students, was evacuated after the coronavirus pandemic broke out.

While speaking with Reham, Modi asked him to share his experience in Wuhan.

“Sir, I study MBBS in Wuhan. When we heard about the virus, we were very tense but thanks to the Indian government for helping us and bringing us back to the country,” said Rehman.

PM also asked Rehman how they were treated here, when they reached back. “We were provided with every facility including indoor games, food and other things during quarantine. We are thankful to you for evacuating us from coronavirus epicenter,” Rehman added.

He along with other 60 students have reached their homes in Jammu and Kashmir after completing quarantine period.

PM Modi also asked the student to spread awareness about the COVID-19 in the region.

The student further thanked Prime Minister Modi for extending timely support to all students.

“If anyone is quarantined, it’s for the safety of every Indian. So that everyone remains safe,” Rehman told PM Modi.

Later, the Prime Minister spoke to nurse Chaya, who works at the Naidu Hospital in Pune and expressed gratitude to health workers for working selflessly towards the well-being of the nation amid the crisis.

26 quarantined people flee Srinagar hospital, traced & re-admitted

Mubashir Bukhari

Srinagar (NVI): Many people under watch for coronavirus in Kashmir continue to play hide and seek with authorities, with the latest such incident being 26 quarantined persons fleeing from Jawahar Lal Nehru Memorial Hospital (JLNM) in Srinagar today.

They were later traced with the help of police and re-admitted.

According to the hospital authorities, 14 female and 12 male patients from Srinagar were placed under quarantine in the hospital after their close relative was tested positive for coronavirus yesterday.

However, they claimed that facilities in the hospital were not appropriate and created ruckus this morning. “They broke the doors and windows and fled from the hospital,” an official said.

All these people are family members and close relatives of a positive case of Chattabal area of Srinagar.

When contacted by NVI, Zakir Ahmed, Medical Superintendent of JLNM hospital, refused to speak on the matter, saying he was busy and would talk later.

Earlier, on March 25, a girl, who had returned from Hungary, fled Chest Diseases Hospital (CDH) in Srinagar and the authorities had to make efforts to trace her.

“Tracked. Admitted again. Legal action to follow,” tweeted Deputy Commissioner of Srinagar Dr Shahid Choudhary on that day about the girl.

“The girl was suffering from fever and flu and samples were collected and sent to laboratory. But without informing anyone, she fled from the hospital,” officials said.

Last week, a youth was detained by police after he ran away from the same hospital.

On March 24, Choudhary said that around 100 people with travel history have been traced and put into quarantine.

“Team lead by colleague Mr Masarat Hashim KAS and involving brilliant professionals tracked more than 65 people who returned from affected countries skipping screening & changing routes. Amazing job. Srinagar thankful to all for inputs,” he tweeted a day earlier.

“Medical, IT & Surveillance teams today were able to track 29 people coming from Bangkok, UK, Dubai, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan etc who skipped medical teams by changing routes or avoiding travel history…,” the DC said in another tweet on that day.

The authorities also traced a Kashmiri man who came from Italy, landed in New Delhi, travelled to Jammu by train and took a cab from there to reach his home in Srinagar.

A Kashmiri, who came from Bangladesh but dodged medical screening in New Delhi, was also traced after he reached his home in Srinagar, thanks to the tip-off provided by his neighbours, officials said.

Exasperated over people hiding their travel history and trying to dodge testing or quarantine, the Srinagar Deputy Commissioner Srinagar in one of the tweets, said, “Flood of messages about travelers who concealed travel history; and about contacts. I wish such people acted responsibly. Those appeals weren’t without reason. Control room & teams having tough time.”

Till now, 27 people have been tested positive for COVID-19 in Jammu and Kashmir, according to the officials.

Afghanistan reports 14 new COVID-19 cases, total rises to 110 

New Delhi (NVI): Afghanistan has reported 110 cases of coronavirus, including 4 US and NATO-LED coalition soldiers and two foreign diplomats in Kabul.

The number rose after 14 more tested positive for the pandemic disease.

With the number of cases rising, the authorities imposed a 21-day lockdown in Kabul, effective from today, to contain the spread of the disease.

 

According to Afghan officials, 11 new cases were reported in western Herat, three in neighbouring Farah and one in eastern Ghazni province, the local media reported.

 

The ministry said three people had died because of coronavirus while three infected people were discharged from the hospitals after treatment.

Earlier on Wednesday, curfew was implemented in Herat and Nimruz province which has an open border with Iran where the pandemic has hit very hard.

Punjab CM wants urgent evacuation of Sikhs from Afghanistan

New Delhi (NVI): Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today requested the central government to evacuate from Afghanistan a “large number” of Sikh families, who want to leave the country at the earliest.

“Dear Dr S. Jaishankar, there are a large number of Sikh families who want to be flown out of Afghanistan. Request you to get them airlifted at the earliest. In this moment of crisis, it’s our bounden duty to help them,” Singh said in a tweet addressed to the External Affairs Minister.

He did not elaborate on the identity of those wanting to leave Afghanistan.

However, it comes against the backdrop of a terror attack on a Sikh shrine in Kabul on March 28, in which 25 people were killed.

The next day, terrorists detonated a bomb near a crematorium in Kabul where the last rites of the victims of the shrine attack were to be performed.

The Punjab Chief Minister had strongly condemned the attack on the Gurdwara in Kabul.

J&K Resident Commission establishes helpline for stranded residents

Representational image

New Delhi (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir Resident Commission in Delhi has established a Helpline Centre which will be operational 24×7 to address issues faced by the residents of the valley stranded in the national capital and other parts of the country due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

With the spread of novel coronavirus, there is a sense of panic and uncertainty among the masses, as many are not sure what measures to take to safeguard themselves and their family. In this regard, three helpline numbers have been dedicated for the purpose.

The residents can call on the following helpline numbers 24611210, 24611108, 24615475, to sort assistance or help, which are functional 24×7.

Additional Secretary Rimpy Ohri is supervising the overall functioning of the Centre. 

An official spokesperson said that J&K residents facing any issue due to coronavirus lockdown may contact these helpline numbers.

Hundreds of students from across the country have already been facilitated by the commission to return to their home districts while several have been facilitated to stay at various dedicated hotels in Delhi, the official spokesperson added.

So far, 20 positive cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Jammu and Kashmir, whereas nationwide a total of 873 cases have been recorded with 19 fatalities, according to the Health Ministry data.  

Hundreds of Indian students in Ukraine want to return home

Mubashir Bukhari

Srinagar (NVI): Hundreds of Indian students in Ukraine are feeling unsafe there in view of the coronavirus pandemic and want to return home.

Ukraine has enforced a lockdown till April 24 and suspended all international commercial passenger services to and from the country till that date, according to the advisory of the Indian Embassy in Ukraine.

According to an estimate, there are over 10,000 Indian students, including 200 from Kashmir, in different parts of Ukraine and they are living in constant fear of getting infected by the virus there because of the conditions they are in.

A student from Kashmir, who is among 500 Indians studying in Sumi State University of Ukraine, told NVI that they are facing shortage of masks, sanitizers and other protective gears.

The Indian students are living in congested hostels and chances of getting affected is more, said Mohammad Aasif Tariq, who is studying medicine at Sumi State University.

He said more than 200 have tested positive there and one among them has died. “We fear for our lives, we want to return home,” Tariq said.

“We don’t have proper medical facilities here. We are living in constant fear. We request the Government of India to either evacuate us from here or ask the local government to provide the necessary facilities,” the student said.

On March 17, the Indian government suspended entry of passengers from COVID-19-affected countries as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of the virus.

The Embassy of India in Ukraine said it is in touch with the Indian authorities and the government to procure emergency medical resources to combat the pandemic in Ukraine.

In an advisory, it has asked all Indian citizens to avoid any unnecessary travel and observe social distancing.

“It is also requested to follow the advisories issued by the local authorities in Ukraine, World Health Organization, and Government of India from time to time,” it said.

The students said that till the travel ban is lifted, the University authorities should take care of them and provide them the necessary medical help.

“We tried to contact the Embassy, but it’s shut from last few days and we didn’t get any response from them,” a student said.

J&K cop booked, disengaged from service for using abusive language

Terrorist arrested
Representational image

Mubashir Bukhari

Srinagar (NVI): A Jammu and Kashmir Policeman has been disengaged from service and a case has been filed against him after a video went viral, showing him purportedly using abusive language while asking people to stay indoors during the lockdown.

Police officials said that the cop was seen in the video making announcement in Sopore area of north Kashmir.

The video was apparently shot at an isolated place and he was not seen as being a part of any announcement-making team of the police, the officials said.

However, he has been disengaged from service and an FIR has been lodged against him, the Sopore police said in a tweet.

Jammu and Kashmir police have booked more than 200 people in Kashmir for violating lockdown orders till now.

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