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30 new COVID-19 cases in Afghanistan, total 367

New Delhi (NVI): Afghanistan authorities have recorded 30 new positive cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours, bringing the total in the country to 367, according to Afghan media reports.

The Afghan Ministry of Public Health announced that the public health officials have recorded 16 new cases in Herat, 6 in Kabul, 3 in Nimroz, 2 in Kunduz, 2 in Faryab and 1 in Daikundi.

The new cases increase the number of COVID-19 positive cases to 367 in Afghanistan with the majority of the cases recorded in Herat and Kabul provinces, they said.

The virus has so far killed 9 people across the country with the last victim being an 80-year-old man who died in North-eastern Takhar province.

Earlier, the public health ministry officials had announced that the disease has killed a patient in capital Kabul.

PM interacts with Central ministers

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi today interacted with Central Ministers through video conferencing, and appreciated their efforts for tackling COVID-19 pandemic.

During the interaction, PM said it is important that the leaders communicate carefully with the state and district administration, especially in the districts which are hotspots for the pandemic.

“It is also important to ensure there is no crowding at PDS centers, maintain effective monitoring, take action on complaints and prevent black marketing and rise in prices of essentials,” he told the leaders.

While stressing upon the importance of PM Garib Kalyan Yojana, the PM said that monitoring continuously and ensuring the benefits keep reaching the intended beneficiaries in a seamless manner during the period of lockdown

He also asked the ministers to popularise the Aarogya Setu app in the rural areas and grass-root institutions to further spread the information and awareness about the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ministers also praised the PM’s initiative of ‘9pm9minute’, saying that people from all corners of the country participated in it, bringing together the entire nation in the battle against the pandemic.

Over 25,500 Tablighi workers, their contacts quarantined: MHA

New Delhi (NVI): The Union Home Ministry today said that more than 25,500 local Tablighi Jamaat workers and their contacts have been quarantined across the country as part of a massive effort by the MHA and States.

Apart from that five villages in Haryana, where foreign national TJ workers stayed, have been sealed and workers quarantined, Joint Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava told media during the daily briefing here.

She added that out of 2,083 foreign Tablighi Jamat workers identified so far, 1,750 people have been blacklisted.

Yesterday, the Union Health Ministry said that the doubling rate of Covid-19 cases in the country has increased.

As the spread of contagion due to the Tablighi Jammat congregation in Delhi’s Nizamuddin came to light late last month, authorities launched an operation to track the Tablighi members across the country, despite the 21-day lockdown.

According to the Ministry, as many as 1,023 coronavirus positive cases in 17 states have been traced to the Tablighi event in Delhi, accounting for 30 per cent of all cases in India.

Gunfight at LoC continues for 5th day

July 18 Shopian encounter: Army completes summary of evidence
An encounter site in Kashmir (File Pic)

Srinagar (NVI): Five days since it began, an encounter between the Indian Army and Pakistan-trained terrorists continued to rage on the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir, leaving five soldiers and an equal number of infiltrators dead so far.

The encounter began when the alert Army spotted and intercepted a group of militants trying to infiltrate via the Keran sector of the LoC, Defence officials said.

“There was an attempt and brief contact was established. But the number of infiltrators is not known yet,” an official had said earlier.

In the gun battle that has been going on since, five infiltrating terrorists were killed by the Army, which lost 5 of its soldiers in the operation.

The operation to neutralise the infiltration attempt continues.

COVID effect: Salary of MPs reduced by 30% for a year

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar (File)

New Delhi (NVI): The Union Cabinet today approved an ordinance, reducing the salaries of the Members of Parliament by 30 per cent for a year with effect from April 1, 2020. The amount will be used to fight the coronavirus crisis.

The Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament Act, 1954 has been amended, thereby slashing the salaries of the MPs by 30 per cent for a year.

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar briefed media on the unprecedented move by the Centre, saying that the President, Vice President, Governors of States have also voluntarily decided to take a pay cut as a social responsibility. The money will go to the Consolidated Fund of India, he added.

Apart from that, Cabinet has also approved temporary suspension of MPLADS during 2020-21 and 2021-22 for managing health and the adverse impact of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.

India has to emerge victorious in this long war against Covid-19: PM

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that it is going to be a long war against the coronavirus pandemic while appealing to the BJP workers to put up a determined fight so that the country emerges victorious out of the crisis situation.

PM Modi was addressing BJP workers on the occasion of the party’s 40th foundation day.


He also urged the party workers to be steadfast in India’s fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic by contributing to the PM-CARES fund and asking 40 others to do so.

He said, “The citizens of the country had shown unprecedented maturity during the nationwide lockdown setting an example before the world in tackling the COVID-19 outbreak. He added that India understood the seriousness of the disease and waged a timely war against it.”

“No one could have imagined that people would abide by this with such obedience and sense of service,” Modi added.

So far, 109 people have died due to the contagion in the country with 4,067 confirmed cases of coronavirus, according to the Health Ministry.

No notification issued by WHO on lockdown schedule: Govt

New Delhi (NVI): A WHO circular containing a detailed schedule on coronavirus lockdown schedule has been doing rounds on social media.

The government has clarified that WHO has not issued any such circular and this is a rumour which is being spread on the internet.

A circular titled – ‘Protocol & procedure of lockdown periods for controlling on most dangerous virus’ was being shared on social media including Facebook, Twitter as well as Whatsapp. The circular also mentioned four steps of the lockdown that will continue till June 10.

769 foreign tourists register on ‘Stranded in India’ portal

New Delhi (NVI): In the first five days of its operation, ‘Stranded in India’ portal launched by the Ministry of Tourism has helped foreign tourists stuck in the country due to the lockdown situation.

The portal was launched on March 31 and since then, 769 foreign tourists from all over the country have registered on the portal that is aimed at identifying, assisting and facilitating them.

Such tourists would need to log on to the portal, provide some basic contact information and narrate the nature of issues being faced by them if any.

Every State Government and Union Territory Administration has identified a Nodal Officer for assisting such foreign tourists, the Ministry of Tourism said in a statement today.

The 5 Regional Offices of the Ministry of Tourism are constantly coordinating with the Nodal Officers regarding the Support Requests logged on the portal, for facilitating ground support to the foreigners, if so required.

The Tourism Ministry Regional Offices are also coordinating with the Bureau of Immigration and FRROs regarding Visa issues being faced by stranded foreigners. Requests for movement within the country/state and for transfer to the home country of such tourists are also being coordinated with the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs and with the respective Embassy/High Commission/Consulate.

The Ministry further stated that the utility and efficacy of the portal has led to stranded foreign tourists being contacted over e-mails, telephones and also in person depending on the nature of support required by them.

“They have been connected with the relevant foreign office of their home country in India and provided various information updates on flights out of India to their home countries. Wherever required, they have been provided medical assistance, food and accommodation,” it said.

The Tourism Ministry also mentioned some cases where foreigners or foreign tourists received helped through the portal amid lockdown.

A lady, who is an American citizen, was stranded in Supaul district of Bihar amidst the COVID19 lockdown, while her son was undergoing a surgery at Delhi. The portal facilitated the required inter-ministerial, inter-departmental and State-Centre coordination and secured her a special transit-permit to travel to Delhi. She has safely reached her destination and expressed her gratitude for the efforts put in by all the concerned agencies, the ministry said.

In another case, two Costa Rican citizens, who had come to Chennai for a surgery (medical tourism), were stranded at Chennai after the surgery. “Close coordination with the State Government, the Costa Rican Embassy and the hotel in which the tourists were staying helped in soothing the frayed and panicked nerves of the tourists. They are now safe and well,” the ministry said in a statement.

An Australian tourist with his family was stranded in Ahmedabad. The tourist has epilepsy and ran out of medication prescribed by Australian doctors due to the lockdown. The portal led to the tourist being reached through the office of the District Collector. He was provided with sufficient medication and was also offered food and local transportation. Now, they are comfortable and safe, according to an official statement by the ministry.

 

USAID provides $2.9 mn to help India combat COVID-19

New Delhi (NVI): The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced a $2.9 million package to help India amid the COVID-19 outbreak, in providing care for the affected, and support local communities with the tools needed to contain the disease.

The Agency had announced the financial assistance to India on March 28. “This builds on a foundation of more than $1.4 billion in health assistance, and nearly $3 billion in total assistance, that the United States has provided to India over the last 20 years,” the US embassy said in a statement here today.

“The new funds will support two organizations:  $2.4 million for USAID’s health strengthening project, implemented by Jhpiego, an international non-profit health organization affiliated with Johns Hopkins University, and $500,000 for the World Health Organization (WHO),” read a statement by the embassy.

US Ambassador to India, Kenneth I Juster praised India’s efforts to contain the disease and said that the USAID assistance will further support India’s response to COVID-19.

“COVID-19 is a global public health threat that can be addressed best by close collaboration among governments and international organizations.  The US Government, through USAID, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other US Department of Health and Human Services agencies, is working closely with the Government of India and multilateral agencies to support India’s response to this global pandemic,” he said.

Amid lockdown, CRPF helps Rajouri man to meet ailing father

Mubashir Bukhari

Srinagar (NVI): Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has come forward to help Mohammad Arif from Rajouri district of Jammu, who took off on a bicycle from Mumbai to see his ailing father back home.

The 29-year-old man was traced on the Gujarat-Rajasthan border near Sirohi by a CRPF team who arranged for his further travel in a vehicle.

Special DG CRPF Zulfikar Hasan told NVI: “with the help of local administration, a vehicle was arranged for Arif and we hope, he will soon meet his father.”

Back in Rajouri, a team of CRPF Madadgaar came to the rescue of Arif’s father Wazir Hussain and airlifted him to a hospital in Jammu for better treatment Saturday. Hussain, a resident of Panjgrain village in Rajouri, had suffered a stroke recently, after which Arif, who works as a watchman in Mumbai Central, was informed.

Meanwhile, the doctors at Jammu have referred Arif’s father to PGI Chandigarh as his condition was not good. Arif is expected to reach Jammu by tomorrow.

Special DG CRPF, Zulfikar Hasan told NVI that a team went to Arif’s home in Rajouri and airlifted his father.

“A team of doctors was sent to his Rajouri home and his father who suffered a stroke recently, were shifted to district hospital under its Madagaar Scheme,” Hasan said.

He said his father’s condition is serious. “Some tests and procedures were carried and he was shifted to GMCH Jammu from Chopper.

“Today he will be shifted to PGI Chandigarh,” Hasan said.

NVI had earlier reported on Arif’s journey— around 2100 km– back home from Mumbai amid the nationwide lockdown.

Mohammad Arif

Arif had immediately left for home on a bicycle after getting a distress call from home regarding his father’s health.

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