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J&K: 10 pregnant women, doctor among 155 new Covid cases, tally crosses 2000

Srinagar (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir today witnessed yet another surge in Covid-19 cases as ten pregnant women and a doctor were among 155 fresh cases, taking the tally in the UT to 2,609.

Officials said that among new 155 cases, 13 were tested positive at SKIMS, 33 at CD hospital, 12 at JVC Bemina, 6 at Army’s Command Hospital Udhampur and rest at other private labs. “Among the news cases were 10 pregnant women and a doctor posted at Government Dental College Srinagar,” they said.

Among 155 new cases, 56 belong to Kashmir division while 99 are from Jammu division.

“Total number of positive cases in Kashmir has reached to 1999 including 815 recoveries and 27 deaths while the total number of positive cases in Jammu division has reached to 602 including 131 recoveries and 4 deaths,” the officials said.

They said that the total number of active cases in J&K is 1,624 including 1,157 from Kashmir division and 467 from Jammu division. Cases tested positive in J&K include 12 from Anantnag, 6 from Kulgam, 10 from Srinagar, 2 from Ganderbal, 11 from Kupwara, 5 from Shopian, 6 from Baramulla, and 4 from Pulwama in Kashmir division while 99 from Jammu include 8 from Jammu, 53 from Ramban, 5 from Kathua, 2 each from Udhampur and Poonch, 1 from Samba, 3 from Rajouri, 4 from Kishtiwar and 21 from Doda.

As per official figures, 350 positive cases including five deaths and 124 recoveries are from Anantnag, 300 including four deaths and 32 recoveries are from Kulgam, 290 including seven deaths and 141 recoveries are from Srinagar, 279 including 75 recoveries are from Kupwara, 238 including 103 recoveries and five deaths are from Baramulla, 175 including 108 recoveries and three deaths are from Shopian, 146 including 134 recoveries and one death from Bandipora, 110 including 61 recoveries and two deaths are from Budgam, 34 including 24 recoveries are from Ganderbal and 77 including 13 recoveries are from Pulwama.

In Jammu division, 144 including 41 recoveries and two deaths are from Jammu district, 144 including 16 recoveries are from Ramban, 78 including 25 recoveries are from Kathua, 67 including  26 recoveries and one death is from Udhampur, 44 including 13 recoveries from Samba, 40 are from Poonch, 33 including 5 recoveries are from Rajouri, 14 including 3 recoveries area from Reasi, 12 including 1 recovery is from Kishtwar, 26 including 1 recovery and one death is from Doda.

As per the daily information bulletin, 1,76,805 persons in Jammu and Kashmir are under observation while 38,276 persons have been kept under home quarantine. Apart from that, 1,624 persons are in hospital isolation while 38 persons are under hospital quarantine.

According to the bulletin, 87,872 persons have completed the surveillance period and 48,964 persons are under home surveillance.

So far, results of 176,309 samples are available out of which 173,708 tested negative while 2601 have been tested positive. Among positive cases, 1624 are active and 946 persons have recovered and 31 persons have died.

Major infiltration bid foiled along LoC in J&K’s Nowshera, 3 militants killed

Alert issued in Poonch, Rajouri after militant movement detected near LoC
(File/Representational Image)

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): A major infiltration bid was foiled by the Indian Army at the Line of Control (LoC) in Nowshehra sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district today, as three heavily armed terrorists were killed while a search is on for the fourth one who sustained bullet injuries in the action, defence officials said today.

Inspector General of Police (IPG) Jammu range, Mukesh Singh told NVI that three heavily armed militants have been killed in an ongoing operation at Jammu’s Nowshera sector. “Fourth militant has sustained bullet wounds. Search to track him down is on,” he said.

Defence sources said that at the site of encounter, a huge cache of arms and ammunition was recovered which includes a US-made M-16 rifle, two AK 47 rifles and an Under Barrel Grenade Launcher along with grenades.

They said that an infiltration bid took place on the intervening night of May 29 and 30 along LoC at Kabootar-Gala area of Nowshera sector.

“While the infiltrators were trying to sneak in, an explosion took place that was possibly after one of the infiltrators walked over the anti-personnel mine. Soon after, the ambush parties of Army stationed there cordoned around 400 meters area after which a gun battle broke out that lasted for several hours,” they said.

They said that for the past three days, a major combing operation was going on in the area during which bodies of three militants were found on LoC. “The bodies of slain militants who are three in number are difficult to retrieve as there is intense firing from the across,” defence sources said.

However, search teams of the Army have managed to recover the arms and ammunition along with other materials carried by the infiltrating group. “Two AK 47 rifles along with 13 magazines, one American M-16 rifle with six magazines, one 9 mm Chinese pistol with one magazine, one UBGL launcher, six UBGL grenades, five hand grenades, 30 loose rounds of 9 mm, 85 loose rounds of 5.56 mm, 14 loose rounds of 7.62 mm were recovered from the site of the gunfight,” they said.

A defence source said that the operation is on and there is a possibility that a few more militants may be hiding in the area. “Search for the injured militant is on. It is believed that he may be gone back to the other side of the LoC,” he said, adding that combing operation will continue for a few days in the sector to rule out the presence of any more militants in the area.

This comes almost 2 months after the Indian Army foiled a major infiltration attempt at LoC in north Kashmir’s Keran sector in early April, killing five terrorists while losing five of its soldiers from elite forces in an operation.

Rs 20,000 cr for MSMEs, MSP hike for Kharif crops: Key Cabinet decisions

New Delhi (NVI): In a big boost to the stressed MSME (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises) sector, the Union Cabinet today approved the provision of Rs 20,000 crore as subordinate debt to provide equity support to medium enterprises, that will provide relief to around 2 lakh MSMEs amid the Covid-19 crisis.

Apart from this, the Cabinet has approved Rs 50,000 crore equity infusion for MSMEs through Fund of Funds (FoF). This will establish a framework to help MSMEs in capacity augmentation. This will also provide an opportunity to get listed in stock exchanges, the Government said in a statement after the meeting.

The scheme for Rs 3 lakh crore collateral-free automatic loans was earlier approved by CCEA and has been formally launched.

In another major development today, the government has further amended the definition of MSME. The turnover limit of medium enterprises has been revised upwards to Rs 250 crore, from Rs 100 crore announced earlier.

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced a slew of measures to alleviate the distress in the farming sector due to the pandemic situation. The Government has approved MSP (Minimum Support Price) hike for 14 Kharif crops including paddy and cotton to provide instant relief to farmers.

The Minimum Support Price of paddy has been raised by Rs 53 per quintal taking the MSP to Rs 1,868 per quintal for 2020-21. The MSP of cotton has also been hiked now, up by Rs 260 to touch Rs 5,515 per quintal.

Apart from this, the Centre also launched a special micro-credit scheme, named ‘Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi’. The scheme is aimed to provide an affordable loan of up to Rs 10,000 to street vendors and it is likely to benefit 50 lakh street vendors in the urban and rural areas of the country.

The decisions were taken in line with the Atmnirbhar Bharat Abhiyan package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 12, aimed at making India ‘ self-reliant’. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced the tranches of the 20 lakh crore package. PM Modi, in his address to the nation, had said that the economic stimulus will be 10 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The major decisions were taken by the cabinet even as the country enters the fifth phase of lockdown. This is also the first meeting of the PM Modi-led cabinet after the ruling NDA government completed the first year of its second term in office.

White tigress at Delhi Zoo undergoes dental treatment

White Tigress Sita undergoes medical examination. (Credit: Wildlife SOS)

New Delhi (NVI): A five-year-old white tigress at Delhi Zoo received emergency dental treatment amid the lockdown after the zoo officials observed that she was under stress and had stopped eating.

The zoo officials immediately conducted a preliminary examination of tigress ‘Sita’, which revealed swelling in the lower gum close to the lower left canine, Wildlife SOS said in a statement.

The swelling was causing the tigress immense pain and discomfort, requiring immediate medical intervention, they said.

Zoo officials consulted with experts from the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) in Bareilly and the Wildlife SOS veterinary team to carry out digital radiography and biopsy for proper diagnosis.

There was another challenge of arranging a digital radiography machine amid lockdown. However, when the Delhi Zoo and the Central Zoo Authority contacted Wildlife SOS, a veterinary team of the organisation transported a Digital X-ray machine and a Dental X-Ray machine all the way from Agra to New Delhi.

The entire medical procedure was carried out by the NZP Veterinary team and the Wildlife SOS Veterinary team working together. (Pic: Wildlife SOS)

As the lockdown prevented normal vehicular movement, the NZP Director sent a vehicle with an officer from the zoo to Agra to bring the Wildlife SOS veterinary team and the equipment. The X-Ray equipment enabled the veterinary team to examine and detect a root abscess in the lower left canine of the tiger’s jaw.

The entire medical procedure was carried out by the NZP Veterinary team and the Wildlife SOS Veterinary team working together. The abscess was drained and treated with antiseptic solution and anti-inflammatory medication. The tigress has been placed under observation and is recovering well, the Wildlife SOS said in a release.

Just like humans, animals also suffer from dental issues like Gum disease, gingivitis, broken teeth and tooth decay. In some cases, animals need root canal treatment. Wildlife SOS veterinarians have been carrying out specialized dental procedures to help tigers, bears, leopards, elephants etc.

Dr. Suneesh Buxy, IFS – DIG & Director NZP Delhi Zoo, said, “The NZP vet team and Wildlife SOS have done a good job with providing treatment. This has brought significant improvement in the overall health of the tigress. The lockdown is a difficult time, but we are doing our best to provide necessary care and treatment to our animals.”

Kartick Satyanarayan, CEO of Wildlife SOS, said, “We are happy to assist the Delhi zoo with veterinary support. Dental problems can be extremely painful for animals and may lead to further infection, if not treated immediately. We were happy to be of service to the tiger and the Delhi Zoo.”

Dr Ilayaraja, Deputy Director – Veterinary Services, Wildlife SOS, said, “Big cats like tigers, are greatly dependent on their canines and the painful abscess in the lower canine was affecting the tiger’s behaviour and feeding pattern. The treatment rendered will help ease the pain.”

COVID-19 tally rises to 49,500 in Bangladesh

Bangladesh lockdown

New Delhi (NVI): Bangladesh recorded a total of 22 death due to the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours, raising the death tally to 610.

The country is also witnessing rise in coronavirus cases with the detection of 2,381 new cases, taking the total cases to 49,534.

So far, a total of 9,781 people have recovered from the deadly contagion, after 816 more patients made recovery.

Against the total number of detected cases, the recovery rate is 21.39 percent and the mortality rate is 1.36 percent in country.

In addition to this, a total of 4,868 members of Bangladesh police have been infected with coronavirus till date, according to media reports.

Nepal COVID-19 tally reaches 1,798 with 226 new cases

New Delhi (NVI): 226 new positive coronavirus cases have been reported from Nepal, taking the toll in the Himalayan nation to 1,798, according to local media reports.

The country’s Ministry of Health and Population said, of the infected, two fresh cases have been reported in Jhapa, three in Nawalparasi, 41 from Dailekh, 19 from Jumla, 10 from Salyan, five from Surkhet, 40 from Kapilvastu district.

Apart from that, 18 from Rautahat, five from Banke, nine from Dang, seven from Dhanusha, two from Mahottari, one from Makwanpur, 38 from Sarlahi, five from Siraha, one from Udayapur, one from Achham, 14 from Kailali, one from Baitadi, one from Doti and one in Kanchapur.

Of the newly infected, 213 are males while 13 females, as per media reports.

Currently, 59 of the 77 districts and all the Provinces have witnessed the transmission of COVID-19 virus.

As many as 168 cases have been detected in nine districts of Province 1; 694 cases have been seen in eight districts of Province 2; and 46 cases in 12 districts of Bagmati Province.

Likewise, 26 cases have been reported in six districts of Gandaki Province; 621 cases in 10 districts of Province 5; 198 cases in five districts of Karnali Province; and 45 cases in nine districts of Sudurpaschim Province.

With this, 1,667 males and 131 females have been infected with the novel coronavirus across the country.

So far, eight people have died of coronavirus in Nepal.

At present, 221 people have been cured form the virus and discharged.

Coronavirus cases top 73,000 in Pakistan; more than 1,500 dead

COVID-19: Pakistan imposes mini-lockdown in Islamabad

New Delhi (NVI): Pakistan is witnessing a sharp surge in the number of positive coronavirus cases as nearly 2,500 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours, taking the overall tally to 73,862 with at least 1,565 fatalities recorded so far.

Looking at the breakdown of cases, Sindh province has reported 29,647 coronavirus cases, highest among all the provinces, while Punjab has 26,240 positive cases.

On the other hand, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has recorded 10,027 cases, Balochistan is at 4,393, Gilgit-Baltistan at 711, Islamabad at 2,589 and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is at 255 cases so far, according to Geo News.

The country’s Health Ministry stated that 26,083 patients have been recovered so far from the virus.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan will chair a crucial meeting of the National Coordination Committee (NCC) which is expected to decide the future strategy to deal with the increasing threat of the pandemic today.

545 new COVID cases in Afghanistan; tally hits 15,750

New Delhi (NVI): At least 545 new coronavirus cases have been reported in Afghanistan in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases to 15,750 across the country, according to Afghan media reports.

According to country’s Ministry of Public Health, 1,168 suspected cases were tested, out of which 545 cases were tested coronavirus positive in 18 provinces.

In the past 24 hours, eight patients have died due to COVID-19 virus.

Of the total 545 positive cases across the country, 117 were registered in Herat, 92 in Paktia, 66 in Kabul, 50 in Nangarhar, 48 in Samangan, 36 in Farah, 22 in Sar-e-Pul province.

In addition, 20 were reported in Bamyan, 17 people in Logar, 14-14 people in Ghor, Badakhshan and Panjshir provinces, 12 in Midan wardak and Faryab, 4 in Balkh, 3 in Kunar, 2-2 in Laghman and Badghis provinces.

The Ministry of Public Health said 1,438 people have recovered while 265 died from the respiratory disease.

So far, the ministry has tested 39,628 samples countrywide, as per media reports.

Meanwhile, the health officials urged Afghans to wear face masks in crowded places, practice social distancing and keep personnel hygiene.

J&K records 2 Covid deaths, toll rises to 30

Representational image

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir today recorded 2 Covid-19 deaths taking the total number of fatalities due to the pandemic in the UT to 30, health officials said.

They said that in the afternoon, a 45-year-old man from south Kashmir’s Shopian district died at SKIMS Soura. A doctor said that the deceased was admitted to the hospital last evening with some chest problems. “After initial treatment, the patient was shifted to isolation ward and had a shock,” Medical Superintendent of SKIMS, Soura said. He said doctors suspected him of being infected with Covid-19 and took his samples for Covid test.

“The patient, however, died late night and his body was kept in the mortuary of the hospital,” the doctor said. “His sample results came today at 2 o’clock as positive for the Coronavirus.”

Barely a few hours after the first Covid death today, a 72-year-old man from Doda district died at Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu. “He had multiple ailments and a history of pneumonia besides heart ailments,” a doctor at GMC Jammu said. He said that the Covid test results of the person came as positive late last night.

Of the total 30 deaths, 26 have been reported from Kashmir and 4 from the Jammu region. Doctors at various government hospitals have maintained that Covid hasn’t claimed any life in J&K directly. “All the 30 cases had a history of multiple ailments, which means their immune system was already weak to fight the Covid. In J&K, the behavior of Covid is very mild and that’s a very good thing. No healthy person has died in J&K due to Covid so far,” he said.

Cabinet decisions on farmers, MSMEs

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar (File)

New Delhi (NVI): The Union Cabinet today took key decisions on MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises), farmers and poor under the Centre’s ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat package’ that was announced recently.

In the high-level meet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the cabinet cleared a Rs 20,000-crore debt scheme, which would help nearly 2 lakh MSMEs raise funds amid lockdown.

The Government also approved a Fund of Funds worth Rs 50,000 crore for MSMEs to encourage private sector investment in the sector.

Apart from that, the Cabinet has approved the extension of repayment date for short term loans for agriculture and allied activities by banks which have become due or shall become due between 1st March and 31st August, 2020.

In addition to this, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by PM Modi has approved the increase in the Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for all mandated Kharif crops for marketing season 2020-21.

The Minimum Support Price of paddy has been raised by Rs 53 per quintal taking the MSP to Rs 1,868 per quintal for 2020-21. The MSP of cotton has also been hiked now, up by Rs 260 to touch Rs 5,515 per quintal.

While addressing media after the meeting, Union ministers Prakash Javadekar, Nitin Gadkari and Narendra Tomar said that the measures will improve ease of doing business, attract investments and create jobs.

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