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EC postpones Rajya Sabha elections

Opposition parties
File Photo

New Delhi (NVI): The Election Commission of India has deferred the Rajya Sabha elections that were scheduled to be held on March 26. The decision was taken by the election body amid the coronavirus outbreak as 10 people have died from the disease. The total COVID-19 positive cases in the country are also nearing the 500 mark.

Delhi has been put under lockdown till March 31 as the number of cases in the country surge.

Election to fill 55 vacant seats were to be held, out of which 37 candidates have already been elected without a contest. Elections for the remaining 18 seats will be done based on the prevailing situations.

Earlier the Election Commission had declared polls to 55 Rajya Sabha seats on February 25, 2020.

Currently, elections are due for four seats each from Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat, three each from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, two from Jharkhand and one each from Meghalaya and Manipur.

Former J&K CM Omar Abdullah released after 7 months

Omar Abdullah walks out of detention

Mubashir Bukhari

Srinagar (NVI): Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was released today after around seven months as the J&K Government revoked his PSA detention.

Soon after his release, Omar interacted with media outside his residence and asked the Centre to release other detainees which also include another former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. He also asked the Government to restore 4G internet services in the Valley.

Earlier today, JK Government spokesman Rohit Kansal tweeted: “Govt issues orders revoking detention of Shri Omar Abdullah”.

Omar has spent 232 days in custody since the government revoked the special status of the erstwhile state of J&K on August 5 last year.

The National Conference leader was initially detained under preventive custody and later slapped with the PSA on February 5.

The order of revocation comes less than a week after the Supreme Court asked the Central Government to inform if it is planning to release Omar from detention.

On February 10, Omar’s sister moved the top court challenging his detention under the Public Safety Act (PSA).

On March 2, the Jammu and Kashmir administration told the Supreme Court that Omar Abdullah has been a “very vocal critic” of the abrogation of Article 370 and his presence would pose an “imminent threat to public order”.

Omar Abdullah, Farooq Abdullah and other leaders, including another former J&K CM and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti, were detained on August 5 last year, the day the Centre withdrew special status of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Earlier this month, Omar Abdullah’s father Farooq Abdullah was released after being in detention for several months.

After his release, Farooq Abdullah had met his son Omar Abdullah in the sub-jail in Srinagar where he has been under detention for over the last seven months.

PM to address nation at 8 PM on COVID-19 crisis

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation at 8 PM tonight on coronavirus outbreak and the overall situation in the country due to pandemic. This will be the prime minister’s second such address to the nation on COVID-19.

“Will address the nation at 8 PM today, 24th March 2020, on vital aspects relating to the menace of COVID-19,” he tweeted.

Before this, PM Modi had addressed the nation on the health crisis last Thursday and called for a Janta Curfew on Sunday that was observed in the whole country.

Apart from this, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is also expected to address media at 2 PM today. She is expected to announce a financial package to deal with the COVID-19 situation in the country.

According to media reports, more than 490 positive coronavirus cases have been reported so far and ten people have been dead. The tenth death was reported from Mumbai. A fresh positive case was reported from Manipur in the northeast earlier today.

Rain, snowfall to increase in hilly regions of North India

New Delhi ( NVI): Over the past 24 hours, light rains have occurred in the hilly states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand as well as the Union Territory region of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. These areas may witness an increased level of precipitation today also, according to SkymetWeather.

On and off rain and snowfall activities would further continue covering many parts of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Ladakh, and Jammu Kashmir until March 27, the weather monitor reports. Two successive fresh Western Disturbances are expected to approach the Western Himalayas at this time, therefore leading to the change in weather.

Usually, during the fag end of March, the intensity and spread of the WD’s reduces significantly. But, this year, three active Western Disturbances have been continuously affecting the Western Himalayas.

These activities are likely to continue until March 29. So as per the forecast, it can be expected that the next week is going to be active in terms of rain and snow in this part of the country.

Apart from that, the maximum temperature in Delhi settled at 32 degrees Celsius today and the minimum temperature was recorded at 19 degrees Celsius, according to IMD.

However, the maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to rise over the next few days.

WHO warns coronavirus pandemic ‘accelerating’

COVAX
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

New Delhi (NVI): The World Health Organisation today warned that the COVID-19 pandemic is ‘accelerating’ as the total number of global cases has surpassed 3,50,000 including more than 50,000 fatalities.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted and expressed serious concern over the global health crisis that is affecting the global population.

“The #COVID19 pandemic is accelerating. It took 67 days from the 1st reported case to reach the first 100K cases, 11 days for the second 100K cases & just 4 days for the third 100K cases. These numbers matter, these are people, whose lives & families have been turned upside down,” he said in a tweet yesterday.

Over 1,00,000 patients are reported to have recovered, according to reports. In India, COVID-19 cases have surpassed 400 mark with 9 deaths.

Total COVID-19 cases mount to 519 in India; 10 dead so far

(Updating earlier copy)

New Delhi (NVI): The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in India have risen to 519, with around 470 active cases across the country, the Union Health Ministry said today.

India has reported ten deaths so far, due to the pandemic. The tenth death from the disease was reported from Mumbai in Maharashtra.

Northeast also reported its first positive COVID-19 case today from Manipur.

39 people have been cured so far, according to the Union Health Ministry and 15,24,266 Passengers have been screened at airports.

In the wake of rising coronavirus cases and the overall situation in the country due to pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation at 8 PM tonight. This will be the prime minister’s second such address to the nation on COVID-19.

Almost the whole country has gone into lockdown to contain the COVID-19 spread.

India’s states and Union Territories including Delhi, West Bengal, Maharashtra Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Chandigarh, etc. are witnessing lockdown.

Meanwhile, the central government has also warned of legal actions against those who are violating the lockdown and are not taking the enforcement seriously.

In addition to this, the Aviation Ministry has also said that operations of all domestic flights will be stopped from 11.59 pm on March 24 till the same time on March 31, excluding cargo flights.

Globally, 16,572 people have died due to the pandemic and a total of 381,293 positive cases have been confirmed.

Parliament adjourned sine die

Opposition parties
File Photo

New Delhi (NVI): In view of the COVID-10 situation in the country, both the Houses of Parliament were adjourned indefinitely today, even as the Budget Session was curtailed almost 12 days in advance.

Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die within minutes of its convening. However, the lower house passed the Finance Bill 2020 by voice vote without any discussion.

According to Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi, the productivity of Lok Sabha was assessed at 90 per cent and Rajya Sabha at 74 per cent, during the Budget session.

India halts all incoming passenger traffic

Representational image

New Delhi (NVI): Incoming passenger traffic from all the 107 land, sea and air ports in India stopped with immediate effect as part of efforts to contain coronavirus, the government said tonight.

In an order, the Ministry of Home Affairs said vehicles bringing trade goods would be exempted, along with the crew, subject to thorough screening.

The decision is part of the massive curbs put by the government to contain the spread of coronavirus.

The government also said that complete lockdown has been effected in 30 states and Union Territories, covering a total of 548 districts in the country.

ICMR recommends hydroxychloroquine for high-risk population

New Delhi (NVI): As coronavirus cases in the country keeps increasing, the national task force constituted by Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) today recommended anti-malaria drug hydroxy-chloroquine to treat COVID-19 in high-risk population.

”The National Task force for COVID-19, constituted by Indian Council of Medical Research, has recommended the use of hydroxy- chloroquine as prophylaxis (preventive drug) of SARS-COV-2 infection for high risk population,” ICMR said in the statement.

The drug ’hydroxychloroquine’ is only recommended for healthcare workers who are treating coronavirus patients and a person staying/caring Household Positive patient, the advisory said.

”They can take HydroxyChloroQuine only for prevention. And for this there is enough stock in the country,” it added.

The advisory provides for placing the high risk population of asymptomatic Healthcare Workers involved in the care of suspected or confirmed cases of COVID and the household contacts of laboratory confirmed cases under chemoprophylaxis with hydroxy chloroquine.

The protocol recommended by the National Task force also has been approved by the Drug Controller General of India for restricted use in emergency situations, ICMR said.

Meanwhile, issuing a set of guidelines for the use of hydroxy chloroquine drug, the Health Minsitry reiterated that the intake of the medicine should not in still sense of false security.

”The placing of healthcare workers under chemoprophylaxis should not instill a sense of false security. They should follow all prescribed public health measures such as frequent washing of hands, respiratory etiquettes, keeping a distance of minimum 1m and use of Personal protective equipment (wherever applicable), ” the Health Ministry said adding that they should self-monitor their health and report to health authorities immediately in the event of them becoming symptomatic.

”The high risk contacts of a positive case placed under chemo prophylaxis, should remain in home quarantine while on prophylactic therapy, ” the guidelines read.

”As recommended by the said Task Force, the drug should only be given on the prescription of a registered medical practitioner. The contraindications mentioned in the recommendations should strictly be followed, ” it said.

”Apart from the symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, breathing difficulty), if the person on chemoprophylaxis develops any other symptoms, he should immediately seek medical treatment of the medical practitioner who has prescribed the chemo prophylaxis, ” it added.

Delhi borders sealed: Police to issue curfew passes

New Delhi (NVI): As Delhi entered in a week-long lockdown from today and its borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh sealed, the police today announced that curfew passes will be a must from tomorrow to travel between the national capital and its neighboring areas.

The step has been taken to ensure a smooth flow of essential services, even as the citizens have been asked to remain indoors and avoid all non-essential travel.

The lockdown in Delhi was announced by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal yesterday from March 23 to March 31 midnight, in the wake of coronavirus outbreak.

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