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179 new positive cases in Afghanistan take Covid tally to 2,469

New Delhi (NVI): At least 179 new coronavirus cases have been reported in Afghanistan in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases to 2,469 across the country, according to Afghan media reports.

The country’s Ministry of Public Health spokesman said that 591 samples were tested from 12 provinces in the last 24 hours.

Among the new cases 75 were reported in Kabul, 23 in Herat, 18 in Balkh, 16 in Jawzjan, 15 in Kandahar, 10 in Ghazni, 7 in Baghlan, 5 in Logar, 4 in Takhar, 3 in Ghor, 2 in Zabul and 1 in Helmand.

An official spokesperson said, 249 medical personnel are currently infected with the coronavirus in the country.

In the past one week, at least 7,000 tests for COVID-19 were done, which shows that capacity is developing, as per media reports.

According to the ministry, so far more than 11,068 samples have been tested.

At least, 331 people have been cured or discharged while 72 have died across the country.

Coronavirus: 677 policemen infected in Bangladesh

(Image source: United News of Bangladesh)

New Delhi (NVI): A total of 677 members of Bangladesh Police have been diagnosed with coronavirus so far, according to United News of Bangladesh.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has recorded the highest number of coronavirus cases in the country.

Meanwhile, the total number of deaths from coronavirus continues to rise in Bangladesh as 5 more people have died in the last 24 hours, taking the total casualties in the country to 175.

Besides, a whopping 552 new cases of coronavirus infection were reported during this period, raising the number of such cases in the country to 8,790.

In addition to this, as part of effort taken by the government, 318 more Bangladeshis have returned home from Delhi and Chennai in two special flights today.

Most of the returnees are patients who got stuck in India due to current lockdown there amid coronavirus outbreak. Students are also there among the returnees.

COVID-19 cases top 18,500 in Pakistan; 421 dead so far

New Delhi (NVI): Pakistan is witnessing a rapid increase in the positive cases of coronavirus with more than a 1,000 cases being reported in the last 24 hours, taking the total cases to 18,662 with at least 421 fatalities being recorded so far.

Looking at the breakdown of cases, Punjab province has reported 6,854 coronavirus cases, highest among all the provinces, while Sindh has 7,102 positive cases.

On the other hand, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has recorded 2,799 cases, Balochistan is at 1,136, Gilgit-Baltistan at 340, Islamabad at 365 and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is at 66 cases so far, according to Geo News.

In addition to this, Pakistan had reported 400 recoveries in the last 24 hours taking the number of recovered patients to 4,715 in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Sindh province has banned all religious gatherings during the holy month of Ramzan in a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus.

Central Administrative Tribunal to resume work in Green Zones

Batla House
Representational image

New Delhi (NVI): The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions today said that the Central Administrative Tribunal can duly function in the Green Zones identified by the government from May 4, 2020.

The functioning of the Principal bench and other branches of the CAT were earlier suspended from March 24, after the nationwide lockdown was announced.

The release states that the courts shall function duly following the guidelines such as maintaining the Social Distance, making the sanitary arrangements and avoiding the direct contact.

For the benches and courts that are in Red and Orange Zones, only the cases of urgent nature can be filed through electronic mail service (e-mail) by contacting the Registrar of the concerned Bench, who in turn shall furnish the e-mail id to the intending Advocate or Party.

The details thereof shall be worked out by the HoD of the Benches in consultation with the Registry of the Principal Bench, if the case needs to be dealt with urgently. The hearing shall be sone through video conferencing.

If the Advocates of the Bar Association of such Benches are agreeable for hearing of pending cases through such mechanism, the cases shall be identified by the registry and hearing shall take place through the same system in a time slot that may be decided by the HoD on daily basis.

This arrangement for the CATs will be in place till May 5 or until further orders.

 

Pulwama encounter: Two militants killed, search ops underway

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): Two unidentified militants have been killed in an ongoing encounter that raged between security forces and militants at Dangarpora area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, police officials today said.

A senior police official said that two militants were killed in the gunfight, adding that search operation is on in the area. Kashmir Zone police also tweeted in this regard.

Earlier in the day, security forces had launched a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) in the area after they received specific inputs about the presence of militants hiding in a residential house.

As the security forces zeroed in on the house, the hiding militants started firing upon the forces who thereafter retaliated, triggering an encounter.

“We have killed both the militants after heavy exchange of firing,” the police official said.

Locals of Dangarpora, however, said the residential house where militants were hiding, was damaged in the exchange of fire between militants and security forces.

The authorities have also snapped internet services in the area as a precautionary measure. With the killing of two more militants, the number of militants killed in Kashmir since the outbreak of pandemic Covid-19 raised to 32 whereas, the total number of militants killed in this year so far is 52.

Passenger train services suspended till May 17

New Delhi (NVI): The Ministry of Railways today announced that its passenger train operations will continue to remain suspended till May 17 in respect with the extension of the nationwide lockdown.

The movement of migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons stranded at different places shall be carried out by Shramik Special trains, as required by state governments, as per the guidelines issued by Ministry of Home Affairs.

However, freight and parcel train operations shall continue, as at present.

The government on Friday announced extension of the lockdown by two more weeks, with effect from May 4 to contain the Covid-19 outbreak.

Nepal govt plans to relax lockdown, restart economy

New Delhi (NVI): The Nepal government plans to relax the nationwide lockdown to gradually restart the economy, according to local media reports.

The government has planned to divide 77 districts of the country into three categories of red, yellow and green, depending on population density, geography, linkage to international border and number of coronavirus cases, as per media reports.

The districts that will fall under yellow and green zones will see relaxation in restrictions, whereas areas categorised as red zones will continue to remain shut, it added.

The Nepal Ministry of Health and Population has started preparing modalities to ease the lockdown based on the instruction given by the High-Level Coordination Committee for the Prevention and Control of COVID-19 led by Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Ishwar Pokhrel.

The government of Nepal enforced nationwide lockdown on March 24 to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Since then, almost all economic activities have come to a halt, inflicting billions of rupees of losses on businesses and leaving many jobless.

So far, 59 people have been infected with coronavirus in Nepal, but no deaths.

Thousands of flamingos flock to Mumbai amid lockdown

Mumbai (NVI): With Mumbai under lockdown for over a month, tens of thousands of flamingos have flocked to the mega city.
Though it is an annual feature, the number of these birds visiting Mumbai this time is up by at least 25 per cent this time, according to Bombay Natural History Society.
The number has risen from 120,000 in 2019 to 150,000 this year, according to media reports.

The lockdown has resulted in less human pressure on the environment, which is the most probable cause for the increase in the number of birds who have migrated this year.Birds are coming to the city in massive numbers as they take advantage of the peace and quiet due to the human inactivity.

Animals across the world have been taking advantage of the coronavirus lockdown, wherein, Sika deer were spotted roaming around the city of Nara in Japan and visiting subway stations.

A herd of Cashmere goats trotted on the empty streets of Llandudno, in Wales, while in Monmouthshire, a flock of sheep decided to stop by at a children’s playground and frolic on the empty rides.

In India also, monkeys in huge numbers are being spotted in the streets of Delhi, whereas a few days ago Dolphins in the Ganga were also spotted.

Lockdown 3.0: No inter-district buses to ply in Orange Zones

Ceasefire Agreement

New Delhi (NVI): The inter-district and intra-district plying of buses remains prohibited in the orange zones, according to a clarification issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs today.

The clarification comes a day after the Central Government extended the nationwide lockdown for two weeks from May 4 and issued a set of guidelines to be followed during this period in various zones.

In addition to this, taxis and cab aggregators are permitted, with one driver and two passengers only in the orange zones.

Meanwhile, inter-district movement of individuals and vehicles is allowed, only for permitted activities, with maximum two passengers, besides the driver, in four wheeler vehicles.

The MHA release also states that, the state and UT governments based on their assessment and priorities, may choose to permit a lesser number of activities.

The largest hole in the ozone layer over the Arctic has closed

The total column ozone field (in Dobson Units) (Source: Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service)

New Delhi (NVI): The ozone layer hole, which developed to become the largest ever seen over the Arctic, has closed just weeks after opening, the scientists discovered.

The scientists monitoring hole at the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) have confirmed that the ozone in the affected area had recovered.

According to the CAMS, this disappearance is likely not due to the decrease in pollution around the world.”The Arctic ozone hole actually has nothing to do with coronavirus-related lockdowns as well,” the organisation explained repeatedly in the comments to the tweet.

The CAMS said that the hole had been driven by an unusually strong and long-lived polar vortex, and isn’t related to air quality changes.

Particularly cold temperatures and powerful winds formed a “polar vortex,” creating the frigid conditions which led to vast ozone depletion.

The gap in the vital layer, which protects the Earth from harmful radiation from the sun, set a new record for ozone depletion in the northern hemisphere when it formed.

This unprecedented hole was roughly the size of Greenland, and stretched over the top of the polar icecap.

Although previously smaller holes have appeared in the ozone layer over the northern hemisphere before, scientists said it was the first time you can speak about a real ozone hole in the Arctic.

The CAMS scientists also added, “This ozone hole was basically a symptom of the larger problem of ozone depletion, and closed because of local annual cycles, not long-term healing.

However, there’s hope the ozone layer is also healing, but slowly.

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