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700 Indians on way home from Maldives on Navy ship

New Delhi (NVI): Indian Naval Ship Jalashwa has started from Male in the Maldives for Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu, carrying back home 700 Indians who were stranded in the island-nation due to the COVID-19 lockdown, the Indain Navy said.

Those on onboard will be disembarked at Tuticorin on June 7, while observing strict COVID-19 protocols.

This is the third phase of Indian Navy’s Operation ‘Samudra Setu’ to bring home its citizens from foreign shores by sea.

With this trip, INS Jalashwa will successfully bring back almost 2,700 Indian citizens from Maldives and Sri Lanka to Indian shores, under the government’s Vande Bharat Mission, said a press release issued by the Navy.

During the embarkation, the ship was visited by Colonel Mohamed Saleem, the Commandant of the Maldives Coast Guard, release added.

Earlier, Operation Samudra Setu’, had facilitated over 1,000 evacuees from Male, during the operation between May 8 and May 16.

Global coronavirus cases top 67 lakh

New Delhi (NVI): The global tally of coronavirus cases has gone over 67 lakh, with more than 3,94,000 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

In the US, more than 18,90,000 cases have been reported, including at least 1,09,042 deaths. At its peak, the US is seeing an increase of more than 30,000 new cases a day.

Also, the UK became the second country to record more than 40,000 coronavirus-related deaths, after the US.

Likewise, Brazil is quickly going up the table with over six lakh cases. It has reported 35,026 deaths related to the virus, the third-highest toll worldwide, and 6,45,771 confirmed cases.

Germany’s tally of COVID-19 cases reached 1,83,687 after it recorded 407 new cases in one day.

Meanwhile, the authorities in California have said that Live Sports and film productions can restart from June 12.

In another development, cable cars and mountain railways are starting to run again in Switzerland , where Alpine communities dependant on tourism hope to salvage some of the summer season.

China reported three new confirmed coronavirus cases and no new deaths. China has reported a total of 4,634 deaths and 83,030 confirmed cases since the virus was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year.

Apart from this, the World Health Organization (WHO) has changed its advice on face masks, saying they should be worn in public to help stop the spread of coronavirus.

COVID cases in India climb to over 2.36 lakh, death toll 6,642

New Delhi (NVI): The corona cases in India saw a jump of 9,887 in the last 24 hours, raising the total number to 2,36,657.

The death toll due to the virus rose to 6,642, with 294 new fatalities being reported in the last 24 hours, Union Health Ministry said.

With this, India overtook Italy’s tally and became the world’s sixth worst-hit country.

So far, 1,14,073 patients have recovered all over the country.

In Maharashtra, the COVID-19 cases increased to 80,229, followed by Tamil Nadu with 28,694 cases, and Delhi with 26,334 cases.

Maharashtra has also reported the highest number of fatalities at 28,49, followed by 1,194 in Gujarat and 384 in Madhya Pradesh.

The death toll in the national capital rose to 708, while 10,315 patients in Delhi have recovered so far, the healthy ministry data shows.

The other worst affected states are Gujarat (19,094) Rajasthan (10,084), Uttar Pradesh (9,733) and Madhya Pradesh (8,996).

Meanwhile, the Delhi government has issued new SOPs for COVID-19 hospitals, amid the reports of patients not being able to find beds in these hospitals.

Bangladesh embassy in Delhi publishes special coffee table book

New Delhi (NVI): Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi has brought out a special Coffee Table Book to mark the 49th anniversary of Bangladesh Independence and National Day.

The 90-page publication, Shining Bangladesh, has been dedicated to the celebration of the 100th birth anniversary of the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the greatest Bengali of all time.

A special feature of the contents has been Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s homage to Bangabandhu in which the Indian prime minister described him as “one of the greatest personalities of the last century.” “His life is a tremendous inspiration for all of us,” Modi said.

Besides messages from President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the book contains some rare historical pictures on the life and political career of Bangabandhu.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Muhammad Imran, who contributed a write-up on warm bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh, appreciated the publication of the colourful book.

The CTB contains an English translation of Sheikh Rehana’s poem “Baba” done by Farid Hossain, Minister (Press) at the mission.

The publication of the book, scheduled to come out on Bangla Independence Day, was delayed by over two months because of COVID-19-induced disruptions in normal life, Bangladesh High Commission said in a statement.

J&K: 7 pregnant women, 5 doctors among 182 new cases, tally at 3324

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): The number of COVID-19 cases in Jammu and Kashmir today climbed to 3,324 as 7 pregnant women and 5 doctors were among 182 fresh cases that tested positive for the deadly virus.

Officials said that among 182 new cases that were detected in the UT today, 34 were tested positive at SKIMS, 64 at CD hospital, 13 at JVC Bemina, 62 at Army Command Hospital, Udhampur and rest at other hospitals.

“Among the new cases were seven pregnant women and five doctors too,” they said, adding that the number of pregnant women who have been infected by Covid-19 has crossed 100 in the UT.

Among 182 new cases, 108 belong to Kashmir division while 74 are from Jammu division, officials said, adding that the total number of positive cases in Kashmir has reached 2515 including 910 recoveries and 32 deaths while the number of cases in Jammu has reached to 809 including 176 recoveries and 4 deaths.

The officials said that the total number of active cases in Jammu and Kashmir are 2202 including 1573 from Kashmir division and 629 from Jammu division.

Cases tested positive today in J&K include 6 from Anantnag, 2 from Kulgam, 22 from Srinagar, 9 from Budgam, 13 from Kupwara, 42 from Shopian, 7 from Baramulla, 4 from Bandipora, 2 from Pulwama and 1 from Ganderbal in Kashmir division while as 72 from Jammu division include 12 from Jammu, 11 each from Ramban and Kuthua, 26 from Udhampur and 4 from Samba, 5 from Doda, 2 each from Poonch and Rajouri and one from Reasi.

As per officials figures, 383 positive cases include 5 deaths and 155 recoveries from Anantnag, 366 including nine deaths and 143 recoveries from Srinagar, 364 including 4 deaths and 51 recoveries from Kulgam, 331 including 82 recoveries and 1 death from Kupwara, 308 including 104 recoveries and 7 deaths from Baramulla, 282 including 133 recoveries and 3 deaths are from Shopian, 180 including 136 recoveries and 1 death from Bandipora, 138 including 67 recoveries and 2 deaths from Budgam, 121 including 13 recoveries from Pulwama and 42 including 13 recoveries from Ganderbal.

In Jammu division, 190 including 63 recoveries and 2 deaths are from Jammu district, 164 including 16 recoveries from Ramban, 94 including 32 recoveries from Kathua, 123 including 29 recoveries and 1 death from Udhampur, 55 including 21 recoveries from Samba, 65 including 2 from Poonch, 48 including 5 recoveries from Rajouri, 18 including 3 recoveries from Reasi, 17 including 4 recoveries from Kishtwar, 35 including 1 recovery and one death from Doda.

As per the daily information bulletin, 204,900 persons in Jammu and Kashmir are under observation while 44,017 persons have been kept under home quarantine. Besides, 2202 persons are in hospital isolation while 48 persons are under hospital quarantine.

According to the bulletin, 103,007 persons have completed the surveillance period and 55,520 persons are under home surveillance.

So far, results of 202,257 samples are available out of which 198,933 stand negative while 3224 have been tested positive. Among positive cases, 2202 are active, 1086 persons have recovered and 36 have died.

J&K Govt employees to attend offices on regular basis from tomorrow

Jammu (NVI): The government offices in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir shall function with all the officers and staff, at all levels, attending office on a regular basis on all working days with effect from tomorrow (June 6).

A government order issued in this regard read that employees who are at higher risk i.e. older employees, pregnant employees and employees who have underlying medical conditions should take extra precautions and should preferably not be exposed to any front-line work requiring direct contact with the public and the office management would facilitate work from home wherever feasible.

The order further read that routine issue of visitors/temporary passes should be suspended and only those visitors with proper permission of the officer, who they want to meet, should be allowed after proper screening.

“All the measures prescribed in the SOPs on preventive measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 in offices by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, shall be followed at all times besides the bio-metric attendance shall continue to be suspended until further orders,” the order read.

The Heads of the Departments/Offices shall ensure strict compliance of these instructions, the UT government said in a release.

Ladakh standoff: India, China agree to handle ‘differences’ through peaceful talks

New Delhi (NVI): Indian and Chinese officials today held diplomatic talks over the military standoff in eastern Ladakh and both sides agreed that they should handle the differences through “peaceful discussion”.

The meeting came a day ahead of the military-level talks between India and China over the recent border dispute between the troops of two nations that created tension on the Line of Control (LAC).

The talks were held through video conference between Naveen Srivastava, Joint Secretary (East Asia) and Wu Jianghao, Director General in Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The two sides reviewed the state of bilateral relations including the current developments, without naming the Ladakh standoff.

“In this context they recalled the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, that peaceful, stable and balanced relations between India and China will be a positive factor for stability in the current global situation,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

“Both sides also agreed that in accordance with the guidance provided by the leadership, the two sides should handle their differences through peaceful discussion bearing in mind the importance of respecting each other’s sensitivities, concerns and aspirations and not allow them to become disputes,” it added.

Apart from that, the two sides also exchanged views on the challenge posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and cooperation in various multilateral forums, the Ministry said.

For over a month, the Indian and Chinese troops are locked in a bitter military standoff in at least four areas in eastern Ladakh.

Southern Army Commander visits Jodhpur military station

Jodhpur (NVI): Southern Army Commander Lt Gen CP Mohanty today visited Jodhpur military station to oversee the operational readiness, training and administration of the formation.

During the visit, the General Officer also reviewed the preparation of station units for battling COVID-19 as part of their duties towards aid to civil authorities, said Colonel Sombit Ghosh, PRO Defence Rajasthan.

The Army Commander complimented all ranks for their dedicated efforts and high standards of training in guarding the borders and maintaining the sovereignty of the nation, the spokesman said.

He was also satisfied to know that the Army and the state authorities share an excellent rapport and are ready to win the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, Colonel Ghosh said in a statement.

Now, you can have eco-friendly chocolate

Kocoatrait claims to be world’s first zero-first waste chocolate.

New Delhi (NVI): You may have heard about many eco-friendly items but are you aware of eco-friendly chocolates?

Chennai-based ‘Cocoatrait’ is the company that says it produces eco-friendly chocolates with 100% up-cycled paper and plastic-free outer packaging.

“We have not taken anything away from the planet earth for packaging. Further, our chocolate volume/size is optimised for reducing the transportation volume and reduce carbon footprint,” says L Nitin Chordia, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of the company.

“We use an up-cycled paper-free, plastic-free, tree-free, compostable, bio-degradable and recyclable wrapping material which is made using reclaimed cotton and our wasted cocoa husk. This material is eco-friendly and we follow the circular economy model where we take very little away from the earth and give back to the soil when the use of the product is over,” he told NVI.

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Manchester in UK in 2018 had shown that the chocolate industry produces tonnes of greenhouse gases in a year.

As the production of chocolate requires raw materials such as cocoa powder, milk, sugar and energy including heating, cooling, and transport which produces tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year across the world.

“Around 500 sheets of A4 size non-recycled paper use 6 percent of an average size tree. We have saved 1/3rd a tree,” Cocoatrait says.

“Each tree removes 3 kgs of Carbon Dioxide emissions per year from the air. So far, the company has removed around 1 kg of carbon dioxide emissions from the air,” it added.

Chordia said India should have a good balance of brands that are local and international. “This way we create value in India and the value is consumed in India. This will hopefully help us import lesser chocolate. The way I look at it is that, for each chocolate bar of mine, the consumer has potentially purchased 1 lesser imported chocolate bar,” he said.

Five-day-old infant is youngest Covid-19 patient in J&K

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): A five-day-old baby in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district tested positive for coronavirus today, taking doctors by surprise, health officials said. The infant has become the youngest Covid-19 patient in J&K as yet.

This also comes on a day when health experts raised an alarm over what they claimed as ‘community transmission’ of Covid-19 in Jammu and Kashmir.

They said the newborn baby girl has become the youngest Covid-19 patient in UT, triggering a series of questions on whether the baby got infected with the virus in the womb of her mother, who was already positive, or after birth. The doctors have not come with any explanation so far.

A doctor claimed that the baby tested positive for the virus at Chest Diseases hospital, a few days after her mother was tested positive for the virus.

Block Medical Officer (BMO) Qaimoh, Kulgam, Dr Abdul Gani said that they were taken by surprise to hear that a newborn baby has tested positive. “Both, mother and the baby are asymptomatic and are undergoing treatment at Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag,” he said.

The doctor said that the frequent visits of pregnant ladies to hospitals and clinics are making them more vulnerable to Covid-19 and as seen today, newborn babies are also getting infected now, which is worrisome. To recall, a few days ago, a 20-day-old baby from Satwari area of Jammu had tested positive.

Official figures suggest that there is around 20 percent of Covid-19 positive patients in J&K who are between the age group of 0-19. However, none of this age group has died here so far.

Associate Professor Medicine GMC Srinagar, Dr Nisarul Hassan said that as of now, there is no evidence to suggest that a baby can get infected within the womb of his/her mother.

“It seems that newborn transmits the virus soon after birth while behind handled by the Covid infected mother. The virus gets transmitted during handling within 24 to 48 hours. Second, to find out whether the baby transmits the virus within the mother’s womb, there is a need to test the placental tissue, Cord sampling, or amniotic fluid sampling of the Covid positive mother. If maternal fetus transmission is proved, then that’s a disaster,” Dr Nisar said.

He, however, said mother’s milk doesn’t carry the virus for the newborn.

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