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J&K: Passengers to be quarantined, tested after arrival at Srinagar airport

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): Once the flight operations resume, at least 90 flights will operate from Srinagar International Airport from May 25 and all the passengers arriving at the airport will be quarantined for a week and later tested for coronavirus before they are discharged, officials said.

Officials said that the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary, BVR Subramanyam, is personally monitoring the new quarantine facilities where the passengers arriving by air will be quarantined.

“Initially only 40 per cent of the flights will operate. We have upgraded the facilities at the airport keeping in view the Covid-19 guidelines. There are certain points where passengers have to strictly follow social distancing norms,” Director of Srinagar Airport, Santosh Dhoke, said.

He also said that elaborate arrangements have been made for the security staff, airport staff and the airlines staff so that there is hassle free travel for passengers.

Sources said that the administration has decided that it will offer only government quarantine facilities to passengers arriving here. “But passengers can avail hotel quarantine facility at minimum fixed payment,” they said. The paid quarantine facilities will be available in Srinagar, Jammu, Gulmarg and Katra.

Sources said that the local administration will fix rates for paid quarantine facilities. Principal Secretary, Housing & Urban Development Department, Dheeraj Gupta, has been appointed as the nodal officer for arrivals at the Srinagar airport.

“Over 3,000 people are expected to arrive daily from May 25. In the beginning, nearly 80-90 flights will operate per week,” sources added.

All flight operations across the country were suspended, in the wake of coronavirus pandemic, from the last week of March, 2020.

 

Bangladesh coronavirus tally surpasses 32,000 mark

Bangladesh lockdown

New Delhi (NVI): The total number of deaths from coronavirus in Bangladesh has reached 452 after 20 more people lost their lives in the last 24 hours, according to United News of Bangladesh.

The total number of coronavirus infections rose to 32,078 after 1,873 new infections were reported during this period.

During this period, 296 coronavirus-infected people recovered fully in the country which upped the total number of recoveries to 6,486.

The country has seen a spike in the number of new cases and deaths in recent weeks.

Additional Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Prof Nasima Sultana said, “17 private hospitals and diagnostic centers have been authorised to conduct RT-PCR test to detect COVID-19 infection.”

Coronavirus cases top 53,000 in Pakistan; 1,115 dead

(Image source: Dawn.com)

New Delhi (NVI): The total number of positive coronavirus cases in Pakistan has increased by more than 1,500, taking the overall tally to 53,199 with at least 1,115 fatalities recorded so far.

Looking at the breakdown of cases, Sindh province has reported 21,645 coronavirus cases, highest among all the provinces, while Punjab has 18,730 positive cases.

On the other hand, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has recorded 7,391 cases, Balochistan is at 3,198, Gilgit-Baltistan at 607, Islamabad at 1,457 and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is at 171 cases so far, according to Geo News.

Meanwhile, doctors and experts fear the country’s under-funded and creaking healthcare system will crumble under the pressure if the contagion gathers more pace, according to media reports.

On a positive note, 15,201 people have recovered from the malignant virus in the country.

782 new COVID cases in Afghanistan; tally hits 9,998

New Delhi (NVI): Afghanistan witnessed a rise in coronavirus cases with 782 new cases, taking the overall tally to 9,998 across the country, according to Afghan media reports.

In the last 24 hours, 11 COVID-19 patients have died, bringing the total deaths in the country to 216.

Among the new cases, 377 cases were reported in Kabul, the country’s hardest-hit are

In addition, 150 cases were reported in Herat, 59 in Balkh, 47 in Ghazni, 32 in Nangarhar, 28 in Paktia, 21 in Samangan, 12 in Paktika, 10 in Kunar, 11 in Kapisa, 12 in Baghlan, 12 in Logar, 4 in Farah, 4 in Ghor, 6 in Laghman, 4 in Badghis and 3 in Takhar.

The country’s Health Ministry said, over 29,417 samples have been tested so far, which analysts say is too low a number when compared to the country’s population.

So far, 1,040 patients have been cured or discharged across the country.

China reports no new COVID-19 cases for first time since outbreak

New Delhi (NVI): Chinese authorities registered zero new infections of coronavirus in the mainland on May 22, for the first time since they began reporting data in January.

The country’s National Health Commission (NHC) in a statement said, “This compared to four new cases on the previous day. There were two new suspected cases, an imported one in Shanghai and locally transmitted case in the northeastern province of Jilin.”

New asymptomatic cases of the coronavirus fell to 28 from 35 a day earlier, the NHC added.

According to the reports, the country has seen a sharp decline in locally transmitted cases since March.

However, it has continued to see an influx of imported cases, mainly involving Chinese nationals returning from abroad, while new clusters of infections in the northeastern border provinces have emerged in recent weeks.

Wuhan also reported its first cluster of infections this month, since the lockdown on the city ended on April 8, prompting authorities to warn that counter-epidemic measures could not be relaxed and a campaign to test all of Wuhan’s 11 million residents for COVID-19 was launched.

The total number of confirmed cases in the mainland stood at 82,971 and the death toll remained unchanged at 4,634.

Daily carbon emissions fall 17% globally due to coronavirus lockdown

Carbon emission
Representational image

New Delhi (NVI): Carbon dioxide emissions have fallen to the lowest level since 2006 as lockdowns are imposed around the world due to the coronavirus crisis, a new study shows.

The major slowdown of movement has led to an extreme decline in CO2 emissions — with daily levels recorded 17 per cent lower as compared to averages from last year.

It is estimated that in the first four months of the year, global emissions from burning fossil fuels and cement production were cut by 8.6 per cent, compared with 2019 levels.

In the study published in Nature Climate Change, the findings show the world has experienced the sharpest drop in carbon output since records began, with large sections of the global economy brought to a near standstill. When the lockdown was at its most stringent, in some countries emissions fell by just over a quarter on average. In the UK, the decline was about 31 per cent, while in Australia emissions fell 28.3 per cent for a period during April.

“This is a really big fall, but at the same time, 83 per cent of global emissions are left, which shows how difficult it is to reduce emissions with changes in behaviour,” said Corinne Le Quéré, a professor of climate change at the University of East Anglia, and lead author of the study.

According to the study, largest factor was the lack of vehicles on road, accounting for 43 per cent of the decrease. While air travel’s carbon footprint fell by a staggering 60 per cent, that industry only generally accounts for about 3 per cent of yearly global carbon emissions — making its overall impact far smaller than other industries.

Within the global total, the largest impacts were in China in the first four months of the year, followed by the US, then Europe and India.

However, the unprecedented fall is likely to be only temporary. As countries slowly get back to normal activity, over the course of the year the annual decline is likely to be only about 7 per cent, if some restrictions to halt the virus remain in place. If these restrictions are lifted in mid-June the fall for the year is likely to be only 4 per cent.

Nepal’s COVID-19 tally reaches 584 with 36 new cases

New Delhi (NVI): 36 new positive Covid-19 cases have been reported from Nepal, taking the toll in the Himalayan nation to 584, according to local media reports.

The country’s Ministry of Health and Population said the infections were confirmed through tests carried out at Seti Hospital in Dhangadhi, Koshi Hospital in Biratnagar, and Rapti Academy of Health Sciences in Dang.

Among the new cases, four males between the ages of 20 and 27 years from Baitadi district. A 33-year-old male from Jhapa district, twenty-seven males between the ages of 16-50 from Banke district.

Likewise, a 19-year-old male from Bardiya district and two males and one female from Surkhet have contracted the coronavirus infection, according to the Ministry.

Of the total persons infected, 505 are males while 79 are females.

The coronavirus contagion has been found in forty districts of the country with 86 cases in Province 1,172 cases in Province 2, 32 cases in Bagmati Province, five cases in Gandaki Province, 271 cases in Province 5, four cases in Karnali Province, and 14 cases in Sudurpaschim Province, as per media reports.

Earlier today, 32 fresh cases were reported that took the confirmed tally to 548, as per media reports.

Meanwhile, 45,757 samples have been tested by the PCR method in the country.

So far, 60 people have been cured or recovered from the virus and three persons have died.

J&K: People throng to shops ahead of Eid amid COVID-19 lockdown

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): Ahead of Eid-Ul-Fitr, people of Jammu and Kashmir flooded the mutton and bakery shops for making purchases, violating government guidelines amid coronavirus pandemic.

The Union Territory government has so far not announced any relaxation for the festival of Eid during the lockdown already in place. However, people flocked on the streets without face masks and violated social distancing protocols.

 “There were women, men and children waiting for their turn to get mutton and bakery items,” said Adil Rashid, who himself was in a queue at a mutton shop at Safa Kadal area of downtown Srinagar.

Based on the age-old tradition, purchasing mutton and bakery items in bulk are a part of Eid festivities in Kashmir. However, this time around, government put strict measures in place to be maintained while making purchases.

In addition to this, large number of people was also seen outside poultry farms. But the majority of poultry farm owners complained that there was a shortage of stock as the government has fixed a very less price for chicken, as a result the dealers have decided not to sell chicken this year on Eid.

Mutton was sold at Rs 550 per kg against the government rate of Rs 480 and 500 per kg respectively. At many places in Srinagar, mutton was also priced at Rs 600 and even 700 per kg.

Police, however, arrested at least a dozen mutton sellers for selling meat at an exorbitant rate.

 “They don’t know that they are inviting a big trouble for themselves as they can come in contact with any coronavirus positive patient,” a police official said.

An official from district administration, Srinagar, said that market checking squads were constituted a week ahead of Eid and they have taken strict action against some mutton, poultry shop owners and bakers. “People don’t follow guidelines. Actually, there is a notion in Kashmir, wherein Eid without mutton dishes means nothing. Here we can’t help as we can’t book each and every person who wants to buy mutton, chicken and poultry,” he said.

Modi holds talks with Mauritius PM

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi today had a telephonic conversation with the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth, to discuss about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its likely health and economic impacts in the region.

Prime Minister Jugnauth conveyed his condolences for the loss suffered by India due to Cyclone Amphan.  He also thanked PM Modi for sending the Indian Naval Ship ‘Kesari’ to Mauritius as part of ‘Operation Sagar’, with a consignment of medicines and a 14-member medical team to help the Mauritian health authorities fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled the special people-to-people ties between India and Mauritius and said that India is duty-bound to support its friends during this time of crisis.

Modi conveyed his appreciation for the effective COVID-19 response mounted by Mauritius under his Mauritian counterpart’s leadership, which has resulted in no new cases being reported for several weeks now.

PM Modi took to twitter in this regard and said, “Thank you, Prime Minister @PKJugnauth for our warm conversation today! Congratulations for successfully controlling COVID-19 in Mauritius.”

Narendra Modi also suggested that Mauritius could document its best practices, which would be helpful for other countries, especially island countries, in dealing with similar health crises.

The two leaders discussed enhancing cooperation in various areas including measures aimed at supporting the financial sector of Mauritius, and enabling Mauritian youth to study Ayurvedic medicine.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed his best wishes for the health and well-being of the Mauritian people, and for the maintenance of the warm relations between the two countries.

 

PM Modi talks to Sri Lanka President

PM
File photo

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi today held a telephonic conversation with the President of Sri Lanka, Gotabaya Rajapaksa and discussed about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its likely health and economic impacts in the region.

During the conversation, PM Modi assured the Sri Lankan President that India would continue to provide all possible support to the island nation for mitigating the effects of COVID-19.

Both the leaders agreed on the need to accelerate Indian-assisted development projects in Sri Lanka.

Additionally, they also discussed the possibilities of promoting investments and value-addition in Sri Lanka by the Indian private sector.

PM Modi also conveyed his best wishes for the health and wellbeing of the Sri Lankan people.

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