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7 non-locals among 23 fresh positive cases in J&K, tally reaches 207

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Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir government today said that 23 more cases were tested positive in the Union Territory, out of which seven people are non-locals who had managed their entry into Srinagar with the help of a local contact.

The total number of positive cases in the UT has now crossed 200 mark as the tally climbed to 207.

JK Government spokesman Rohit Kansal confirmed that total number of positive cases across the Union Territory has mounted to 207. He said that there are now 39 cases in Jammu while 168 people have been detected positive in the Valley.

“#COVID19 #JammuAndKashmir Today’s Update:  Total positive cases in J&K now 207. Jammu-39; Kashmir-168. A detailed bulletin follows shortly,” Kansal tweeted.

Kansal’s tweet was followed by Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Shahid Iqbal Chaudhary’s tweet that read: “8 Covid positive in Srinagar today sounds panicky, but it’s not. This is a classic tracing success story: found a group of non-local visitors, acted fast, quarantined. 7/8 are from group, 8th their local contact. Please help report”.

However, panic gripped Srinagar as the news of eight positive cases spread across the district. Many locals in Srinagar blamed the government for allowing tourists to Kashmir without proper screening and questioned the screening mechanism that was set up at Airport and on Srinagar-Jammu national highway till March 19.

Srinagar being a congested area is highly vulnerable to the spreading of Covid-19 infections. The district administration has already declared 14 red zones in Srinagar alone and all roads to these areas have been sealed and nobody except health or essential supplies staff is allowed to go inside these areas.

Yesterday, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Shahid Iqbal Chaudhary said that 800 people didn’t reveal their travel history on time. He said had these people disclosed their details timely, the Covid-19 situation would have been better in Srinagar and Kashmir.

UK to operate 12 more flights to evacuate citizens from India

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New Delhi (NVI): The United Kingdom today announced that it will fly out over 3,000 citizens stranded in India by 12 additional charter flights that have opened for bookings today.

This comes five days after the UK had announced seven charter flights on April 5 from Goa, Mumbai and New Delhi (April 8-12).

The 12 additional flights will airlift British nationals from Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Goa, Thriuvananthapuram, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Chennai, the British High Commission said in a statement here.

This will take the total number of people brought back on these 19 flights to around 5,000, it said.

The additional flights will depart for London from Amritsar on April 13, 17, 19, from Ahmedabad on April 13, 15, from Goa on April 14, 16 and another flight from Goa (via Mumbai) on April 18 from Thiruvananthapuram (via Kochi) on April 15, from Hyderabad (via Ahmedabad) on April 17, from Kolkata (via Delhi) on April 19 and from Chennai (via Bengaluru) on April 20.

The UK foreign office has said that these flights to London are scheduled for the next 2 weeks and British travellers can visit the India Travel Advice page to reserve seats.

Meanwhile, the first charter flight from India arrived at London Stanstead yesterday with 317 British nationals on board from Goa, the UK High Commission said in a statement.

Tariq Ahmad, British Foreign Office Minister of State said, “We are doing all we can to get thousands of British travellers in India home. This is a huge and complex operation that also involves working with the Indian Government to enable people to move within India to get on these flights. Over 300 people arrived from Goa on Thursday morning, 1,400 more will arrive over the Easter weekend and these 12 flights next week will bring back thousands more.”

Acting British High Commissioner to India, Jan Thompson also said in a statement: “We can confirm 12 more charter flights to bring British travellers back home – on top of the flights already launched. We are extremely grateful for the support we are receiving from the Government of India on this. Getting people home as quickly as possible remains our absolute priority.”

The British Embassy further stated that UK Government is working with the airline industry and host governments across the world to help bring back British travellers to the UK as part of the plan announced by the Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab last week (30 March) – with up to £75 million available for special charter flights to priority countries, focused on helping the most vulnerable travellers.

So far, flights have brought back British travellers from the Philippines, Ecuador, Bolivia, Nepal, Ghana, Tunisia, Algeria and Peru, it added.

Coronavirus cases in Pakistan top 4,700; death toll at 68

New Delhi (NVI): The total number of positive COVID-19 cases in Pakistan rose to 4,700 today after new infections were reported in the country.

The death toll in the country has also reached 64 in the last 24 hours, according to Pak media reports.

Punjab province has registered the maximum number of 2,280 positive cases, followed by Sindh province at 1,214, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa at 620, Gilgit-Baltistan has reported 215, Balochistan 220 and Islamabad 118, according to Geo News.

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives has said that they will present the future course of action regarding the coronavirus to Prime Minister Imran Khan on April 12.

He further added that the proposal would then be put forward to the National Coordination Committee on April 13.

In addition to this, lockdown in Gilgit-Baltistan has been extended by a week.

COVID-19 deaths in Bangladesh reach 27; cases at 424

Bangladesh lockdown

New Delhi (NVI): The total number of COVID-19 fatalities in Bangladesh reached 27 after 6 more people have died due to the novel coronavirus pandemic today, according to the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).

The total number of positive cases jumped by 94 in the last 24 hours, raising the number of coronavirus cases in the country to 424.

Over 13,000 people are in quarantine currently across the country, according to United News off Bangladesh.

Among the 6 deceased, 5 are male and 1 is female, IEDCR director Prof Meerjady Sabrina Flora said in a special bulletin today.

Meanwhile, the whole of the country has been put under a lockdown including the Rohingya refugee camps to curb the spread of coronavirus as the positive cases and fatalities are on a spike.

Jallianwala Bagh closed till Jun 15

New Delhi (NVI): The closure of Jallianwala Bagh memorial in Amritsar for visitors will continue till June 15, the Ministry fo Culture has said in a statement.

The renovation work at the memorial site was to be completed by March 2020 but was affected due to COVID-19 crisis, the ministry said.

Presently, the memorial is being renovated, upgraded and museum/galleries and sound & light show is being set up at the memorial site, it said.

“The work was in full swing at the memorial site. Since a large number of tourists visit the memorial daily, it was decided to close the entry of visitors to the memorial from 15.2.2020 to 12.4.2020 so that the on-going works can be completed within target date,” the ministry said, adding that now due to COVID-19 crisis, the said work has been affected, and it has been decided to continue closing the memorial for visitors till 15.6.2020.

The country is commemorating centenary of Jallianwala Bagh Massacre from 13.4.2019 to 13.4.2020.

The renovation work at the memorial site was to be completed by March, 2020 for opening for the public on April 13.

1.37 lakh PF withdrawal claims settled by EPFO in 10 days

New Delhi (NVI): Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) today said that it has processed about 1.37 lakh claims across the country in the past 10 days, disbursing an amount of Rs 279.65 crore, to provide relief depositors amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The retirement body took the step under a new provision especially formulated by amending the EPF Scheme to help members fight COVID-19 pandemic.

The provision for a special withdrawal from the EPF Scheme to fight coronavirus pandemic is part of the (PMGKY) scheme by the government and an urgent notification on the matter was made to introduce a para 68 L (3) of the EPF Scheme on March 28.

Under this provision non-refundable withdrawal to the extent of the basic wages allowances for three months or up to 75 per cent of the amount standing to member’s credit in the EPF account, whichever is less, is provided.

Anticipating the huge surge in the demand, EPFO came out with a completely new software which has been developed from scratch and a receipt module for on-line receipt of the claims was introduced within 24 hours.

Further, the application was required to be in paperless form to curtail any physical movement in view of social distancing. As the virus has posed a serious threat and considering important need of money in these trying times, it has been decided to process advance to fight COVID-19 pandemic on priority.

In another decision, EPFO had issued revised instructions to its field offices to facilitate the rectification of birth records for provident fund (PF) subscribers. The retirement fund mandated that the date of birth recorded in Aadhaar would be accepted as valid proof of date of birth for the purpose of rectification, provided the difference between the two dates was less than three years.

EPFO is the provider of the Employees’ Provident Fund, which a pension scheme for salaried persons in the country.

Directive for felling female Russian poplar trees in Kashmir

Srinagar (NVI): Amid the coronavirus pandemic, authorities in Kashmir have been directed to axe female Russian poplar trees and enforce a complete ban on their plantation and growing in view of concerns regarding pollen-related infections.

The directive has been given by Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Pandurang K Pole, to all Deputy Commissioners and other authorities concerned in compliance with an order of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.

However, Social Forestry Corporation has been asked to increase the capacities so far as male popular trees are concerned, so that saplings and cuttings of such trees are available to the farmers on reasonable rates.

In the directive, Pole has asked the officials concerned to discuss the pollen-related infections in wake of already spread of COVID-19 and enforce a complete ban on plantation and growing of female Russian poplar trees in private Nurseries, an official spokesman said.

He further directed that pruning, lopping of female poplar trees on property land within 500 meters of habitation should be conducted within 10 days and warned of strict action for non-compliance.

The Divisional Commissioner also said that the Social Forestry Corporation should axe all female Russian poplar trees on their lands or at any other locations.

Any species of this variety on State land or Kahcharie land within 500 meters from village (habitation), Basti, should also be felled down, the directive said.

He directed the Deputy Commissioners to constitute teams for cutting the trees on state and Khacharie land.

16 mn lost jobs in US in 3 weeks due to Covid-19: Report

New Delhi (NVI): The coronavirus outbreak has thrown more than 16 million Americans out of work in just three weeks as the pandemic continues to spread across the country, according to US media reports.

The US Department of Labor in its report has said that more than 6.6 million people filed jobless claims in the week ending April 4.

More than 16 million people have made unemployment claims over the past three weeks, as restrictions on activities led most businesses to close. The restrictions to contain the virus have also put about 95 per cent of Americans on some form of lockdown.

As per reports in US media, the country has lost 10 per cent of the workforce in three weeks.

With over 16,000 deaths due to COVID-19 and the total number of cases surging past 4,50,000 in the United States, the pandemic situation has led to a large number of people filing first-time unemployment claims.

ICAI, ICSI and ICMAI donate Rs 28.80 Crore to PM CARES Fund

New Delhi (NVI): In view of the spread of coronavirus, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) and Institute of Cost Accountants, under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (ICMAI), have come forward to donate an amount of Rs 28.80 crore towards PM-CARES Fund for providing assistance to those in need.

The Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) was created on March 28 in respect to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

It has been set up with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation as posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to provide relief to the affected people.

However, the minimum amount one can donate towards PM Cares Fund is Rs.10 and the donations will be exempted from tax and fall under Corporate Social Responsibility.

So far, total number of COVID-19 cases in India stand up to 6,412 and 199 people have died from the pandemic across the country.

195 million workers may lose jobs worldwide due to COVID-19: ILO report

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New Delhi (NVI): The coronavirus pandemic is expected to wipe out 6.7 per cent of working hours globally in the second quarter of 2020, according to a report by International Labor Organization (ILO).

The United Nations’ labor agency said this would be the equivalent of 195 million full-time workers.

Large reductions are foreseen in the Arab States (8.1 per cent, equivalent to 5 million full-time workers), Europe (7.8 per cent, or 12 million full-time workers) and Asia and the Pacific (7.2 per cent, 125 million full-time workers).

The UN agency said the eventual increase in global unemployment in 2020 depended on how quickly the economy could recover in the second half of the year and how effective policy measures were in boosting labor demand.

Since the ILO published its preliminary assessment, it said cases of COVID-19 infection had risen six times.

Huge losses are expected across different income groups but especially in upper-middle income countries (7.0 per cent, 100 million full-time workers).

The agency has also said that this far exceeds the effects of the 2008-9 financial crisis.

The sectors most at risk include accommodation and food services, manufacturing, retail, and business and administrative activities.

There is a high risk that the end-of-year figure will be significantly higher than the initial ILO projection, of 25 million.

More than four out of five people (81 per cent) in the global workforce of 3.3 billion are currently affected by full or partial workplace closures.

“Workers and businesses are facing catastrophe, in both developed and developing economies,” said ILO Director-General Guy Ryder. “We have to move fast, decisively, and together. The right, urgent, measures, could make the difference between survival and collapse.”
The ILO described the coronavirus as the “worst crisis since World War II.”

According to the new study, 1.25 billion workers are employed in the sectors identified as being at high risk of “drastic and devastating” increases in layoffs and reductions in wages and working hours.

Many are in low-paid, low-skilled jobs, where a sudden loss of income is devastating.

Looked at regionally, the proportion of workers in these “at risk” sectors varies from 43 per cent in the US to 26 per cent in Africa. Some regions, particularly Africa, have higher levels of informality, which combined with a lack of social protection, high population density and weak capacity, pose severe health and economic challenges for governments, the report cautions.

Worldwide, 2 billion people work in the informal sector (mostly in emerging and developing economies) and are particularly at risk.

The UN agency reiterated the need for large-scale, integrated policy measures to help combat the economic threat of the virus, but added that there was a need for immediate support for those working in the most affected sectors.

“This is the greatest test for international cooperation in more than 75 years,” said Ryder. “If one country fails, then we all fail. We must find solutions that help all segments of our global society, particularly those that are most vulnerable or least able to help themselves.”

“The choices we make today will directly affect the way this crisis unfolds and so the lives of billions of people,” he added. “With the right measures we can limit its impact and the scars it leaves. We must aim to build back better so that our new systems are safer, fairer and more sustainable than those that allowed this crisis to happen.”

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