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PM interacts with 3 teams working on Covid-19 vaccine, lauds scientists

Prime Minister interacts with three teams of researchers virtually. (Source: @PIB_India)

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi today interacted with 3 teams working on developing and manufacturing vaccine for COVID-19 and lauded the researchers and scientists for their efforts.

PM Modi held virtual meeting with these teams from Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd, Pune; Biological E Ltd, Hyderabad; and Dr. Reddys Laboratories Ltd, Hyderabad and discussed potential of various platforms for vaccine development.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister appreciated the efforts being taken by the scientists in these companies to come out with a vaccine solution to tackle COVID-19.

“PM Modi also asked the companies to come out with their suggestions and ideas regarding the regulatory processes and related matters,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.

“Matters relating to logistics, transport, cold chain etc. in respect of delivering the vaccines were discussed at the meeting,” it added.

The Prime Minister also suggested that they should take extra efforts to inform the general public in simple language about the vaccine and related matters such as its efficacy etc.

All the vaccine candidates discussed are at different stages of trials and detailed data and results are expected early next year onwards, the PMO said.

PM Modi further advised all the departments concerned to engage with the manufacturers and seek to resolve matters so that the efforts by these companies bear fruit in order to serve the needs of the country and the entire world.

Earlier on Saturday, the Prime Minister took a three-city tour – Pune, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad, to conduct extensive review of the COVID-19 vaccine development and manufacturing process.

-RJV

PM to chair all-party meet on Fri

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be chairing an all-party meeting on December 4, to discuss the COVID-19 situation in the country.

The development came as PM Modi reviewed ongoing efforts in India to develop a vaccine for COVID-19, which has infected more than 94 lakh people in the country.

According to the media reports, the floor leaders of all parties from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have been called for the meeting, which will be held virtually on Friday at 10:30 am.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, and parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi will also attend the meeting.

This will be the second such meeting called by the government to discuss the COVID-19 situation since the outbreak of the pandemic.

However, the meeting is being held at a time when it is being contemplated to merge the winter session of parliament with the budget session in wake of rising COVID-19 cases in Delhi.

-RJV

Search ops on in Mendhar forests of Jammu’s Poonch for 4th day

Personnel of security forces at an encounter site in Kashmir (File pic)

Neyaz Elahi

Poonch (NVI): Massive search operations in forests of Mendhar in Poonch district of Jammu region continued for the fourth consecutive day to trace militants in the area.

The search operation was launched 4 days ago after inputs about the movement of militants in these areas.

A security official said that joint forces including soldiers and counter-insurgent personnel from Jammu & Kashmir Police are conducting searches in Totawali Gali and the forest area of Gursai in Mendhar areas for the last four days.

“It is a dense forest area and the terrain is very difficult. We are on job and conducting thorough searches and so far no suspicious object has been located,” the official said.

The soldiers from 37, 38, 49 Rashtriya Rifles and from 156 Territorial Army (TA) continued search operation today for the fourth day, Sub Divisional Police Officer, Mendhar ZA Jafri said.

-ARK

Militant associate planning to purchase weapons in North Kashmir held

Terrorist arrested
Representational image

Neyaz Elahi

Kupwara (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir Police today said that it has arrested a militant associate along with cash in Kupwara district.

SSP Kupwara, Ram Ambedkar told NVI that the arrested militant supporter was planning to purchase weapon in the district. He said that arrest was made at Kaveri Naka in Kupwara.

Divulging further information, the SSP said that a Chinese grenade and Rs 3.5 lakh in cash were recovered from him.

SSP Kupwara identified the militant associate as Sahil Mushtaq Dar, a resident of Babagund Handwara.

“A case vide FIR number 333/2020 US 3/4 Explosive sub Act, 13,38, 40 ULAP Act has been registered against him at Police Station Kupwara,” he said, adding that Dar is being questioned and has revealed that he works for militant outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad.

Kejriwal orders reduction of cost of COVID RT-PCR test in Delhi

Free Covid vaccination
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi (NVI): Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today directed officials to reduce the price of RT-PCR tests for COVID-19 in the national capital.

Kejriwal took to Twitter and made the announcement saying that this will help those going to private labs for COVID-19 test.

“I have directed that the rates of RT PCR tests be reduced in Delhi. Whereas tests are being conducted free of cost in govt establishments, however this will help those who get their tests done in pvt labs,” the chief minister tweeted.

However, Kejriwal, did not mention further details of the revised price of RT-PCR tests and from when they will come into effect in the city.

In reply to Chief Minister’s tweet, Delhi Health Minister Satendar Jain said. “Will issue order immediately.”

RT-PCR and Rapid Antigen Test are two types of tests done to detect coronavirus. Both tests are done for free at government testing centres and hospitals, but not at private labs. At present, people have to spend Rs 2,400 for the RT-PCR test at private labs in the national capital. The final price was capped by the Delhi government in June.

Meanwhile, the Delhi and central governments, both, recently launched mobile testing vans offering free coronavirus tests.

The decision was taken after Chief Minister’s urgent COVID-19 containment meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah, who instructed doubling Delhi’s RT-PCR testing capacity to detected rising coronavirus cases in the city.

So far, Delhi has recorded more than 5.66 lakh COVID-19 cases with 5,22,491 recoveries. The death toll in the national capital stood at 9,066, as per the Health Ministry data.

-RJV

Pak fighter flies close to LoC, violates international convention

Pakistani fighter jet spotted close to LoC in Poonch

Poonch (NVI): Pakistan Air Force today violated an international convention as one of its fighter planes flew very close to the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, the Defence spokesman said.

Jammu based defense spokesperson said: “the jet flew close to the LoC in Poonch sector in violation of international conventions which does not allow fighter jets to fly within a 10 km radius of the border.”

The spokesperson said that a jet stream was clearly visible in the sky close to the LoC in Poonch.

Recently, a few drones had been spotted near the Line of Control, even in Arnia sector as BSF had opened fire on one of them. There has been a surge in ceasefire violations by Pakistan along LoC, claiming the lives of soldiers and civilians in Jammu and Kashmir.

-ARK

Delhi’s air quality turns ‘very poor’, likely to worsen further

Air quality
Representational Image

New Delhi (NVI): The air quality in the national capital turned to ‘very poor’ category this morning with calm winds and is likely to deteriorate further over the next two days.

According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the city’s air quality index (AQI) stood at 305 at around 9 am.

The AQI in neighbouring cities of Faridabad (297), Ghaziabad (372), Gurgaon (282) and Noida (339), was also recorded in ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ categories.

As of today, the spike in air pollutants was recorded in the city as there was an increase in the concentration of both- PM10 and PM2.5 pollutants.

Officials at government agencies have predicted that air quality to deteriorate further over the coming days due to a likely dip in temperature and gradual reduction in wind speed.

Moreover, the Ministry Earth Sciences’ air monitor, SAFAR said that, the AQI is forecasted to marginally deteriorate to the ‘very poor category for the next two days and likely to further deteriorate and to be in the higher end of ‘very poor’ category on December 2.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the winds were calm on Sunday night. During the day, the maximum wind speed is expected to be 10 kmph.

“Winds are predicted to slow down further. Therefore, Delhi’s air quality is likely to deteriorate further and remain in the ‘poor’ to ‘very poor’ category,” it added.

However, The minimum temperature was 6.9 degrees Celsius today and the maximum is expected to settle around 26 degrees Celsius, the Met department said.

-RJV

State-wise details of Covid-19 cases in India

Fact Check

New Delhi (NVI): The total number of coronavirus cases in India crossed 94 lakh-mark and currently stands at 94,31,692 after 38,772 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

The country’s death toll stands at 1,37,139 after 443 new fatalities were reported during the same period.

In worst-hit Maharashtra, the COVID-19 cases increased to 18,20,059 followed by Karnataka with 8,83,899 cases, and Andhra Pradesh with 8,67,683 cases.

Total positive cases in States/UTs:

Andaman and Nicobar Islands- 4,704

Andhra Pradesh- 8,67,683

Arunachal Pradesh- 16,269

Assam- 2,12,617

Bihar- 2,34,119

Chandigarh- 17,342

Chhattisgarh- 2,35,998

Dadra and Nagar Haveli– 3,332

Delhi- 5,66,648

Gujarat- 2,08,278

Goa- 47,804

Haryana– 2,32,522

Himachal Pradesh- 40,003

Jammu and Kashmir- 1,09,854

Jharkhand- 1,08,984

Karnataka- 8,83,899

Kerala- 5,99,600

Ladakh- 8,403

Madhya Pradesh- 2,04,745

Maharashtra- 18,20,059

Manipur- 24,910

Meghalaya- 11,740

Mizoram- 3,826

Nagaland- 11,159

Odisha- 3,18,307

Puducherry- 36,935

Punjab- 1,51,538

Rajasthan- 2,65,386

Sikkim- 4,985

Tamil Nadu- 7,80,505

Telangana- 2,69,816

Tripura- 32,695

Uttarakhand- 74,340

Uttar Pradesh- 5,41,873

West Bengal – 4,80,813

State/UT wise total death toll:

Andaman and Nicobar Islands- 61

Andhra Pradesh- 6,988

Arunachal Pradesh- 54

Assam- 981

Bihar- 1,259

Chandigarh- 276

Chhattisgarh- 2,840

Dadra and Nagar Haveli- 2

Delhi- 9,066

Goa- 687

Gujarat- 3,969

Haryana- 2,401

Himachal Pradesh- 635

Jammu and Kashmir- 1,685

Jharkhand- 963

Karnataka- 11,765

Kerala- 2,223

Ladakh- 116

Madhya Pradesh- 3,250

Maharashtra- 47,071

Manipur- 273

Meghalaya- 111

Mizoram- 5

Nagaland- 64

Odisha- 1,734

Puducherry- 609

Punjab- 4,780

Rajasthan- 2,292

Sikkim- 108

Tamil Nadu- 11,703

Telangana- 1,458

Tripura- 370

Uttar Pradesh- 7,742

Uttarakhand- 1,222

West Bengal- 8,376

However, a total of 88,47,600 people have been cured and discharged. The total active cases stands at 4,46,952 in the country.

-CHK

New York public schools to reopen from Dec 7 even as COVID cases surge

New York public schools to reopen from Dec 7 even as COVID cases surge
Representational image (Source: @twitter)

New Delhi (NVI): New York City will reopen its public schools for in-person classes from December 7, despite the surge in COVID-19 cases in the city.

The city Mayor Bill de Blasio made the announcement at a press conference and said, “Some elementary schools and pre-kindergarten programs will resume classes from December 7. Others will take longer to reopen their doors.”

“School programs serving special-needs students at all grade levels, known as District 75, will open to in-person learning starting December 10”, the Mayor said, adding that, the plan for reopening middle and high schools is still being developed.

Earlier, New York City’s public schools opened to in-person classes starting in September for students whose parents had chosen bricks-and-mortar schooling. However, school buildings closed again on November 19 amid rising COVID-19 infections in the city, according to the reports.

De Blasio further informed that many of those returning in-person classes will be attending five days of class a week, up from one to three days previously.

Also, students attending in person classes will be required to undergo frequent testing for the virus. Previously, the city had set a target of testing 20 per cent of teachers and students in each school building once a month. Now, the testing will be weekly.

Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza, who joined the mayor at the conference also said, “With the new measures it is believed the city could safely and successfully keep our schools open for the duration of this pandemic.”

“Getting our kids back in school buildings is one of the single most important things we can do for their wellbeing, and it’s so important that we do it right,” he added.

Meanwhile, the coronavirus deaths added up to 34,561 and the confirmed cases to 6,41,161 in New York City, according to the John Hopkins University data.

-RJV

Security forces launch search ops in J&K’s Kulgam

Shopian encounter
File Photo

Lubna Fayaz

Srinagar (NVI): Security Forces today launched a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) in Nanibough village of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district.

According to reports, a joint team of 9RR, CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir police cordoned the village.

The forces are conducting house to house searches in the area right now.

-CHK

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