Tag: Covid 19 News

Nagpur district records rising Covid deaths

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NAGPUR DISTRICT’S worsening Covid situation seems to be fast losing its silver lining — fewer deaths. On Friday, districts in Vidarbha region together recorded 54 deaths, out of which 35 were in Nagpur district alone.

The deaths took place in seven districts, while five districts — Bhandara, Wardha, Gondia, Gadchiroli and Chandrapur — did not record any on the day.

Out of 35 deaths in Nagpur district, 23 were reported from the municipal area, nine from rural parts and three outside the district.

On Thursday, the district recorded 23 deaths. Vidarbha region recorded 48 deaths on Thursday, which means Friday’s rise is due to a spurt in Nagpur district.

The number of daily Covid-19 cases, however, dropped from 3,796 on Thursday to 3,235 on Friday. The drop looks encouraging against almost identical number of tests — 16,139 on Thursday and 16,066 on Friday.

The total number of positive cases in the region on Friday was 6,167, which was 6,096 on Thursday. After Nagpur, Buldhana remains the most severely affected district. On Thursday, it recorded 885 new cases and three deaths, while on Friday the corresponding numbers were 732 and three.

Yavatmal recorded 526 new cases and three deaths, while Akola had 451 new cases and three deaths. In Amravati, which first reported maximum cases with the second wave of Covid-19, cases seem to be on a decline. It recorded 333 cases and two deaths on Friday with a positivity rate of 8.32 per cent and mortality rate of 0.6 per cent, as against Amravati division’s overall positivity rate of 11.29 per cent and mortality rate of 0.86 per cent.

In Amravati division’s five districts — Amravati, Akola, Yavatmal, Washim and Buldhana — the death rate has remained around 0.8 per cent and positivity rate has risen from 12.1 per cent in the first week of February to 19.57 per cent in the last week. In this week, so far, it has dropped to 12.12 per cent.

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Night curfew, ban on gatherings and more: How states are stepping up amid renewed Covid surge

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As India stares at a possible second Covid-19 wave with cases rising across the country, several state governments have brought in restrictions to curb the spread of the virus.

While Maharashtra has ordered theatres, auditoriums and offices to take in only 50 per cent of their capacity till March 31, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation on Friday decided to shut malls and multiplexes on weekends. Similarly, Punjab has banned social gatherings in 11 worst-hit districts of the state and closed educational institutions, other than medical and nursing colleges, till March 31.

Maharashtra

On Thursday, Maharashtra had reported 25,883 new cases of coronavirus infections, its highest single-day count since the start of the pandemic. Following this, all private offices, except ones related to health and other essential services, were ordered to function at 50 per cent capacity till March 31. The state government also banned religious, social, political and cultural gatherings at drama halls and auditoriums.

Gujarat

In Gujarat, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation decided to shut malls and multiplexes on weekends after the civic body increased the curfew in the city by one hour from 9 pm to 6 am. In Surat, too, which recorded 324 new cases in the last 24 hours, the curfew time was extended from 9 pm to 6 am.

Punjab

Taking a similar stance, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh ordered a slew of restrictions beginning Saturday, including closing all educational institutions till the month-end and curbs on cinema and mall capacities. In 11 worst-hit districts of Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Patiala, Mohali, Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, SBS Nagar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Ropar and Moga, a complete ban has been ordered on all social gatherings, except for funerals and weddings, which will be allowed with only 20 persons in attendance. This will be enforced from Sunday.

The chief minister also appealed to the people to keep social activity in their homes to a bare minimum for the next two weeks to break the chain of transmission. “Not more than 10 visitors should be entertained in homes,” he urged while chairing a meeting of the Covid task force.

Karnataka

With Bengaluru, too, recording a spike in coronavirus cases, local civic body — Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike — is likely to recommend to the Karnataka government to close gyms, swimming pools, community halls in apartments, and open-air gyms in parks. “We will recommend closure of gyms, swimming pools and party or community halls in apartments in the city, besides closure of open-air gyms in all BBMP parks,” BBMP Commissioner N Manjunatha Prasad said on Friday.

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Covid-19 prompts women to take ownership of money, invest more: Survey – Times of India

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NEW DELHI: A greater number of women in India are taking ownership of their money and investing more as compared to 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic ravaged the economy and hit household budgets, according to a survey.
The percentage of women who actively invest has risen by 10 percentage points since last year, the survey conducted by Scripbox, a digital wealth management service firm, ahead of the International Women’s Day found.
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The survey involving 778 respondents from across the country was aimed at “examining aspects of financial preparedness, investment behaviours and challenges around money matters of women”.
“This annual survey records a clear progression in women investing more and taking greater control of their money over the last year as a result of the economic impact of the pandemic.
“The percentage of those who actively invest has risen by 10 per cent since the last year,” it said.
Women who would earlier leave the financial decisions to their husbands, or other male members of the family have, over the course of the past year, reclaimed control of their finances and by extension, their well-being.
“Sixty-seven per cent of women make joint decisions with their spouses and 21 per cent of women say that they handle them independently.
“The number of women who say that they have an equal say in money matters along with their spouses has doubled since last year, from 33 per cent to 67 per cent in 2021,” the survey said.
For non-metro women, financial decisions are largely left to the parents, it added.
For a large section of the respondents, getting involved in financial planning decisions lent them a sense of confidence that encouraged them to take risks.
Women continue to be avid savers, with over 50 per cent preferring to squirrel away their money in fixed deposits and 36 per cent choosing to invest in mutual funds.
Twenty-one per cent of women are investing in stocks.
“Nearly 60 per cent of women save more than 20 per cent of their income every month. Fifty-six per cent of women prefer fixed income products such as Fixed Deposits, Public Provident Funds, and other tax-saving schemes,” the survey said.
Sripbox founder Atul Singhal said embracing systematic long-term investing helped create a greater sense of well-being among women. It was promising to see more women taking the reins of their financial future.
“Women tend to prioritise long-term growth over immediate returns and look to achieve life goals. Their long-term view of wealth creation lends ideally to investing which requires and rewards that perspective,” he said.
The survey showed that saving for retirement is the foremost financial goal for women (58 per cent) in the country. Other goals include children’s education (52 per cent) and creating an emergency fund (50 per cent).
“Expectedly, among single women, their top financial goal was to save for travel (51 per cent). Saving up for a home was also among their top four financial goals,” the survey said.
While women have come a long way in terms of achieving financial independence, there is still a long way to go.
According to the survey, at least 50 per cent of women admitted to having low or no confidence in their financial decision-making and investment acumen.
“One out of two women say they don’t have enough knowledge and are confused about financial planning. One out of every five women in non-metros say that they do not have enough money to put towards their savings,” the survey said.

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