Eight States Showing Rising Trajectory in Covid-19 Cases: Health Ministry

Read More/Less


A rising trajectory of daily new cases is visible in eight states and UTs, including Delhi and Maharashtra, while Kerala is showing a declining trend, the Health Ministry said on Saturday. The ministry said Maharashtra, Kerala and Punjab cumulatively account for 76.22 per cent of India’s total active caseload, with Maharashtra contributing to 62 per cent of such cases, while Kerala and Punjab account for 8.83 per cent and 5.36 per cent of active cases respectively.

The top five districts in Maharashtra recording the highest number of cases are Pune (37,384), Nagpur (25,861), Mumbai (18,850), Thane (16,735) and Nashik (11,867). The top five districts in Kerala recording the highest number of cases are Ernakulam (2,673), Pathanamthitta (2,482), Kannur (2,263), Palakkad (2,147) and Thrissur (2,065).

The top five districts in Punjab recording the highest number of cases are Jalandhar (2,131), SAS Nagar (1,868), Patiala (1,685), Ludhiana (1,643) and Hoshiarpur (1,572). “A rising trajectory of daily new cases is visible in eight states. These are Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka and Haryana. Kerala is showing a consistently declining trend,” the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry further said that five states account for 81.38 per cent of the new deaths. Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties at 70, Punjab followed with 38 daily deaths and Kerala reported 17 deaths in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, fifteen states and UTs have not reported any COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours. These are Assam, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Sikkim, Ladakh, Manipur, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Arunachal Pradesh.

The ministry further said India has scaled a significant peak in its battle against COVID-19 pandemic. The total vaccination coverage has surpassed 4 crore. “About 4,20,63,392 vaccine doses have been administered through 6,86,469 sessions, as per the provisional report till 7 am today. These include 77,06,839 healthcare workers (HCWs) (first dose), 48,04,285 HCWs (second dose), 79,57,606 frontline workers (FLWs)(first dose) and 24,17,077 FLWs (second dose), 32,23,612 beneficiaries aged more than 45 years with specific co-morbidities (first dose) and 1,59,53,973 beneficiaries aged more than 60 years,” it said.

As on day 63 of the vaccination drive (March 19), 27,23,575 vaccine doses were given. Eighty per cent of the 27.23 lakh vaccine doses administered in the last 24 hours are from 10 states. Of the total, 24,15,800 beneficiaries were vaccinated across 38,989 sessions for first dose (HCWs and FLWs) and 3,07,775 HCWs and FLWs received second dose of vaccine.

The ministry said eight states account for 60 per cent of the cumulative vaccine doses given so far. They are Kerala, Karnataka, Odisha, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Amid Sharpest Spike in Covid-19 Cases in 10 Days in Capital, Health Minister Appeals to Delhiites to Remain Cautious

Read More/Less


Amid a surge in Covid-19 cases in the national capital, Delhi Health Minister, Satyendar Jain appealed to the people to remain cautious, wear masks and not indulge in careless behaviour.

For the first time since the 9th of January, Delhi’s daily caseload breached the 500 marks with 536 cases. On the 9th of January, Delhi had recorded 519 cases, 12 deaths, and 603 recoveries. Noting that the daily caseload of Covid19 cases has shot beyond 500, the government passed orders for strict compliance of norms and encouraged people to wear masks.

The health minister also observed that the positivity rate, currently hovering between 0.6% to 0.7% has stayed below 1% for the past two months.

A look at Delhi’s Covid graph showed that between 29th January when it reported 249 cases, six deaths and 267 recoveries, and 25th of February when Delhi reported 220 cases, zero deaths and 188 recoveries, the number of cases had been below 250 per day. Delhi crossed the 250 cases mark on 26th February with 256 cases, one death, and 193 recoveries and the 300 cases per day mark on 5th March with 312 cases, three deaths and 312 recoveries.

The sharpest rise was witnessed in the past nine days from 9th March onwards with the capital reporting 320 cases, four deaths,234 recoveries, then breaching the 350 marks the next day with 370 cases, three deaths and 279 recoveries. Just a day later, on the 11th of March Delhi crossed the 400 marks with 409 cases, three deaths and 286 recoveries. And, just after days, on the 17th of March, the capital crossed the 500 marks with 536 cases, three deaths and 319 recoveries.

The Delhi health minister, however, said that the situation in the capital was very much under control when compared to other states.

‘In Maharashtra, the positivity rate is 19.3%, Punjab 5.96%, Madhya Pradesh 4.9%, Kerala 3.59%, Haryana 2.88%, Gujarat 1.92% ‘, the minister argued saying that even though it may appear that the situation in Delhi has become like that of other states, it was not true and the situation here is under control. However, it is important to stay alert, Jain reiterated.

Drawing a co-relationship between the number of tests and the number of positive cases in the capital, Jain said that in Delhi the average number of tests is five times higher than the national average and had Delhi’s testing average matched the national average,the number of cases would have been less than a hundred.

The worry within the government is that the festive season is leading to laxity in people observing social distances, wearing masks, washing hands and if not checked, may spark another spike in cases. Delhi health minister pointed out that the last time the Covid wave had hit the capital during Dussehra and Diwali and emphasized that one has to ensure that in the process of celebrations one should not come down with Coronavirus. Earlier, the minister had appealed to Delhites to observe a dry Diwali.

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Himachal Pradesh BJP MP Ram Swaroop Sharma Found Dead at Delhi Residence, Suicide Angle Being Probed

Read More/Less


BJP MP from Himachal Pradesh Ram Swaroop Sharma was found dead at his residence in New Delhi on Wednesday. The 62-year-old minister from Mandi allegedly died by suicide, according to reports. Delhi Police received a call from a staffer after he was found hanging with the door bolted from the inside of his house.

An investigation is currently underway. BJP Parliamentary party meeting has been cancelled due to Sharma’s death.

Born in 1958 in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district, Sharma was a two-time MP – first elected to Lok Sabha in 2014 and then again reelected from the Mandi constituency in the 2019 general elections. He also served on the Parliamentary standing committee on External Affairs. Ram Swaroop Sharma is survived by his wife and three sons.

Last month Mohan Delkar, a 58-year-old Member of Parliament from the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, was found dead in a Mumbai hotel. Police said a purported suicide note running over four pages, written in Gujarati, was recovered from his room in which he had blamed several people, including a senior politician.

This news piece may be triggering. If you or someone you know needs help, call any of these helplines: Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata)

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Not Exporting Vaccines at Expense of Indians, Says Health Min on Cong Charge

Read More/Less


The suspensions were not limited to Europe, with Indonesia also announcing a delay to its rollout of the jab, which is cheaper than its competitors and was billed as the vaccination of choice for poorer nations. But the WHO insisted countries should keep using the vaccine, adding that it had scheduled a meeting of its experts on Tuesday to discuss the vaccine’s safety. “We do not want people to panic and we would, for the time being, recommend that countries continue vaccinating with AstraZeneca,” WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said. “So far, we do not find an association between these events and the vaccine,” she said, referring to reports of blood clots from several countries.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA), which is holding a special meeting on Thursday, echoed the WHO’s calls for calm and said it was better to get the vaccine than not. “The benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine in preventing Covid-19, with its associated risk of hospitalisation and death, outweigh the risks of side effects,” the agency said in a statement Monday. The UK has doled out more than 11 million doses of the AstraZeneca jab — more than the entire EU — apparently without major problems.

As policymakers struggled to manage vaccine rollouts, Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas announced she had tested positive — underlining the continuing threat of the contagion. She tweeted that she would continue to work virtually and the government added that she had “a low fever but no other symptoms and is generally feeling well”.

Italy provided another reminder that the pandemic was far from over — most of the country re-entered lockdown on Monday with schools, restaurants, shops and museums closed. The streets of central Rome were quiet on Monday morning and businesses already battered by a year of anti-virus measures braced for another hit. “I’m staying open because I’m selling cigarettes, otherwise it would not be worth it,” said Rome coffee shop owner Carlo Lucia. “It’s just a waste of money.”

Meanwhile, intensive care doctors in Germany issued an urgent appeal for new restrictions to avoid a third wave as the British variant takes hold there.

More than 350 million vaccines have now been administered globally, but poorer countries are still lagging far behind. Brazil, which has suffered one of the world’s worst outbreaks, is attempting to redress the balance, announcing the order of more than 138 million jabs on Monday.

The European Union has approved four jabs so far, and is monitoring others — including Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine. The Russian developers said on Monday they had reached production agreements in key European countries.

The news came as the WHO said it had raised nearly $250 million in the past year from individual donors and companies towards battling the pandemic. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the fund’s success proved “what we can accomplish together in times of need”.

More than a year after his organisation declared the coronavirus threat a pandemic, a much-anticipated report on the origins of Covid-19 is expected to be released this week.

The report follows a fact-finding mission of international experts assembled by the WHO, which travelled in January to the Chinese city of Wuhan where the virus first emerged in December 2019.

“Within the next few years, we’re going to have real significant data on where this came from and how it emerged,” said British zoologist Peter Daszak, one of the team members.

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Govt to Sell Remaining Stake in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad Airports

Read More/Less


The government plans to sell its residual stake in already privatised Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad airports as part of the ambitious Rs 2.5 lakh crore asset monetisation pipeline identified to raise additional resources, sources said. Sale of Airport Authority of India’s (AAI) remaining stake in the four airports as also 13 more airports have been identified for privatisation in 2021-22 fiscal, two people aware of deliberations at Empowered Committee of Secretaries last month said.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation will obtain requisite approvals for divestment of equity stake of AAI in the respective joint ventures running Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad airports, they said adding the issue is likely to go to the Cabinet for approval in the next few days. For the 13 AAI airports identified for privatisation, the possibility of clubbing of profitable and non-profitable airports will be explored to make more attractive packages, sources said.

In the first round of airports’ privatisation under the Narendra Modi government, the Adani Group bagged contracts for six airports Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Mangaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, and Guwahati last year. The AAI, which works under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, owns and manages more than 100 airports across the country.

While in Mumbai International Airport, Adani Group holds 74 per cent stake, the remaining 26 per cent stake is with AAI. In Delhi International Airport, GMR Group holds 54 per cent, Airports Authority of India holds 26 per cent, while Fraport AG and Eraman Malaysia holds 10 per cent stake each.

AAI along with the Government of Andhra Pradesh holds 26 per cent in Hyderabad International Airport Ltd. It holds a similar stake in Bangalore International Airport along with the Karnataka Government. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the 2021-22 Budget speech had said that monetising operating public infrastructure assets is a very important financing option for new infrastructure construction.

A National Monetisation Pipeline of potential brownfield infrastructure assets will be launched and an asset monetisation dashboard will also be created for tracking the progress and to provide visibility to investors, she had said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had last month said the government is targeting monetising 100 assets such as oil and gas pipelines, which can draw a massive Rs 2.5 lakh crore of investment.

The government is targeting Rs 1.75 lakh crore from divestment proceeds in the next fiscal year beginning April 1.

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

From current affairs to social change: here’s what Indian women talked most about on Twitter

Read More/Less


Some women also tweet about challenges like working from home and being a single mom. This has helped them build connections by sharing experiences, the company noted

(Subscribe to our Today’s Cache newsletter for a quick snapshot of top 5 tech stories. Click here to subscribe for free.)

Just six years ago a study by Observer Research Foundation highlighted that women in India are underrepresented in Twitter’s political conversations. That seems to be changing as a recent survey commissioned by the microblogging platform shows Indian women discuss diverse topics on the platform, ranging from current affairs to social change.

Twitter analysed over 5 lakh accounts of women across 19 Indian cities between January 2019 and February 2021 to understand what they enjoyed talking about on the platform, and they found passion and interests topped conversation themes, with fashion, books, beauty, sports and entertainment being the most talked-about topics.

More than 40% women said they discovered a new interest on Twitter and those from Guwahati, Pune and Lucknow tweet the most about their passions.

Also Read | India’s digital skilled workforce needs to grow nine-fold by 2025: AWS survey

A fourth of women turn to the platform to stay informed of current affairs, and those from Guwahati and Delhi are leading the list. Topics that dominated conversations in the category include ‘COVID-19’, ‘Delhi Elections 2020’ and ‘Student Exams’.

Women have also turned to Twitter to share their professional and personal victories. Users from Chennai, Kolkata and Madurai tweeted the most about both small and big wins, the survey noted.

Nearly 37% women said they have made real-life friendships on the platform. Women from Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad have tweeted the most to make personal connections. Some have also used the platform to come together with other women with similar interests, creating several hashtags including #WomenInScience and #WomenInMarketing.

Also Read | Social media abuse drives girls off Facebook, Instagram, Twitter: poll

A large number of women have posted tweets to empower through online movements, and those from Bengaluru, Guwahati and Delhi tweeted the most about social issues.

Some women also tweet about challenges like working from home and being a single mom. This has helped them build connections by sharing experiences, the company noted.

Other common conversation themes include showcasing creative interests like photography, dance and poetry to a virtual audience.

You have reached your limit for free articles this month.

Subscription Benefits Include

Today’s Paper

Find mobile-friendly version of articles from the day’s newspaper in one easy-to-read list.

Unlimited Access

Enjoy reading as many articles as you wish without any limitations.

Personalised recommendations

A select list of articles that match your interests and tastes.

Faster pages

Move smoothly between articles as our pages load instantly.

Dashboard

A one-stop-shop for seeing the latest updates, and managing your preferences.

Briefing

We brief you on the latest and most important developments, three times a day.

Support Quality Journalism.

*Our Digital Subscription plans do not currently include the e-paper, crossword and print.

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

On Camera, Delhi Woman Carrying Child Stabbed to Death While Resisting Snatching Bid

Read More/Less


In a gruesome course of events, a young woman was stabbed to death by a chain snatcher in North-West Delhi on Saturday. The incident was captured by a CCTV camera in Delhi’s Adarsh Nagar locality where the 25-year-old woman carrying a child was caught being stabbed while resisting a robbery.

As per a report by NDTV, the victim identified as Simran was returning home from the market at around 9pm when she was attacked by a robber.

The surveillance footage procured showed two women walking when one person approaches them from behind and tries to snatch a chain from one of them. On facing resistance, he stabs one of the women carrying a child with a knife and flees.

A case has been registered by the police while an investigation into the matter is still underway.

Shockingly, this is the second such case of death by robbery reported from the Capital in the last two days. In an earlier incident, a 17-year-old boy was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences Trauma Centre on Friday after being brutally beaten up and stabbed by three boys in Delhi’s Kalkaji area.

As per reports, the boy was attacked upon objecting to the actions of the three accused which involved stalking, harassing and passing indecent remarks on the boy’s sister.

The incident took place near Sarvodya Vidhalya No. 2 Kalkaji and the victim was being taken to AIIMS for treatment. The 18-year old sister of the victim who was present with him claimed that the three boys followed her and passed indecent remarks. When her brother objected, they beat him up and one of them stabbed him on the left side of the abdomen and fled from the spot.

All accused were arrested by the Delhi Police.



READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

No offline exams up to Class 8 in Delhi govt schools, students to be graded on assignments

Read More/Less


Students from Class 3 to 8 of Delhi government and government-aided schools will not have to sit for offline exams and will instead be graded on the basis of projects and assignments, the Delhi government said Wednesday.

The government has issued guidelines in this regard, which are applicable for the 2020-21 academic session, when schools were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and all teaching and learning activities were conducted online.

Read | Covid lesson for teachers: How teaching-learning methods evolved during pandemic

“Since no classroom teaching and learning has taken place at the primary and middle level, the formal mode of pen-and-paper assessment will be replaced by a subject-wise assessment of projects and assignments for Classes 3 to 8,” said Rita Sharma, Additional Director of Education, Delhi.

Schools were reopened in Delhi for students of Class 9 and Class 11 on February 5. For classes 10 and 12, classes had resumed on January 18 in light of the board exams.

According to the guidelines, for Classes 3 to 5, 30 marks will be for assessment based on worksheets, 30 for the assignments given in winter breaks and 40 marks for the assignments and projects provided from March 1 to 15.

Similarly, for Classes 6 to 8, 20 marks will be for assessment based on worksheets, 30 for the assignments given in winter breaks and 50 marks for the assignments and projects provided from March 1 to 15.

“In case a student does not have access to a digital device or internet, the assignments and projects will be given in hard copies by calling his parents to the school while following the COVID-19 guidelines,” the guidelines state.

In a separate circular Wednesday, the Delhi government said students from classes KG to 2 will be assessed in the month of March based on assignments given during the winter break and “responses to online/ offline worksheets shared with the students during COVID- 19 Pandemic through digital modes/ WhatsApp/ in person by the parents/ guardians”.

“All the currently enrolled students of classes Nursery to II shall be promoted to the next class in the Academic Session 2021-22. However, the purpose of this assessment is to understand the impact of alternate learning approach that needed to be adopted under the prevailing circumstances this year,” DDE (Primary) Harsh Arya said.

(With PTI inputs)

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Planning to Travel to Delhi, Maharashtra or Karnataka? A Negative RT-PCR Test is Now Mandatory

Read More/Less


Delhi has made it mandatory for travellers from five states, where Covid-19 cases are on a rise, to carry a negative coronavirus test report upon arrival to the national capital from Friday, February 26.

Travellers from Maharashtra, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab will require a negative Covid-19 test report in order to enter Delhi from February 26. The order shall stay in place till March 15, reported ANI.

Several states have made it mandatory for travellers to bring a Covid-19 test upon their arrival from states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh where there has been a recent surge in the number of coronavirus cases. Fresh restrictions have been imposed on inter-state travel, too.

Besides Delhi, state including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Chattisgarh and Uttarakhand now require a negative RT-PCR tests from visitors, especially those arriving by air.

Here is a round-up of all the states that need a negative Covid-19 test report from passengers on or before their arrival:

Maharashtra

Travellers to Maharashtra from Gujarat, Delhi-NCR, Goa, Rajasthan and Kerala require to produce a negative RT-PCR test report upon their arrival to the state. This is applicable to all passengers irrespective of whether they are travelling by flight or train. For those travelling by air, the test report should be within 72 hours prior to the flight and for rail passengers, the report should be within 96 hours before departure of their train. Those travelling to Maharashtra without a negative Covid-19 test report will be asked to undergo screening at the airport and if they display symptoms, an antigen test will be conducted on the passengers.

Karnataka

Travellers to Karnataka coming from Maharashtra or Kerala will need to mandatorily carry a negative Covid-19 test certificate to enter the state. It is applicable to all passengers irrespective of the mode of travel, including private vehicles. For air travellers, the test report has to be within 72 hours prior to the flight and for rail passengers, the report should be within 96 hours before their train. At airports, the Covid-19 negative reports will be verified by airline staff at the time of boarding and for buses and trains, conductors and ticket-checkers will be responsible to check the reports.

Uttarakhand

Travellers to Uttarakhand from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh will also need to produce a negative Covid-19 report in order to enter the state. Passengers will get tested at airports, railway stations and also at state borders. A Covid-19 test will be also be conducted (free of cost) for passengers arriving from Delhi. All passengers with a positive Covid-19 result will be sent to a quarantine centre.

Himachal Pradesh

All districts in the state do not need a negative RT-PCR test report from passengers but only the district of Lahaul and Spiti requires travellers to carry a negative Covid-19 report. Those travelling by cabs and private transport will have to provide an RT-PCR test conducted 72 hours to 96 hours before entering the district.

Jammu and Kashmir

Travellers from all states arriving in Srinagar will not be allowed to leave the airport unless they provide a negative RT-PCR test. Those with positive tests will be sent to isolation.

Manipur

The northeastern state has made it mandatory for all passengers travelling from Maharashtra and Kerala to undergo a Covid-19 test. This is applicable to all passengers coming by air and will be in place from February 24.

Assam

All passengers travelling to Assam, irrespective of their mode of travel, will need to undergo a swab or antigen test upon their arrival to the state.

Meghalaya

Travellers to the state will either need to present a negative RT-PCR test (not earlier than 72 hours prior to arrival) or will have to undergo a test at the airport.

Mizoram

Travellers to Mizoram also need to produce a negative Covid-19 report, failing which will result in the passengers undergoing screening at the entry point with a rapid antigen test.

Odisha

All passengers above the age of 55 years need to present a rapid antigen test on arrival in the state.

Tripura

All travellers to Tripura need to undergo a Covid-19 test (free of cost) on arrival in the state.

Ladakh

A negative Covid-19 report on arrival (not earlier than 72 hours prior to arrival) is required for all passengers arriving in Ladakh.



READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

‘Coronavirus Doesn’t Exist’: In Delhi’s Sarojini Nagar Market, Myths & Apathy Hit Battle Against Covid-19

Read More/Less


As Coronavirus infections continue to rise in 16 states across India, New Delhi too recorded a 4.7% rise in Covid-19 cases.

But, are the people of Delhi adhering to the Covid safety protocols? We visited Sarojini Nagar market, one of the most crowded markets in Delhi, and noticed that most people were seen without masks.

While experts around the world have called it a crude vaccine, people in Delhi mostly put the mask on only to avoid the hefty challan of Rs. 2000.

To find out more, a team from CNN-News18 spoke to some of the shopkeepers in the market who were seen without a mask.

Upon asking why they chose to not wear masks, some of them came up with bizarre explanations. “Why should we wear masks, when the customers don’t? If only the customers will take all the precautions, then shall we,” said a footwear seller.

Some of them even thought the Covid-19 doesn’t exist anymore.

“We don’t wear masks because corona doesn’t exist! It’s a myth and we’re being threatened and misguided by the authorities. The only reason I’m seen wearing a mask is the challan.” said a seller of western wear.

Also read: Curfews, Screenings & Travel Advisory: States on High Alert as India Sees Biggest Covid-19 Jump Since Nov

Reacting sharply to these statements, the volunteer market president, Omdutt Sharma told CNN News 18, “It’s unfortunate to see the members of this market being this ignorant and careless. I, in fact, keep 4-5 masks in my pocket each day and give them out to those who don’t have one. I want the market to be a safe place for the customers and do not want it to turn into a containment zone.”

The national capital on Monday recorded 129 fresh Covid-19 cases, 157 recoveries and one death in the past 24 hours, taking the active case tally to 1,041.The new fatalities pushed the death toll to 10,901 in the national capital. Delhi’s total caseload now stands at 6,38,028.

In a bid to fight off the deadly virus and curb its spread, the Delhi government had introduced a fine of Rs.2,000 in November of 2020. Earlier the fine for not wearing a mask in public was Rs. 500 which was later increased to Rs. 2,000 amid a surge in coronavirus cases in the capital.



READ FULL ARTICLE HERE