News Analysis India

Tag: COVID19

  • COVID-19: Maharashtra announces five-level plan to unlock; Mumbai, Pune not in it yet

    Express News Service
    MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government issued unlock guidelines on Saturday. It will happen in five levels, depending the Covid-19 situation in different places.

    In first the level, where positivity rate is under 5 per cent and oxygen bed occupancy less than 25 per cent, everything can reopen. Mumbai and Pune are not in this category yet.

    There are 18 districts in Maharashtra fulfilling the first level criteria. As per the government order, essential and non-essential services, malls and entertainment arenas can start with immediate effect. Nagpur, with a positivity rate less than five per cent, can also return to normalcy.

    For the second level, where positivity rate is under 5 per cent and oxygen bed occupancy is between 25 per cent and 40 per cent, the majority of restrictions are lifted, although certain activities are still not permitted. In these places, malls, restaurants, shopping centres and cinema halls will open with 50 per cent capacity. Sports activities are allowed with limited attendance and in limited periods. 

    In level three, positivity rate has to be between 5 per cent and 10 per cent, with oxygen bed occupancy under 40 per cent. Shops in these places will be open till 4 pm. Malls and theatres will remain shut and restaurants can function with 50 per cent capacity up to 4 pm. Home delivery will continue, without time limits. Public and social gatherings with 50 per cent capacity will be allowed.

    More unlocking guidelines details. @NewIndianXpress @NewIndianXpress pic.twitter.com/Hhio7hvM85
    — Sudhir Suryawanshi (@ss_suryawanshi) June 5, 2021

    For level four, positivity should be between 10 to 20 per cent and oxygen bed occupancy should not be more than 60 per cent. In such places, public movement will be restricted after 5 pm, excluding essentials services. Essential shops will be open till 4 pm, while non-essential shops will be shut, along with malls and theatres. Restaurants will be allowed to deliver food. Social gatherings are not permitted. For weddings, only 25 people will be permitted to attend.

    In level five, with positivity rate of more than 20 per cent and oxygen bed occupancy less than 75 per cent, there will be no movement except for essential work and medical emergency. Shops dealing in essential items will be open till 4 pm. Malls, restaurants and theatres will remain closed. Home delivery of food from restaurants will be allowed in these areas. However, there shall be absolutely no social or public gatherings.

  • India records around 1.2 lakh new cases of COVID-19 in 24 hours; 3,380 fatalities

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: India reported 1,20,529 fresh COVID-19 cases, the lowest single-day rise in infections in around two months, taking the infection tally to 2,86,94,879, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Saturday.

    The death toll from COVID-19 climbed to 3,44,082 with 3,380 new fatalities, while the number of active cases was recorded below 20 lakh for the fifth consecutive day, the data updated at 8 am showed. The daily new cases are the lowest in 58 days, the ministry said.

    A total of 20,84,421 tests were done on Friday, taking the cumulative tests conducted so far for the detection of COVID-19 in the country to 36,11,74,142. The ministry said that the daily positivity rate further dipped to 5.78 per cent, less than 10 per cent for the 12th consecutive day.

    The weekly positivity rate has declined to 6.89 per cent, it said. The active case count has reduced to 15,55,248, which comprises 5.73 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has improved to 93.08 per cent, the data showed.

    The number of recoveries continue to outnumber daily new cases for 23 consecutive days. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 2,67,95,549, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.19 per cent, the data stated.

    The 3,380 new fatalities include 1,377 from Maharashtra, 364 from Karnataka, 463 from Tamil Nadu, 136 from Uttar Pradesh, 135 from Kerala, 113 from West Bengal.

    ~1.20 lakh #Covid cases in a day, the lowest in last 58 days; daily test positivity for India 5.78 %.@NewIndianXpress #COVID19
    — Sumi Dutta (@SumiSukanya) June 5, 2021

    A total of 3,44,082 coronavirus-related deaths have been reported so far in the country including 98,771 from Maharashtra, 30,895 from Karnataka, 26,128 from Tamil Nadu, 24,497 from Delhi, 21,031 from Uttar Pradesh, 16,034 from West Bengal, 14,927 from Punjab and 13,162 from Chhattisgarh.

    WATCH | 

    The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities. “Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research,” the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.

    India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7; 30 lakh on August 23; 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28; 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29; 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.

    India crossed the grim milestone of 2 crore COVID-19 cases on May 4.

  • Indian government’s schizophrenia led to COVID-19 crisis: Economist Amartya Sen

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: India’s “confused” government focused on taking credit for its actions, rather than working to restrict the spread of COVID-19, resulting in schizophrenia that led to massive troubles, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen has said.

    India was better placed to fight the pandemic because of its pharma manufacturing prowess and also higher immunity levels, the noted economist said while speaking at an event organised by the Rashtra Seva Dal late Friday evening.

    Sen’s remarks came in the backdrop of the second wave of the pandemic seeing the number of officially reported cases topping over 4 lakh a day and over 4,500 deaths daily, and also concerns over under-reporting.

    Some eminent personalities have said a sense of early “triumphalism” led to the crisis. Sen said that India could not play on its strengths because of a poor response to the crisis due to confusion in the government. “The government seemed much keener on ensuring credit for what it was doing rather than ensuring that pandemics do not spread in India. The result was a certain amount of schizophrenia,” Sen said.

    Sen, who is a professor of economics and philosophy at Harvard University, cited writing by Adam Smith in 1769 wherein the father of modern economics argues that if one does good things, he does get credit for it.

    And the credit could be sometimes an indicator of how well one is doing. “But to seek the credit, and not the good work that generates the credit shows a level of intellectual naivete which has to be avoided. India tried to do that,” Sen added.

    “It (government) was trying to generate the credit boasting across the world that India will save the world perhaps. And at the same time, allowing the problem to develop and have a grip over the lives of Indians across the country,” he added.

    Sen said India was already afflicted with social inequities, slowing growth and unemployment at record highs, which came to haunt it during the pandemic. “A failure of economy and failure of social cohesion was the basis of the failure of the pandemic attack as well,” he said, adding that limitations on education led to difficulties in assessing early symptoms and treatment protocols.

    Sen also argued for a “big constructive change” in healthcare and education above all, but also in economic and social policies in general.

    ALSO WATCH | Kerala’s Covid-19 fight: A tale of two waves | TNIE Documentary

  • COVID-19: Maharashtra government issues five-level unlock plan to be followed from Monday

    By ANI
    MUMBAI: Maharashtra has announced a five level unlock plan beginning Monday, which will be based on COVID positivity rate and the availability of oxygen beds in the state. The state government on Friday issued a five-level restriction plan to reopen the state, which is under a lockdown induced by the devastating second COVID-19 wave over the last few weeks.

    The degree of relaxation has been decided as per the level of severity of COVID-19 in those districts. According to the guidelines, the situation will be assessed every Thursday by the Public Health Department.

    More unlocking guidelines details. @NewIndianXpress @NewIndianXpress pic.twitter.com/Hhio7hvM85
    — Sudhir Suryawanshi (@ss_suryawanshi) June 5, 2021

    Level 1 has the least restrictions while Level 5 will have the most.

    In Level 1, restrictions will be placed in areas with a positivity rate of less than 5 per cent, and where less than 25 per cent oxygen beds are occupied. Shops selling both essential and non-essential items, and malls and theatres, restaurants and public places for outdoor activities will be open.

    Private and government offices, funerals, marriages, gyms and salons will also be allowed to function regularly. Locals trains will function regularly.

    Level 2 restrictions will be followed where positivity rate is below 5 per cent and oxygen bed occupancy is between 25 to 40 per cent. In this, restrictions will be as level 1, but with 50 per cent occupancy in theatres, gyms, marriages and restaurants. Use of local trains will be restricted with exemption for medical and essential reasons.

    Districts with a positivity rate between 5 and 10 per cent, or bed occupancy of over 40 per cent will follow Level 3 restrictions.

    Stores will only be open till 4 am and malls and theatres will remain closed. Restaurants will only be allowed 50 per cent capacity till 4 pm on weekdays. Public places for outdoor activities will only be open from 5am to 9am. All private offices will only be allowed to function with 50 per cent capacity till 4pm on working days.

    Only 50 people will be permitted at marriages, 20 people in funerals. Construction will be permitted but either with only onsite labourers, or they must leave by 4pm.

    Level 4 only allows essential shops to open till 4pm and pickup/home delivery for restaurants. Private offices of only ‘exempted category’ will be allowed, while government offices may allow 25 per cent capacity. Marriages may only have 25 people and funerals 20.

    In Level 5 will follow nearly a complete lockdown situation. Essential shops will be open till 4pm, only home delivery for restaurants. In the last 24 hours, Maharashtra reported 14,152 new COVID-19 cases, 289 deaths and 20, 852 recoveries. There are currently 1,96,894 active cases.

    As many as 58,05,565 cases have been reported so far.

  • 1179 villages in Maharashtra’s Nanded district become coronavirus-free

    By PTI
    AURANGABAD: Out of the total 1,604 villages in Nanded district of Maharashtra, as many as 1,179 have become coronavirus-free, while 271 others have not reported even a single infection case during the second wave of the pandemic, an official said.

    Nanded district has so far recorded over 90,000 coronavirus positive cases and more than 1,800 people have died due to the viral infection till now. The district has 1,604 villages across 16 tehsils. Of these, 1,179 villages have become COVID-19-free and as on June 4 there is not a single positive case there, the district official said.

    Apart from them, 271 villages remained untouched by the pandemic during its second wave, the official added. Nanded Zilla Parishad’s CEO Varsha Thakur attributed this encouraging scenario to the team work. “The village gram panchayats, panchayat samitis, members of the ZP, anganwadi workers, health department staff of the district administration and ZP worked together to break the chain of the virus. The villagers contributed by following the protocols,” she said.

    “However, the pandemic is not over yet and the villagers should be more alert,” she added.

    Seventy-seven of the 271 villages in the district that did not report even a single case are from the tribal- dominated Kinwat tehsil. “This tesil is surrounded by Yavatmal district in Maharashtra and Adilabad district in neighbouring Telangana state, which witnessed a spike in cases during the second wave,” another official told PTI.

    Apart from Kinwat, 42 villages from Hadgaon, 39 from Kandhar, 22 from Loha, 16 from Bhokar, 17 from Mahur, 15 from Mudkhed, 12 from Nanded, nine from Himayatnagar, seven from Degloor, four each from Ardhapur, Dharmabad, Umri, two from Mukhed and one from Biloli are away from the infection, the official said.

    Then there are villages that have set examples in terms of vaccination and treating the patients at the local level. Shelgaon village in Naygaon tehsil has achieved the target of 100 per cent vaccination, while Bhosi village in Bhokar taluka treated patients in the village itself, the official said.

  • Ensure testing, treatment, vaccination of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups: NHRC

    By Express News Service
    BHUBANESWAR: Perturbed over the rising COVID-19 infection among the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) across the country, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued an advisory to the states for ensuring their timely testing, treatment and vaccination.

    Taking suo-motu cognisance of media reports on detection of coronavirus cases in the vulnerable communities, NHRC’s Secretary General Bimbadhar Pradhan has asked the states, including Odisha, for implementation of its recommendations and submit an action taken report within four weeks.

    The apex human rights panel has directed the states to conduct frequent RT-PCR testing drive at doorstep while ensuring prompt delivery of reports with priority to be given to the PVTGs.

    The states have been asked to ensure vaccination of all the PVTGs within 60 days by sending mobile medical teams, deployment of dedicated team of doctors/paramedic staff, supply of COVID medical kits, awareness campaigns across residential vicinities in the local dialect and regular check on maintenance of proper hygiene and sanitation.

    The states can use drones to render essential medical kit to avoid human contact and ensure that all expenses for treatment of COVID patients belonging to the PVTGs are borne by the State government besides introducing strict guidelines for entry and exit of outsiders in areas inhabited by the communities.

    The NHRC has also instructed to ensure doorstep delivery of free dry rations among the PVTGs households. “Many of the vulnerable groups have already been struggling against extinction and if Covid infects them, they will not be able to survive, which will be a great loss for the humanity and diversity of the human race,” the Commission observed.

    Besides, uninterrupted transfer of scholarships, monthly cash entitlement and pension distribution through direct benefit transfer equivalent to payments made under MGNREGS as an income guarantee assistance for loss of income during the pandemic need to be ensured, Pradhan stated.

    The states have been directed to open a special round-the-clock helpline at district control room dedicated exclusively for addressing Covid related concerns of the PVTGs and submit monthly reports to the NHRC till the end of the pandemic. Odisha has 13 PVTGs across 14 districts and 230 tribals among them have tested positive for the virus so far.

    Vulnerable Communities

    10.4 crore STs in country

    75 PVTGs with a population  less than 1 lakh marginalised 

    Odisha has 13 such groups  in 14 districts 

    230 tribals have tested positive for virus so far

  • Punjab government buckles under ‘vaccine scam’ charge, asks private hospitals to return stock

    Express News Service
    CHANDIGARH: The Punjab government is caught on the wrong foot on the vaccination front. It buys Covaxin for the 18-plus group through its facilities and then arbitrarily decides to sell a part of those vaccines to private hospitals on the pretext of encouraging the pace of vaccination.

    It allegedly makes a profit of Rs 660 per dose. On Friday, the government revoked the order after facing severe flak for the “illogical decision”.

    Sources said that the state government procured Covaxin for the 18-plus group for Rs 400 per dose and sold around 40,000 doses to private hospitals at Rs 1,060 per dose in the name of Corporate Social Responsibility.

    The hospitals charged Rs 1,560 per jab. The government made a profit of Rs 660 per dose and private hospitals Rs 500 per dose. Sources said that the state government had a bank account in the name of Vaccination CSR Fund and private hospitals deposited the money in that account.

    After a hue and cry, the government revoked the order. Registrar Co-operative Societies-cum-State in-charge for Covid vaccination, Vikas Garg said: “The order of providing one-time limited vaccination doses to the 18-44 group through private hospitals is hereby withdrawn.”

    “It has been decided that the private hospitals should return the vaccine doses available with them. The doses which they have utilized as of date should be returned, once they get direct supplies from the manufacturers. The amount deposited by the private hospitals in the vaccination fund shall be refunded,” he added.

    Principal Secretary (Health) Hussan Lal said the government supplied 42,000 doses and only 600 were administered by private hospitals. The rest  was being taken back.

  • Jammu & Kashmir begins compiling list of COVID-19 orphans for education grant

    Express News Service
    SRINAGAR:  With COVID-19 wreaking havoc on many families, snatching both parents in several cases, the Jammu and Kashmir administrator has directed all the 20 deputy commissioners (DC) to compile a list of children orphaned by the pandemic in the Union Territory. 

    Secretary of the social welfare department Sheetal Nanda told The New Indian Express that the DCs have been asked to submit the list to the department by June 20. 

    Last week, the J&K Administrative Council, headed by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, had approved the grant of financial relief through the Special Assistance Scheme for COVID mortalities (SASCM/Saksham) to extend scholarship to students, who have lost their parents or earning legal guardians to the pandemic.

    The special financial assistance applies only to the domiciles of the Union Territory. The special scholarship will be paid annually at the rate of Rs 20,000 and Rs 40,000 through direct benefit transfer (DBT) to children studying up to Class 12 and in colleges, respectively.

    Director of the social welfare department of Kashmir Bashir Ahmad said a joint account will be opened for the transfer of scholarship and the beneficiary can operate the account through his/her legal guardian till such time he/she becomes eligible to operate the account independently.

    He added that the scholarship will be released at the start of the academic year. “The amount will be deposited in their bank accounts through DBT,” Ahmad said. He said for the children who are too young to go to school, the scholarship shall become operative from the date they are admitted to a school.

  • PM Narendra Modi lauds Indian scientists for developing vaccine against COVID-19

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday lauded Indian scientists developing made-in-India vaccine against COVID and boosting other measures to fight the pandemic within a year of its outbreak.

    Addressing a meeting of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Society via video conferencing, he cited India’s experience in the previous century to say that it used to wait for years to lay its hands on innovations achieved abroad, but its scientists are now working shoulder to shoulder with their counterparts outside.

    They are working at the same quick pace, he said. Noting that the world is grappling with the biggest challenge in a century, the prime minister praised the scientific community, saying it is perhaps unprecedented that vaccines were prepared within a year.

    On the occasion, Modi reiterated his call for an “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” (Self-reliant) and strong India, saying the COVID-19 crisis may have slowed its pace but our resolve remains the same.

    India wants to be self-reliant in a number of sectors, ranging from agriculture to astronomy, disaster management to defence technology, vaccine to virtual reality, and biotechnology to battery technology, he asserted.

    He said that India is now showing the way to the world in sustainable development and clean energy, and is playing an important role in progress in other countries with its role in software and satellite development.

  • Pre-COVID level normalcy in civil aviation to return next year: Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Union Minister of Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri on Friday showed confidence and ruled out the calculation of several airline companies and aviation experts, which stated about normalcy in the aviation sector will return in 2023. He rather expects it to happen much earlier.

    While talking to ANI about normalcy in aviation, Puri said Indian aviation will be back to normalcy after all countrymen are vaccinated in 2021. “We respect experts’ opinions. But in pre-COVID level 4 lakh passengers used to travel in a day. When we started domestic civil aviation on May 25, 2020, on day one there were 30,000 passengers, which increased to 3 lakh 13 thousand till the second wave hit our country. It may have touched four lakh passengers per day and normalcy may have returned but I believe that normalcy will be returned by 2021 after all Indians are vaccinated,” Puri told ANI.

    In the midst of the pandemic and the COVID second wave, the aviation sector is hit very badly and the passenger load factors have hit a recorded low. “When the second wave came and this passenger traffic came down to 40,000 last week. On Thursday it increased to 80,000 and later it will continue to increase with the decline in COVID cases,” said the Union Minister.

    The Union Minister emphasised on the positivity rate of COVID cases in Delhi and provided the data. “Delhi’s positivity rate is 0.6 per cent and recovery rate is also 90-92 per cent and the mortality rate is also low. This means if you test more than 100 people you only find one person positive,” Puri added.

    Puri has always advocated for easing restrictions in aviation sectors to see how the virus behaves. “I believe before the second wave of Covid, the aviation sector was about to touch 4 lakh passengers a day as we handled 3 lakh 13 thousand passengers before the second wave starts,” he added.

    The government has issued orders regarding the sudden change in the number of COVID-19 cases in the second wave, and reduction in passenger numbers and reduction in occupancy by reducing the existing capacity from 80 per cent to 50 per cent.