The total number of coronavirus cases in India on Friday climbed to 2301, including 156 cured and discharged and 56 deaths, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
At present, there are 2088 COVID-19 active cases in the country.
“A total number of COVID-19 positive cases rises to 2301 in India, including 156 cured/discharged, 56 deaths and 1 migrated,” said the Health Department.
The highest number of positive cases of coronavirus was reported from Maharashtra at 335, including 16 deaths, followed by Tamil Nadu (309 and 6 deaths) and Kerala (286 and 2 deaths).
There are 219 coronavirus positive cases in the national capital, including 8 cured and discharged and 4 deaths.
The states which have crossed 100-mark for COVID-19 positive cases also include Andhra Pradesh (132), Karnataka (124), Rajasthan (133) and Telangana (107).
While 18 people were detected positive for coronavirus in Chandigarh, 70 cases were confirmed from Jammu and Kashmir and 14 from Ladakh.
In North-East, one COVID-19 case each has been confirmed from Mizoram and Assam, and two in Manipur.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged people to switch off the lights at their homes and light up lamps, candles or mobile phone torches for nine minutes at 9 pm on April 5 to display the country’s “collective resolve” to defeat coronavirus.
In a video message of over 11 minutes, Modi also asked people to maintain the “Lakshman Rekha” of social distancing by staying indoors and not getting together in groups during the exercise.
This message was apparently aimed at ensuring that there is no repeat of March 22 evening when people assembled in large numbers in many parts of the country to ring bells or bang utensils to show their gratitude to those working on the frontlines during the crisis.
The prime minister told the nation that many people must have felt alone being at home during the ongoing lockdown but they must realise that the collective strength of 130 crore Indians is with each one of them.
It is required for the country’s people to experience the “greatness, majesty and divinity” of this shared strength and resolve from time to time, he said.
Once people everywhere light up lamps or display flashlights of their mobile phones at their doorsteps or balconies after turning off the lights at home, it will emerge in this “superpower” of brightness that “we are all fighting with a collective resolve”.
“In that brightness we should resolve that we are not alone. Nobody is alone,” Modi said.
He again emphasised the need to maintain social distancing, saying this is a sure-shot solution to prevent the pandemic.
Modi asked people to keep in their minds the poor, a large number of whom have been hit hard by the lockdown, and help them “walk from darkness spread by coronavirus to light and hope”.
“In this darkness spread by the coronavirus pandemic, we must continuously progress towards light and hope. We must continuously strive to take those of us most affected, our poor brothers and sisters, from disappointment to hope. We must end the darkness and uncertainty emanating from the crisis, by progressing towards light and certainty,” he said.
Modi asked people to think about “Maa Bharati” (Mother India) and its 130 crore citizens with their combined resolve, saying this will give them strength to fight and the confidence to win in this hour of crisis.
Citing a Sanskrit shloka, he said there is no greater force in the world than our enthusiasm and spirit.
Noting that it was the ninth day of the 21-day nationwide lockdown, Modi said the discipline and spirit of service displayed by people during this period were unprecedented.
“The way people thanked everyone fighting against coronavirus on March 22 has become an example for many countries to follow,” he said.
It has helped the country realise its collective strength and that the nation can fight coronavirus collectively, he said.
Last month, the prime minister had addressed the nation twice — on March 19 and March 24.
On March 19, he had called for resolve and restraint to fight coronavirus. He had also announced a ‘Janta Curfew’ on March 22, a Sunday.
On March 24, he had announced the 21-day nationwide lockdown to check the spread of the deadly virus.
About 9,000 Tablighi Jamaat members and their primary contacts have been quarantined till now across the country in view of the coronavirus infection, a senior home ministry official said on Thursday.
Punya Salila Srivastava, a joint secretary in the Union Home Ministry, told reporters during a daily briefing that out of about 2,000 such Tablighi Jamaat members in Delhi, 1,804 have been shifted to quarantine centres while 334 symptomatic persons have been admitted to hospitals.
She said these numbers are a result of a “massive effort” that was undertaken by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in coordination with states to identify Tablighi Jamaat workers or members in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday urged Muslims to observe Shab-e-Barat staying inside their homes and also suggested that the birth anniversary celebrations of Dalit icon B R Ambedkar be postponed to avoid a Nizamuddin congregation-like episode.
Pawar said Ram Navami, being observed on Thursday, is celebrated with fervour every year across the country.
“Unfortunately, there is this threat of coronavirus this year and we have to observe some restrictions…but I am sure people must be remembering Lord Ram staying inside their homes,” he said in his address via Facebook.
Pawar further said that congregation such as the one held last month in Delhi’s Nizamuddin area by Tablighi Jamaat could have been avoided, and urged people to ensure there is no repeat of such meetings on Shab-e-Barat.
“The Tablighi should have had avoided (organising) the event, but did not. The cost is being paid elsewhere. We should take care and see such incidents do not recur, he said.
The former Union minister said the “possibility of some people who attended the meeting carrying the disease cannot be ruled out” and pressed for maintaining discipline given the situation caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.
He said the Shab-e-Barat, also known as the night of forgiveness, will be observed on April 8. Muslims visit graveyards on that day to remember their relatives who are no more, the NCP chief said and called for taking precautions to avoid gathering of people given the coronavirus crisis.
“I would request them (Muslims) to remember the relatives who are no more, staying inside the home. Offer Namaz inside homes. It is not the time to visit graveyard togetherand ensure there is no repeat of the Nizamuddin-like episode,” he added.
Pawar also noted that the birth anniversary of Constitution’s architect Dr B R Ambedkar is celebrated with enthusiasm on April 14 every year.
He, however, questioned if the present time is the right occasion to celebrate the anniversary by gathering in big numbers, given the coronavirus threat.
“But, time has definitely come to think whether the celebration can be postponed. All sections of the society may have to face some (health) issue if we come together in large number (to mark the anniversary),” Pawar said.
We should remember Babasaheb, his contribution. But savant people should think if its period (of celebrating the anniversary) can be changed this time, he added.
The NCP president noted in general, 90 per cent people have been observing the lockdown, but 10 per cent are not doing so.
He also said there is no shortage of food grains and vegetables in the country and yet people are seen venturing out of homes in big numbers to buy the essential commodities, fearing they will be out of stock.
“The Centre and the state government will have to take steps to extend the lockdown if we do not take enough precautions during this period and the spread of the disease continues. So, please let all of us adhere to all the guidelines strictly…we should face the crisis with a spirit to defeat it, he said.
Pawar also advised youngsters to read books during the lockdown period and listen to what they like to develop their personality.
He praised Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, the state administration and police for working round-the-clock, and asked people to cooperate with them by staying at home.
The Maratha strongman urged people to avoid arguments with police during lockdown and asked doctors to keep their hospitals open for outside patients during the crisis hours.
He also took questions from people during the address via Facebook.
The questions were read out to him by his daughter and Lok Sabha member Supriya Sule (who was not visible in the frame).
One of the questions came from Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Aditi Tatkare, who raised concerns over the levying of 12.5 per cent GST on ventilators used during the current health scare, and called for reducing it.
Replying to it, Pawar said the Maharashtra government has requested the Centre to reduce the GST on ventilators.
“The states Finance Minister, Ajit Pawar, has made some suggestions to the Union finance ministry. We are trying to resolve this issue. But as we try to get the GST reduced, efforts to make the ventilators available now should not be stopped,” he added.
Representative Image / ReutersNational Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Rekha Sharma on Thursday said that there has been a rise in the number of domestic violence complaints received by the commission ever since lockdown was imposed in the country to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
“From March 24 till April 1, NCW has received 69 domestic violence complaints and it is increasing by the day. I and other staff have also received one or two complaints on their personal emails,” Sharma said.
The NCW chairperson assured that the commission will provide all possible help to anyone who is in need of it and added, “I would urge women to continue to reach us and ask the media agencies too should report to us if they come across any such cases of domestic abuses.”
During his address to the nation on March 24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the deadly virus.
Over 5,000 people in Maharashtra have been quarantined so far as they were in close contact with 162 COVID-19 patients in the state, Health Minister Rajesh Tope said on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters, Tope said that 5343 people have been identified as high risk contact, because they were in close contact with the 162 COVID-19 positive patients in the state
“We have quarantined these ‘high risk contact’ people as they are likely to be infected or are carriers of the coronavirus infection, he said.
It is a clear indication that more people will test positive for coronavirus in coming days, the minister said.
Around 4,000 heath department staffers have been deputed for surveillance and follow up of these people, he said.
Photo of medical staff at an isolation ward where three patients were admitted for suspected coronavirus infection in New Delhi | ANI
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday announced Rs 1 crore for the families of healthcare personnel if they lose their lives while dealing with coronavirus cases in the national capital.
Interacting with doctors, the chief minister said that at present, the Delhi government gives Rs one crore to the families of soldiers belonging to the national capital if they die in the line of duty.
“Your contribution is no less than a soldier’s…if any healthcare personal, including government or private doctor, nurse and sanitation workers, die while serving coronavirus patients, the government will give Rs 1 crore for their families,” he said.
If anyone loses their life while serving any #COVID19 patient, be it sanitation workers, doctors or nurses or any other staff, temporary or permanent, from private or government sector, their family will be given Rs 1 crore as our mark of respect for their service.
The number of positive coronavirus cases climbed to 1,637 in the country on Wednesday while the death toll rose to 38, according to the Union Health Ministry.
The number of active COVID-19 cases stands at 1,466, while 132 people were either cured or discharged and one had migrated to another country, the ministry stated.
As per the health ministry’s updated data at 9 AM, three fresh deaths were reported since the last update on Tuesday. However, it could not be known from which parts of the country these three fatalities were reported.
Till Tuesday night, Maharashtra had reported the most deaths (9) in the country so far, followed by Gujarat (6), Karnataka (3) Madhya Pradesh (3), Punjab (3), Delhi (2), West Bengal (2) and Jammu and Kashmir (2).
Kerala, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Himachal Pradesh have reported a death each.
The state-wise breakup of the cases was also not available immediately.
Thirteen more people tested for coronavirus in the Ramganj area of Jaipur’s walled city on Wednesday, taking the total number of cases in Rajasthan to 106, an official said.
Jaipur has now become a major hotspot in the the country with 34 cases, 26 of which have been reported from the Ramganj area, a densely populated locality.
“Thirteen more positive cases of COVID-19 have come up in the Ramganj area. All are contacts of the first person who had tested positive in the area. All have been kept in isolation,” said Additional Chief Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh.
A spurt in the number of cases in the Ramganj area was witnessed after a 45-year-old man with a travel history to the Middle East region was tested positive on March 26.
He had landed at the Delhi airport on March 12 and took a bus the same day to return home.
He met several people till March 26 when he was tested positive, officials said.
Ten members of his family and a friend were also tested positive for coronavirus.
The entire state is under lockdown since March 22. Prohibitory orders have been imposed in Jaipur district and the curfew in the walled city of Jaipur has been extended indefinitely.
Central government should announce tough decisions of salary-restrictions where Delhi High Court judges pay rupees 10000 each for corona-relief while Telangana government announces big salary-cuts for all in legislature and bureaucracy. It refers to varying types of contributions made by different categories of persons drawing salary from public-exchequers where Delhi High Court judges paying rupees ten thousand each to PM Cares Fund, while most others contributed one-month salary. Telangana government announced a big cut in salaries and pensions differently for those in legislature and posted in different categories of government-service with largest salary-cut of 75-percent for all those in legislature including Chief Minister himself and 10-percent for class-IV employees with 60-percent cut for IAS officers and 50-percent cut for other junior officers.
Biggest economic recession is on door-step once corona-crisis is controlled where government-expenditure will considerably increase on health-services with a massive cut in tax-collection because of largely declined trade activities in the country. It may be tough to cut salary of government-employees at least to a scale announced by Telangana government. However central government during lock-down period announce tough economic measures to cut down expenses which may not be so easy to be digested by affected ones after corona-crisis is over. It should be announced that there will not be any increase in allowances like Dearness Allowance for next three years. Maximum limit of salary, allowances and other monetary benefits direct or indirect for those in legislature and judiciary including President and Chief Justice of India should be restricted to that of Union Cabinet Secretary. MPLADS scheme for MPs and likewise in states for MLAs and MLCs should be suspended for next three years if not totally abolished. Medical services at government-expense may be available only in government hospitals or dispensaries.
About 9,000 Tablighi Jamaat members and their primary contacts have been quarantined till now across the country in view of the coronavirus infection, a senior home ministry official said on Thursday.
