Tag: COVID-19

COVID cases at 2 lakh/day: Mapping latest state-wise restrictions

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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India’s total COVID-19 cases have risen by more than 2 lakh for a second day running with a record reading of 2.17 lakh. 1,185 deaths have been reported which is the biggest single-day increase in the last seven months. There is a silver lining – the increase in active cases is lower versus the last two days, but it still remains around the 1 lakh mark. Also, recoveries have picked up and an increase of more than a lakh has been reported for the first time.

On Thursday, Delhi announced a weekend curfew and said that theatres can operate only with 30 percent capacity. Karnataka has ruled out a statewide lockdown. Despite the rising cases, it continues with the existing restrictions. Uttar Pradesh has introduced a night curfew for all cities where there are more than 2,000 active cases.

Madhya Pradesh also continues with weekend lockdowns in all urban areas. Kerala has directed the restaurants and shops to close by 9 pm. On a daily basis, there is a state-wide night curfew in the state of Punjab. Tamil Nadu has also capped the capacity for malls, restaurants and other public spaces.

Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana and Odisha also continue with night curfews across several of their cities.

Here is a ready reckoner of the current restrictions:

New Delhi

• Announces weekend curfew, theaters can operate with 30% capacity

Madhya Pradesh

• Continues with weekend lockdowns in urban areas

Uttar Pradesh

• Imposes night curfew in districts with over 2,000 active cases

Kerala

• Restaurants and shops can operate till 9 pm

Punjab

• State-wide night curfew till April 30

Tamil Nadu

• Industries allowed to remain open with strict SOPs
• Restaurants, malls can be open till 11 pm with 50% capacity

Rajasthan

• Imposes night curfew in some parts

Karnataka

• Rules out a state-wide lockdown
• Continues with night curfew in some cities

Night Curfew In Some Parts

• Gujarat
• Haryana
• Odisha

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Motherson Sumi bullish on growth; says no major impact of COVID curbs

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The second COVID-19 wave has spread across the globe. CNBC-TV18 spoke to the biggest auto ancillary player, Vivek Chaand Sehgal, Chairman of Motherson Sumi to talk about how the export markets are doing for global facing companies.

Talking about impact on global markets Sehgal said, “The demand is very positive, there are no red flags that we have come across. There is an upward demand people are going up so the luxury cars are also doing very well, the personal mobility has picked up, so really nothing to worry about in any way.”

On the domestic market, he said, “I don’t recall anything happening in the domestic market, it is pretty robust and what is important is to understand that you would have a hiccup here and there but the customer definitely is in a mood to overcome that very quickly. What is very heartening is entire associate, workers and everybody gets together to make sure that the company does not get into a loss by way of numbers and things like that.”

He further added, “For all our plants and customers and all that we have seen there are no issues at all. None of our plants has been shut down by the governments anywhere in the world. There might be a delay or something like that but we then cover-up from the other plants and all that.”

“I am grateful to almost all the governments that they are cognizant of the fact that factory production has to continue because they have other issues that will happen if they stop the factories.”

Giving guidance for SMP business Sehgal said, “Every vertical of Motherson will go towards 40 percent growth that is a fundamental strength of Motherson and that is where we are specialised in.”

He further added, “Most of the growth is going to come from inorganic and it is driven by the customers.”

Watch the accompanying video for more.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Japan to expand quasi-emergency measures, casting fresh doubts on Olympics

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Japan is set to expand quasi-emergency measures to 10 regions on Friday as a fourth wave of COVID-19 cases spreads, casting doubt on whether the Summer Olympics can be held in Tokyo. Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura told reporters that the government was considering adding Aichi, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Chiba to six other prefectures already under the orders, including the metropolises of Tokyo and Osaka. A final decision is expected on Friday afternoon.

Japan’s top health experts have acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic has entered a fourth wave.

Daily cases in Osaka reached a record 1,208 on Thursday, driven by a virulent British strain of the virus. New infections rose to 729 in Tokyo, the most since early February when most of the nation was under a state of emergency.

A senior ruling party official said on Thursday that cancelling this year’s Olympics remains an option if the coronavirus situation becomes too dire.

A scaled-back torch relay is already underway. Overseas fans have been barred from the Games and officials say that domestic fans may be kept out too.

The quasi-state of emergency allows local governments to order bars and restaurants to shorten their hours and impose fines on those that don’t comply. A full state of emergency has been declared twice in Japan over the course of the pandemic.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Home Ministry issues fresh guidelines for Central govt officers, staff

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Amid a sharp spike in coronavirus cases across India and as more states impose strict curbs on the movement of people, the Home Ministry has issued guidelines for the Central government employees and offices.

For starters, the ministry has reduced the physical attendance of the officers of the level of Under Secretary or equivalent and below to 50 percent of the overall strength, as per the ministry’s notification. The staff will be allowed to work from home for the rest of their time.

It further said that concerned Divisional or Wing Heads are tasked with preparing rosters for their attendance.  However, individual wing heads can call for the physical attendance of over 50 percent if required on administrative grounds.

The Home Ministry further says that all officers of the level of Deputy Secretary, equivalent and above are expected to attend office on regular basis.

Besides this, officers who attend office can stagger timings—with entry into the office spread between 9:00 AM 10:00 AM with corresponding office exit timings. This has to be followed to avoid the rush in commuting, as also in lifts and corridors. Divisional/Wing Heads are expected to take care of this aspect in their rosters.

Any official, who is not attending the office on a particular day is expected to be available on the telephone and other electronic means of communication all the time from their residence and work from home.

All officials residing in containment zones shall continue to be exempted from coming to office till the containment zone is denotified, the ministry said.

It further instructed all officials, who attend office, to strictly follow Covid appropriate behaviour, including wearing masks, physical distancing, use of sanitiser and frequent handwashing with soap and water.

Crowding in lifts, staircases, corridors, common areas including refreshment kiosk and parking areas is to be strictly avoided, the notification said. Meetings, as far as possible, should be conducted through video conferencing.

The ministry has also advised all employees of the age of 45 years and above to get themselves vaccinated. These guidelines come into effect immediately and will remain in force until at least April 30 or until a new order is issued.

India, meanwhile, registered a staggering 216,850 new Covid infections in the last 24 hours, according to Worldometre. This is the third day in succession when India has recorded its highest single-day tally. Besides the massive increase in cases, at least, 1,184 people lost their lives to the virus in the last 24 hours, the highest single-day toll in a long time.

Among the states, Maharashtra reported 61,695 new coronavirus cases and 349 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the state health department. Delhi, the national capital, registered 16,699 new infections on Thursday.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Coronavirus news highlights: Delhi records 19,486 COVID-19 cases, highest single-day spike

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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India’s total COVID-19 cases have risen by more than 2 lakh for a second day running with a record reading of 2.17 lakh. 1,185 deaths have been reported which is the biggest single-day increase in the last seven months. There is a silver lining – the increase in active cases is lower versus the last two days, but it still remains around the 1 lakh mark. Also, recoveries have picked up and an increase of more than a lakh has been reported for the first time.

The total number of vaccinations across the country surpassed the 11.70 crore mark on Thursday, with more than 26.02 lakh vaccine doses being administered till 8 pm, according to the Union health ministry. As many as 67,400 COVID vaccination centres (CVCs) were operational, marking a rise of an average of 22,400 operational vaccination centres (45,000 CVCs on average are functional on any given day). Workplace vaccinations have also enabled such a high turnout of beneficiaries, the ministry said.

The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country stands at 11,70,96,037, as per the 8 pm provisional report. These include 90,82,153 healthcare workers(HCWs) who have taken the first dose and 56,33,982 HCWs who have taken the second dose, 1,02,90,850 frontline workers (FLWs) who have received the first dose and 51,51,557 FLWs who have taken the second dose.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Maharashtra wants to inoculate up to 7 lakh people daily: Health Minister Tope

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Maharashtra wants to vaccinate 6 to 7 lakh people against COVID-19 on a daily basis and to achieve the target, the state needs 40 to 45 lakh vaccine vials every week, health minister Rajesh Tope said on Thursday. A large-scale vaccination will help to bring down the COVID-19 cases and stem its spread, he said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, Maharashtra wants to vaccinate 6 to 7 lakh persons on a daily basis, for which we need to receive 40-45 lakh vaccine vials on a weekly basis. ”If we manage to vaccinate so many people on a daily basis, it would be a major step in curbing the COVID-19 spread in the state, Tope said.

Maharashtra is the worst-hit state in the country when it comes to cumulative infections and deaths due to COVID-19. I think if a delegation from the state, including members from the opposition, visits New Delhi and takes up the issue with the Centre, we will get more vaccines to save lives. We will work it out, he said. Commenting on the shortage of Remdesivir, he said, Seven manufacturers had reduced their production when COVID-19 cases were coming down.

Also Read: Uddhav Thackeray urges Centre to consider COVID-19 as natural calamity

”Now, they have ramped up production, but it takes some time to deliver stocks. will be a supply of one lakh Remdesivir vials in the state.”

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

UK variant detected in 70% samples sent by PGIMER

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The UK variant of COVID-19 was found in 70 percent of 60 samples sent to the National Centre for Diseases Control, the PGIMER said on Thursday. Seventy percent of the samples had UK variant of Covid-19 and 20 percent of the samples had 681 H mutant, said Jagat Ram, the director of the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, in a statement here.

The majority of the samples were from Chandigarh, he added. He said the PGIMER’s Department of Virology had sent 60 positive samples of Covid-19 to the National Centre for Diseases Control (NCDC), New Delhi in March. It was found that 70 per cent of the samples had UK variants of Covid-19, one sample was having a double mutation. 681H mutant of Covid-19 was observed in 20 per cent of the samples. Jagat Ram said considering the high transmission and faster spread of Covid-19 by the UK variant, everyone should follow Covid- appropriate behaviour.

The director further advised avoiding crowded places and non-essential travels. He also stressed on the need for vaccinating priority groups. The Union Territory of Chandigarh on Thursday reported 412 cases of coronavirus, taking the infection count to 32,397.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

No plans of clubbing remaining phases of West Bengal Assembly elections, says EC

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Election Commission on Thursday denied any plans of clubbing the remaining phases of West Bengal Assembly elections into one. The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, has called for an all-party meeting asking all political parties to strictly adhere to COVID-19 guidelines mandated by the Election Commission, an official said.

“No such plan of clubbing phases,” said Election Commission on speculations about clubbing remaining Assembly election phases in West Bengal into one. Four rounds of voting have happened and the rest of the four phases will conclude by April 29. The results will be declared on May 2.

There were speculations due to a rise in the COVID-19 cases in the state. West Bengal has on Wednesday recorded its highest-ever single-day spike of 5,892 coronavirus cases, taking the tally to 6,30,116, the state health department bulletin said. The death toll rose to 10,458 after 24 more fatalities were registered from different parts of the state, it added.

In the last 24 hours, 2,297 COVID patients recovered in the state, it said. The discharge rate has slightly dipped to 93.16 percent. The number of active cases rose to 32,621. Since Tuesday, 43,463 samples have been tested in the state, taking the total number of such clinical examinations to 96,32,841, the bulletin said.

(With inputs from PTI)

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

No let up in COVID surge in Bihar: 6133 fresh cases, 24 new deaths

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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With 24 fresh fatalities the death toll due to coronavirus increased to 1675 on Thursday in Bihar, where with 6,133 new infections the tally of COVID cases has crossed three lakh mark. According to the health department bulletin, seven fresh deaths have been reported in Patna, three each in Gaya and Katihar, two each in Darbhanga and West Champaran and one casualty each in Begusarai, Bhojpur, Jehanabad, Madhepura, Munger, Muzaffarpur and Rohtas.

A total 6133 new cases surfaced in the state in past 24 hours, out of which Patna alone accounted for 2105 infections. Among districts Patna had maximum share of 66,913 cases out of total caseload of 3,01,304 in Bihar.

Other major affected districts are-Bhagalpur with 601 cases, Gaya (431), Muzaffarpur (265) and Begusarai (174). A total of 755 patients recovered in last 24 hours while 2,70,550 COVID patients have been cured in the state since the start of the pandemic last year.

Recovery rate of COVID patients has further gone down to 89.79 per cent in the state Thursday. A total of 1,01,236 samples were tested in last 24 hours, while the total samples clinically examined in the state so far stand at 24944876.

There are 29078 active cases in the state. On the vaccination front, a total of 97,283 eligible citizens were administered jabs during the day. Total 56,05,889 people have been inoculated in the state so far Chief Minister Nitish Kumar took second dose of vaccine at state-run Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) here.

Deputy chief ministers-Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi- besides senior ministers of the state including Vijay Chaudhary, Bijendra Prasad Yadav and Principal Secretaries to the chief minister Dipak Kumar and Chanchal Kumar also got the second dose of vaccine at IGIMS Thursday. Shops and business establishments closed at 7 pm as part of the curbs imposed in the state to check spread of the virus.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow