Tag: Lockdown relaxations

New set of relaxations pave way for a quick revival of economy: CII

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

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Trade body CII on Thursday said the new set of relaxations introduced while extending the lockdown till August 31 in Tamil Nadu would pave way for quick revival of the economy besides ensuring livelihood of people.

Confederation of Indian Industry-Tamil Nadu chairman Hari K Thiagarajan said the ‘calibrated’ and ‘cautious’ approach by the State government during the lockdown improved business sentiments in the state.

“The relaxation in allowing 75 per cent of workforce in industrial units, removal of restrictions on sale of e- commerce products including non-essential items besides extending working hours of shops and restaurants would pave the way for quick revival of the economy and ensure livelihoods of people in the state”, he added.

On the government signing MoUs with companies which committed investments, he said, the measures taken by the government in attracting new investments during the lockdown has created a clear roadmap for Tamil Nadu to become the number one destination for attracting overseas investments.

The state government had signed MoUs with various companies which committed investments worth Rs 30,664 crore and expected to generate 67,212 new jobs in Tamil Nadu.

On Thursday, the Tamil Nadu government announced extension of coronavirus-induced lockdown till August 31 but with more relaxations including scaling up of workforce in private establishments and allowing dine-in services in hotels and restaurants.

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

Maharashtra extends current lockdown till July 31; what’s allowed and what’s not

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

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The Mahashtra government has issued orders to extend the current lockdown measures as well as the relaxation measures in effect in the state, till the midnight of July 31.

Here is a quick look at what is allowed and what is not?

All essential shops to continue as per May 31st order
All non-essential market except malls and shopping complexes to remain open from 9 am to 5 pm
Movement within districts in MMR region allowed for essential services, offices
Long distance travel for non-essential item not allowed
E-commerce activity to continue

Businesses and offices

All industrial units presently open to continue to operate
Spas, salons, barber shops to operate with prescribed conditions allowed
Gyms continue to remain shut
Private offices to operate with 10 percent staff or 10employees whichever is more

Conduct and large gathering guidelines:

Wearing of mask is compulsory in public places, in work place and suring transport
Large public gatherings continue to remain prohibited
Number of guests cannot exceed over 50 for marriages, funeral
Work from home should be followed as far as possible

Transport:

Private  and public transport: To follow 1 driver +2 passenger format for 3 & 4 wheelers.
2 wheelers: only rider allowed
Inter-district bus service: Allowed with 50 percent capacity and social distancing protocols
Inter-district movement will continue to be regulated

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

Bengaluru restaurants cautious about reopening, cite labour shortage, SOPs

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

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Even as Karnataka has allowed restaurants to reopen for dining-in from June 8, several restaurants may not be ready to restart given labour shortage the sector is seeing, and the standard operating procedures (SOPs) mandating only 50 percent seating capacity.

The central government has allowed restaurants, hotels and malls to reopen from June 8 as part of the first phase of Unlock 1.

However, many restaurant owners are short of labour to restart operations, and are also sceptical whether customers would turn up.

“We expect 40-50% restaurants will open on June 8. Several restaurants are facing labour shortage and we also expect resistance from customers to come to restaurants,” said Subramanaya Holla, secretary, Bruhat Bangalore Hotels Association, and owner of Udupi Sri Krishna Bhavan in Bengaluru’s Gandhi Bazaar area.

Another area of concern for the sector is the stringent SOPs issued by the government.

The ministry of health and family welfare on Thursday issued SOPs for the restaurant industry.

The SoPs state that restaurants will have to maintain adequate social distancing norms and they can only operate at 50 percent seating capacity.

The government has also said that takeaways should be encouraged instead of dine-ins.

“50% capacity not feasible for longer term. More staff will be impacted due to 50% seating norms, since we will have to let go of more workers,” Holla said.

The restaurant sector has taken a massive hit during the lockdown, as they were allowed to stay open only for takeaways.

“I am closing two of my four restaurants because I don’t expect the situation to improve at least for a year. 10% of restaurants in Bengaluru have been out on sale by owners,” Holla added.

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 flipflop, interstate travel rule changes a natural progression: Karnataka Health Commissioner

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

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Defending the frequent changes in its policies on interstate travel, Karnataka Health Commissioner Pankaj Pandey said, it was a natural progression in decision making, based on data.

The state has made frequent changes on its standard operating procedures for interstate travel, initially banning entry from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. Later it made institutional quarantine mandatory for travellers from these three states along withthose from Delhi, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. On May 31, the state said travellers from Maharashtra alone would be sent to institutional quarantine.

No flipflop

“The disease is very dynamic. We rely on multiple factors such as positivity rate, cases per million, tests per million etc. The decision making is dependent on all these factors,” Pandey told CNBC TV 18.

“I see it as a natural progression in decision making, not a flip flop. When we see a large number of people are turning positive after coming from a particular state, we have to adjust the intake capacity from that state. We have a certain amount of institutional quarantine capacity,” he added.

“We want to ensure that everyone who comes to the state registers so that we have a footprint. We want to ensure their health and of their families. This is for a greater public good. We have also put in place a system to involve the community, since vigilance and pressure from community is bigger to ensure people follow protocol,” Pandey added.

Privacy concerns

The state, in fact, has faced flak on previous occasions for making public the personal data of those who returned from foreign countries and were asked to quarantine themselves at home.

In March, Karnataka had put out details of people asked to be under home quarantine, and the list contained personal data about persons, including their addresses.

The commissioner, however, said it had a good impact by empowering RWAs and that greater public good takes priority during a pandemic.

“We released only addresses of these persons, because we wanted the community to know that there is a person in quarantine in their neighbourhood,” Pandey said.

“Several people were not being responsible. Community was roped in and they used this data. It helped residential associations take decisions,” he added.

“There was some apprehension about releasing addresses.But when there is information that can help stall the infection, greater public good takes priority,” he said.

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

Lockdown relaxation: BMW India resumes operations after temporary suspension

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

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German luxury carmaker BMW on Monday said it has resumed operations in accordance with the government guidelines. Consumers can once again safely explore and experience the complete range of BMW, MINI and BMW Motorrad products at company dealerships, BMW Group India said in a statement.

Production at Chennai plant has resumed with less than 50 per cent of the regular workforce catering to the production demand in the country, it added.

“It brings us great joy to finally restart operations at our dealerships, plant and corporate office. Customers and prospects can now explore, test-drive and purchase their favourite vehicles in a safe and sanitised environment at our dealerships,” BMW Group India acting President Arlindo Teixeira said.

The company continues to see an increase in demand for 3 Series, X1 and Mini Countryman, it added.

The company’s Chennai facility will be instrumental in fulfilling this market demand, he added.

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

Lockdown 5.0: What is buffer zone, will bars reopen, can I visit a salon, and other questions answered

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

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While extending the lockdown in Containment Zones till Jun 30, the Home Ministry today said that areas outside of that will be reopened in a phased manner.

Here are some frequently asked questions and their answers, on the latest set of guidelines:

Has the lockdown been extended?
Yes, until June 30, only for containment zones.

Have rules been relaxed for non-containment areas?
Yes. For non-containment zones, life moves from Lockdown to Unlock 1.0

Have the colour-coded zones—Red, Orange, and Green—been done away with?
Yes. From now on the country is broadly divided into two groups: Containment and Non-Containment zones

Can I know if I stay in a containment zone?
Yes. A containment zone is an area where there is high incidence of Covid-19 positive cases. Your DM/DC’s social media pages will put these out. Your state chief minister’s social media pages (Twitter/Facebook) will also contain details.

Is there something called a buffer zone?
Yes. A buffer zone is an area of spread in a 5-kilometre radius (7 kms in rural areas) of a containment zone.

Can I find out which zone I stay?
Yes. Your DM/DC’s social media pages will put these out. Your state chief minister’s social media pages (Twitter/Facebook) will also contain details.

Does my life change in a containment zone?
No. If you are in a containment zone, your life doesn’t change much. Only essential activities are allowed in these zones. No outsider is allowed to get into these zones. Anyone staying in these zones aren’t allowed to venture out.

Can I start working from office?
Yes. Private offices can operate in non-containment zones.

Will shops selling non-essential be allowed to open?
Yes. Shops will be allowed to open in non-containment zones.

Can I go to a temple or a religious place?
Yes. All religious places have been allowed to open from June 8.

Will shopping malls open?
Yes. Shopping malls can open from June 8. The health ministry will issue norms separately for these

Will restaurants be allowed to open?
Yes. Restaurants can open from June 8. The health ministry will issue norms separately for these

Will bars be allowed to open?
No. Bars will continue to remain shut.

Will hotels be allowed to open?
Yes. Hotels can open from June 8. The health ministry will issue norms separately for these

Will inter-state movement of people and goods be allowed?
Yes. There will be no restrictions on the movement of inter-state movement of people and goods. No separate permission or e-pass will be required.

Can I go to a coffee shop?
Yes. Coffee shops are restaurants, which have been allowed to open from June 8.

Will sports complexes/stadia be allowed to open?
Yes. Sports complexes and stadia have already been allowed to open, but without any spectators.

Can I order food for delivery?
Yes. Take-away and home delivery services of restaurants have already been allowed.

Will I be able to withdraw money?
Yes. Cashier and teller operations of banks (including ATMs) will continue to stay open.

Can I take out my car/bike?
Yes. You will be allowed to take out your car/bike if you are in a non-containment zone.

Can I book an Ola/Uber?
Yes. Your state government and DM will decide. It is likely that cab aggregators may be allowed to operate in non-containment zones.

Can I travel by metro?
No. Travel by metro is prohibited until further notice in all zones.

Can I go for a walk/run or cycle in my neighbourhood?
Yes. But not in a group and not between 9 pm to 5 am, regardless of which zone you stay.

Can kids go out to the park?
No. In all zones, persons above 65 years of age, persons with co-morbidities, pregnant women, and children below the age of 10 years, shall stay at home

Can my house help and driver come for work?

Yes. They have already been allowed in non-containment zones, but only if the RWA allows, which is empowered to decide on outsiders’ entry

Can I visit friends and vice versa?
Yes. They have already been allowed in non-containment zones, only if your friends’ RWA allows and vice versa

Will I be able to buy alcohol?
Yes. Most states have opened up alcohol shops outside of the containment zones.

Is domestic air travel allowed?
Yes. Air travel within India has started from May 25.

Can I travel by train to another state?
Yes. Inter-state train services have already opened up. You can find details in www.irctc.co.in

Will I be able to buy petrol?
Yes. Petrol pumps, LPG and oil agencies will continue to operate.

Can an AC mechanic/carpenters/plumbers come to my place?
Yes. But only if you stay in a non-containment area and your RWA allows, which is empowered to decide on outsiders’ entry.

Can I go from Delhi to Gurgaon/Noida/Faridabad/Ghaziabad?
Yes. Inter-state movement of persons and goods have been allowed. Officials, however, can restrict these based on local conditions.

Can guests be invited to marriages?
Yes, but the number of people should not exceed 50.

Can funeral rituals be carried out?
Yes, but funeral related gatherings cannot exceed 20 people.

Will schools/colleges open?
No. A decision to reopen schools, colleges, and educational institutions will be taken in July.

Can I get non-essential goods such as clothes home delivered through e-commerce companies?
Yes. E-commerce delivery of non-essentials have already been allowed.

Can I visit a salon? I badly need a haircut?
Yes. Salons have been allowed to open, but with social distancing norms.

Will I be fined if I don’t wear a mask?
Yes. Wearing of masks have been made compulsory in public places. State governments have been asked to strictly enforce it

Will I be fined if I spit in a public place?
Yes. Spitting in public places has been banned. State governments have been asked to strictly enforce it

Can a political rally take place?
No. Social, political, cultural, sports, and religious congregations continue to remain prohibited.

Can I travel overseas in an airline?
No. International air travel from India remains prohibited, unless specially allowed by the government

Will cinema halls allowed to open?
No. Cinema halls, theatres, entertainment parks, auditoriums, assembly halls, and similar places will continue to remain shut.

Will gymnasiums and swimming pools be allowed to open?
No. Gymnasiums and swimming pools will continue to remain shut.

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

Lockdown 5.0: Hotels, malls, temples, schools and other activities that will resume in a phased manner

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

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While extending the lockdown in Containment Zones till Jun 30, the Home Ministry today said that areas outside of that will be reopened in a phased manner.

Phase I

Hotels, restaurants, hospitality services, religious places of worship
shopping malls to reopen from June 8

Health Ministry to issue standard operating procedures for Phase 1 activities

Phase II

Schools, colleges, educational institutions to be opened post consultations with various stakeholders

States should hold consultations with parents on opening of educational institutions

Decision on reopening educations institutions to be taken in July post feedback

Health Ministry to prepare standard operating procedures for social distancing in social institutions

Phase III

Dates of the reopening of the following activities will be decided:

International air travel, Metro Rail services, cinema halls, gymnasiums, swimming pools, theatres, bars, entertainment parks, social/ political/ academic congregations

Containment zones

Lockdown to continue in containment zones till June 30

District authorities to demarcate containment zones

Only essential services to be allowed in containment zones

States to identify buffer zones outside containment zones

Movement of goods and people

No restrictions on intra and inter-state movement of people and goods

States can regulate the movement of people based on reasons of public health

States will have to give wide publicity in advance regarding restrictions on the movement of people

No state will stop the movement of goods

Movement of shramik trains, domestic air travel, Indian nationals evacuated from foreign nations to continue as per standard operating procedures issued

Night Curfew

Night curfew timings now from 9 pm to 5 am

Local Authorities to issue orders on night curfew

Marriage Gatherings– Maximum of 50 people allowed
Funeral Gatherings – Maximum of 20 people allowed

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

Domestic flights take off amid chaos, confusion as lockdown eases

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

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Passengers were seen harried across airports, including the national capital’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), on Monday as many domestic flights were cancelled due to the limit on arrivals and departures by state governments.

On the first day of resumption of domestic passenger flight services after two months’ suspension, the IGIA witnessed over 80 flight cancellations.

According to industry insiders, the IGIA is slated to handle 118 arrival and 125 departure flights on Monday. Similarly, Mumbai’s CSMIA will be handling 24 arrivals and 23 departures. It was scheduled to handle over 100 flights, but the state government on Sunday capped this to 25 each.

IANS had on Saturday and Sunday reported that new flight acceptance and quarantine norms could lead to cancellations on the intra-metro routes.

“The problem for passengers began with states rolling out their separate guidelines on operationality of airports and post-travel quarantine. With only a fraction of flights allowed to operate from some of the busiest airports, cancellations spiked leaving travellers uncertain about their travel,” Nishant Pitti, CEO and co-founder of EaseMyTrip.com, told IANS.

“Some airlines informed passengers at the last moment about the flight cancellation. Many passengers had reached airports as SMSes were received only after midnight. Also, these airlines failed to make changes on their website and even the cancelled flights were being shown as confirmed.”

There were some initial hiccups due to Sunday’s new guidelines by several states, an airline executive at the airport told IANS. “Some passengers of few airlines were confused if their morning flight was on or not. Some had received SMS alerts, while others claimed they didn’t. Most had reached the T3 at least 2 hours before to go through the checks,” the executive said.

Flights were resumed on Monday after many anxious moments as several states moved to limit air operations. Even airline executives were left in lurch as state after state came out with new norms for accepting flights, thereby, distorting their network planning.

Consequently, passengers who had booked tickets rushed to cancel them.

Most affected was the Delhi-Mumbai trunk route, followed by flights to Bangalore and Kolkata.

Another confusion was over the quarantine norms, which many states said they would enforce on air travellers.

To calm nervous passengers, the central government had said on Sunday all states but for two (Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal) were open to accepting domestic flights.

The Centre has allowed limited passenger flights — about one-third of the summer schedule — to operate between Metros and other destinations from May 25.

Passenger air services were suspended on March 25 due to the nationwide lockdown to check the Covid-19 spread.

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

Back to business, but not business as usual as nations open

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

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This is what “normal” will look like for the foreseeable future.

In Connecticut, restaurants are reopening with outdoor-only dining and tables 6 feet (2 meters) apart. In Beverly Hills, California, the rich and glamorous are doing their shopping from the curb along Rodeo Drive. And preschools around the U.S. plan to turn social distancing into an arts-and-crafts project by teaching kids how to “create their own space” with things like yarn and masking tape.

As the US and other countries loosen their coronavirus restrictions, it’s back to business, but not business as usual. In fact, it is becoming all too clear that without a vaccine against the scourge, the disruptions could be long-lasting and the economy won’t be bouncing right back.

In Italy, where good food is an essential part of life, once-packed restaurants and cafes are facing a huge financial hit as they reopen with strict social distancing rules after a 10-week shutdown.

Experts warned that as many as one-third of the country’s restaurants and bars could go out of business, up to 300,000 jobs in the sector could vanish and losses could reach 30 billion euros ($32 billion) this year.

“We have to turn upside down all the activity that we did before,” lamented chef Raffaele di Cristo, who must wear a mask and latex gloves as he prepares food at the popular Corsi Trattoria in Rome. “Everything is changed.”

Corsi reopened this week with half its tables removed to ensure the mandated 1-meter (3-foot) spacing. Hand sanitizing gel was placed at the entrance, and a new ordering system was installed so that customers could read the menu on their phones instead of listening to waitresses recite the specials.

In Connecticut, restaurants that reopened Wednesday for outdoor dining are required to rearrange workstations so that employees don’t face one another, and stagger shifts and break times to minimize contact among them. Markers must be installed to encourage customers to keep their distance from one another.

In Glastonbury, Connecticut, the Max Fish restaurant opened for lunch with 16 tables on outdoor patios. Customers filled about half the tables in the early afternoon, and all the tables were reserved for dinner, general manager Brian Costa said.

Friends and retirees Debbie Lawrence and Jill Perry, who often ate out together before the outbreak, enjoyed a meal at Max Fish.

“It was terrific. It’s just wonderful to be outside,” Lawrence said. “But I’m still a little leery of going to any stores.”

At the Crab Shell Restaurant on the waterfront in Stamford, co-owner James Clifford held up a roughly 6-foot-long (2-meter-long) stick he said he used to make sure chairs weren’t too close together.

Also read: Coronavirus pandemic: ‘New normal’ anything but as countries continue to reopen

“I just hope the outdoor people don’t get greedy and they don’t overstep their bounds,” he said. “Because if you can’t get it right outdoors, how can you get it indoors?”

In Fredericksburg, Virginia, one restaurant that recently reopened its patio has taken an extra step to reassure diners. The Colonial Tavern is taking staff members’ temperatures at the start of their shifts and posting the results for customers to see.

Some of new rules for dining out echo reopening guidelines released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They are intended for child care centers, schools, day camps, mass transit systems, restaurants, bars and other businesses and organizations.

For example, the CDC suggests mass transit systems close every other row of seats and limit how many riders can be on a bus or train.

Amid the wave of reopenings, many Americans remain wary, according to a new survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The poll says 83% of Americans are at least somewhat concerned that lifting restrictions in their area will lead to additional infections.

The poll also exposed a widening partisan divide on the topic, with Democrats more cautious and Republicans less anxious as President Donald Trump urges states to “open up our country.” Only about a third of Republicans say they are very or extremely concerned about additional infections, compared with three-quarters of Democrats.

Also read: Temperature checks, masks the new normal for air travel, says Dubai airport CEO

About 5 million people worldwide have been confirmed infected, and over 328,000 deaths have been recorded, including over 93,000 in the U.S. and around 165,000 in Europe, according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University, based on government data. Experts believe the true toll is significantly higher.

With the virus far from vanquished, the reopenings could prove to be a stop-and-start, two-steps-forward-one-step-back process.

Ford temporarily halted production at two of its assembly plants Tuesday and Wednesday in Chicago and Dearborn, Michigan, after three autoworkers tested positive for the virus. Work was stopped to sanitize equipment and isolate those who were in contact with the infected employees.

Detroit’s Big Three automakers restarted their US factories on Monday after a two-month shutdown.

Education, too, is facing radical changes.

Cambridge became the first university in Britain to cancel all face-to-face lectures for the upcoming school year, saying they will be held virtually and streamed online until the summer of 2021.

Other institutions have taken different tacks. The University of Notre Dame in Indiana will bring students back to campus but redesigned its calendar to start the semester early in August and end before Thanksgiving.

In South Korea, hundreds of thousands of high school seniors had their temperatures checked and used hand sanitizer as they returned Wednesday, many for the first time since late last year. Students and teachers were required to wear masks, and some schools installed plastic partitions around desks.

France is limiting spaces in its primary schools, giving priority to the children of essential workers and those in need. Some younger students even go on alternating days, while high schools remain closed.

People’s gratitude at being able to shop or eat out again is mingling with worries about job security.

Business was slow at a Paris farmer’s market with a mixed mood among the masked, gloved vendors. A man selling peonies and petunias said he was glad to get out and see shoppers again, while a woman selling asparagus and tomatoes behind a makeshift plastic screen grumbled that her customers were buying less than usual.

British aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce announced plans to cut 9,000 workers as it grapples with the collapse in air travel. In general, those jobs come with good pay and benefits, and losing them is a sharp blow to local communities.

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

Coronavirus pandemic: ‘New normal’ anything but as countries continue to reopen

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

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Hundreds of thousands of high school seniors in South Korea had their temperature checked and rubbed their hands with sanitizer as they returned to school Wednesday, many for the first time since late last year after their new term was repeatedly pushed back by the coronavirus pandemic.

Students and teachers were required to wear masks and some schools installed plastic partitions around desks. In a reminder that the so-called “new normal” was anything but, more than 60 schools near Seoul quickly sent their students home as a precaution after two students who hadn’t even attended class were found infected.

A phased reopening of South Korean schools is expected to be complete by June 8, and comes as the number of new infections in the country has fallen to around 30 per day, down from hundreds each day in early March.

The resumption of once-routine aspects of daily life that were upended by the pandemic has picked up speed in recent weeks, as governments and communities try to strike a balance between keeping infections from flaring anew and allowing economies to function.

What a return to normal looks like varies widely, from migrant workers in India finally able to catch trains back to their home villages to wealthy shoppers in Maseratis and Rolls-Royces returning to the boutiques of America’s iconic Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.

As the debate about how fast to reopen rages in the U.S., public health officials in some states there have been accused of bungling coronavirus infection statistics or even using a little sleight of hand to deliberately make things look better than they are.

The risk is that politicians, business owners and ordinary Americans who are making decisions about lockdowns and other day-to-day matters could be left with the impression that the virus is under more control than it actually is.

In Virginia, Texas and Vermont, for example, officials said they have been combining the results of viral tests, which show an active infection, with antibody tests, which show a past infection. Public health experts say that can make for impressive-looking testing totals but does not give a true picture of how the virus is spreading.

In Florida, the data scientist who developed the state’s coronavirus dashboard, Rebekah Jones, said this week that she was fired for refusing to manipulate data “to drum up support for the plan to reopen.” Calls to health officials for comment were not immediately returned Tuesday.

In Georgia, one of the earliest states to ease up on lockdowns and assure the public it was safe to go out again, the Department of Public Health published a graph around May 11 that showed new COVID-19 cases declining over time in the most severely affected counties. The daily entries, however, were not arranged in chronological order but in descending order.

For example, the May 7 totals came right before April 26, which was followed by May 3. A quick look at the graph made it appear as if the decline was smoother than it really was. The graph was taken down within about a day.

Georgia state Rep. Jasmine Clark, a Democrat with a doctorate in microbiology, said the graph was a “prime example of malfeasance.”

“Sadly it feels like there’s been an attempt to make the data fit the narrative, and that’s not how data works,” she said.

Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s office denied there was any attempt to deceive the public.

Guidelines from the Trump administration say that before states begin reopening, they should see a 14-day downward trend in infections. However, some states have reopened when infections were still climbing or had plateaued. States have also been instructed to expand testing and contact tracing.

Jennifer Nuzzo, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said a lot of these cases are not necessarily the result of any attempt to fool the public. For example, she said, states may not have updated information systems that allow them to tell the difference between an antibody test and a viral test.

Still, if states are mixing a lot of testing numbers together, “you’re not going to be able to make good decisions about reopening and about what level of disease you have in the community,” Nuzzo said.

More than 4.9 million people worldwide have been confirmed infected by the virus, and more than 320,000 deaths have been recorded, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University that experts believe is too low.

Russia and Brazil are now behind only the United States in the number of reported infections, and cases are also spiking in such places as India, South Africa and Mexico.

New hot spots emerged Tuesday in Russia, and the country recorded nearly 9,300 new infections in 24 hours, bringing the total to almost 300,000, about half of them in Moscow. Authorities say over 2,800 people with COVID-19 have died in Russia, a figure some say is surely higher.

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