As Rajasthan prepares for the return of migrants stuck in other states due to the lockdown, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday appealed to the people of the state to extend all help and give moral support to those returning home after a very hard period . The Rajasthan government has deputed teams of senior officers to coordinate with other states on the return of migrants. The Gehlot government had announced last week that migrant workers will be able to move out of Rajasthan or return to the state in a phased manner. Migrant workers have not been able to…
Author: Our Correspondent
New Zealand reported five new coronavirus cases Monday as the nation got ready to ease the rules on a strict lockdown from midnight. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said there hasn’t been widespread community transmission of the virus and the country has so far managed to avoid the worst scenarios for an outbreak. She said it would continue to hunt down the last few cases. From midnight, certain businesses such as construction will be allowed to reopen, but social distancing rules will still apply. Ardern said the nation was opening up the economy, but not people’s social lives.
A COVID-19 laboratory has been set up in the Union Territory of Ladakh to ensure timely and cost-effective sample testing, officials said on Monday. Earlier, the samples had to be sent to Delhi by flights leading to delays and heavy expenditure, they said. The COVID-19 testing laboratory, first such facility in the union territory, was set up with the help of Pernod Ricard India foundation, the officials said. At this crucial time when COVID-19 poses a national challenge, we believe that urgent emergency resources need to be deployed to fight the crisis. We are happy to support Ladakh in setting…
Iftar parties for ‘rozedars’ in the city of Nawabs no longer conjure up the image of mouth-watering galouti kebabs with the aroma of lip-smacking biryani wafting all over. With markets closed and meat supply hit due to the COVID-19-induced lockdown, Muslims are in for a Ramzan without their favourite kebabs and other chicken and mutton dishes. ‘Lauki kofta’ (a bottle gourd dish) and ‘palak (spinach) kebabs’ have invaded their dining tables ever since the coronavirus scare has pushed people indoors, leaving the usually vibrant markets, once dotted with ‘sewai’ and dry fruit stalls all deserted. The holy month of Ramzan…
As part of steps to tackle the COVID-19 spread, the Vellore district administration in Tamil Nadu has erected brick walls on three highways connected to Chittoor district. The walls with cement bricks came up all of a sudden on the Palamaner-Gudiyattam road, Chittoor-Tiruttani and Chittoor-Vellore roads. At a couple of places, the cement bricks were placed on one another, while near Palamaner, the officials deployed construction workers to cement the wall. Work began on Sunday evening and is still going on as of Monday afternoon. Naraharipeta (Chittoor) Sub-Inspector Vasantha Kumari said that as the brick wall was constructed on the…
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday told the Chief Ministers that while the lockdown following the COVID-19 outbreak had yielded “positive results” and that the country had managed to “save thousands of lives in the past one-and-a-half months” the danger of the virus was far from over and “constant vigilance is of paramount importance”. The signal to the States, many of whom had asked for an extension of the lockdown, was clear — that any exit from the lockdown would be graded, and take into account case load and virulence. The decision to extend the lockdown itself, sources said, would…
With the COVID-19 lockdown, there has been a dramatic reduction in smog in Delhi. The lockdown has resulted in very few vehicles on the roads of Delhi. Only essential commercial units are functioning in the city and the current weather is favourable for dispersion of pollutants. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has reported 46% reduction in PM2.5 levels in Delhi. A 50% depletion in PM10 concentrations has also been reported. There has also been a dramatic reduction in smog in the national capital.
RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohanrao Bhagwat has said one should not blame an entire community for a mistake committed by a group or individuals. He was indirectly referring to the Tablighi Jamaatis who were responsible for large-scale spread of Covid-19 pandemic. “If someone does some mistake, don’t blame and entire community; we should not distance ourselves from an entire community,” said Bhagwat while addressing workers through on an online platform. According to him all citizens of the country are “children of Bharat Mata and therefore our kith and kin. We should not allow those forces whose motive is to break the country,…
Narendra At least nine Chief Ministers are expected to speak at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s video-conference with Chief Ministers that began this morning, the third since the countrywide coronavirus lockdown started on March 25. The meeting’s agenda is to review the extension of the lockdown and a clear exit plan. The Chief Ministers of Bihar, Odisha, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Puducherry are likely to speak today. From the northeast, the Chief Ministers of Meghalaya and Mizoram will speak. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan skipped the meeting and sent the Chief Secretary to…
He has played most of his cricket under MS Dhoni and pacer Mohit Sharma says the revered former India skipper is a true leader who does not back off when it comes to taking responsibility in challenging times. The 31-year-old pacer has played under Dhoni both at Chennai Super Kings and the Indian team. He was to play for Delhi Capitals this season but the lockdown has postponed the league indefinitely. “His humility and sense of gratitude is what sets him apart from other players I have played with. In sport, there’s a difference between a captain and a leader…