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Archives for March 2020

UK Health Minister Nadine Dorries tests positive for coronavirus

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Dorries, who helped craft the legislation to fight the bug, is the first British politician to be diagnosed with COVID-19 and it is said she had been in touch with hundreds of people.

British MP Nadine Dorries

LONDON: British MP Nadine Dorries, a minister in the health department, has tested positive for coronavirus, she said in a statement on Tuesday, raising concerns about whether senior government figures have been infected.

“I can confirm I have tested positive for coronavirus… and have been self-isolating at home,” said the Conservative MP. Health officials are now trying to trace where she contracted the virus and who she has been in contact with, she added. Six people have died in Britain from the virus, with more than 370 confirmed cases.

Dorries, who helped craft the legislation to fight the bug, is the first British politician to be diagnosed with COVID-19. The Times reported that she had been in touch with hundreds of people, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

She fell unwell on Friday while signing the document that declared coronavirus a notifiable disease, meaning companies could obtain insurance cover, said the paper, adding she was now believed to be on the road to recovery.

“I would like to thank… the wonderful NHS staff who have provided me with advice and support,” she said, referring to Britain’s National Health Service. The shock news is likely to increase calls to suspend parliament, despite the government’s reluctance to do so in the middle of a health crisis.

Thanks for so many good wishes. It’s been pretty rubbish but I hope I’m over the worst of it now. More worried about my 84 mum who is staying with me and began with the cough today. She is being tested tomorrow. Keep safe and keep washing those hands, everyone

Her boss Matt Hancock, who is leading Britain’s response, tweeted that he was “sorry to hear Nadine has tested positive for coronavirus. “She has done the right thing by self isolating at home, and both NHS and PHE staff have been brilliant. We all wish her well as she recover. We will do all we can to keep people safe, based on the best possible science,” he added. PHE refers to Public Health England.

Finance minister Rishi Sunak will on Wednesday unveil the government’s first post-Brexit budget, with all eyes on emergency government measures to ease the economic pain from the coronavirus outbreak. He is expected to give the state-run National Health Service whatever it needs to help combat the virus and promise temporary support for businesses hit by cash flow issues.

The Bank of England’s incoming chief Andrew Bailey last week said UK-based companies would need help in the face of disruption to supplies caused by the virus.

Budget airlines Ryanair and EasyJet said they will cancel all Italian flights until early April after the government ordered the entire country locked down because of the virus, leaving thousands of people unable to return home.

Madhya Pradesh crisis: All eyes on Sachin Pilot in Rajasthan after Jyotiraditya Scindia revolt

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A close friend of Scindia, Deputy CM Sachin Pilot is now the centre of attention in the state, with speculation that he might take the same route. 

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his deputy Sachin Pilot at a protest against the alleged opposition of tampering in reservation of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Jaipur Sunday Feb. 16 2020.

JAIPUR: The shockwaves of MP Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia quitting the party along with many MLAs is being felt in Rajasthan as well.

A close friend of Scindia, Deputy CM Sachin Pilot is now the centre of attention in the state, with speculation that he might take the same route. 

CM Ashok Gehlot was strong in his denunciation of Scindia’s move on Twitter: “Joining hands with the BJP in a time of national crisis speaks volumes about a leader’s self-indulgent political ambitions. Especially when the BJP is ruining the economy, democratic institutions and the social fabric.”

Gehlot is seen as a veteran in political calculations and his government has better numbers than the MP government.

With the 6 BSP MLAs joining the Congress a few months ago, the party has 106 MLAs of its own and the support of 13 others in a house of 200 seats. But he has been in a continuous tussle with party president Pilot, who was sidelined in the race for the CM’s post following the party’s Assembly win. 

Gehlot loyalists argue that the situation in Rajasthan is very different from that in MP. But as the Scindia revolt gains momentum, there is uncertainty as sources say the BJP is keen to dislodge Gehlot. 

A close aide of Gehlot asserted, “Some Congress dissidents might try to take advantage of the developments in MP. But Gehlot is likely to repulse this challenge. If he was chosen despite Pilot’s open 
opposition, it was because he is a very astute politician and has the support of many MLAs.” 

Pilot’s supporters, however, say it would be a blunder to underestimate him and claim he has 25-35 MLAs loyal to him. If he is ignored anymore, he too may be pushed towards the BJP, they added.

Coronavirus: South Western Railway readies 7 wards across Karnataka

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Masks, gloves, caps, hand-wash sanitisers and aprons have been stocked in sufficient quantity.

BENGALURU: Following a directive from the Railway Board to all zones, asking for quarantine wards to be put in place for treating patients with incidence of COVID-19, the South Western Railway Zone has decided to earmark 216 beds for the treatment of patients in Hubballi, Bengaluru and Mysuru Railway Divisions. This is an emergency precautionary measure being taken by the zonal officials.

According to an official release, seven locations — three of them under Bengaluru Division — have been identified to be converted as quarantine wards. These are the wards created: Multi Discipline Training Centre at Ashokapuram in Mysuru, Diesel Training Centre at Hubballi, Women Barrakcs of Railway Protection Force in Hubballi, Supervisors Training Centre in Bengaluru, Divisional PWay Training Centre near Bengaluru Cantonment and Indian Railway Institute for Disaster Management, Hejjala, at Ramanagara.

“The facility can be used for general public and in case of necessity, the state government can also use them,” the release said.These beds have been selected out of the 706 across 229 rooms in its training facilities. The remaining beds can be made use of in case of any emergency by rescheduling training programmes.  

As a precautionary measure, separate clinics have also been formed for patients having cough and fever, at Central Hospital in Hubballi, Railway Hospital in Mysuru and Railway Hospital in Bengaluru, it said. Medical help is also being extended at railway stations, to passengers who aren’t feeling well. Railways has also suspended biometric attendance for all its employees. Masks, gloves, caps, hand-wash sanitisers and aprons have been stocked in sufficient quantity.

Elaborating the steps being taken by the SWR zone, the release said the COVID-19 campaign for health education and awareness programme commenced three days ago by distributing handouts and educative materials with the aim of spreading awareness among passengers.

Video clips issued by Health department are being shown on CCTV for the benefit of the public. Educative messages on prevention of the virus are issued via social media by SWR using #cautionyespanickno.

Karnataka: Four test positive for coronavirus; man with suspected symptoms re-admitted after escape

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Health department sources confirmed that the wife and daughter of the techie, who returned from USA to Bangalore on March 1, are the other two confirmed cases along with him.

Coronavirus

Four patients tested positive for coronavirus in Bengaluru, tweeted Health Minister B Sriramulu on Tuesday morning. One of these cases is the techie who returned from USA to Bengaluru on March 1 and has been admitted in the isolation unit of Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases.

Health department sources confirmed that the wife and daughter of the techie are the other two confirmed cases. The fourth case is another techie who returned from US and landed in Bengaluru International Airport.

“The family members of the patients are being kept in isolation and their health is being monitored. I urge citizens to take precautions and cooperate in preventing the spread of infection,” Sriramulu said in the tweet.

In a press release, the Indian Council for Medical Research said that in the past 24 hours, there has been one positive case from Kerala, two from Pune and three from Bengaluru. The state health department officials and RGICD doctors are either not responding to calls or are refusing to comment on the matter until 6 pm on Tuesday.

Meanwhile the man, who was under coronavirus quarantine at a district hospital in Mangaluru following his arrival from Dubai, and later left the premises, has been re-admitted to the facility after health department officials convinced him of the Centre’s instructions.

After a day of high drama, the passenger, who arrived at the International Airport here on Sunday night with a high fever, was admitted to the isolation ward of Wenlock hospital but left after arguing with the staff that he would take treatment at a private facility.

However, he was later traced to his home on Monday night after health department officials informed the police. After the district administration’s intervention, he agreed to co-operate with the treatment.
Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Sindhu B Rupesh said that the patient’s samples have been collected and sent to a testing centre in Bengaluru.

She said that if passengers were not willing to be screened, they would be counselled first and then shifted to an isolation ward. “If they refuse to cooperate, they would have to be taken forcefully,” she said.

Swachh device- first of a kind event to safeguard your device

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Swachh Device, a first of its kind workshop exclusively designed for the Journalist, News Editors and working professionals in the media industry was held on 7 March 2020 at the Chancery Pavilion.

Cyber-surveil lance is a bigger threat than ever. New forms of censorship are emerging, implemented by troll armies paid by authoritarian regimes. They include double switch, in which a journalist’s online account is taken over in order to disseminate fake news, smear the journalist, and censor
independently reported news and information. Journalists should protect themselves and their sources by keeping up-to-date on the latest digital security news and threats such as hacking, phishing, and
surveillance. Journalists should think about the information they are responsible for and what could happen if it falls into the wrong hands, and take measures to defend their accounts, devices,
communications, and online activity.

Swachh Device conference will offer a valuable platform to transfer knowledge from experts and educate the attendees on the techniques, skills and principles necessary to secure their devices.

Era3Q— the organizing team acknowledged their sincere thanks and appreciation to Shri Sanjay Sahay, IPS – Additional Director General of Police, Police Computer Wing, Govt. of Karnataka and Dr. Ananth Prabhu G for their valuable contribution and support for the conference.

PU, SSLC examinations on schedule

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However, PU and SSLC examinations will take place as scheduled and candidates can wear masks to the exam halls if they wish.

exams

BENGALURU: The government has decided to suspend all classes up to fifth standard in all schools in Bengaluru urban and rural districts in the wake of a positive case of novel coronavirus at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases in the city.

The decision was taken after an emergency meeting chaired by the state chief secretary on Monday. A decision on examinations for classes 1-5 will be decided later.

A circular issued by Department of Public Instruction Commissioner, KG Jagadeesha, said examinations have to be held at the earliest in schools in the remaining districts of the state.

However, PU and SSLC examinations will take place as scheduled and candidates can wear masks to the exam halls if they wish.

Several schools in the city had decided to start their holidays early even before the order came, cancelling their exams. They decided to promote students to the next classes based on performance during the year.
An email sent to parents from a school in BTM layout said the school will close from March 14.
“The review stands cancelled. Final grades will be computed based on the formative assessments conducted in term 2. The school reopens for students on May 26,” the email read.

Primary and Secondary Education Minister Suresh Kumar in a video said the measures are taken as a preventive measure and public need not panic. He said SSLC and PUC exams will take place on schedule.

Yes Bank shares zoom over 32 per cent after SBI announces stake in crisis-hit lender

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The scrip witnessed a sharp rise, spiking 29.63 per cent to Rs 21 on the BSE. On the NSE, it jumped 32.20 per cent to Rs 21.35.

Customers at Yes Bank Dwarakanagar branch in Visakhapatnam on Saturday

NEW DELHI: Shares of Yes Bank on Monday zoomed over 32 per cent after State Bank of India (SBI) said it will pick up 49 per cent stake in the cash-strapped lender for Rs 2,450 crore.

The scrip witnessed a sharp rise, spiking 40.7 per cent to Rs 22.80 on the BSE during the day.

It closed 31.17 per cent higher at Rs 21.25.

On the NSE, it jumped 41.17 per cent to Rs 22.80 during the trading hours.

It settled 32.20 per cent up at Rs 21.35.

In terms of volume, over 72 crore shares were traded on the NSE while BSE saw an exchange of more than 6.9 crore units.

The spurt in volume was more than 3.22 times during the day on the BSE.

SBI on Saturday announced it will pick up 49 per cent stake in Yes Bank for Rs 2,450 crore and clarified that all the deposits and liabilities of the reconstructed bank will continue in the “same manner”.

“Yes Bank has 255-crore shares of Rs 2 per share. SBI will be issued 245 crore shares at a price of Rs 10 per share for Rs 2,450 crore. This will be 49 per cent of the share capital of the reconstructed bank,” SBI said in a statement.

SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar had earlier said it had set a maximum investment limit of Rs 10,000 crore for Yes Bank reconstruction process.

SBI shares were trading over 4 per cent lower at Rs 258.50 apiece on the BSE.

Yes Bank has been struggling to raise capital amid its dwindling financial health.

It sought to raise USD 2 billion initially during this fiscal, which was then pruned to USD 1.2 billion as it could not rope in any investor.

Yes Bank shares had plunged 56 per cent in the last trading session.

Global coronavirus toll tops 4,000 with 17 more deaths in China

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There were just 19 fresh cases reported on Tuesday, the lowest number since the government started tallying infections on January 21, according to the National Health Commission.

Residents go about their grocery shopping at a supermarket in Beijing on Sunday

BEIJING: The global death toll from the new coronavirus passed 4,000 on Tuesday, according to AFP figures, as China reported 17 new deaths. The toll reached 4,011 in the outbreak that has spread to over 100 countries with more than 110,000 cases of infection.

The epidemic has disrupted global travel and forced the cancellation of everything from conferences to sporting events. But in China, new cases have steadily declined in recent weeks, in a sign that the country’s unprecedented lockdown measures appear to be working.

There were just 19 fresh cases reported on Tuesday, the lowest number since the government started tallying infections on January 21, according to the National Health Commission. All the new infections were in the virus epicentre, the central city of Wuhan, except for two imported cases brought in from overseas.

This means there were no indigenous cases in the rest of the country. The 17 new deaths were all in central Hubei province – 16 in Wuhan, the capital of the province – bringing the country’s nationwide toll to 3,136.
It is the lowest daily toll since late January.

More than 80,750 people have now been infected in China, which has imposed unprecedented lockdown measures to try to control the spread of the virus. But fears are growing that as cases of the disease grow overseas, China’s progress could be undermined by the virus being brought back into the country from other nations.

There have now been 69 imported cases, according to Chinese health officials. The World Health Organization said Monday that more than 70 percent of those infected with the new coronavirus in China have recovered, adding that the country was “bringing its epidemic under control”.

And there were tentative signs in recent days that some of the measures to restrict the movement and gathering of people could be lifted, with some regions reopening schools or announcing dates to resume classes.

Most of the 16 makeshift hospitals opened in Wuhan have been closed — with the last two expected to shut Tuesday. And Shanghai Disney said it was reopening its shopping and entertainment Disneytown zone in the “first step of a phased reopening”, although the amusement park remains closed.

American technology company Apple Inc reopened 90 per cent of its 42 retail stores in the Chinese mainland on Monday with the novel coronavirus outbreak showing signs of abating.

Apple reopened 38 Apple stores which were temporarily closed after the epidemic, state-run China Daily reported.

Only four stores remain closed.

Apple announced closures of all its stores when the COVID-19 outbreak reached its peak in January.

The move to reopen follows Apple Inc CEO Tim Cook’s statement that China is getting the virus situation under control, and Apple manufacturing units in China will reopen.

Contrary to the earlier market forecast that the epidemic will heavily hurt smartphone sales in China, some experts said its negative impacts may be lower than expected, the China Daily reported.

As consumers stay at home for self-quarantine or to avoid infection, they are spending far more time with their smartphones.

They have stronger demand to upgrade their devices that are relatively old or not performing very well, an independent telecom analyst Fu Liang told the daily.

Germany reports first two coronavirus deaths

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Both fatalities occurred in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state along the border with Belgium and the Netherlands.

coronavirus

BERLIN: Two people have died of the novel coronavirus in the western German city of Essen and virus hotspot Heinsberg, officials told AFP on Monday, the country’s first casualties of the outbreak.

In Essen, an 89-year-old woman who had been diagnosed with the virus on March 3 died despite medical measures to support her breathing and circulation.

“I regret this death very much,” mayor Thomas Kufen said in a statement, offering his condolences to the woman’s family and friends.

Meanwhile, officials in the district of Heinsberg said they would discuss the fatal case there at a 6:30 pm (1730 GMT) press conference.

Both fatalities occurred in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state along the border with Belgium and the Netherlands.

The number of people testing positive for the coronavirus on Monday passed 1,000 in Europe’s top economy Germany.

But so far the only German national to die of the disease had been a 60-year-old tourist in Egypt.

Germany has suffered a comparatively light toll in relation to European Union neighbours, namely in hard-hit Italy, where 366 people have died of the virus and there are thousands of confirmed cases.

“Here in Germany we are ahead in diagnostics, in detection,” Christian Drosten, director of the Institute for Virology at Berlin’s Charite hospital said earlier Monday in the capital.

“The most effective tool against coronavirus is the time factor, slowing down its spread and spreading it over a longer period of time,” Chancellor Angela Merkel said.

She also reiterated government advice on measures such as avoiding bodily contact to reduce the risk of transmitting the disease.

‘Wearing masks unnecessarily will create panic’

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Though there is no definite treatment for the virus, one will not die, he said advising people to avoid public gathering and hand shaking.

BENGALURU: Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar has appealed to people not to wear masks if not needed, as it creates “unnecessarily panic”. He also cautioned the public against fake social media messages on coronavirus.

The minister said on Wednesday that although the World Health Organisation has prescribed a 14-day quarantine for people who return from countries infected with the coronavirus, “Our government has taken it further and advised a 28-day quarantine period.’’No coronavirus case is registered in Karnataka, he said.
“Till date, we have screened close to 40,000 passengers from 11 countries. Of them, 468 people are advised quarantine. Our government has taken all measures and geared up with more beds in all the 50 major government hospitals.  We were screening passengers from infected countries, but now, passengers coming from all the countries (will be screened),’’ he said.

As more than 25 Members of the Legislative Council on Wednesday raised their concern over coronavirus, Dr Sudhakar said many people are wearing masks even before they are advised to do so and this is creating panic.

He also said people should not heed fake messages on social media which are adding to the panic. Though there is no definite treatment for the virus, one will not die, he said advising people to avoid public gathering and hand shaking.

The minister, however, said there is no shortage of funds or masks. “We have ordered masks for the next six months and orders for anti-viral medicines will also be placed for the next six months,’’ he said. He said regular three-layer masks are used widely by people, but WHO has recommended six-layer masks.
Tests are done at virology laboratories at Bangalore Medical College and the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases that are accredited to the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals. The government has told NIMHANS to set up one as it is also accredited to NABH. “There is demand to set up similar labs in other regions in Karnataka, but there are no NABH-accredited hospitals (there)”, he said.

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