Archives for May 2022

BEIJING: China’s capital Beijing on Wednesday shut down several metro stations besides schools, restaurants and businesses and ordered daily COVID-19 testing of its 21 million people as it ramped up measures to prevent the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant which has brought the financial hub Shanghai to halt for over a month.

The capital city on Wednesday closed over 40 subway stations, about 10 per cent of the total, and 158 bus routes.

Most of the suspended stations and services are in the Chaoyang district, the prominent area in the city housing the top leaders as well as diplomatic enclaves.

All kindergartens, primary and middle schools and secondary vocational schools in Beijing have postponed resuming classes for a week until May 11, official media reported.

When students will return to schools would be based on the COVID-19 situation, Beijing authorities said. Those who really need to leave Beijing must present a nucleic acid test negative certificate taken within 48 hours and a green health code before boarding a plane or a train.

Airports and railway stations will strengthen inspection, and spot checks will also be carried out on those leaving Beijing by road. Anyone who is unable to present a green health code will not be allowed to enter or leave Beijing, officials confirmed at the press conference, state-run Global Times reported.

Meanwhile, the city began everyday testing of all the people for the next three days shifting from testing to alternative days. Millions of people lined up at the designated points to undergo the tests.

The city, meanwhile, wore a deserted look with people staying indoors as the four-day May Day holidays were set to end on Wednesday.

In Shanghai which is under lockdown for over a month, the number of COVID infections fell for the 13th consecutive day.

The city reported 4,982 cases on Wednesday from tests conducted in the previous 24 hours, bringing the number of confirmed cases to over 580,000 – in stark contrast to just over 500 cases in Beijing, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.

Despite falling case numbers in both of Shanghai’s quarantine zones and the low-risk unguarded zones, there are no signs from officials that the city’s lockdown will end any time soon.

Residents have become increasingly frustrated and anxious.

Gaining access to basic necessities has become a daily struggle and families have been separated to isolate at quarantine centres, the Post report said.

However, there is some hope in the Shanghai business community after the municipal government said on Tuesday night it would allow more manufacturers to resume production if they could obey virus-control rules.

The announcement raises optimism that major supply-chain disturbances plaguing the industry since the lockdowns began may soon improve, the report said.

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair here on Thursday an important review meeting on preparedness to deal with the heatwave affecting parts of the country and the upcoming monsoon season, government sources said.

They said Modi is expected to hold seven to eight meetings during the day following his return from the three-day visit to as many European countries.

The prime minister will immediately attend office after arriving here, they said.

Several parts of the country have logged all-time high temperatures under the impact of the torrid heatwave.

HUBBALLI: “I had never thought of joining BJP. But inevitable circumstances and the response of my voters ahead of the election forced me to change my mind. I want to make it clear that I am not expecting any long-term political gains by joining BJP,” said Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti on the possibility of joining the saffron party and contesting the election to the West Teachers’ constituency of the Legislative Council.

He, however, got the nod from senior party leader HD Kumaraswamy, with whom he held a detailed discussion. Except contesting as an independent in his first election in 1980, he was associated with Janata Parivar since 1983 and won the West Teachers’ Constituency a record seven times in a row. His political stature ensured that he did not need any party affiliation to win elections. He has kept in regular touch with his voters (teachers) and fought for their rights. But this time, he looks shaken by the response of his voters, especially the younger ones.

Horatti, considered a principled politician, said a group of state BJP leaders met to persuade him to join BJP assuring him of a “respectable position”. He was told to join in New Delhi, but he requested for a simple event at Hubballi. “It will not be easy for me to adjust to another party because of my openness and principled stand on some issues. But time is the healer,” he said, accepting that the politics of BJP is different from other parties.

Horatti made it clear that his joining BJP is not to ensure a career for his son Vasant, who has kept himself away from politics after his defeat in 2014 in the election to the West Graduates’ constituency.

MUMBAI:  Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray maintained his adamant stand of playing Hanuman Chalisa on loudspeakers at every part of Maharashtra till they are switched off at mosques. This despite FIRs and non-bailable warrants issued against him for disrupting communal harmony in the state.

The MNS chief  again reiterated that his stand against loudspeakers was not on religious but on social grounds and added that the loud recitations from mosques were leading to noise pollution. “Why is action being taken against our workers while nothing is being done against those flouting laws? This issue is not restricted to the morning azaan alone. If a loudspeaker is being used for namaz four-five times a day, our people will continue to play the Hanuman Chalisa at double the volume.” 

If mosques have to use loudspeakers, they must stick to the decibel limit prescribed by the Supreme Court, he added. The Maharashtra government had made extensive arrangement to maintain law and order after Raj had threatened to play Hanuman Chalisa on loudspeakers whenever azaan is recited from mosques. There were reports that loudspeakers either were switched off during azaan at several places in Maharashtra or they were used on low volume.

On Wednesday, Raj thanked those clerics who did not use the loudspeakers for the traditional prayers. 
“We have to respect and implement the Supreme Court’s order for the loudspeakers…,” he said, adding that he did not want to take credit for the mosques removing loudspeakers. 

NEW DELHI: In a first of its kind initiative, the Indian Railway has started  creating a child-friendly space for underprivileged children, who are spotted loitering in and around the railway stations or recovered from trains at all important railway stations.

Recent one such child-friendly space has been created at Pune railway station in association with the HFCF, where proper counselling of underprivileged children is done after recovering them and before handling them over to their parents.

According to MoS Railways Darshana Jardosh, the Indian Railways has created this child-friendly space at Pune railway station to take up issue of underprivileged kids who are found at railway stations. “In association with  the HFCF, the IR has made all arrangement for proper counselling of all those children, who are recovered from station and brought to Pune railway station-based child friendly space,” she said.

All facilities have been provided at the child -friendly space for entertainment, play and giving homely feel to the children, who are brought for proper counselling.

The railway is planning to create such child friendly space at almost all important railway stations across the country in association with various social organizations interested in rendering such services to children.

According to railway sources, around 2,201 children, loitering in and around the railway areas and travelling in trains in suspicious conditions have so far recovered by the RPF in 2022. They all have been handed over to their parents after proper counselling as majority of them had fled away from their over petty issues with their parents.

In the same way in 2021, 11,900 children were e recovered by the RPF all over the railway. “There is a need to make a home like place at railway staion where children recovered by the RPF are keeping a home like atmosphere. Most of the recovered children happen to run away from their homes after petty issues with their parents. They are counselled at the child-friendly space and then handed over to their parents,” a senior railway official said.

NEW DELHI: India logged 3,275 new coronavirus infections in a day, pushing the number of active cases to 19,719 and the overall tally to 4,30,91,393, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated Thursday.

The active cases constitute 0.05 per cent of the total infections, the health ministry said, adding the country’s COVID-19 recovery rate is 98.74 per cent.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.77 per cent while the weekly figure was recorded at 0.78 per cent, the ministry said.

An increase of 210 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload which now stand at 19,719.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease rose to 4,25,47,699, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.22 per cent.

The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 189.63 crore.

India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19. It crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23 last year.

The 31 new fatalities 52 from Kerala and one each from Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi, the data showed.

A total of 5,23,975 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,47,845 from Maharashtra, 69,164 from Kerala, 40,102 from Karnataka, 38,025 from Tamil Nadu, 26,177 from Delhi, 23,508 from Uttar Pradesh and 21,202 from West Bengal.

The ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to co-morbidities. “Our figures are being reconciled with (those of) the Indian Council of Medical Research,” the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.

NEW DELHI:  The BJP has now begun efforts to overhaul its affairs in two southern states – Telangana and Kerala. As part of what appears to be a meticulously planned strategy, BJP national president J P Nadda will embark on a two-day visit to the two states on May 5 and 6.

The bitterness had stemmed from CM and TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao projecting himself as an alternative to PM Narendra Modi in 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Nadda will also  chair a meeting of the party’s state office-bearers and address a public rally in Mahabubnagar.

In Kerala, he will address a public meeting in Kozhikode and meet leaders, including state chief K Surendran. “Our party chief will discuss socio-political issues and motivate leaders to expose the state government on digital and social platforms,” a leader said.

MYSURU: A year after the oxygen tragedy that killed 36 patients at the Chamarajanagar District Hospital that drew the attention of the nation, the victims are still running from pillar to post seeking justice. This has put the affected families into a deep financial crisis and they have nothing to fall back on to make their ends meet. 

These families are disputing the government’s claim and are seeking a compensation of Rs 5 lakh, a temporary job and free education to children. A few appeared before the Justice BA Patil Commission, which conducted a public hearing over the Chamarajanagar tragedy in Mysuru and heard grievances of the people. They had pointed fingers at then Deputy Commissioner MR Ravi, Mysuru DC Rohini Sindhuri, the Medical College Dean, the DHO and the District Surgeon for the tragedy.

BJP Raitha Morcha member Mallesh, who met the Patil commission, alleged that the civil servants’ adamant attitude led to the tragedy. Siddarajamma, a mother of two children, who lost her husband, is pleading for a temporary job. She said they are not paid the compensation as the government said he did not have Covid. “Why are they denying us justice when my husband died gasping for oxygen at midnight,” she asked. She said the government that assured relief and justice has betrayed her family. 

Jyothi of Bisalavadi said her family too did not got relief from the government as officials declared her husband Covid negative. “Why did they admit and put him on a ventilator when he was not Covid-positive? We are thankful to JSS Seer Shivarathri Deshikendra Swamiji for giving free education to our two children,” she said.Chamarajanagar MLA Puttaranga Shetty charged the government with failing to pay relief to the kin of the dead. Over a dozen families have been denied compensation, he added.He urged the government to make the commission report public and to act against the Health Minister, the DCs and others if they are found guilty. “I have also demanded compensation on many occasions, but in vain,” he said.

BENGALURU: Since doctors and other medical professionals are in direct contact with citizens, and their words are taken seriously, the Karnataka Medical Council has warned the doctors to be wary of their acts in the wake of rising communal disharmony in the state. 

The Council has issued a circular to all its registered doctors, which has gone viral. It reads, “It has been brought to the notice of the Council that doctors are actively participating in spreading communal disharmony through social media. Participation of doctors in issues of communal disharmony clearly amounts to professional misconduct for the reason that a doctor is supposed to treat patients irrespective of caste or religion.

Hence all medical practitioners working in Karnataka are informed that they shall not be a part of any issues pertaining to communal disharmony and in case it is noticed by KMC, they will be dealt with sternly as it is a violation of medical and professional ethics.” The circular is signed by the registrar of the Council Dr Shamrao B Patil. There are around 1.7 lakh doctors in the state. The last renewed registry of five years has shown that 55,000-60,000 of them have renewed the registration.

Dr Kanchi Pralhad V, president of the Council, told The New Indian Express that so far, no cases have been reported where doctors have stepped over the line. The circular was issued as a caution and warning to doctors to maintain professional conduct in their personal and professional life. It is a circular of alertness to members not to talk of anything which will lead to disharmony. They should be watchful of their behaviour in society, he added.