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Tamil Nadu extends lockdown till August 31, but eases curbs

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State reports less than 6,000 cases after a week; govt to wait and watch till August 31,  says the Chief Minister

CHENNAI: On a day when the State Covid tally climbed down from the 6,000-mark after a week’s gap, the government announced the extension of lockdown till August 31 with a few more relaxations. The decision was taken following a meeting of health experts chaired by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami at the Secretariat on Thursday.

“Though the pace of infection has come down owing to the lockdown and intense testing, the government has decided to extend the lockdown to contain the virus further,” Palaniswami said. The State on Thursday reported 5,864 cases, a substantial decline from the 6,426 reported on Wednesday. However, the toll touched an all-time high of 97.

In a big relief to the city folk, the government has permitted e-commerce firms to resume operations. However, public transport will not become operational anytime soon. A complete lockdown will continue on all Sundays across the State, and large social, political and religious gatherings will continued to be banned, said the Chief Minister.     

Small places of worship, except those located in municipal corporations, can now be opened up for public. All educational institutions, training centres, research centres, malls, film theatres, gyms, swimming pools, beaches, tourist spots, zoos and museums will remain shut till August 31.

“The government will continue to monitor the infection rate and more relaxations will be announced in due course, depending on the situation and people’s cooperation,” the Chief Minister said. Chennai reported 1,175 fresh cases, while its neighbouring districts witnessed a dip in numbers — Chengalpattu (354), Kancheepuram (175), and Tiruvallur (325). 

The Chief Minister also said that e-pass will be necessary, as before, for inter-district and inter-State movement. Independence Day will be celebrated as per the guidelines issued by the Centre, following all safety protocols. The reduction in Statewide tally is seen as a positive sign as the number had been hovering over 6,000 since July 23. Among other districts, Coimbatore reported 303 cases, Tirunelveli 277, Kanniyakumari 248, Ranipet 272, Theni 261, Virudhunagar 244, Madurai and Thoothukudi 220 each. Seven other districts also reported over 100 cases. 

Over 5K cured, nearly 60K tested on Thursday

Recovery rate across Tamil Nadu continued to remain impressive with 5,295 patients being discharged on the day, taking the number of cured people to 1,78,178. With the State continuing to test over 50,000 people on a daily basis, the total number of people tested crossed the 25-lakh mark. On Thursday, a total of 59,437 people were tested, taking the total to 25,01,919. Among the deceased, eight persons did not have co-morbidities. Two of the deceased were girls, aged three and five.

The five-year-old girl from Ariyalur died on July 27 at 3.30 pm, when she was brought to Thanjavur Medical College Hospital, the bulletin said. She died due to respiratory failure, acute encephalitis syndrome, aspiration pneumonia and viral pneumonia.

The three-year-old from Nagapattinam was brought to Government Tirvarur Medical College and Hospital. She was suffering from seizure and cerebral palsy. She tested positive on July 9 and died on July 13 due to status epilepticus, aspiration pneumonia, failure to thrive, cerebral palsy and seizure.

25,01,919 Total number of people tested in Tamil Nadu

More relaxations based on situation
The government will continue to monitor the infection rate and more relaxations will be announced, depending on the situation and people’s cooperation, the CM said

First dog that tested positive for COVID-19 dies in New York

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported in June that a German shepherd in New York state was the first dog in the country to test positive for COVID-19, but did not identify the owners.

NEW YORK: A German shepherd in New York that had the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in a dog in the U.S. has died.

Robert and Allison Mahoney of Staten Island told National Geographic that their 7-year-old shepherd, Buddy, developed breathing problems in mid-April after Robert had been sick with the coronavirus for several weeks. A veterinarian tested Buddy in May and found him positive for the virus.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported in June that a German shepherd in New York state was the first dog in the country to test positive for COVID-19, but did not identify the owners.

Buddy’s health declined steadily after he developed breathing problems and thick nasal mucus in April. He was euthanized on July 11 after he started vomiting clotted blood, the Mahoneys told National Geographic.

It’s unknown if the coronavirus played a role in his death. Blood tests indicated Buddy likely had lymphoma, a cancer of the immune system, veterinarians told the family.

A spokesman for the New York City Department of Health said arrangements were made to take the dog’s body for a necropsy but when the instructions were shared with the veterinarian, the body had already been cremated.

A USDA database of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in animals in the United States includes 12 dogs, 10 cats, a tiger and a lion. The agency says there is currently no evidence that animals play a significant role in spreading the coronavirus but it appears the virus can spread from people to animals in some situations.

Stopping GST payment a death blow to federal structure:Siddaramaiah

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Siddaramaiah said on Thursday that he would demand that the government pay GST compensation so that they can focus on development.

MYSURU: Criticising the Centre’s move to stop payment of GST compensation to states, Opposition leader Siddaramaiah said it would serve a “death blow” to the federal system and push the states towards bankruptcy. He said the Centre should extend all support to the states, as many are hit by a resource crunch and will need to find solutions to raise revenue.

Siddaramaiah said on Thursday that he would demand that the government pay GST compensation so that they can focus on development. “The Centre cannot wash its hands of remitting funds, citing a decline in revenue due to economic slowdown or due to Covid-19, as it is the commitment of the Centre to give GST component to states,” he said. His criticism comes in the wake of the GST Council, which is likely to meet in August, seeking suggestions from states on proposals to raise funds. He accused BJP of pushing the ordinance on Land Reforms Act with the intention of helping capitalists and the corporate sector buy vast tracts of land. He said the motive was to help housing societies in Bengaluru Urban and Rural districts.

The Congress, that has decided to expose the government agenda behind the ordinance, kept its options open to take up a legal battle, as it will leave small farmers landless. Terming one year of the B S Yediyurappa government a “total failure”, he said that the government came to power illegally and had no moral right to celebrate. There is no governance in the state for over a year, he said. He also charged the government of failing to handle the pandemic, and alleged large-scale corruption in the procurement of equipment.

Cleaning staff shortage sweeps Vidhana Soudha

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Despite the building being used sparingly, workload for maintenance staff has only increased owing to the Covid crisis

BENGALURU: Late last Sunday evening, the Vidhana Soudha administration received a message from the higher-ups — keep the Soudha premises clean. This included the corridor and banquet hall, where a small event was arranged for the release of a booklet on one year of Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa’s government. The administration, encumbered with few employees and limited time, had to marshal the housekeeping staff to do a rush job on Monday morning, just minutes before the event.

This incident brought to light the acute shortage of staff at Vidhana Soudha. Despite the fact that the Soudha is sparely used, their workload has increased, with a sharp emphasis on cleanliness due to the Covid crisis. The imposing structure has three main floors and a floor area of 5.05 lakh sqft. This mega building, that houses the legislature, has 370 rooms and 14 general toilet complexes within the premises. According to sources from the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR), the sanctioned post of sweepers is 84.

Over a period of time, recruitment stopped and the number came down to 33, due to some employees retiring, and a few passing away. Sources said that these 33 employees, along with a few cleaning personnel from the Public Works Department (PWD) sweep the floors, rooms, corridors and banquet hall every day. They begin work at 7.30am and finish by 2.30pm. Each staffer sweeps at least eight to ten rooms, corridors and stairs. Not just this, the pandemic outbreak and resultant lockdown is also affecting them. Some personnel come from Anekal, Doddaballapura, Hoskote and other places outside Bengaluru and don’t get proper transportation due to the Covid-19 curbs.

Many of them are above 50 years of age. There is irregular attendance because of these constraints. There are 14 outsourced personnel who clean the toilets. According to sources, there is a shortage of lift operators too. There are 10 lifts in Vidhana Soudha, and only 10 operators. A senior DPAR official, on condition of anonymity, admitted that there was indeed staff shortage. “This issue will be sorted out. The government plans to outsource cleaning work to a private agency. There is no move to appoint permanent staff.

With over 55,000 COVID-19 cases, India records highest single-day spike till date taking tally above 16-lakh

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The death toll increased to 35,747 with 779 fatalities being reported in 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.

coronavirus, covid, doctor

NEW DELHI: With a record single-day surge of 55,078 infections, India’s COVID-19 caseload raced past 16 lakh on Friday, just two days after it reached the 15-lakh mark, while the number of recoveries rose to 10,57,805, according to Union Health Ministry data.

The country has so far registered 16,38,870 instances of the coronavirus infection.

The death toll increased to 35,747 with 779 fatalities being reported in 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.

This is the second consecutive day that COVID-19 cases have increased by more than 50,000.

The total number of confirmed cases also includes foreigners.

There are 5,45,318 active COVID-19 cases in the country.

The recovery rate rose to 64.54 per cent while the fatality rate dropped further to 2.18 per cent.

As per the Union Health Ministry, Maharashtra has a total of 1,48,454 active cases and recorded 14,729 deaths due to COVID-19.

Tamil Nadu has a total of 57,962 active cases and 3,838 deaths in the state.

Delhi has a total of 10,743 active cases and 3,936 deaths.

The Indian Council of Medical Research on Friday informed that a total number of COVID-19 samples tested up to 30th July is 1,88,32,970 including 6,42,588 samples tested yesterday.

Tobacco use accelerates transmission of COVID-19: Health Ministry

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Non-communicable Diseases are estimated to account for 63 pc of all deaths in India and these are expected to rise further.

Cigarette

NEW DELHI: Smokers are likely to be more vulnerable to COVID-19 as smoking increases possibility of transmission of virus from hand to mouth, the Union Health Ministry has said, warning that use of tobacco products can increase severity of respiratory infections and make people susceptible to coronavirus.

In its document ‘COVID-19 Pandemic and Tobacco Use in India’, the ministry said experts have confirmed that smokers are more likely to develop severe symptoms or die from COVID-19, as it primarily attacks the lungs and warned against use of any such products.Smokers, it warned, are likely to be more vulnerable to COVID-19 as the act of smoking means that fingers (and possibly contaminated cigarettes) are in contact with lips which increases the possibility of transmission of virus from hand to mouth.”Further smoking products such as water pipes or hookah often involve the sharing of mouth-pieces and hoses, which could facilitate the transmission of COVID-19 in communal and social settings,” the ministry said.Tobacco use is a major risk factor for the four main Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic lung disease and diabetes, which puts people with these conditions at higher risk for developing severe illness when affected by COVID-19.NCDs are estimated to account for 63 pc of all deaths in India and these are expected to rise further.The chemicals in tobacco smoke suppress the activity of different types of immune cells that are involved in general and targeted immune responses.”Smoking impairs lung function, thereby reducing the immunity and making it harder for the body to fight off various diseases. Smoking, e-cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, pan masala and the like products use can increase risk and severity of pulmonary infections because of damage to upper airways and a decrease in pulmonary immune function,” it said.

Evidence from countries reporting coronavirus infection-related fatalities has highlighted that the people with pre-existing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are more susceptible to becoming severely ill with COVID-19, the document stated.Tobacco use poses a significant risk by accelerating the transmission of COVID-19 because the virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes.Chewing tobacco products (khaini, gutkha, paan, zarda) increases the urge to spit.Spitting in public places increases health risks especially those of spreading the infectious and contagious diseases like, COVID-19, tuberculosis, swine flu, encephalitis, etc, the ministry underlined.

“The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare warns against the use of any tobacco products,” it said, adding within 12 hours of quitting, the carbon monoxide level in the bloodstream drops to normal.Within 2-12 weeks, circulation improves and lung function increases.

COVID-19: China sees over 100 cases for 1st time in over 3 months amidst fear of second wave

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COVID-19: China sees over 100 cases for 1st time in over 3 months amidst fear of second wave

Beijing: China’s COVID-19 cases in a single day have crossed the 100-mark for the first time in over three months, sparking the fear of a rebound after Beijing contained it in Wuhan where the contagion first emerged in December last year.

The National Health Commission on Wednesday said that 101 new confirmed coronavirus cases including 98 locally-transmitted and three imported ones were reported in the country on Tuesday.

Eighty-nine of the 98 locally-transmitted cases were reported in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, eight in Liaoning province and one in Beijing Municipality, the commission said in its daily report.

No deaths related to the disease or new suspected COVID-19 cases were reported Tuesday.

Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region reported 89 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, the regional health commission said. The 89 patients were all in the regional capital Urumqi, 43 of whom were previously asymptomatic cases, according to the commission.

The region also saw 15 new asymptomatic cases in Urumqi. By Tuesday, Xinjiang, which is Uygur Muslim majority province, had 322 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 133 asymptomatic cases, and 9,121 people were still under medical observation.

Mass testing was being carried out in Urumqi to determine the extent of the spread of the virus.

After a COVID-19 cluster linked to a seafood processing company was found in Dalian, northeast China’s Liaoning province last week, the city reported a total of 44 cases, state-run Global Times reported.

As of Tuesday, positive cases linked to Dalian have spread to nine cities, including one in Beijing, which is returning to normalcy after the Xinfadi wholesale market outbreak in June.

The patient in Beijing had dined with friends from Dalian, who were later confirmed to be infected with the virus in Jinzhou, Liaoning province.

The woman then drove a private vehicle to Beijing on July 19. Tiantongyuan community, where the patient lives, was sealed off on Tuesday.

Fuzhou, the capital of east China’s Fujian province, announced it was entering a “wartime mode” after the discovery of an asymptomatic COVID-19 patient from Dalian.

Although China still faces the threat of new outbreaks due to local community transmissions or from imported cases, the country’s capability to contain the COVID-19 has been honed, thanks to its experience in battling the virus for months, Zeng Guang, chief epidemiologist for the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, said.

He said that while more outbreaks are likely, they will not get out of control.

Zeng said that infection numbers in new virus clusters, such as Dalian and Urumqi, have been increasing quickly since July, and this curve echoes the trend in the world, where infections are also rising.

This proves that outbreaks in other countries continue to affect China as it gradually opens the borders, he said.

The NHC said as of Tuesday, the overall confirmed COVID-19 cases in Chinese mainland has reached 84,060, including 482 patients who were still being treated, with 25 in severe condition.

Altogether 78,944 people had been discharged after recovery and 4,634 died of the disease on the mainland, the commission added.

Viswanathan Anand suffers seventh loss in Legends of Chess tourney

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Viswanathan Anand suffers seventh loss in Legends of Chess tourney

Chennai: Former world champion Viswanathan Anand crashed to his seventh defeat in the USD 150,000 Legends of Chess online tournament, going down 0.5-2.5 to world No.3 Ding Liren in the eighth round.

Going into the match against the Chinese after ending his six-match losing streak, Anand surrendered the first game in just 22 moves late on Tuesday.

The duo settled for a 47-move draw in the second before Liren sealed victory in the third game with black pieces in 41 moves. Anand lies last in the table with six points with Liren and Peter Leko.

The 50-year old Indian takes on Vasyl Ivanchuk in the ninth and final round. World No.1 Magnus Carlsen overcame the challenge of Russian Ian Nepomniachtchi after the four-game contest ended at 2-all.

The Armageddon (a tie-break) also ended in a stalemate but the Norwegian won and picked up three points because he played black.

The Norwegian player maintains his position at the top of the table with 22 points followed by Nepomniatchi (19) and Anish Giri (15). Carlsen has won all the eight matches he has played so far.

Giri lost 2-3 to veteran Ivanchuk but is in line to qualify for the last four.

Legends of Chess is a unique event where Carlsen, Liren, Nepomniachtchi and Giri, semifinalists at the Chessable Masters (part of the Magnus Carlsen Tour), received an automatic invite and are up against six legends aged 40-52, who have been at the top of world chess at various points in their career.

The tournament is part of the Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour. The winner of this event will qualify for the USD 300,000 Grand Final scheduled from August 9 to 20.

Results of Round 8: Ding Liren (China) beat Viswanathan Anand (India) 2.5-0.5; Magnus Carlsen (Norway) beat Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia) 2.5-2.5 (Carlsen won after drawing Armageddon with black); Peter Svidler (Russia) beat Vladimir Kramnik (Russia) 2.5-1.5: Vasyl Ivanchuk (Russia) beat Anish Giri (the Netherlands) 3-2; Boris Gelfand (Israel) beat Peter Leko (Hungary) 3-2.

BSP challenges merger of six party MLAs with Congress in Rajasthan

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BSP challenges merger of six party MLAs with Congress in Rajasthan

Jaipur: The Bahujan Samaj Party on Wednesday filed a writ petition in the Rajasthan High Court challenging the merger of six BSP MLAs with the ruling Congress in Rajasthan.

Sandeep Yadav, Wajib Ali, Deepchand Kheria, Lakhan Meena, Jogendra Awana and Rajendra Gudha contested and won the 2018 assembly elections on BSP tickets.

They all defected to the Congress in September 2019.

BSP state president Bhagwan Singh Baba said, We have today filed a writ petition in the high court against the merger of BSP MLAs with Congress”.

The merger of BSP MLAs with the ruling Congress was a boost to the Ashok Gehlot-led government as the tally of the Congress increased to 107 in the house of 200.

Hajj 2020: 1,000 pilgrims arrive in Mina for first day of Hajj

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Hajj 2020:  1,000 pilgrims arrive in Mina for first day of Hajj

JEDDAH: About 1,000 pilgrims converge on the Mina Valley outside Makkah on Wednesday to begin their spiritual journey of a lifetime.

The Day of Tarwiyah (fetching water) marks the beginning of Hajj. There are no major rituals, so the pilgrims will spend their time praying and reflecting until sunrise on Thursday.

Mina, 7 km northeast of the Grand Mosque in Makkah and within its boundaries, would normally be the site of the world’s largest tent city, accommodating about 2.5 million pilgrims.

However, Hajj participation is restricted this year to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, and the pilgrims are all Saudis or expatriates who live in the Kingdom.

Those selected to take part in this year’s Hajj were subject to temperature checks and placed in quarantine as they began arriving in Makkah, and health workers sanitized their luggage.

Health and safety staff with disinfectant cleaned the area around the Kaaba, the structure at the center of the Grand Mosque draped in gold-embroidered cloth toward which Muslims around the world pray.

Hajj authorities have cordoned the Kaaba this year, and pilgrims will not be allowed to touch it, to limit the chances of infection. They have also set up dedicated health centers, mobile clinics and ambulances to care for the pilgrims, who will be required to wear masks and observe social distancing.

All pilgrims were required to be tested for coronavirus before they arrived in Makkah, and they will be quarantined after the pilgrimage.

They were given amenity kits that include sterilized pebbles for the Jamarat stoning ritual, disinfectants, masks, a prayer rug and the ihram, the seamless white garment worn by pilgrims.

“There are no security-related concerns in this pilgrimage, but it is to protect pilgrims from the danger of the pandemic,” said Khalid bin Qarar Al-Harbi, Saudi Arabia’s director of public security.

On Thursday the pilgrims will travel to Arafat to listen to the sermon, the pinnacle of Hajj. They then go to Muzdalifah and stay overnight, before returning to Mina for the Jamarat ritual.

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