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Voting underway in final phase of Uttar Pradesh Panchayat polls amid surging coronavirus cases

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LUCKNOW: Voting is underway in the fourth and final phase of the Uttar Pradesh panchayat elections on Thursday amid an unprecedented coronavirus surge in the state.

“The polling started in the fourth phase at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm. It is going on peacefully,” a State Election Commission official said.

Over 2.98 crore people are eligible to cast their votes in this phase.

Uttar Pradesh is among the 10 worst-hit states in terms coronavirus deaths and cases.

The state had Wednesday recorded its highest single-day rise in Covid-19 death toll with 266 people succumbing to the disease, while 29,824 new cases were reported, pushing the tally to 11,82,848.

The overall Covid-19 death toll in the state now stands at 11,943.

The polling is scheduled in the districts of Ambedkar Nagar, Aligarh, Kushinagar, Kaushambi, Ghazipur, Farrukhabad, Bulandshahr, Basti, Bahraich, Banda, Mau, Mathura, Shahjahanpur, Sambhal, Sitapur, Sonbhadra and Hapur.

According to the poll body, there are 10,679 candidates in the fray for 738 posts of zila panchayat members in the final phase.

A total of 55,408 candidates are contesting for 18,356 posts of kshetra panchayat members.

While 1,14,400 candidates are in the fray for posts of gram panchayat members, 3,47,436 contestants are fighting for 1,77,648 posts in gram panchayat wards, it said.

The candidates will contest on ‘free symbols’ given by the State Election Commission.

In the first phase of the polls held on April 15, an average polling percentage of 71 was recorded.

The second phase of the polls on April 19 also saw over 71 per cent turnout.

In the third phase of the polls held on April 26, polling percentage of 73.5 was recorded, State Election Commission officials had said.

In view of the coronavirus situation, the SEC had last month announced that not more than five people would be allowed to accompany a candidate during door-to-door campaigning for the panchayat elections.

The Allahabad High Court had asked the Uttar Pradesh government to conclude the panchayat election process by May 25.

The counting of votes will take place on May 2.

Former Uttar Pradesh Minister Haji Riyaz Ahmad, IAS officer Deepak Trivedi die due to COVID-19

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LUCKNOW: Former Uttar Pradesh Minister Haji Riyaz Ahmad and senior IAS officer Deepak Trivedi died due to COVID-19 on Thursday, official sources said.

Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Ahmad (69) died at a hospital in Bareilly during treatment on Thursday morning, his son-in-law Arif said.

He will be buried in his ancestral village Gauhar, he said.

Ahmad, a five-time MLA from Pilibhit, was a minister in Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav governments.

Senior bureaucrat and Revenue Board Chairman Deepak Trivedi (59) also succumbed to the virus during treatment at Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI) on Thursday morning.

Trivedi, who was also the chairperson of Uttar Pradesh IAS Association, was admitted to the hospital about a fortnight ago.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has condoled both the deaths.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav also condoled the demise of Haji Riyaz Ahmad, terming it a loss for the party.

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot tests positive for COVID-19, says he has no symptoms

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The Chief Minister has been in isolation since his wife tested positive for the virus. 

A day after Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot’s wife Sunita got infected with COVID-19, the CM also tested positive for the virus.

The minister has been in isolation since his wife tested positive for the virus. 

CM Gehlot took to Twitter to share the news and added that he is feeling fine. He had earlier said that he would be doing daily review meetings with doctors and officers at 8.30 pm. 

After testing positive, he said that he is not showing any symptoms of the virus and that he would continue to work in isolation while following the COVID-19 protocol

Rajasthan recorded 120 COVID-19 deaths and a record 16,613 positive cases in a single day on Wednesday, taking the overall figures to 3,926 fatalities and 5,63,577 infections, according to official data.

First of its kind,East Division DCP,Externed history-sheeter from city limits for one year

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Pramesh Jain

In its first of its kind in the history of the Bengaluru City Police,DCP East,Dr SD Sharanappa who is a special executive magistrate has Externed a 30-year-old habitual offender from the city for a period of one year due to his unabated criminal activities.

The accused a history sheeter has been identified as,Karthik alias Rahul,30,a resident of Gautampura in Halasuru having over 11 criminal cases pending against him,was posing a threat to the society and creating fear psychosis among the people .

DCP East,Dr SD Sharanappa told reporters,the accused Karthik alias Rahul is a history-sheeter at Halasuru police station, he had 11 cases against him.

Karthik was involved in crimes such as rape, robbery,attempt to murder,extortion,criminal intimidation,attack on government employees, and other offences, throughout the period of the last 10-11 years.He had no fear of the law and continued committing crimes that were detrimental to society.

The Halasuru police inspector who kept a close watch on his criminal activities in the area has  submitted a detailed report about his activities to the ACP and DCP seeking externment .

Considering the request, Dr SD Sharanappa , ordered the police to extern Karthik out of the city for one year and ensure necessary measures that he should not violate the order.

DCP (East) Sharanappa SD, who is also a Special Executive Magistrate,ordered for the externment of Karthik from the jurisdiction of Bengaluru City Police Commissionerate for a period of one year, from April 26, 2021,to April 26, 2022.He has been sent to Bengaluru Rural district,and will not be allowed to enter Bengaluru City during this period he added.

Finally Bengaluru Police Commissioner,Kamal Pant,Addl CP East,S Murugan,has appreciated DCP East,Dr SD Sharanappa,ACP,D kumar,PI, Shivaprasad G for the excellent investigation and based on the information gathered the history sheeter has been banished from city to keep the society safe and a suitable reward will be given to the team he added.

WHO to provide 4,000 oxygen concentrators to India amid surge in COVID cases

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GENEVA: The World Health Organization (WHO) will provide 4,000 oxygen concentrators to India which is experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases and related deaths, a spokesperson of the global health body said on Tuesday.

“Over 2,600 WHO experts from various programs (polio, TB, NTD etc) have been redeployed to work with health authorities at all levels to respond to the pandemic,” the spokesperson added.

Various countries are providing assistance to India as it battles a deadly second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

A shipment of urgently needed oxygen, medicine and equipment will be delivered over the coming days by EU member states to India through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, which is coordinated by the Emergency Response Coordination Centre of the European Commission.

The UK has said 495 oxygen concentrators, 120 non-invasive ventilators and 20 manual ventilators will be sent to India this week. Out of these 100 ventilators and 95 oxygen concentrators arrived on Tuesday.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said earlier in the day that Australia will send 500 ventilators, one million surgical masks, 500,000 P2 and N95 masks, 100,000 goggles, 100,000 pairs of gloves and 20,000 face shields.

US President Joe Biden spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday and pledged America’s steadfast support for the people of India who have been impacted by the recent surge in COVID-19 cases. The United States is providing a range of emergency assistance, including oxygen-related supplies, vaccine materials, and therapeutics.

Four patients die in fire at Thane private hospital

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THANE: Four patients died after a fire broke out at a private hospital near Thane in Maharashtra in the wee hours of Wednesday, a civic official said.

The incident comes five days after 15 coronavirus patients died in a blaze in the intensive care unit of a private hospital at Virar in the adjoining Palghar district.

Wednesday’s fire broke out at the Prime Criticare Hospital at Kausa-Mumbra locality at 3.40 am, the official said.

There were no coronavirus patients in the hospital, he added.

Three fire engines and five ambulances were rushed to the spot. The blaze has been extinguished, the official said. Twenty patients including six in the intensive care unit of the hospital were evacuated, he said.

Maharashtra minister and local MLA Jitendra Awhad told reporters at the scene that the fire destroyed the first floor of the hospital.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has been informed of the tragedy, he said.

The family of each deceased will be given a compensation of Rs. five lakh and those injured will get Rs one lakh each, he added. A high-level enquiry committee has been constituted to go into the cause of the fire, the minister said.

It will comprise officials from the Thane Municipal Corporation and also police and medical personnel, he added.

Twenty two COVID-19 patients on ventilator or oxygen support suffocated to death when their oxygen supply stopped suddenly due to a malfunction in the main storage at a civic hospital in Nashik last week.

A fire broke out in Mumbai’s Dreams Mall, which housed a Covid-designated hospital, in the intervening night of March 25-26.

The fire, which raged for over 40 hours, claimed nine lives, including those of patients on ventilator support. Ten infants died in a fire at a special newborn care unit of the Bhandara district hospital in the state on January 9.

Seventeen infants, aged one to three months, were in the ward at the time of the tragedy.

In October last year, two patients died while being shifted after a fire broke out at a private hospital in Mumbai’s Mulund suburb.

Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao to decide on COVID lockdown soon

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HYDERABAD: Will the State government impose a lockdown from the first week of May? In the wake of a steep increase in COVID-19 cases in the State, people, especially those from middle and lower middle classes, are inquiring whether the State is heading towards a lockdown. The word lockdown has become a buzzword among citizens. 

Clarity on whether the government would impose a lockdown, or declare containment zones, or continue the existing night curfew will emerge only at a high level meeting to be convened by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao this week.

The Central government, while declaring that lockdown should be the last resort, had asked the States to evolve their own COVID-19 management strategy as per the local situations.

In the neighbouring States of Karnataka and Maharashtra, complete lockdowns have been imposed. Some parts of the State, like Jagitial, are reporting a high number of cases as they border Maharashtra. However, it remains to be seen how the State government manages the pandemic post April 30.

The current orders pertaining to night curfew will be in force till April 30. The Chief Minister, who had tested positive for the virus on April 19, is expected to visit Yashoda Hospital on Tuesday for a health check-up. Once he tests negative, he will conduct a review on COVID-19 either on Wednesday or Thursday.

During the review, he is expected to take decisions on vaccination and on continuation of the night curfew. There are apprehensions among citizens on whether the government would impose a lockdown in the State, especially after Karnataka and Maharashtra imposed it. Rao, after taking stock of the situation, is expected to announce a decision in this regard. 

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister is also expected to discuss the vaccination drive too during the review. He has already announced that vaccines would be provided free of cost to the entire four crore population in the State. He had also declared that he would personally monitor the drive. The existing guidelines would allow vaccination only for people aged above 18 years.

The population of people aged above 18 years in Telangana is 1.72 crore. Some States like Maharashtra have already invited tenders for the drive. The State government is yet to take a decision on procuring the required vaccine. Rao is expected to fine tune the strategy for the vaccination.

Karnataka mulls import of 2 lakh Remdesivir vials

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BENGALURU: With demand shooting up for Remdesivir following the alarming rise in COVID-19 cases in the state, Karnataka is contemplating importing two lakh vials of the anti-viral drug.

The state is getting 10,000 to 20,000 vials of Remdesivir on a daily basis and the Centre has allocated additional 25,000 vials, Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar told reporters here.

The minister said he has spoken to Biocon executive chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw to supply 10,000 vials in 10 days and another 50,000-60,000 vials within a month.

“We are trying to directly procure two lakh vials from abroad. We are seeking Centre’s approval for this,” the minister said.

Further, the state is increasing steps to increase the availability of ventilators by 10 times, Sudhakar said.

“In 15 days, at least 2,000 makeshift ICU beds will be ready. 800 of them will have ventilators.”

In Victoria hospital campus 250 ICU beds will be set up and in another new building, 150-200 ICU beds will be arranged and 100 of them will have ventilators, the minister said.

He added that makeshift hospitals will also be set up at Bowring, RGICD and NIMHANS hospitals.

Karnataka health minister suspends district surgeon and RMO of Kolar as four die due to lack of oxygen

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KOLAR: Karnataka health minister Dr. K Sudhakar has ordered the suspension of SNR Hospital district surgeon Dr. SG Narayanaswamy and resident medical officer (RMO) Dr. Narayanaswamy after four patients allegedly died due to lack of oxygen in the district hospital.

After noticing that some of the ventilators were defunct, a visibly upset minister placed the district surgeon and RMO under suspension.

Dr. Sudhakar also heard the grievances from the patient attendants when a woman fell on his feet to request shifting of his relative to ventilator support. He took all the details including the bed facilities, infrastructure on the spot while holding discussions with the district Deputy Commissioner Dr.Selvamani and Superintendent of Police Karthick Reddy and doctors.

The minister also told the district administration to contact him at any time if any issues regarding lack of oxygen or supply of the medicines emerge. He also directed the district administration to take over more private hospitals to treat Covid patients.

Karnataka ranks no. 3 with high Covid-19 deaths

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BENGALURU: With the exponential rise in Covid-19 cases during the second wave of the pandemic, the state is also witnessing an increase in the number of deaths. As of Tuesday’s figures, Karnataka was at third spot in the country in terms of the high number of deaths, after Maharashtra and Delhi.

Dr Anoop Amarnath, Head, Scientific Board and Chairman-Geriatric Medicine, at Manipal Hospital, who is also a member of Critical Care Support Team, said, “Late presentation and late referrals to the tertiary centres are the main reasons for the high number of deaths. The characteristics of a pandemic are that with a surge in cases, the positivity rate increases and thereby mortality as well.”

He pointed out that the need of the hour is to carry out very objective triaging. “Hospitals need to see who can be managed at home and who needs hospitalisation. If this is done right, then we can save many patients. 

A scientific way of triaging needs to be carried out where RT-PCR test is done followed by checking the clinical characteristics of patients for symptoms, saturation levels and biochemical makers. If it is high, then admission is needed at the earliest. This apart, HRCT needs to be done to check the CT score. If all this is prioritised, we can have better outcomes, he suggested.”

Though Karnataka’s Case Fatality Rate has not been on the higher side, in comparison to the other states, the experts foresee it going up in the next few months if proper initiatives are not taken immediately. Currently, Karnataka’s CFR is 1.1 per cent. Punjab has the highest CFR at 2.5 per cent , followed by Maharashtra (1.5 per cent), Delhi and West Bengal (1.4 per cent), Gujarat (1.3 per cent) and Tamil Nadu (1.2 per cent).

Dr Pradeep Rangappa, Intensivist, Columbia Asia Hospital, Bengaluru, and member of the State-Level Committee for Covid-19, said, “If the situation remains the same, the CFR is bound to climb up. We need to segregate the CFR of the first and second waves to get the figures of the current scenario, wherein the fatality rate is quite bad.”

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