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Coronavirus Lockdown: Union Home Ministry issues guidelines for Unlock 4, metro rail to operate from 7th September

OpIndia Staff
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Coronavirus Lockdown: Union Home Ministry issues guidelines for Unlock 4, metro rail to operate from 7th September

The Union Home Ministry has the guidelines for Unlock 4, the fourth stage of unlocking following the lockdown that was imposed on the country in May to combat the Coronavirus pandemic. The unlock 4 will start on 1st September, as the term of unlock 3 expires on 1st August.

The most significate decision taken by the union govt is restarting metro rail services in the country. The MHA guideline says that Metro rail will be allowed to operate with effect from 7th September. The services will be started in a graded manner, and standard operating procedure in terms of Coronavirus will have to be followed.

Another activity that the govt has allowed to resume is social / academic / sports / entertainment / cultural / religious / political events. Such events will be allowed from 21st September, but only a maximum of 100 persons will be allowed at a time. Coronavirus prevention measures like mandatory face masks, social distancing, thermal screening and hand wash or sanitiser will be required in such events.

Similarly, open air theatres will be allowed to operate from 21st September under Unlock 4.

Educational institutions like schools, colleges, coaching institutes etc will remain closed till 30 September, the MHA statement said. Schools and Colleges will continue with online classes. However, later on the schools may be allowed to call teaching and non-teaching staff to the school premises for such online classes from 21st September. The Union health ministry will issue guidelines for the same, and states will be able to permit schools outside containment zones to call 50% of staff for online teaching and related works.

Apart from this, students of classes 9 to 12 will be allowed to visit their schools outside containment zones for taking guidance from teachers. But it sill be voluntary for students, and they will need written consent of parents/guardians for visiting schools.

Skill or entrepreneurship trainings under various govt schemes and institutions will be permitted to be restarted. In higher education, only research scholars doing PhD and post-graduate students requiring laboratory or experimental tasks will be allowed to visit their institutions.

Cinema halls, swimming pools, entertainment parks, indoor theatres and similar places will continue to be shut.

The MHA also says that state and union territory governments will not issue any additional lockdown outside containment zones without the consultation with central government. The statement reiterates that there is no restriction on inter-state and intra-state movement of people and goods. No separate approval/permit is needed for such movements.

Battleground Australia: Haryanvis clash with Khalistanis at Harris Park, Sydney, main culprit Jassi badly injured

OpIndia Staff
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Battleground Australia: Haryanvis clash with Khalistanis at Harris Park, Sydney, main culprit Jassi badly injured

A band of Haryanvis clashed with a group of Khalistanis at Harris park in Sydney, Australia on Friday night in an organised brawl following a quarrel that ensued over an argument on TikTok. It was apparently broadcast through the social media platform. According to Punjabi singer Kamal Choudhary, the fight started after Jassi, a Khalistani, started posting pro-Khalistani and anti-India content on TikTok.

Facebook post by the Punjabi singer

One Haryanvi individual took objection to the video and soon, the matter escalated to a point where both sides convinced their friends to gather for a gang fight at Harris Park. When they gathered, the Khalistanis raised pro-Khalistan slogans as well before the sides clashed with each other. People from both sides were injured in the process and Jassi, the main culprit, was badly injured. There are videos circulating on YouTube regarding the matter.

Apparently, the matter has not deescalated as yet and Jassi is still going around threatening that he will thrash Haryanvis if he comes across them alone. This is after he was badly beaten up in the gang fight. The Punjabi singer said, “We all are here on Indian passports, filling all the forms here with nationality as “Indian”, to make some living by working hard, to get educated in one of the best colleges, to live in one of the best countries in the world and yet we cannot get rid of these separatist thoughts is shameful.”

“It was not good what has happened,” Nitin Setia, a business owner, told 9News. “It’s really bad for the community here.” It is feared that such hooliganism will spoil the image of the community in Australia. It is reported that Haryanvi and Punjabi leaders have stepped in to deescalate the situation.

Shashi Tharoor mocks Piyush Goyal for saying Kolhapuri footwear has great export potential, here is why the Congress ‘guest artist’ is wrong

OpIndia Staff
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Shashi Tharoor mocks Piyush Goyal for saying Kolhapuri footwear has great export potential, here is why the Congress ‘guest artist’ is wrong

Yesterday, Commerce and Industry minister Piyush Goyal had talked about the export potential of Indian indigenous industries like the Kolhapuri footwear industry. He had said that exports worth Rs 7,500 crores can be done by selling Kolhapuri slippers. But the minister was mocked by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, saying that BJP was doing flip-flop on policy.

The Modi government has been focusing on encouraging traditional industries, with an aim to increase employment and also to preserve local industries. The central government is working towards promoting the One District One Product scheme, to identify one product in each district for manufacturing. As part of that effort, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said that India needs to take a unique and innovative approach to boost exports, like identifying districts which are famous for a particular product.

The minister gave the example of Kolhpuri slippers in this regard. He said that if marketed properly, Kolhapuri slippers can become a billion-dollar export product. During a meeting with the chief ministers via video conferencing, Piyush Goyal said that he believes that Kolhapuri chappal alone has the potential to do a billion dollars of exports, if the central and state govts come up with innovative ideas to turn this into reality.

Giving an example of such an idea, he had said, “One of these ideas, in relation to Kolhapuri chappals, could be if we contact all five star hotels around the world and ask them to keep 2-3 sizes of Kolhapuri chappals in the hotel room almirahs the way they keep bathrobes.” He suggested that this way the footwear will be promoted in front of people staying in such hotels who may buy them.

But Shashi Tharoor, the ‘guest artist’ in Congress party, didn’t like the idea, and he came forward to mock the minister for trying to promote Kolhapuri slippers. “Giving a whole new meaning to the BJP’s flip-flops on policy — this time it’s flip-flops AS policy!”, he tweeted.

In an effort to mock the government, the Thiruvananthapuram MP ended up with insulting a successful local industry, which indeed has great export potential as claimed by minister Goyal. The Kolhapuri slippers have great export potential because India has a huge export market for footwear. The country exported more than Rs. 18,000 crore of footwear and related items in the year 2019-20.

India is the second-largest global producer of footwear after China, and the country produces 2 billion pairs of footwear in various categories. Around 15,000 units are engaged in the manufacturing of footwear in the country, with an estimated total turnover of Rs 50,000 crore.

The minister had cited the example of Kolhapuri slippers to showcase that if produced & marketed properly, traditional Indian products have a huge export market potential and can compete and even excel against other categories of footwear.

It may be noted that Kolhapuri chappals were popular in America during the hippie generation of the 1960s and 1970s, and it can again capture overseas markets if the correct strategy is adopted. An official in the ministry said that while even in Americans in 60s and 70s had no problem in adopting Kolhapuri Chappals, now some Indians in 2020 can’t take pride in their own products. The official added that “the present criticism stems from a weak mindset”.

Due to the increased efforts of the Modi government towards local industries, there has been a tremendous increase in the market for Khadi products since 2014. The production of Khadi fabric since 2014 was recorded at 95.05 million square meters in just six years, compared to the production of 103.22 million square meters in the previous 58 years.

6 days before riots broke out in Sweden, two teenage boys were raped, tortured and buried alive by criminals from migrant background

OpIndia Staff
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6 days before riots broke out in Sweden, two teenage boys were raped, tortured and buried alive by criminals from migrant background

Two teenage boys were allegedly raped, tortured and buried alive at a cemetery recently in Solna near Stockholm, Sweden. The incident is reported to have occurred around 11 om on Saturday. According to the Police, the two boys were taken to the cemetery after declining an offer to boys. The criminals are reported to be of migrant backgrounds.

The incident occurred six days before riots broke out in the city of Malmo, Sweden after a copy of the Quran was set on fire by ‘Stram Kurs’, a far-right group in the country. The rioters burnt tyres and pelted stones at the police. Sentiments against the country’s ‘Refugees Welcome’ migration policy has been growing following a rise of crimes in the country.

In this instance, the boys were forced to strip by a 21-year old Iranian immigrant and an 18-year old born to a Tunisian father before the criminals proceeded to force them into a pit where they were buried alive partially. They are also accused to have raped them. The suspects have been charged with kidnapping, aggravated assault, robbery and rape.

The precise ages of the victims is not yet known although they are reported to be less than the age of 15, the legal age for consent in Sweden. Both the accused have denied the charges. The boys were spotted by a passer-by at 8.39 a.m. on Sunday, 10 hours after they were abducted by the accused.

Seven minutes later, the 18-year old accused was arrested, sixteen minutes later, the police got their hands on the 21-year old. One suspect is reported to have been wearing items of the victim at the time of arrest. A Court ruled that the accused should remain in custody. The motive for the attack is not yet known.

Remembering Major Dhyan Chand: The Indian hockey wizard who stood up to Adolf Hitler

OpIndia Staff
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Remembering Major Dhyan Chand: The Indian hockey wizard who stood up to Adolf Hitler

Major Dhyan Chand (1905-1979) is regarded as a ‘magician’ in the field of hockey. His contribution to the sport has been immense so much so that the legend is adored not only in India but worldwide. As India celebrates the National Sports Day, let us look back at one of the memorable events of his career on his birth anniversary.

The year was 1936 and Nazi Germany was hosting the Summer Olympics. The Indian hockey team had made it into the finals after defeating France with a score of 10-0. The Indian team was set to play against the hosts who were anticipating a victory in the final game. The match was scheduled on August 15 and the Indian side was ‘excessively nervous’.

Dhyan Chand turned India’s fortunes in Berlin Olympics’ hockey final

The Indian hockey team had a bad start. They were unable to score a goal in the first half. However, their fortunes turned in the second half when the team scored aggressively and was successful in putting up a score of 8-1 against Germany. The crowd of 40,000 people was taken aback by the stellar performance of barefooted Dhyan Chand and his personal contribution of 6 goals. Adolf Hitler, who had come to cheer for his team, reportedly left the stadium out of frustration. He, however, came back to hand over medals to the Indian team.

Dhyan Chand declined offer by Adolf Hitler

On August 16, 1936, Dhyan Chand received a message from Hitler, asking the hockey wizard to meet him. Chand was surprised and scared as he had heard stories about Hitler killing people on the spot. During their meeting, Hitler asked the Indian hockey legend about his profession and offered him a high-ranking position in the German army, after learning that he served as a Major in the Indian army. However, Dhyan Chand politely refused his offer, citing inconvenience in relocating to Germany with his family. The Nazi dictator, who was awestruck by his performance on the field, understood concerns raised by Chand and concluded their meeting in the private box of the stadium.

‘India is not for sale’

According to Saiyed Ali Sibtain Naqvi, the ex-coach of the Indian hockey team, Dhyan Chand stood up to Adolf Hitler firmly. “He replied to Hitler with closed eyes but in a bold voice of an Indian soldier that India is not for sale,” Naqvi recounted the hockey wizard narrating this story to him personally. He informed that Hitler not only saluted Dhyan Chand but also conferred the title of ‘Wizard of Hockey’ on him. “To the utter surprise of the entire stadium, Hitler saluted him, instead of shaking his hand and said, ‘The German nation salutes you for the love of your country India and your nationalism’,” Naqvi clarified.

Coronavirus in Maharashtra: Mumbai doctor alleges continuous harassment by government authorities amidst pandemic

OpIndia Staff
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Coronavirus in Maharashtra: Mumbai doctor alleges continuous harassment by government authorities amidst pandemic

Even as Maharashtra was in the throes of a rampaging coronavirus pandemic, the government authorities in the state were more occupied with coercing the doctors to their whims, alleged Dr Aman Thadani in an elaborate series of tweets on the microblogging website Twitter. The doctor has accused the authorities of bullying doctors and private hospitals at a time when the state is reeling under an unprecedented pandemic.

The medical director of Niramaya Holistic Health Services Pvt. Ltd, Dr Amit Thadani, posted a harrowing account of what he and others from his profession had to go through at the hands of government employees while the coronavirus pandemic was taking root in Maharashtra, about 2 months ago.

In a flurry of tweets, Thadani accused the state government of bullying the doctors and hospitals even as they were struggling to cope up with the surging coronavirus cases.

Thadani claimed that Maharashtra government issued a circular on May 21, 2020, instituting draconian measures to “regulate” charges, not just of COVID treatment but for all other ailments.

He alleged that without any deliberations with doctors, associations or hospitals, charges for COVID treatment were capped arbitrarily. However, the government overreach did not stop just there. Even non-COVID related treatment charges were curbed, forcing all medical institutes to bill with lowest ward rates and maximum chargeable tariffs.

Thadani continued that despite being rejected for converting his hospital to COVID treatment centre by Panvel Municipal Corporation, he was summoned by Panvel Municipal Commissioner Sudhakar Deshmukh and threatened with dire consequences if he failed in converting his hospital into a COVID facility within three days.

Hospitals routinely hounded by Municipal corporation with their “audit teams”

The doctor also bemoaned that the “audit team” of PMC routinely visited the hospital to “scrutinise” the bills generated by them, even as they were hard-pressed to get their logistics, processes and reporting in place.

He asserted that the government authorities seemed more obsessed with paperwork and examinations the bills of hospitals rather than about patient care and outcomes of the treatment.

Amidst all this, the hospital was persistently harassed. Thadani claimed that “audit teams” showed up unannounced on several occasions, demanding papers, bills and other paraphernalia while dozens of OPD patients awaited treatment.

Panvel Municipal Commissioner threatened of revoking the license of hospitals: Dr Amit Thadani

When Thadani and his colleague opposed this unprofessional behaviour with the Municipal Commissioner, not only were they threatened with license revocation, they were also verbally abused and railroaded to follow what the authorities had asked them to. A show cause notice was sent to Thadani’ hospital, seeking forcible empanelment with MPJAY scheme within 3 days, or risk getting their licences revoked.

With the Municipal Corporation and its authorities relentlessly bullying Thadani and his hospital to their whims, the doctor approached the court to seek a stay on continuous harassment.

The judge came down hard against the PMC authorities, questioning them if we are living in a police state like Iran. The court observed in its order that the commissioner has no jurisdiction in the working of a private hospital.

While this came as a much-needed relief for Thadani and Niramaya Holistic Health Services Pvt. Ltd, he has also challenged the validity of May 21 order. Thadani asserts that none of the Acts invoked by the Maharashtra government in the order grants them any power to “regulate” charges of private hospitals.

Similarly, a hospital in Thane, Horizon Prime Hospital‘s license was suspended for a month by the Thane Municipal Corporation. The TMC then extended the suspension for three weeks. However, the HC granted relief to the private hospital, following several other private medical facilities who have been wrongly targeted by the government authorities have planned to take a legal remedy to end their ordeal.

Media report of HC granting relief to Thane-based private hospital

Government authorities obsessed with punishing private hospitals as caseloads in Maharashtra surge

At a time when the state is marred with the scourge of coronavirus, the Mumbai doctor has levelled serious allegations of bullying against the government authorities, accusing them of harassment of the front line forces and private hospitals that are scrambling to contain the inexorable spread of the pandemic.

It is worth noting that while Maharashtra government authorities showed unusual alacrity in exercising their powers and punishing private hospitals that appeared to fall afoul of the government directives, the coronavirus cases in Maharashtra continued to explode at a precipitous rate, propelling it to the top of the list of the states with highest coronavirus cases.

The misplaced priorities of government authorities is certainly one of the many reasons why the state spectacularly failed in curbing the galloping coronavirus outbreak.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai opens up about his 2017 position on Net Neutrality

OpIndia Staff
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FCC Chairman Ajit Pai opens up about his 2017 position on Net Neutrality

Ajit Pai, the Chairman of the United States Federal Communications Commission recently spoke about his view on Net Neutrality and how the concerns around the topic were overblown.

Pai was talking on the Bharatvaarta podcast, which covers topics of interest in policy, politics and culture from an Indian lens. This particular talk with Ajit Pai was hosted with Pune based technology entrepreneur Amit Paranjape and Bengaluru based technology marketing specialist Roshan Cariappa. They spoke to Pai at length about telecommunication regulations, 5G, security concerns in this space and Pai’s Indian roots among other things.

Pai’s comments on net neutrality stood out after his spirited opposition to the related regulations earlier in 2017. He made arguments about how the Internet speeds across the US had significantly increased in the last few years. He recalled how the opposition to his views came in the backdrop of a charged up political environment.

He agreed that given how important the Internet is to daily life, any change to the regulations governing the Internet were bound to be seen with some concern. But he also explained how difficult it was for him during that period to make his case about light-touch regulation being a facilitator of new investment in the sector over a period of time. 

Pai’s critics put up a very vocal campaign against his views on net neutrality and accused him of destroying the Internet. He, however, explained how he was proven right over time, when on August 25 it was found that the average broadband speed in the United States had doubled since the time the net neutrality argument broke out in 2017.

Pai explained how his critics were sold the ‘crisis of the moment’ by entrenched lobbies who used celebrity endorsers to bolster their loud but eventually incorrect arguments. He also expressed anguish on how many people knew that the hyperbolic predictions about Internet becoming costlier were incorrect but participated in the campaigns anyway. He recalled headlines like ‘This is the end of the Internet’ which had purportedly put up by American networks like the CNN.

Pai also touched upon other issues including the potential of 5G but also the need to use forethought and not an afterthought in ensuring that the right security measures were in place before deploying any hardware or software related to 5G. Pai recalled his Indian roots and his diverse interests in Indian culture including his visits to Hampi, his reading of Amar Chitra Katha and his love of Indian classical music. He spoke passionately about his appreciation for Pandit Bhimsen Joshi.

This was the first such interaction that Pai had with any Indian media outlet since his visit to India in February 2020. He was part of the delegation which came to India with President Donald Trump. During his visit, he had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several officials from the telecom ministry signalling a close alignment between the United States and India on issues of telecommunication infrastructure and regulation. 

The Bharatvaarta podcast is available on YouTube. Watch here:

Kanpur Love Jihad case: Hindu girl’s family claims Asif trapped, used ‘black magic’ to forcefully convert and marry her

OpIndia Staff
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Kanpur Love Jihad case: Hindu girl’s family claims Asif trapped, used ‘black magic’ to forcefully convert and marry her

Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur has been emerging as the epi-centre of ‘organised love jihad’ cases. The recent Shalini Yadav’s case and many other similar cases which came to light thereafter have fuelled suspicions about a new model of entrapping Hindu women gaining a foothold in Kanpur. Now, another such case has been reported from Kanpur’s Govind Nagar.

A Hindu family has lodged a complaint with the local police station in Govind Nagar, Kanpur, accusing a Muslim youth named Asif Shah alias Nafiz of brainwashing their daughter with the help of occult practices, physically abusing her, threatening and intimidating her to convert into Islam and marry him.

On the basis of the complaint, Govind Nagar police have registered an FIR against Asif Shah under IPC Section 366 and started investigating the matter.

FIR filed by Kanpur family

Kanpur Nagar police have informed that based on a complaint given by Muskaan Tiwari’s family, the police have registered an FIR against Asif Khan alias Nafiz, a resident of Jajmau in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. The police confirmed that Muskaan has come back to her family. Since Muskaan is a major, she would be presented in front of the magistrate today to record her statement under CrPC section 164. The police said that based on the FIR the police have started investigating the case.

‘Black magic’ used to brainwash and intimidate victim

According to Hindi Daily Jagran report, Asif first befriended Muskaan and then brainwashed her into embracing Islam with the use of ‘back magic’ and some occult practices. She was forcefully converted and married off to Asif.

The incident

In what transpired, the 18-year-old Hindu girl named Muskaan, residing in Govind Nagar’s Block 11, used to study at a coaching centre at Bara Devi. She became friends with this Asif Shah, a resident of Kanpur’s Jajmau area, who worked as a driver in a transport company near the girl’s coaching centre. 10 days ago, the girl left for her coaching class as usual but did not return home.

On 27 August, the girl suddenly called up her mother and asked to meet her at Ramadevi, a neighbourhood in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. As soon as the family got to know about their daughter’s whereabouts they approached Bajrang Dal activist Ramji Tiwari, Eastern District President Pankaj Verma, Metropolitan Vice President Yogi Ajay Mishra and sought their help to bring the girl home.

It is being said that when the girl came to meet her mother at Ramadevi, she was accompanied by two others. Seeing so many people, the two had fled, whereas, Muskaan came back home.

Victim is in a bad mental state

When Muskaan was brought back, she reportedly was in a very bad mental state. However, she had confirmed that she was locked in a room for a long time. The accused forced her to accept Islam with the help of ‘back magic’. She confirmed that her Nikah had been read.

When Muskaan came back, she was wearing Mehndi, which attests the fact that she had been married to Asif. Jagran report furthers that Muskaan had a ‘Tabiz’ (amulet) around her neck. The family also recovered pieces of paper with scribblings in Urdu on it, from her bag.

It is believed that Muskaan has been changing her statements regularly. Her mental condition is said to be so bad that once she did not recognise her own father, she instead said that he was his stepfather.

Accused harassing Muskaan

It is being alleged that Asif has been calling up Muskaan and pressuring her to return to him. He has also threatened her against filing a complaint against him. He allegedly said that he was not scared of the consequences.

Muskaan’s family approached SP South Kanpur

The family approached SP South Kanpur and complained about the issue. The SP also interrogated the girl and sent her to the police station. FIR under IPC Section 366 (kidnapping of a girl for marriage) has been filed against Asif Shah at Govind Nagar police station on behalf of the victim’s father.  

Police are searching for the accused. SSP Dr Preetinder Singh said that the matter has come to his notice and the case is being investigated. The girl will be sent for medical examination, and her statement would be recorded.

‘leg fractured, needle marks on neck, this is murder’: Staff of Cooper Hospital where Sushant Singh Rajput’s body was taken

Dibakar Dutta
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‘leg fractured, needle marks on neck, this is murder’: Staff of Cooper Hospital where Sushant Singh Rajput’s body was taken

The mystery surrounding the death of 34-year-old actor Sushant Singh Rajput is getting murkier by the day. In a shocking revelation, an employee of the Cooper Hospital had claimed that the actor was murdered, reported News Nation.

Hospital worker claims Sushant Singh Rajput had needle marks on neck

“This is murder.. He did not die due to hanging. If someone commits suicide by hanging, then, his body will not turn pale,” the man said. He further continued, “There were 15-20 needle marks on his neck, besides a yellowish patch.” On being asked by the reporter about bloodstains on the neck of Sushant Singh Rajput, he refused. “There was no blood… The marks were similar to those used in movie scenes. When we moved the body, the marks had come out.”

Sushant’s leg was fractured, alleges hospital worker

The hospital worker informed that a hindlimb of the Sushant Singh Rajput was fractured. “His leg was twisted from the time we first saw the body,” the man revealed. He further stated that Rhea Chakraborty was alone with the body of the deceased actor for 25 minutes. “She was seeking forgiveness from Sushant”, he emphasised. When the reporter asked the hospital worker whether he heard Rhea seeking repentance, he replied, “She said sorry. Sorry, for all my mistakes. I heard her say this.”

“This is murder… Even the top-notch doctors at the hospital said this,” the man reiterated. Given that he was present even during the final rites of Sushant Singh Rajput, the health worker further claimed, “We can tell just by seeing the body whether it is a case of suicide… There were marks on the neck as well as on the sole of his feet… 3-4 deep marks on each foot.”

Sister of Sushant Singh Rajput expresses shock

Reacting strongly to the revelation, Sushant’s sister Shweta Singh tweeted, “My God!! Listening to news like this breaks my heart a million times…what all they did with my brother. Please, please arrest them!!”

0.29 per cent of Coronavirus patients on ventilators, reveals Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan

OpIndia Staff
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0.29 per cent of Coronavirus patients on ventilators, reveals Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan in a high-level Group of Ministers (GoM) meeting on Saturday revealed that only 0.29% of COVID-19 patients are on ventilator support. He added that an additional 1.93% are in ICU and 2.88% of the cases are on oxygen support. He also said that more than 9 lakh samples were tested in the past 24 hours.

According to the MoHFW website, there are currently 752424 active cases in the country. This would mean that there are roughly around 2200 individuals on ventilators, 14,521 patients (approx.) in ICU and 21,700 (approx.) patients on oxygen support. It was also informed thatBharat Biotech’s vaccine is in the second phase of trials while the Oxford vaccine by the Serum Institute of India is in the third phase of trials.

As of the 29th of August 2020, 2648998 individuals have recovered from the disease while 62,550 people had succumbed to the Wuhan Coronavirus.

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