Home Blog Page 5228

Coronavirus outbreak: ICMR refutes the study that claimed COVID-19 peak may arrive in India in mid-November

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Coronavirus outbreak: ICMR refutes the study that claimed COVID-19 peak may arrive in India in mid-November

The premier medical research body of India, ICMR has strongly refuted the reports that were carried by several media organisations that the peak of Wuhan coronavirus will arrive in India in mid-November. Issuing a tweet in this regard from its official Twitter handle, the ICMR asserted that the news reports that attributed an ‘ICMR study’ to claim the arrival of COVID-19 peak in mid-November are false and misleading.

“The news reports attributing this study to ICMR are misleading. This refers to a non peer reviewed modelling, not carried out by ICMR and does not reflect the official position of ICMR,” while sharing a snip of a PTI article that attributed a study to the ICMR to contend that the affliction of coronavirus in India will reach a climax in mid-November.

False claims by news outlets

The clarification issued by ICMR came amidst a flurry of reports by various news outlets which said the coronavirus crisis in the country would reach the highest point somewhere in mid-November. The reports cited by news organisations said that according to a study conducted by researchers from an operations research group constituted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the peak of the coronavirus outbreak in India has been delayed by eight-weeks due to strict implementation of lockdown, cautioning that the peak of the COVID-19 contagion can now arrive in mid-November amidst an acute shortage of ICU beds and ventilators.

The reports further claimed that the lockdown postponed the peak by an estimated 34 days to 76 days and helped curb the rising infection by between 69 per cent to 97 per cent, providing ample time for the authorities to prop up resources and health infrastructure.

In the case of intensifying public health measures with 60 per cent effectiveness following the lockdown, the demand for health facilities can be met until the first week of November, the ‘study’ said. Furthermore, it said that after the first week of November, there could be a scarcity of isolation beds for 5.4 months, ICU beds for 4.6 months and ventilators for 3.9 months. However, it added that the shortages were reckoned to be 83 per cent less than what it could have been in absence of stringent implementation of lockdown and augmented public health measures.

Study contained errors

According to the sources, the study carried some errors and was not validated by the ICMR. For example, the study modelled that India will be affected by 5,29,872 coronavirus cases till May 6, after the end of six weeks of lockdown, which were 47 per cent of the estimated cases in scenario of lockdown with 40 per cent effectiveness. However, according to the data from the health ministry, only 3.32 lakh cases were registered till then, much lower than the model suggested.

Brazil: As the coronavirus death toll rises, Sao Paulo authorities order exhumation of old corpses to make burial space for COVID-19 casualties

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Brazil: As the coronavirus death toll rises, Sao Paulo authorities order exhumation of old corpses to make burial space for COVID-19 casualties

As Brazil surpasses the United Kingdom to become the country with the world’s second-highest death toll due to the Chinese virus, its has started vacating it’s largest cemetery at Sao Paulo, making room for other coronavirus casualties. According to reports, the Brazillian authorities have instructed the Sao Paulo’s municipal funeral service to dig up the bones of people buried in the past and store their bagged remains in large metal containers.

People who died at least three years ago in Brazil will be exhumed to make room for coronavirus casualties

Sao Paulo’s municipal funeral service said in a statement Friday that the remains of people who died at least three years ago will be exhumed and put in numbered bags, then stored temporarily in 12 storage containers it has purchased. These containers would then be delivered to several cemeteries within 15 days, the statement confirmed.

The remains of people who died at least three years ago in Brazil are being exhumed and put in numbered bags, image via OneIndia

Sao Paulo has emerged as one of the coronavirus hotspots, recording almost 5,480 deaths in a single day on Thursday. And authorities expect this number to rise after Mayor Bruno Covas has announced a partial opening up of businesses this week. Soon after, the public were seen disregarding social distancing norms and gathering in malls and crowding public transport. The experts opined that the decline in intensive care bed occupancy to about 70 per cent prompted Mayor Bruno Covas to open up businesses in the country and now that people are out in streets, the health experts fear that a surge in the number of new cases and deaths due to the infection is inevitable.

Brazil becomes the country with the world’s second-highest covid related death toll

Many health experts are of the opinion that the coronavirus pandemic in Brazil will peak sometime in August. The death toll due to the deadly pathogen has already reached 42000, making it the country with the world’s second-highest death toll as on June 12 (Friday).

Dr. Michael Ryan, the World Health Organization’s emergencies chief, said Friday that the situation in Brazil remains “of concern.”

“Overall the health system is still coping in Brazil, although, having said that, with the sustained number of severe cases that remains to be seen,” Ryan said.

According to reports, the workers at Vila Formosa buried almost 1,654 people in April which was atleast 500 more than what they buried the previous month. Though the numbers for May and June aren’t yet available, it is being believed that in the recent weeks the figures have more than doubled.

Meanwhile, the remains stored in the metal containers will eventually be moved to a public ossuary, according to the statement from the city’s funeral office. Its superintendent, Thiago Dias da Silva, told media that the containers have been used before and they are more practical and affordable than building new ossuaries.

On Saturday, Brazil recorded 21,704 new coronavirus cases taking the total number of cases to 850,514 in the country. With 892 new Covid-19 deaths in the country the toll stood at over 42720 according to the heath ministry data released on Saturday, which put’s the country coronavirus mortality rate at 5 per cent.

Concerns over burial spaces have been reported in Delhi too. With increasing death toll, it has been reported that the main Muslim graveyards in the national capital may soon run out of burial spaces for coronavirus patients.

 

Communist Party of India wants BMC to take over Mukesh Ambani’s Antilia and turn it into coronavirus treatment facility

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Communist Party of India wants BMC to take over Mukesh Ambani’s Antilia and turn it into coronavirus treatment facility

Communist Party of India (CPI) has asked Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to take over Mukesh Ambani’s Antilla and convert it into a coronavirus facility. Prakash Reddy, Secretary, Mumbai Council, in a letter to BMC made this request.

He further said that there are 22 floors in Ambani’s tower with only five family members living in it. Each family member has one floor, and 17 floors are remaining that can be turned into a quarantine center. There are many such opulent bungalows and towers that BMC can use to treat and shelter Covid-19 patients.

In his letter, Reddy claims that the BMC had recently taken over shantytowns and slums redeveloped by the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) to facilitate Covid-19 patients. It has sparked outrage among political sections. Reddy claimed that it is a grave injustice to the slum dwellers. “They were deprived of a dignified lifestyle for years. Now they are being asked to leave their redeveloped residences to house the Covid-19 patients. He added that if BMC continues to seize the redeveloped shanties, the residents will be forced to barge into Ambani’s house and occupy the empty space in his tower,” the letter said.

Reddy has asked BMC to take back its decision to take control of redeveloped shantytowns and chawls for quarantining virus affected patients.

In the statement, CPI leader further said that it is not right to handover vacant land and shuttered factories and mills to builders so that they can construct malls and apartments. These locations must be used to build hospitals. There are countless skyscrapers in the city that have many unoccupied flats that were bought as an investment. The government should form a plan to take over such apartments to shelter coronavirus patients.

Maharashtra has crossed 100,000 Covid-positive cases. There are 53,030 active cases in the state, with 3,950 deaths reported. Mumbai alone has almost 30,000 active cases.

Trump administration rules that sex will be defined as man and woman on the basis of biology, reverses Obama-era diktat

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Trump administration rules that sex will be defined as man and woman on the basis of biology, reverses Obama-era diktat

The Department of Health and Human Services (DoHHS) under the Trump administration in the United States has decreed that sex will now be defined as male and female and as defined by biology. The move is a direct attack on the postmodern definitions of sex and gender which claim that there can be infinite number of genders, not just male and female, and gender is entirely independent of biological sex.

The new rule passed by the DoHHS means that the revised sex discrimination protections will now be “according to the plain meaning of the word ‘sex’ as male or female and as determined by biology.” Nondiscrimination protections in Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act bars discriminate on the basis of “race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability in certain health programs and activities.”

However, due to the twisted and nonscientific definition of sex invented by the LGBTQ+ community and its ‘allies’, the rule was changed to accommodate the idea that the meaning of sex in the said act included those based on gender identity. which was defined as “male, female, neither, or a combination of male and female.”

The decision by the Trump administration comes at a time when radical left-wing beliefs are running rampant among the medical community and thereby, risking the health of afflicted individuals. LGBTQ+ groups are not happy with the new decree and claim that it could jeopardise the health of people from the community.

RBI spent more on the transportation of Raghuram Rajan’s belongings between Chicago to Mumbai than in his salary: Report

OpIndia Staff
-
0
RBI spent more on the transportation of Raghuram Rajan’s belongings between Chicago to Mumbai than in his salary: Report

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had spent more money on transporting the household goods of its former Governor Raghuram Rajan than his salary, reported The Sunday Guardian in a recent report. The surprising figures were received in response to the Right to Information (RTI) query filed by the said newspaper. The former RBI Governor was paid an approximate salary of ₹1.69 lakhs per month during his tenure between August 2013 and September 2016.

Chicago to Mumbai and back

Reportedly, Rajan cost the RBI ₹61.2 lacs in salaries and a whopping ₹71 lakhs in the transportation of his household goods from Chicago in Illinois to Mumbai in Maharashtra and back. While an expenditure of ₹2,226,416 was incurred on shifting his stuff from Chicago to Mumbai alone, another ₹4,941,253 was incurred on transporting his goods back to the US from India. There is no specific rule that determines how the household goods of the Governor be transported to India from other parts of the world. As such, the RBI made the conscious decision specifically in Rajan’s case, after taking into account the circumstances.

Raghuram Rajan received paintings worth ₹50,000

As per the RTI query mentioned in the Sunday Guardian report, the ex-RBI Governor was presented with five paintings at the time of his farewell. Rules suggest that every Governor vacating his office is entitled to gifts worth up to ₹50,000. While Raghuram Rajan did not make any specific demand, he had indicated that 4 paintings by Govind Dumbre of 15 X 15 size and one by Gopal Adiverkar which measured 16 X 20 in dimensions, present in the Governor’s House, be gifted to him instead of corporate gifts. Even though the RBI quoted the price of each painting as ₹10,000, yet it was found that Dumbre’s paintings were being sold for upwards of ₹1 lac. An additional ₹13,474 was spent on fitting an air conditioner in the bathroom.

Muslim graveyards in Delhi may run out of space to bury coronavirus positive dead bodies

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Muslim graveyards in Delhi may run out of space to bury coronavirus positive dead bodies

As report by Dainik Bhaskar states that out of the 45 acre Muslim graveyard space in Jadid Kabristan, about 5 bighas are kept for the dead bodies of coronavirus positive people. Of this space, about 75% is filled in last few weeks. Shamim, the person who handles burials of people in Jadid Kabristan told Bhaskar that the speed at which people are dying, the entire coronavirus-specific zone in the graveyard will be full in less than a week. “The Kabristan management will then have to allot more land for coronavirus positive dead bodies,” Shamim said.

The five bigha space was created after felling trees. Increase in land for burials of coronavirus positive dead bodies will mean more trees will be felled.

Shamim earns Rs 100 for every dead body buried. He was one of the first in Delhi to take responsibility of burying the dead bodies of coronavirus positive people. Since lockdown, he has buried over 300 bodies, reports Bhaskar. 25 days back he got himself tested for coronavirus at cost of Rs 4,500 from his own pockets. He informs that after the lockdown was lifted, there has been an exponential growth of number of dead bodies coming in for burials. During lockdown, about 5-6 dead bodies would come every day. However, after the lockdown has been lifted, this figure has gone up to 10-12, almost double. He said this could also be because of stressed healthcare where non-coronavirus patients are not getting sufficient treatment.

Most people from Old Delhi are buried in this graveyard. However, amid the coronavirus outbreak, bodies from all over Delhi are brought here for burial. Many of these are also brought for burial 4-5 days after their death.

Last week, Masroor Siddiqui, member of Kabristan committee in Delhi said how a graveyard in Daryaganj, which sees daily burial of about 10-12 dead bodies of coronavirus positive people may soon run out of space. About 300 bodies have been buried here since April and space for only 100-150 more dead bodies remains. The rate at which dead bodies are coming in for coronavirus positive people, the graveyard will run out of space for dead bodies by end of June.

Dead bodies of coronavirus positive people are being buried as per protocol in Delhi’s Mangolpuri, Dwarka, Khadar and Ghazipur as well. However, the number of dead bodies in Delhi Gate is much higher. About 299 bodies are buried here.

Madhya Pradesh: Crime Branch files FIR against Digvijay Singh for sharing edited video to malign CM Shivraj Chouhan

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Madhya Pradesh: Crime Branch files FIR against Digvijay Singh for sharing edited video to malign CM Shivraj Chouhan

Madhya Pradesh police have initiated a probe on BJP’s complaint against former CM of Madhya Pradesh Digvijay Singh for sharing a video of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on his twitter handle. As per the reports, Singh shared an edited version of an old video of Chouhan in connection to a statement made on liquor consumption. The case has been filed under sections 465, 501 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Irshad Wali, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Bhopal, said, “The matter of editing an old video of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and circulating it on social media with the aim of spoiling his image has been taken seriously. The case is being investigated by registering an FIR under the Cyber Act.”

BJP delegation filed complaint

Former minister Umashankar Gupta headed the BJP delegation that submitted a memorandum to the crime branch of Bhopal Police. The complaint mentioned that Chouhan had given a statement against the liquor policy of the Kamal Nath government on 12th January 2020. What Singh shared is only an out-of-context 9-second part of the original 2.19-minute video. They demanded strict action against the Congress leader and his associates for conspiring to defame Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

BJP MLA shared original video

BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma shared the original video on his twitter handle and the deleted tweet of Digvijay Singh. Congress has not issued any official statement in this case.

Madhya Pradesh home minister Narottam Mishra has stated that the concerned officials have been directed to take strict action against the persons who have twisted the CM’s statement on the liquor mafia active in the state and had shared a misleading video to malign the image of the sitting CM.

Digvijay Singh had deleted the video. Today, while speaking to media he avoided answering questions over the edited video he had shared. Instead, he stated that some tribals had accused the Shivraj government of duping them of money and added that he is planning to sit on a dharna over the issue. He added that he had not edited the video and the police should probe the person who had edited the video.

Pakistan: Two Indian officials working in Indian High Commission in Islamabad go missing

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Pakistan: Two Indian officials working in Indian High Commission in Islamabad go missing

Two Indian officials working in Indian High Commission in Islamabad have gone missing reported news agency ANI quoting sources.

Earlier this month, two officials of Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi were caught spying in Delhi. The two-officials, named Abid Hussain and Tahir Hussain working in the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi were expelled and asked to go back to their country. Following this, the situation for Indian diplomats and other staff in Islamabad remained tense and there was aggressive tailing and surveillance. India had also asked Pakistan to ensure safety of Indian staff in the High Commission.

Update 1: Times Now journalist Nikunj Garg reports that the two officials have been abducted by Pakistan’s intelligence service, ISI.

Note: This is a developing story. More details awaited.

No lockdown on the cards, PM may ask worst-hit states to enforce stricter enforcement of social distancing guidelines: Report

OpIndia Staff
-
0
No lockdown on the cards, PM may ask worst-hit states to enforce stricter enforcement of social distancing guidelines: Report

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday with the Chief Ministers of States that are badly affected by the Wuhan Coronavirus, as per a report by the Economic Times. He may ask CMs to enforce stricter implementation of social distancing guidelines, use of face masks, and door-to-door screening in the urban containment zones.

Reportedly, the Union government has received feedback about the complacent behaviour of several State administrations. As such, the PM may direct such states to ramp up their testing numbers by the end of the month, for early diagnosis and treatment of Coronavirus cases. Reportedly, the Centre will work in close coordination with the States and take steps based on the suggestions provided by the State Governments.

Door-to-door screening in containment zones are also likely to be stressed upon.

The States will, however, have the autonomy to implement restrictions or ease them. The Union Government is focused on lowering the test positivity rate which is currently around 5.4%. The test positivity rate refers to the positive results for Coronavirus, out of all conducted tests. The Economic Times report has also mentioned that there were no plans to impose another blanket lockdown. The Prime Minister will hold meetings on June 16 and June 17 with the Chief Ministers of States. Reportedly, the viable solution to contain the spread of the Coronavirus outbreak is to enforce social distancing and usage of the face masks.

Centre pleased with India’s recovery rate

As of June 15, India has 1,53,106 active cases of Coronavirus and 1,69,797 recoveries. As per the report, the Union Government is pleased with India’s recovery rate that is now above 50%. However, it is equally concerned about the total number of active cases. Sources revealed that the healthcare infrastructure is stretched in Delhi whereas it was under-utilised in states such as Uttar Pradesh.

Debunking fake news about reimposition of lockdown

Even as the country is witnessing a calibrated re-opening amidst the ‘Unlock-2’ phase, there is a photo doing the rounds on the internet which says that the nationwide lockdown is once again going to be implemented from June 15. The Press Information Bureau’s Fact-check arm has officially debunked the rumours of yet another lockdown in the country starting from today. PIB fact-check’s official Twitter account has declared the picture of a Hindi news channel with the viral message of the revival of lockdown as fake, thereby putting to rest the growing anxiety among people in connection with another lockdown.

Mumbai: After almost three months, local train services resume, only essential staff allowed

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Mumbai: After almost three months, local train services resume, only essential staff allowed

On 22nd March 2020, passenger services on Mumbai Locals, the lifeline of Mumbai, were stopped by the Railways to stop coronavirus spread. Though initially it was meant to be only till 31st March, the suspension continued because of nationwide lockdown. Now, the Western and Central Railway has decided to resume selective services of Mumbai Locals over the mainline and harbour line from Monday.

When the local trains were shut initially for nine days from 23 March, it was for the first time in history.

Services available only for essential staff

The Railway announced that the resumed services are not for the general passengers and only essential staff identified by the state government can use the Mumbai Locals to travel. The trains will run from 5:30 AM to 11:30 PM with an interval of 15 minutes.

As per the schedule released by Railway, Mumbai Locals will run over WR, between CCG and Borivali, as fast local trains and continue as slow local trains beyond Borivali. The Western Railways will run 60 pairs of trains between Churchgate and Dahanu road. with maximum trains running between Churchgate and Virar and a few up to Dahanu road.

On CR, 200 trains will resume services dividing them in 100 up and 100 down. 130 trains will run between CSMT and Kasara/Karjat/Kalyan/Thane. Also, 70 trains will run between CSMT and Panvel.

As per the statement issued by Central Railway, the arrival and departure timings of the trains will suit the duty shifts of the essential staff. The arrival time at CSMT will be 7 AM, 9 AM, 10 AM, 3 PM, 9 PM and 11 PM and the departure time will be 7 AM, 9 AM, 3 PM, 6 PM, 9 PM and 11 PM.

Generally, 80 lakh people use Mumbai locals every day and the Mumbai Suburban rail network has 3000 trains that run daily. Most of the residents of Mumbai use these services to commute to their workplace and back home.

Guidelines while using Mumbai Locals

  • Only 700 people will be allowed to board the train with a capacity of 1200 to maintain social distancing.
  • Multiple rounds of checking will ensure that only essential staff is using the services.
  • No hawkers or parking zone will be allowed in a 150-meter radius around the railway station.

The trains will run as fast locals and will only halt at major stations. RPF, GRP and state police personnel have been deployed at various stations to maintain law and order. For now, entry will be given strictly on the basis of ID cards issued by the state government. The government is planning to issue QR code enabled E-passes for identified personnel to ensure swifter ticketing.

Mumbai has been the worst affected city in the coronavirus pandemic. On Saturday, the city’s total cases tally was sat 56,740. Maharashtra has over 105,000 cases so far with 3,830 deaths and 49,346 recoveries.

1...5,2275,2285,229...7,570Page 5,228 of 7,570