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Government of India launches online training platform “iGOT” for capacity building of frontline COVID-19 warriors

OpIndia Staff
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Government of India launches online training platform “iGOT” for capacity building of frontline COVID-19 warriors

The Government of India has launched a training module “Integrated Government Online Training” (iGOT) for the management of COVID-19. iGOT is a portal available on the Ministry of Human Resource Development’s (MHRD) DIKSHA platform for capacity building of frontline workers in handling the Wuhan coronavirus epidemic efficiently.

The DIKSHA portal has been “retrofitted” to the purpose requested by the Central government’s Empowered Group chaired by Arun Panda, secretary in the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises. This particular group forms a part of the 11 such groups formed to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic by the Home Ministry under the Disaster Management Act.

A statement issued by the Department of Personnel and Training says that India faces a significantly higher threat from COVID-19 pandemic. “India’s first line of workers is already engaged in COVID relief and doing commendable job. However, a larger force will be needed to replace the first line and to tackle the exponential or geometric increase in positive COVID cases in the subsequent stages of the pandemic. Accordingly, to take care of the training needs of the frontline workers, the launch of the iGOT platform has been fast-forwarded, and using the MoHRD DIKSHA as a host, has been retro-fitted to the purpose”, the statement says.

The courses of iGOT have been launched for doctors, nurses, paramedics, hygiene workers, technicians, Auxiliary Nursing midwives(ANMs), state government officers, civil defense officers, various police organizations, National Cadet Corps, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, National Service Scheme, Indian Red Cross Society, Bharat Scouts, and guides and other volunteers.

The iGOT platform delivers curated, role-specific content, to each learner at their place of work or home and to any device of their choice. The iGOT portal has courses on various subjects like Psychological care of patients with COVID-19, infection prevention through PPE, Quarantine and Isolation, ICU Care and Ventilation Management, Infection Prevention and Control, Laboratory Sample Collection and Testing etc, apart from onboarding training modules for various roles.

The platform will provide the training modules on flexitime and on site basis so that the COVID response can be delivered at scale for the workforce needed to tackle the pandemic. The iGOT platform is customized for the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic and provides a one-stop source for the frontline warriors to learn about critical areas and update their knowledge and capacity.

The portal can be accessed through desktop and mobile phones, making it accessible for all.

As the country’s health workers are doing the commendable job in combatting the virus, this portal came up to build their capacity. However, a large force will be needed to tackle the exponential or geometric increase in the positive Wuhan coronavirus cases in the various stages of the pandemic.

The total number of coronavirus cases in India has reached a mark of 5734, while 166 people have been reported dead. 472 people have been recovered and discharged, as per the Union Health Ministry.

Bihar: Tablighi Jamaat attendees misbehave with nurses, threaten to make pictures and videos viral

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar: Tablighi Jamaat attendees misbehave with nurses, threaten to make pictures and videos viral

Tablighi Jamaat members were accused of misbehaving with the nurses, taking their pictures and threatening to make them go viral on social media in an insolation centre in Saharsa hospital in Bihar.

As per reports, three suspects of Wuhan Coronavirus infection who attended the Nizamuddin Markaz Tablighi Jamaat were admitted to the isolation center of Saharsa Sadar hospital. As per reports, some members misbehaved with nurses for over an hour. In a video that has gone viral on social media, one can clearly see the Jamaatis misbehaving with nurses.

After the hospital administration informed the district administration, police swung into action. Sadar SDPO Prabhakar Tiwari and Sadar police station in-charge Rakesh Kumar Singh reached the hospital for examination. The nurses on duty had informed the police officer about the incident. The police seized the mobile phone of the accused and warned if the incident is repeated then they will be sent to jail.

After the warning, they started behaving well. Later they tested negative for coronavirus and were discharged on Wednesday from the isolation centre.

Earlier, reports had emerged where Tablighi Jamaat members had misbehaved with in nurses in UP. Some members reportedly walked around naked making lewd gestures at the female healthcare workers. An FIR was also registered against them.

Yes, Nandita Das, there are two Indias that exist – one where the labourers live and the other, from where your father was evicted

Editorial Desk
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Yes, Nandita Das, there are two Indias that exist – one where the labourers live and the other, from where your father was evicted

The Coronavirus pandemic has unleashed a mob of activists and what one would call the elite-brigade, who are otherwise occupied with full-time protests, to theorise on what the government should or should not have done to control the spread of the disease. These activists mainly focus on what the government did ‘wrong’, which is pretty much everything per their worldview, that revolves around unbridled hatred for Prime Minister Modi. At the same time, they shield the super-spreaders of Tablighi Jamaat simply because it is their religion that mandated them to defy lockdown, spit and defecate in corridors etc, maintain studios silence when the world takes note and praises the efforts by the Prime Minister to get a handle on the global pandemic and sit at homes, looking pretty, not moving a finger to help the ones they seem so concerned about. One such full-time protestor and part-time actress is Nandita Das.

Speaking to NDTV, Nandita Das recently said in respect to how the Coronavirus lockdown has impacted migrant labourers, that there exists two Indias, one where people are walking miles to get home and food, and the other, where people are wondering where to get their wine from.

Nandita Das statement (source: NDTV)

While there is nothing wrong with the statement made by Nandita Das per se, as the great divide certainly does exist, considering the source of this statement one can only chuckle and wonder what it takes to be a hypocrite on so many levels, so blatantly and openly.

While Nandita Das likes to fashion herself as a frugal activist who identifies with the poor masses and it her, her statement becomes hypocritical because she is exactly the kind of wine-sipping elite who likes to talk about the poor from the comfort of her own home, curse everyone for their plight and do nothing herself.

Nandita Das’ father, Jatin Das, who is a famous painter, presumably doing very well for himself, was actually squatting in a government flat until he was served an eviction notice. The father of the women who like to talk about the downtrodden was staying in government accommodation illegally for years when originally the flat was only allotted for 3 years.

Read: With 1500 squatters kicked out from Lutyens bungalows, it might explain why its always Modi vs All

It is rather interesting that while Nandita Das waxes eloquent on the plight of the poor, she was using the taxpayer’s money to squat in a government property while her family was more than capable of paying for their own accommodation and had no need to leech off public money.

Jatin Das, Nandita Das’ father, was living in the Asian Games village flat for 26 years. He was meant to use it only for 3.

There are indeed two Indias that exist, but what the media or even Nandita Das herself refuses to acknowledge is that these are the people who belong to the category that wonder where their next bottle of wine is going to come from.

While such wine-sipping elites indulge in blatant poverty-porn, the very people who they abuse have been toiling hard to ensure that the poor man gets food on his plate while the country collectively tries to fight the Wuhan Coronavirus pandemic.

Similar to the RSS, its affiliated organisation, Sewa Bharati, has also been working relentlessly, extending a helping hand to the marginalised at the time of this crisis. 

The organisation Sewa Bharati is headquartered in Delhi, from where the relief work is being carried out across the country. From distributing food packets to manufacturing masks at war footing and reaching out and distributing at places facing a scarcity to distributing bed sheets and blankets to providing basic medicines, Sewa Bharati cadres have been in the forefront in extending crucial help to the needy at the time of this pandemic. Moreover, almost 2.10 lakh cadres have been reaching out to the remotest corners of the country in order to extend their assistance.

Read: Corona Yoddha: From red light areas to the Burma border, 2.10 lakh Sewa Bharati volunteers lend a helping hand to people amid the coronavirus crisis

According to the All India general secretary of ‘Sewa Bharti’, Shravan Kumar, the organization does not see which state are they working in or what is the caste-religion or identity of the person who needs help. He told that the organization is specially engaged in reaching places where even government assistance has not reached.

There are 2.1 lakh volunteers engaged in work across the country under the banner of ‘Sewa Bharati’. The organization has contact with a total of 1200 institutions in India and is working closely with all of them. Together with these 1200 institutions, it is being ensured that no area across the country is missed at the time of this pandemic. 

Shravan said that he has direct access to almost 26 lakh people, who are being provided with food by the organisation.

The RSS too stepped in and started helping the authorities. They distributed food, masks and even cleaned the dirty hospitals and quarantine facilities to ensure that the country can fight the pandemic effectively.

Nandita Das is right. There are indeed two Indias. In fact, there are three Indias. One, where the labourers struggle to make ends meet. The other where volunteers like those from the RSS, Sewa Bharati and several good samaritans come forward in the time of pandemic to ensure that those living in the first India are taking care of, and a third India – where people like Nandita Das and her father mooch of government money and then talk about helping the poor and needy.

It is indeed the bane of the country that such hypocrites are considered credible voices by media houses that have a vested interest in projecting the worse about a country of 1.3 billion people, pulling together in solidarity to fight one of the greatest pandemics witnessed by the world.

Lucknow: Localities near mosques where Tablighi Jamaatis stayed in emerge as major coronavirus hotspots

OpIndia Staff
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Lucknow: Localities near mosques where Tablighi Jamaatis stayed in emerge as major coronavirus hotspots

The major hotspots for the spread of the Wuhan Coronavirus in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, are areas where Tablighi Jamaat members stayed in, Uttar Pradesh Police said on Thursday on Twitter while sharing the image of a report by the Hindustan Times. The eight major hotspots included localities near eight Mosques where the members of the Islamic missionary organization were found staying the report said.

Source: Twitter

Three of the four minor hotspots were near the homes of those who had tested positive. Lucknow Commissioner of Police Sujeet Pandey said, “All the hotspots in the city are already barricaded and are being sealed completely till the morning of April 15. All establishments will be closed in these localities and the media’s entry too will be restricted.” As per reports, only the supply of basic minimum essential commodities will be maintained in these hotspots and only selected cleaning staff will be allowed to enter. Police teams will carry out patrolling in these localities to ensure that the orders are not violated and everyone stays in their homes.

The Uttar Pradesh government had decided to seal off the hotspots in 15 districts completely to stop the spread of the Wuhan Coronavirus, announcing curfew-like restrictions in these places. The government assured that it will ensure the doorstep delivery of essential items such as vegetables and milk in these clusters. Passes which were issued earlier to ensure the movement of essential commodities in the regions have been cancelled.

Tablighi Jamaat has played an immense role in the spreading of the Wuhan Coronavirus across the lengths and breadths of India. States which had previously not registered cases of the virus saw people associated with the event at Markaz Nizamuddin of Tablighi Jamaat testing positive for the Wuhan Coronavirus. The Islamic missionary organization has received widespread criticism for its reckless conduct in the wake of the pandemic.

Mamata Banerjee’s parallel Coronaverse: Upset over ‘yellow’ colour of PPEs, questions Centre’s choice

OpIndia Staff
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Mamata Banerjee’s parallel Coronaverse: Upset over ‘yellow’ colour of PPEs, questions Centre’s choice

At a time when the entire country is fighting the Chinese menace coronavirus, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has continued her obsession over political conspiracies. Mamata Banerjee has now stoked a new controversy by politicizing the issue of yellow PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) kits given by the Centre to the state government and hinted that West Bengal might not use it.

Questioning the colour of the PPE kits, Mamata Banerjee said that the state government had asked for one lakh PPE kits but received only 3000 kits.

“And do you know what the biggest surprise was? A colour has been fixed for the kits. I hear the colour is yellow,” she declared during a press conference. Addressing the media at the state secretariat Nabanna, Mamata Banerjee said she was surprised by the choice of the colour and said that doctors don’t usually wear yellow kits but white or blue kits.

“I don’t know if yellow matches with Covid. Doctors usually wear (PPE kits) in white or ash colour. Some of them wear blue or sky blue kits. Some housecoats in nursing homes are pink. But I’ve never seen yellow kits. We’ll have to see what the matter is,” she said.

The chief minister appeared to allege saffronisation of PPE kits by questioning its colour. However, yellow or orange kits are used all over the world to indicate hazard. People who work in hazardous activities wear yellow or orange PPE suits. As attending to Wuhan Coronavirus patients is a hazardous activity, yellow PPE kits for doctors and nurses treating them is appropriate. Moreover, bright colours are handy in alerting people of danger, and are useful for capturing people’s attention.

It is important to note that West Bengal chief minister is objecting to the colour of PPE suits sent by the centre at a time when the doctors in the state are having to use raincoats in the absence of PPE kits while treating COVID-19 patients. Healthcare workers in the state are demanding proper PPE kits, but they are provided with raincoats and gloves, some of which were even torn.

The West Bengal chief minister is particularly fond of white and blue colours, and she had literally painted the city of Kolkata with these colors after coming to power in the state. The Mamata Banerjee government had even given tax waiver for buildings if they are painted white and blue. Therefore, it is not a surprise that she does not like yellow PPE kits and wants them in white and blue.

As of today, West Bengal has recorded 99 positive coronavirus cases with 5 deaths while 13 people have recovered.

West Bengal: Bangladeshi undertrial escapes isolation centre for coronavirus suspects in Siliguri

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: Bangladeshi undertrial escapes isolation centre for coronavirus suspects in Siliguri

A day after Kolkata police nabbed 3 people suspected of carrying Wuhan coronavirus after they fled the government quarantine centre in Kolkata, a Bangladeshi undertrial at Siliguri Correctional Home, who was kept in the isolation centre for coronavirus suspects at North Bengal Medical College Hospital, has fled the hospital on Friday.

According to a report in Times of India, the Superintendent of the correctional facility Kripamoy Nandi lodged a complaint in this regard at Matigara police station in Siliguri, following which the police have started the investigation and launched a manhunt.

The Bangladeshi undertrial was reportedly admitted to the correctional home last Wednesday.

On April 7, 1 woman and 2 children, all three belonging to the same family had fled a quarantine facility at New Town in Kolkata through its rear gate and went to their home about 10 kilometres away from the quarantine centre, sparking panic in Kolkata.

A massive manhunt was launched by the Kolkata police on April 8 morning, after which the three escapees were traced.

After absconding from the quarantine facility, the three suspected COVID-19 patients came in contact with 6 other individuals. Now they are also kept under quarantine by the police after coming in contact with suspected coronavirus patient.

There seems to be a strange dichotomy in the number of cases and deaths due to the Wuhan Coronavirus being reported from West Bengal. An expert committee has also been set up by the state government to ‘audit’ the deaths in the pandemic. In a significant incident on the 2nd of April, after an expert committee announced that seven people had died due to the Chinese Coronavirus in Bengal, Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha quickly issued an “explanation” to claim that the number of deaths was in, fact, three.

According to data released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 8 new coronavirus cases were reported as of 4:30 PM on Apr 08 in Bengal, taking the total count to 99. Among the total people infected as on date, 13 have recovered and 5 have passed away. Kolkata had the highest number of Covid-19 cases at 29 confirmed infections.

Coronavirus: UK resident Lerun Hussain jailed for three months for stealing masks in London hospital

OpIndia Staff
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Coronavirus: UK resident Lerun Hussain jailed for three months for stealing masks in London hospital

A man has been jailed for stealing face masks from a hospital in the United Kingdom. A 34-year-old man named Lerun Hussain is accused of robbing vital protective equipment from King’s College Hospital in London.

According to the reports, Lerun Hussain, a resident of Worsopp Drive, Clapham has been sentenced to 12 weeks at Croydon Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday following the incident at King’s College Hospital.

The UK Police were called to the hospital in Denmark Hill, Lambeth, at around 11:20hrs on Sunday after Hussain was detained by hospital security staff after he stole three face masks.

The hospital staff had caught Hussain stealing three surgical masks and officers arrested him on suspicion of theft, as well as for being in breach of a court order. His attempt to steal masks from the hospital came as NHS workers in the UK continue to appeal for more personal protective equipment, which many have said is in short supply.

He appeared at Croydon Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 7 April where he pleaded guilty to theft and was sentenced that same day to three months imprisonment. 

The United Kingdom has been one of the highest affected countries due to the Chinese pandemic COVID-19, which is evident with both the country’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Health Secretary Matt Hancock tested positive for the Chinese coronavirus.

Meanwhile, 60,733 have been confirmed positive in the United Kingdom and more than 7,000 have succumbed to the Chinese pandemic.

The United Kingdom has been facing severe health crisis as its attempt to ramp up mass coronavirus testing had suffered a huge setback as key components ordered from global suppliers have found out to be contaminated with coronavirus. In another major reversal, it was reported that nearly 3.5 million Coronavirus antibody tests ordered from China was found to be unfit for widespread use in the United Kingdom leaving the UK with limited testing capabilities amid the crisis.

Coronavirus: Days after being discharged from hospital, ‘Baby doll’ singer Kanika Kapoor to be questioned by UP police

OpIndia Staff
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Coronavirus: Days after being discharged from hospital, ‘Baby doll’ singer Kanika Kapoor to be questioned by UP police

Kanika Kapoor, who was discharged from hospital on April 6 after being successfully treated for coronavirus, will be interrogated by the Uttar Pradesh Police after she completes her 14-day quarantine period, as advised by the doctors.

According to the reports, the 41-year-old singer Kanika Kapoor has been booked by UP Police for negligence on March 20 for committing acts that were likely to spread the Wuhan coronavirus disease after she attended at least three gatherings in Lucknow, including a party where political leaders were present.

A case was booked against the singer for hiding her travel history and attending lavish parties after returning from London. She was charged under IPC Section 269 [negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life] and Section 270 [malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life].

A senior police official reportedly said that the police was drawing up a list of questions that the singer will be required to answer during the interrogation. The interrogation will take place after April 20 when she completes her quarantine period.

The police will interrogate the singer related to her return from London on March 9, whether she underwent medical screening at the Mumbai airport, whether she was aware of the coronavirus, what precautions she had taken for the same, why did she attend public functions even though she had a fever and cold, etc.

Kanika Kapoor had confirmed that she had been infected with the novel coronavirus through an Instagram post which was later deleted. Before that, she threw a dinner party that was attended by nearly a hundred people. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and her son Dushyant were one of those who attended her dinner party.

5 point agenda suggested by Sonia Gandhi, President of Congress, to fight Coronavirus: Juvenile, disconnected and petty

S. Sudhir Kumar
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5 point agenda suggested by Sonia Gandhi, President of Congress, to fight Coronavirus: Juvenile, disconnected and petty

Amidst one of the largest crises that humanity is facing in general and India in particular, the all-powerful President of the Indian National Congress party had suggested a 5 point plan to the Prime Minister of India. Here is what, in the mind of Sonia Gandhi, will help India fight the Coronavirus pandemic.

First point suggestion by Sonia Gandhi to fight Coronavirus: Impose a complete ban on media advertisements

You would assume that given the magnitude of the crisis we are going through, the very first point would be something related to either medial related stuff or specifics of an economic revival package. Staggering to believe that amidst such a crisis, the first thought that comes to the mind of the President of Congress – Ban advertisements! What good is it going to do to anyone to ban advertisements? It is very important for us to ponder why the Congress party has a fascination with bans (starting right from the Frist amendment to the Constitution).

English media doyens, who often fancy giving a running commentary on everything and anything under the sun, are tight-lipped about this suggestion that is fatal to their own field. Is it because it came from the mighty Sonia Gandhi? Are they so afraid of her to even make a mild comment on this idea? Next time they scream “fascism”, you know which letter to point to! 

Second point suggested by Sonia Gandhi to fight Coronavirus: Suspend the 20,000 crores “Central Vista” beautification and construction project herewith

You would think – Oh that’s a good suggestion, she wants to save a whopping 20,000 crore – and want to give merit to the thought. Here’s the thing – there is NO notification from the central government that this project will cost 20,000 crore. Here’s more – there has been NO allocation for the same in this year’s budget either. What then is the source of this number? 

The number first appears in the report by The Print on 17th February. Where did they get the number from? Their report merely mentions “The project…is estimated to cost around Rs 20,000 crore, ThePrint has learnt.” That’s it – “ThePrint has learnt”. No details on how they “learned it”. 

Strangely, The Print in its sourced PTI article on 16th January tells us that “The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has estimated that redevelopment of Central Vista will cost around Rs 12,879 crore.” No one has any clue on where both the numbers have come from. But let’s continue with the 20,000 crore number. 

The Print in their article on 23rd March– Govt notifies land-use change for Rs 20,000-crore Delhi power corridor to revamp plan backlink to their own article regarding the 20,000 crore estimate as proof that the project is costing 20,000 crore. The Wire, The Week, The Hindu and the entire bandwagon hop on to this bus now – and dish out articles and graphics telling us how 20,000 crores are being spent on “beautification” and not on Coronavirus. 

You would still think that the government notification on “land use change” will mention the amount. Here is the release– can you find any reference to the 20,000 crore amount? Can you find any reference to any amount and the plan for their releases? Here are the links for the full Gazette notifications– can you find any reference to the 20,000 crore amount? Fact is that there is a no official document that mentions this number.

It is still baffling as to how our media gets away with such blatant lies. Their co-ordination in spreading a lie is very praiseworthy though! That this co-ordination is supervised by the highest echelons in the Congress party is quite evident from how this lie made it to the letter by Sonia Gandhi. How else could she rely solely on media reports and write a lie to the Prime Minister of India?

More importantly, why should a redevelopment project be suspended? The project will provide employment to thousands, which in-turn can help in the revival of the economy. Does Sonia Gandhi not want a revival of our economy through such means? 

Third point suggested by Sonia Gandhi to fight Coronavirus: It makes sense to order a proportionate reduction of 30% in government expenditure (other than salaries, Pensions and Central Sector schemes). And use the money to create an economic safety net

Yet another point bereft of any details. What exact expenditures are left after the “salary, pensions and central sector schemes” are exempted? If that expenditure is again put to help those in distress, will Congress again count that as an expenditure cost only? Why couldn’t she specifically tell us that the various areas that the Central government can cut expenses on? For example, since she wants central sector schemes to continue, does she want a reduction in how much the states get? Or does she want infrastructure projects to be halted? How can the mighty President of the Congress party not give any specifics in a letter addressed to the Prime Minister of India?

Fourth point suggested by Sonia Gandhi to fight Coronavirus: All foreign visits of PM, Ministers, Bureaucrats etc must be stopped. 

This doesn’t make much sense. There is a travel lockdown now anyway. Why doesn’t Sonia Gandhi mention for how long she wants this ban to be in place? The Modi government has been most austere in planning for foreign visits even when the economy was going good, so this piece of advice looks as silly as Rahul Gandhi’s tweets. 

Fifth point suggested by Sonia Gandhi to fight Coronavirus: Transfer all money from PM-CARES to PMNRF

While her personal interest has been exposed and discussed threadbare regarding the PMNRF, there is yet another staggering statement she has made – “I understand that Rs 3800 crores are lying idle in PMNRF”. What does “lying idle” even mean? Does she mean to say that PMNRF should have no funds in their account at all? The funds in PMNRF are to be used for disaster response, natural emergencies etc. This basically means that there must always be funds available in the PMNRF. Funds availability in PMNRF is not equivalent to money “lying idle”!

More importantly, no one really cares about this silly controversy that the English media and Congress ecosystem is trying to create. The enthusiastic response that PM-CARES has received is proof enough of how citizens of India care more about contributing than the silly controversy of where the money should go. 

The disconnect of the Congress party

The suggestions by the President of Congress party do not include any points regarding help to migrant workers; help to the health sector employees; specific help to MSMEs (only a cursory reference to them); help to the IT sector, construction sector etc; details of any revival package; good things that various Congress party state governments are doing from which others can learn etc. Instead, there are lies, chicanery and repetitive rhetorical points that only boil down to saving some money and control of that money. 

Infact, from all the five points, it is so clear as to how juvenile and disconnected the Congress party is with the people of India and how well connected it is with only the English media ecosystem. 

Madhya Pradesh: Shivraj govt seals Bhopal, Indore and Ujjain over coronavirus cases spike, ESMA invoked to ensure supply of essential items

OpIndia Staff
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Madhya Pradesh: Shivraj govt seals Bhopal, Indore and Ujjain over coronavirus cases spike, ESMA invoked to ensure supply of essential items

After a sudden spike in the number of coronavirus cases, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday ordered three major cities Indore, Bhopal and Ujjain to be sealed completely. Alongside, the government has also announced a complete lockdown of 14 districts amid the coronavirus threat.

The state government also invoked the Essential Services Management Act (ESMA) in the state with immediate effect to combat COVID-19 to ensure essential supplies and services are operational during this crisis.

“The district administration should ensure the supply of essential commodities in these areas. No person will be able to go in and out of these areas. Services of all government departments and their resources should be taken in coronavirus related work,” Chouhan was quoted by ANI as saying.

The Chief Minister’s decision came after reviewing the situation with senior state officials.

According to the state health department, Indore has reported 173 positive cases of coronavirus, the maximum in the state. Bhopal has 96 active COVID-19 cases while 13 patients are undergoing treatment in Ujjain. Khargone and Morena have also reported 12 cases each. The state has reported over 10 COVID-19 related deaths so far.

Madhya Pradesh decision came after similar directives issued by the governments in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. While hotspots in 15 districts were sealed by the Yogi Adityanath government, Delhi also identified the worst-affected areas and ordered a complete lockdown, barring movement for all except health and sanitation workers.

Amid mounting concerns over the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Union health ministry has squarely blamed the Tablighi Jamaat for the sudden spike in the number of positive cases in the country. The Ministry maintained that last month’s Tablighi Jamaat gathering in Delhi has pushed up the doubling rate of cases in India to 4.1 days from the estimated 7.4 days.

With 540 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, the total number of coronavirus cases in India has jumped to 5,734. The death toll from COVID-19 rose to 166 while 473 patients have been cured of the virus or discharged.

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