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  • Low internet speed: Kashmiri students unable to attend online classes

    SRINAGAR: Amid COVID-19 scare, students in Kashmir are unable to attend online classes due to low internet speed.

    There is complete lockdown to contain coronavirus. At the same time educational institutions have been putting study material and started online classes for the students.
    However, students are unable to attend online classes due to low internet speed.

    Mehraj Ahmad, a resident of Bemina, whose son has to appear in class 10th this year. However, he is worried as his son has lost interest in studies.
    “School authorities have put study material and lectures of teachers on their websites but my son is not able to access them due to low internet speed,” he told Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS), with a distraught face.
    He said during 2019 unrest after abrogation of Article 370, his son was taking tuition’s at a community school which was started by a local youth.
    “In this lockdown children can neither take online classes, nor go to Jammu or Delhi for tuitions neither community schools have been set up,” he told KINS.

    A Class 5 student in Kashmir has also written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging restoration of high-speed Internet. “I feel sad, frustrated, and angry, stressed because I could not attend the online classes organized by my school due to 2G connection. Online classes do not work on 2G,” Hiba Arjimand Wani, a Class 5 student wrote.

    Suhail Ahmad, a class 8th student of Baramulla is confined inside four walls for last three weeks.

    The ongoing situation has started weakening his memory who feels frustrated of staying inside four walls. “Due to fear of coronavirus we don’t allow him to step out of house. He is not able to attend online classes due to low internet speed,” his father said.
    Secretary, School Education Department Asgar Samoon has said the students cannot download the text books due to the slow internet speed.
    “Kids have no ipads/no access to desktops; cant download text books as internet is slow; Rs 2030.87 lac released for 1st-8th classes; DSEJ Rs 1105.44 lac & DSEK Rs. 925.43 lac; Kashmir division has distributed the books; remaining Jammu districts-DSEJ, CEOS, ZEOS to expedite in 2 weeks,” Samoon tweeted.
    However, J&K’s Home Department has said in an order, “The internet speed restrictions have while enabling access to essential services and sites, not posed any hindrance to COVID-19 control measures or to access online educational content but checked the unfettered misuse of social media for incitement and propagating/ coordinating terror activities.”(KINS)

  • Jammu woman tests positive for coronavirus after giving birth to baby; J&K tally 224

    Srinagar: A day after giving birth to a baby at Sri Maharaja Gulab Singh (SMGS) hospital in Jammu, a woman from Akhnoor has tested positive for novel coronavirus, sending alarm bells ringing in the entire winter capital of the erstwhile State. 

    This is the J&K’s first case of a COVID-19 positive patient giving birth and it has led to panic in the entire Jammu city. 

    Sources told Global News Service (GNS) that the sample of the baby has been taken and results are awaited. “Both the woman, a resident of Akhnoor Jammu, and baby are healthy but the woman’s tests returning positive for the coronavirus has created panic. The hospital has many patients and this is reason why everybody is alarmed,” a senior official said. 
    She was among seventeen fresh cases of novel coronavirus reported in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, taking the number of infected persons in the J&K to 224.
      
    “17 new cases reported in J&K. 5 from Jammu Division and 12 from Kashmir. Total positive cases now 224,” government spokesman Rohit Kansal tweeted.  

    12 cases in Kashmir include six from Bandipora, 3 from Kupwara and one from Budgam districts, the sources said.
    “2 more positives from Muqam Shawali and another from Bandipora currently residing in Trehgam, all contacts of earlier positive patients. All 3 are under quarantine at COVID Hospital Kupwara and are stable,” Deputy Commissioner Kupwara Anshul Garg said.

    He requested all to cooperate with district administration in contact tracing and surveillance in “Red Zones”. 
     
    Today’s cases are lowest recently as 150 cases were added in the last ten days alone. From the time the first COVID-19 case was announced in J&K on March 09, it took about three weeks for the cases to reach 50-mark. It took the next five days for the cases to double—to cross 100—and next as many days to cross 200-mark.

    From 52 reported cases by the end of last month, the J&K reached a cumulative tally of 106 cases on April 5. Till date, the officially confirmed tally stands at 224—44 in Jammu and 180 in Kashmir. Four people have died due to the deadly infection in the J&K while six others—three each in Jammu and Kashmir divisions have recovered and discharged. (GNS)

  • Asymptomatic cases are silent spreaders of the Coronavirus disease : DAK

    Asymptomatic coronavirus cases can infect others: DAK

    Srinagar Apr 11: With more than 70 percent COVID-19 cases in Kashmir valley showing no symptoms, Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) on Saturday said asymptomatic cases of the novel (new) coronavirus can infect other people and spread the disease.
    “Asymptomatic cases are silent spreaders of the disease,” said DAK President Dr Nisar ul Hassan.
    “Feeling good or having absence of symptoms doesn’t mean you can’t infect someone else,” he said.
    Dr Nisar said while people displaying symptoms spread the virus through droplets when they cough or sneeze, someone who is not showing the symptoms, but still has the virus can transmit the disease in the same way.
    “The first confirmation that the novel coronavirus could be transmitted by asymptomatic people came in February, when a case study described a 20 year old woman from Wuhan China who passed the virus to five family members but never got physically sick herself ,” he said.
    “Emerging body of data suggests that asymptomatic carriers are more likely contributing to the rapid spread of the disease making it challenging for experts to assess the true extend of the pandemic,” he added.
    While early data showed that asymptomatic transmission was a rarity, Dr Nisar said a recent study published in the British Medical Journal suggested that 78 percent people with COVID-19 had no symptoms. The new paper is based on the data that Chinese authorities began publishing daily from April 01 on the number of new cases in the country that are asymptomatic.
    “More than 70 percent confirmed cases of novel coronavirus in Kashmir valley are asymptomatic. That is a huge number. These are the contacts. We just don’t know how many more may be out there,” he said.
    “The high percentage of asymptomatic individuals should motivate us for mass screening of the population.
    Understanding exactly how coronavirus is spreading is important in containing the illness and keeping people healthy,” said Dr Nisar.

  • Covid-19: 17 more cases test positive, J&K tally goes up to 224

    Srinagar: The Covid-19 positive cases continues to show a spurt in Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory (UT) as 17 new cases tested positive for the pandemic taking the tally to 224.

    As per wire service—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Government Spokesman Rohit Kansal tweeted: “17 new cases reported in J&K. 5 from Jammu division and 12 from Kashmir. Total positive cases now 224.

    Detailed bulletin follows.” In Srinagar, 14 areas have been declared as red zones where all entry/exit points have been sealed—(KNO)

  • Karnataka | Youth made clean lake area for violating lockdown restrictions

    M.T. Shiva Kumar

    After using batons and detaining vehicles on streets, now the K.R. Pet police have found another way to educate and punish the people wandering on streets violating the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. That is, deploying them to clean public places.

    On Saturday, the police found many people, mainly youngsters, flouting the lockdown restrictions in the town.

    The police brought all of them to the historical Devirammanni Lake on the outskirts of the town and made them clean the area around the lake.

    According to the police, the men removed several tractor loads of parthenium, weeds, polythene bags and other waste materials.

  • Srinagar admin generating employment opportunities amid Covid-19 scare

    Srinagar: Srinagar Administration which is working tirelessly to fight COVID 19 by all means sets example for others to deal with the Pandemic by diversifying efforts.

    One of the major initiatives is being carried out by the administration by engaging various locals for manufacturing of face masks by local entrepreneurs to help them earn livelihood in such crucial circumstances.

    ACD Srinagar Bilal Mukhtar told KNT that the Government’s initiative of universalization of masks is carried out in the District which involves involvement of KVIB/KVIC, WBC Srinagar, SHGs from various areas of District Srinagar including, Harwan, Theed, Boat Colony Habbak, Khonmoh etc .

    Material was procured and distributed to these SHGs which will serve the twin purpose viz universalization of nasks at the doorsteps and providing livelihood to the unemployed sector under such hard times and getting appreciation from every corner of the society. He further informed that every effort is being made by the administration in its outreach programs and advised the people to stay indoor during the Lockdown period. (KNT)

  • Kerala man rides 150 km to deliver medicines to 4-year-old cancer patient

    A police officer and a medical sergeant worked together to deliver much-needed medicines to a young girl receiving treatment for cancer. The latter rode 150 km to make sure she got them on time. Read on for more on this heartwarming story from Kerala.Medical sergeant rode more than 150 km on his bike to deliver medicines to a 4-year-old cancer patient whose family ran out of them in late March during the ongoing lockdown.

    The girl lives in Kerala’s Alappuzha district and makes a monthly trip to the Regional Cancer Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital, for chemotherapy.

    But she was recently advised to temporarily take medication when the chemo unit was shut down to pre-empt coronavirus infections..

    The medicines aren’t available in her district, so when her family ran out, they reached out to Antony Ratheesh, a civil police officer.

    Ratheesh contacted a friend — Vishnu, a former police officer who is now a sergeant at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College — for help with getting the medicines from the Regional Cancer Centre in Thiruvananthapuram.

    “Vishnu was getting ready to leave for Thiruvananthapuram (from Alappuzha) for his duty. He had planned to stay there for a week as part of his duty. I told him about the situation and he agreed to help,”

  • Hindu Mahasabha district president arrested in Chitradurga

    The district secretary of Popular Front of India had filed a complaint against an alleged communal post on Facebook.

    PTI

    District president of Akhila Bharata Hindu Mahasabha, M. Kumaraswamy has been arrested by the Chitradurga Town police on charges of posting provocative posts on Facebook.

    According to the police, Syed Sadath who is the district secretary of Popular Front of India in Chitradurga filed a complaint on the evening of April 10 stating that Mr. Kumaraswamy had posted “Godhra riots will be repeated by Karsevaks” on his Facebook page on April 7th. Mr. Sadath said that Mr. Kumaraswamy was spreading communal hatred and targeting one community, at a time when the world was struggling to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Mr. Sadath alleged that the provocative post will disrupt peace and harmony in the society.

    The police registered a case under various sections of the IPC. The police arrested Mr. Kumaraswamy from his residence in Gandhinagar in Chitradurga on the evening of April 10.

  • Bihar | Woman in Covid isolation ward dies after doctor ‘rapes’ her

    Agencies

    PATNA: A woman who was in a Covid isolation ward in a private hospital died after the doctor there allegedly raped her. Though the incident happened in Bihar, the woman was a Punjab native.

    The two-month pregnant woman and her husband had reached Gaya only on March 25. In Ludhiana, she had a miscarriage. After reaching Gaya, she had severe bleeding, following which, she was admitted to hospital.

    On April 1, she was shifted to isolation ward as she reportedly had Covid symptoms. She was discharged on April 4 after she tested negative for Coronavirus.

    On April 6, she was again admitted to the hospital due to excessive bleeding. Later she died there.

    Only after her death, her relatives spilled the beans. They revealed that the duty doctor in the ward had raped her in two consecutive nights.
    The police have filed a case against the doctor, who is on the run.

    With inputs from PTI

  • More than 40 Indian-Americans die of COVID-19 in U.S.

    The U.S. has become the world’s first country to have registered more than 2,000 COVID-19 deaths in a single day with 2,108 fatalities reported in the past 24 hours

    PTI

    More than 40 Indian-Americans and citizens of India have reportedly lost their lives due to the deadly coronavirus and the number of those having tested positive for the dreaded disease is likely over 1,500, according to community leaders in the US, now the global COVID-19 hotspot.

    The U.S. has become the world’s first country to have registered more than 2,000 COVID-19 deaths in a single day with 2,108 fatalities reported in the past 24 hours, while the number of infections in America has crossed 500,000, according to latest Johns Hopkins University data.

    New York, which has emerged as the epicenter of the COVID-19 in the U.S., along with adjoining New Jersey, account for majority of the death cases reported so far. Notably, New York and New Jersey have one of the highest concentrations of Indian-Americans in the country.

    Among those who have died in the fight against the coronavirus, at least 17 are from Kerala, 10 from Gujarat, four from Punjab, two from Andhra Pradesh and one from Orissa. Majority of them are more than 60 years of age, except for one who was of 21 years of age.

    According to a list of COVID-19 deaths compiled by PTI from various community leaders, more than a dozen Indian-Americans have died in the State of New Jersey, mostly around the Little India areas of Jersey City and Oak Tree Road.

    Similarly, at least 15 Indian-Americans have reportedly died in New York.

    Reports of the deaths of four Indian-Americans have also come from Pennsylvania and Florida. There has been confirmed deaths of at least one Indian-American in both Texas and California.

    Reports indicated that at least 11 Indian nationals have died in the U.S. due to the coronavirus, with a majority of them being from New York-New Jersey area.

    “We have not seen a situation like this in the past,” said Bhavesh Dave, who runs a commercial real estate business on the Oak Tree Road area of New Jersey often called as Little India.

    Among those who lost their lives were Hanmantha Rao Marepally, CEO of Sunnova Analytical Inc. He passed away in Edison, New Jersey. He is survived by wife and two daughters.

    Chandrakant Amin, a popular face at Indian Square in New Jersey City, and known for distributing flyers for businesses has also died of the novel coronavirus. He was 75.

    More than 50 friends and family members of Mahendra Patel, 60, joined his last rites through an online video platform this week, after city officials in New Jersey told them that not more than nine of them could attend the funeral in person. At least one Indian-American died inside his home in New Jersey.

    Community leaders said they estimate more than 400 Indian-Americans have tested positive in New Jersey and more than a 1,000 in New York. In New York City several Indian-American taxi drivers have tested positive.

    There are reports of several community leaders being tested positive for coronavirus, but most of them requested anonymity.

    Online campaign to find plasma donors

    Meanwhile, community leaders have started online and social media campaigns to find plasma donors so as to help in the treatment of those in serious condition. At least two of them were successfully able to find a plasma donor on Friday.

    One Neila Pandya in Jersey City shared a video on social media on Friday, urging community members not to take the virus pandemic lightly.

    Speaking in Gujarati, she said that all five of her family members are seriously ill, of which local hospital has admitted only two of them, as there were not enough beds.

    Rasik Patel, 60, from Jersey City who was taken off the ventilator a few days ago is reportedly in a serious condition.

    While there is sense of panic among Indian Americans, some of the community leaders have come out with a helping hand. For instance, Ajit, Sachin and Sanjay Modi from Rajbhog Sweets have been providing free vegetarian food at Jersey City Medical Center.

    Dave from Oak Tree Road in New Jersey has started a fund raiser campaign to donate 1,000 face masks to health care professionals and first responders.

    There are reports of several local restaurants in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, and Pennsylvania distributing foods to their nearest hospitals.

    World Hindu Council of America volunteers have been supplying free meals to Lowell General Hospital- ER workers in Boston and to first responders and doctors in Indianapolis. It also distributed 85,000 gloves to the local police, fire, and emergency medical technicians in New Jersey.