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  • Luck didn’t favour them: 8 people with Nigeria travel history, complete mandatory quarantine, ‘5 turn corona positive’

    Srinagar, April 10: Luck didn’t favour a Kashmiri group who had travelled to Nigeria in South Africa and were put under mandatory quarantine in a tourist spot far from Srinagar. When their quarantine period completed, five of them tested positive and three negative.

    Official sources told Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS) that eight people of Tableegi Jamaat were put under mandatory quarantine at Gulmarg resort of Kashmir. “They were lodged in an administrative quarantine center at Gulmarg with all the possible essential commodities available to them,” an official said.
    He said that they had a travel history of Nigeria, where they had gone to attend a Tableegi Jamaat program in early March. “They cooperated with the administration and agreed to stay in 14- day mandatory quarantine in Gulmarg. All of them were asymptomatic but completed mandatory quarantine period.”

    However, the day when they were supposed to be discharged, came their results. “Five of them were coronavirus positive and three negative. Luck didn’t favour the five,” an official privy to the tests told KINS.
    After their tests came positive, the entire quarantine center staff was asked to stay in quarantine and the building was sanitized too.

    Deputy Commissioner Baramullah, Dr. G. N. Itoo said that eight people were lodged in Gulmarg and they had a travel history of South Africa. “Five of them tested positive and three negative,” he told KINS.

    “Those who served them have been now put on mandatory quarantine and there testes will also be done,” the DC said.

    He said till date the administration in the Baramullah District have tested 153 people. “21 have been tested positive so far and 133 negative,” the DC informed.

    Kashmir is already on an edge as the pandemic is spreading fast. In the past 24 hours, 56 cases were tested positive in Kashmir alone which signifies that the pandemic has almost taken an ugly turn. Four people, three of them in Kashmir, have already died of Covid-19. (KINS)

  • Pakistan’s contribution triggers debate over SAARC COVID-19 Emergency Fund

    Pakistan declared a $3 million contribution to the Fund to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak in South Asia.

    PTI

    Pakistan is trying to score “narrow political points” by tying its contribution to the SAARC COVID-19 Emergency Fund to the bureaucracy of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), sources said on Thursday.

    The comments from the Indian side came minutes after Pakistan declared a $3 million contribution to the Fund to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak in South Asia saying that the amount should be administered through the SAARC Secretariat located in Kathmandu and its utilisation should be finalised through consultations with the SAARC members “as per the SAARC Charter”.

    In contrast, India has maintained since the Fund was launched on March 15, by the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, that it should be considered as a “stand-alone” emergency step that should remain “outside the SAARC calendar of approved activities”.

    Officials here feel that by linking the Fund with the SAARC Secretariat and the SAARC Charter, Pakistan will “block all our initiatives and proposals ….for each and every step of the way”. The Indian and Pakistani positions on how to use contributions from the SAARC member countries have thrown up two divergent positions regarding the modality to be followed for utilising the dedicated multi-nation aide.

    Speaking off the record, a source from a third member country said, that other SAARC member states have not enunciated any such established method nor have they insisted on a particular expenditure modality so far indicating that they maintain a flexible “crisis based approach” to the Fund.

    After Prime Minister Modi announced $10 million at the video conference of SAARC leaders on March 15, other member countries came forward with contributions for the initiative. The Ministry of External Affairs has said earlier that the Indian contribution has been activated to help member states in need of assistance to counter the pandemic. “Keeping control of the activities that emerged from PM’s video conference of March 15 has helped us move much faster and without any hindrances,” said a source explaining India’s critical response to Pakistan’s contribution to the Fund.

  • Earthquake of Magnitude 3.0 hits J&K

    Earthquake of Magnitude 3.0, occurred on 10-04-2020; 11:51:38 IST.

    Latitude: 33.3 N & Long: 76.6 E

    Depth: 10 Km

    Region: Jammu & Kashmir

  • DM, Kulgam declares Sopat-Tengpora villages as Red zone

    Naikpora A & B of ward NO-2 of MC kulgam, also declared as red zone

    Srinagar, Apr 10: After a positive COVID-19 case was reported from village Sopat in the district, District Magistrate (DM), Kulgam Showkat Aijaz Bhat declared sopat-tengpora villages as Red Zone and its surrounding villages, Berigam, Mondhole, Banghall,Cheyan Adigam of tehsil Devsar as buffer Zones.

    Meanwhile Naikpora “A” & “B” ward No. 02 of Municipal committee kulgam has also been declered as red zones which were earlier declered as buffer zones.

    So far two positive case of COVID-19 has been reported in the district.

    Invoking prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC, Disaster Management Act, 2005 and Epidemic Diseases Act 1897, there will be no inward and outward movement of any person from Red and buffer zone areas.

    According to KINS South Kashmir correspondent,District Magistrate kulgam personally visited Sopat area to monitor the situation and said that it becomes imperative to take stringent precautionary measures like declaring village as Red zone and surrounding villages as a buffer zone to break transmission of the disease in the area.

    Notably district is under strict restrictions and lockdown down in View of COVID-19.(KINS)

  • JeM commander’s funeral: Dozens arrested during overnight raid in Sopore

    Sopore, Apr 10: Dozens of people especially youth were arrested during nocturnal raids in Zaingeer belt of Sopore in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, officials said.

    According to wire service—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the arrested persons had defied the government’s prohibitory orders and had attended the funeral procession of slain Jaish-e-Muhammad commander, who was killed in recent gunfight in the area.

    A senior police officer told KNO that they have arrested dozens of people who were identified through visuals. Officer said more arrests are expected from different villages of Zaingeer belt in coming days.

    Police officials said that the participation of large number of people in the funeral of slain militant not only violated the set guidelines issued by the government in wake of Covid-19, but it also exposed the entire population in the area to the pandemic.

    He said that an FIR vide number 70/2020 under section 188 has been registered in this regard and videos of this procession are being checked and those who participated in it are being identified

    — (KNO)

  • Shoaib Akhtar moots India-Pakistan ODI series to raise funds for tackling COVID-19

    Says the proceeds can be donated equally to the governments to fight the pandemic

    Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar, on Wednesday, proposed a three-match ODI series against arch-rival India to raise funds for the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in both the countries.

    The two nations have not played a full-series since 2007 due to the terrorist attacks on India by Pakistan-based outfits and the resultant diplomatic tension. They only play each other in ICC events and Asia Cup.

    Outcome irrelevant

    “In this time of crisis, I want to propose a three match-series in which, for the first time, the people of neither country would be upset at the outcome of the games,” Akhtar told PTI from Islamabad.

    “If Virat (Kohli) scores a hundred, we will be happy, if Babar Azam scores a hundred, you will be happy. Both teams will be winners irrespective of whatever happens on the field,” he said.

    “You are bound to get massive viewership for the games. For the first time, both countries will play for each other. And whatever funds are generated through this can be donated equally to the government of India and Pakistan to fight this pandemic,” added the 44-year-old.

    Sooner the better

    With both countries in a lockdown amid the fast-spreading pandemic, the games can only be organised when things improve. However, Akhtar feels the sooner they are held, the better it would be but could not tell how the logistics of such an initiative would be worked out.

    “Everyone is sitting at home at the moment, so there will be a massive following for the games. May be not now, when things start improving, the games could be organised at a neutral location like Dubai. Chartered flights could be arranged and the matches could he held.

    “It could even lead to resumption of bilateral cricketing ties and relations of both countries improve diplomatically. You never know,” he said.

    “The whole world will tune into it, so much money can be raised to deal with this crisis. In difficult times, the character of the nation comes forward.”

    In these extraordinary times, Akhtar feels both countries should help each other.

    “If India can make 10,000 ventilators for us, Pakistan will remember this gesture forever. But we can only propose the matches. The rest is up to the authorities (to decide).”

    PTI

  • Kashmir procures hydroxychloroquine as global demand grows

    As global demand for anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) grows, the authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have procured 1.10 lakh tablets to use them treat coronavirus patients.

    The drug has been touted as a potential “game-changer” for coronavirus by US President Donald Trump, although several international health experts say that its effectiveness on treating the contagion is still unproven.

    Health officials said the tablets have been distributed among various hospitals treating the coronavirus patients in Jammu and Kashmir.

    “In first installment, we procured 1.10 lakh hydroxychloroquine tablets for Jammu and Kashmir on Monday,” said Mohammad Iqbal, General Manager J&K Medical Supplies Corporation Limited, which is entrusted to procure and supply drugs to government-run hospitals.

    With coronavirus positive cases in the union territory climbing to 114, majority of them in Kashmir, Iqbal said 60,000 hydroxychloroquine tablets have been allotted to hospitals in Kashmir and 50,000 to Jammu.

    In Kashmir, 30,000 tablets have been allowed to Directorate of Health Services Kashmir, 15,000 to Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar, 5,000 each to SKIMS, Bemina, GMC Baramulla, and GMC Anantnag.

    “These drugs have been procured for treatment of CoVID positive cases and high-risk health workers,” he said.

    However, Iqbal said HCQ drug was yet to be used for coronavirus treatment.

    HCQ drug is used to prevent or treat malaria infections caused by mosquito bites. It is also used, usually with other medications, to treat certain auto-immune diseases (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis) when other medications have not worked or cannot be used. It belongs to a class of medications known as disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs)

    Many virologists and infectious disease experts have cautioned people about the use of hydroxychloroquine, as there have been no complete clinical trials to see how the drug behaves in patients.

    “Those rushing to buy and stock (err hoard) hydroxychloroquine may note that there is only a weak evidence for its use and its approval comes in wake of absence of clearly effective and safe alternatives. Patients with other diseases (RA etc) need it and must find it in stores,” tweeted Dr Parvaiz Koul, Head of Chest Medicine department at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura.

    India has allowed the export of a drug considered vital for the treatment of coronavirus.

    The government on Tuesday said it would allow the US to import from India previously contracted shipments of the drug.

    HCQ came into limelight after Trump said he wanted to eliminate all barriers to make it available for the treatment of Covid patients in the US where the death toll has crossed 10,000.

    In India, the main Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) makers for HCQ are Ipca Laboratories and Zydus Cadila, and the US is now willing to overlook its Federal Drug Authority’s three-year ban on one of the companies.

    – Samaan Lateef | TNS

  • Pray at home during Ramadan, says Khamenei to Iranians

    TEHRAN: Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday appealed for Iranians to pray at home during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.

    Iran has reported more than 4,100 deaths and 66,000 infections from the novel coronavirus, making the country’s COVID-19 outbreak one of the worst in the world.

    Khamenei called on Iranians to avoid mass gatherings, such as collective prayers, during Ramadan, which starts later this month.

    “In the absence of public gatherings during Ramadan, such as prayers, speeches… which we are deprived of this year, we should not neglect worship, invocation and humility in our loneliness,” he said in a televised speech.

    “We need to create humility and supplication in our families and in our rooms.”

    Iran, which announced its first COVID-19 cases on February 19, is by far the worst hit by the pandemic in the Middle East, according to official tolls.

    But there has been speculation abroad that the real number of deaths and infections in the country could be higher. Ramadan is set to start in the last week of April this year.

    —Agencies

  • Oil producers put heads together over output cuts

    Top oil producers started a crucial meeting on Thursday to discuss a possible cut in output after a collapse in demand due to the coronavirus and a Saudi-Russian price war caused the market to crash.

    AFP

    The videoconference meeting began between OPEC, its OPEC+ allies, including Russia and other key non-members.

    Oil prices rose sharply as the meeting opened, extending earlier big gains, but then fell back again later to post more modest gains as nervous traders took profits.

    The meeting is seen as the best chance of providing support to prices which have been wallowing near two-decade lows.

    Experts warn that without concerted action the commodity risks a steep sell-off.

    Last week U.S. President Donald Trump claimed Russia and Saudi Arabia would step back from their stand-off and agree to slash output.

    Then OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia called for an urgent meeting of producers “to try to reach a fair deal” to “stabilise the oil market” following a phone call between its Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Mr. Trump.

    Thursday’s meeting intends to conclude an agreement to cut production by between 10 and 15 million barrels per day, Kuwait’s Oil Minister Khaled al-Fadhel said in an interview with the Kuwaiti Al-Rai daily.

  • In spring, winter power schedule still operational in Kashmir

    People not cooperating, will revise schedule once temperature improves: CE PDC

    Srinagar, Apr 09 (KNO): Even though half of the spring season has already passed, people across Kashmir resent the government’s move of providing power supply according to the winter schedule.

    Locals from different areas of central south and north Kashmir told wire service—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that their area is getting power supply as per the winter schedule which was announced and implemented in first week of November last year.

    “Winter is over but our power woes continue. We are still getting the power supply as per the winter schedule that was announced and implemented in October last year,” said Irfan Ahmad a resident of Chanapora area of Srinagar.

    Residents from different areas of North Kashmir said that unscheduled and frequent power cuts still persist in the entire region despite the arrival of summer season.

    “Since November snowfall, the power development department has failed to ensure proper power supply as per their curtailment schedule which affects the residents quite badly,” said Junaid Ahmad, a resident of Baramulla.

    Locals from South Kashmir said that power supply is snapped after every one or two hours in their area. “Our area reels under darkness in the evening. Despite arrival of spring season and considerable improvement in weather, the power supply is snapped as per winter schedule and pesky power cuts are still prevalent” Waris Ahmad, a local resident of Achabal area of Anantnag, said.

    Since January the power development department had failed to ensure proper power supply as per their curtailment schedule which affects residents as well businessmen and industrialists,” said Ghulam Muhammad, a resident of Lassipora.

    Similarly residents of other areas of Kashmir have alleged that after every two hours, the area witnesses power cuts that too for hours together.

    “We took up the issue with authorities who are assuring us of improvement in the power schedule, but on ground nothing happens,” said locals from different areas of Kashmir.

    When contacted, Chief Engineer Power Development Corporation Kashmir, Aijaz Ahmad Dar, said due to Covid restrictions and sustained cold, load is yet to drop and people are also not cooperating by reducing heating loads.

    “Constrains do not allow full change of schedule and it will changed only once temperature will further improve,” he said—(KNO)