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  • US coronavirus cases surpass 200,000 with more than 4,600 deaths

    At a briefing on Wednesday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said his state has more than 83,000 cases of coronavirus.

    Agencies

    The number of coronavirus cases in the United States surpassed 200,000 on Wednesday as officials warned spikes in confirmed cases may soon be seen outside of large city centres.

    At his daily briefing on Wednesday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said his state accounted for more than 83,000 of the total coronavirus infections and 1,941 of the deaths. Neighbouring New Jersey was the second-hardest hit state, with more than 18,000 cases and 267 deaths.

    In New York alone, currently the epicentre of US outbreak, 12,226 people remain hospitalised, an increase of 1,297 in the past 24 hours, more than 3,000 of them in intensive care. Cuomo stressed that more than 6,000 patients had been treated and released from hospitals in the state.

    The data from the US, however, comes amid reports that China has underplayed the extent of the outbreak in that country, the origin of the coronavirus. Bloomberg News, citing White House sources, reported on Wednesday that US intelligence officials believe China has underreported both the number of cases and deaths from COVID-19, the disease associated with the coronavirus. The extent of the understatement was not disclosed.

    Bloomberg said Chinese officials did not respond to requests for comment for the report.

    At his briefing, Cuomo said only one county in the state of New York, in the rural north-central part of the state, had not reported cases of coronavirus, a trend that he said was a harbinger of what was coming to the rest of the US.

    “Just the way it’s gone through rural New York, it will go through rural America,” Cuomo said. “To the extent, people watch their nightly news in Kansas and say, ‘Well, this is a New York problem’, that’s not what these numbers say. It says it’s a New York problem today. Tomorrow, it’s a Kansas problem and a Texas problem and a New Mexico problem.”

    More than 4,600 people have died from the virus nationwide.

    Cuomo also narrowed earlier projections about when New York would see a peak in the number of new cases, saying on Wednesday that if New York residents can adhere to minimal social distancing guidelines the apex of the epidemic could come at the end of April. To that end, he announced that all New York City playgrounds would be closed. Parks will remain open, he said.

    Data released by the city shows that the disease is having a disproportionate effect in certain neighbourhoods, mainly Brooklyn and Queens on the eastern side of the sprawling city.

    The city’s ambulance system and police department are under increasing stress from the pandemic, with nearly a quarter of the city’s emergency medical service workers out sick, according to the Fire Department. In all, 2,800 members of the Fire Department are sidelined, including about 950 of the city’s 4,300 EMS workers.

    Nearly 16 percent of the New York Police Department’s uniformed force is now out sick. More than 1,000 officers have tested positive for the virus.

    Authorities are racing to build temporary hospitals in locations including Central Park, the Jacob K Javits Convention Center, a cruise ship terminal and a sports complex to handle an expected surge in patients.

    The projection of 93,000 total deaths from coronavirus across the US came from a Bill Gates Foundation-funded organisation working with the state of New York, Cuomo said. He added that 16,000 of those projected deaths would be in the state of New York alone. The White House on Tuesday projected the death toll in the US could be between 100,000 and 240,000 if social distancing practices and other measures were maintained.

    Cuomo said the best way to reverse the current isolation policies that have brought the US economy to a halt and left the majority of Americans virtually homebound is to increase the frequency and availability of tests. He likened the current situation to a “bad groundhog movie”.

    “You come up with testing and rapid testing, not only do you get the economy running, you end the anxiety. The anxiety is what is most oppressive here. Not knowing,” he said. “Not knowing when this is going to end. The anxiety of dealing with this isolation day after day after day. It’s like a bad groundhog movie.

    “Testing is going to be the best mechanism to try to work through that anxiety,” Cuomo said.

  • U.S. agrees to buy ventilators, medical supplies from Russia

    The move comes after a telephonic conversation between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin

    PTI

    The United States has agreed to buy from Russia ventilators, medical supplies and other personal protection equipment needed to treat patients infected with COVID-19, a top official has said, as the country wrestles with the coronavirus pandemic that the White House has warned could kill up to two lakh people during the next fortnight.

    The move to buy from Russia comes after a telephonic conversation between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on March 30.

    Morgan Ortagus | Photo Credit: AP

    “As a follow-up to the March 30 phone call between President Trump and President Putin, the United States has agreed to purchase needed medical supplies, including ventilators and personal protection equipment, from Russia, which were handed over to FEMA on April 1 in New York City.” State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said on Wednesday.

    Both the countries have provided humanitarian assistance to each other in times of crisis in the past and will no doubt do so again in the future, she said.

    “This is a time to work together to overcome a common enemy that threatens the lives of all of us,” she added.

    “The countries of the G20 agreed last week to work together to defeat the coronavirus, and we are working closely with these countries and others to ensure that critically needed supplies get to those in need,” Ms. Ortagus said.

    The United States is committed to the global fight against COVID-19, she said, adding that the US is a generous and reliable contributor to crisis response and humanitarian action across the world.

    “But we cannot do it alone,” Ms. Ortagus noted.

  • Reliance Jio announces free 100 minutes calling and messaging services for users till April 17

    In a bid to provide a seamless experience to the customers during the lockdown, Reliance Jio will provide free 100 minutes calling and SMSes till April 17, 2020.

    Reliance Jio announced on Tuesday that it will provide free calling and messaging benefits to its customers amid lockdown in India. In a bid to provide a seamless experience to the customers during the lockdown, Reliance Jio will provide free 100 minutes calling and SMSes till April 17, 2020. The company also announced that the subscribers will continue to receive incoming calls even if they exhaust the validity of their prepaid pack.

    The 100 minutes free calling and free SMSes facility can be availed by all Jio customers from anywhere in India but only till April 17, 2020. Earlier, Jio partnered with many banks to provide a recharge facility to customers using ATMs. The customers previously had options to recharge their phones using phone wallets, UPI and net banking but now Jio has provided just another option to its subscribers. Some JioPhone users are still unable to recharge and need it the most, especially during such important times. Hence, Jio is going the extra mile for its JioPhone users, the company statement read.

    Well, Jio isn’t the only telecom giant providing free benefits to the subscribers during a lockdown. Airtel, BSNL too have provided free plans till April 17 for their users.

    Airtel on Monday announced that it has extended the validity of prepaid plans of over 80 million customers across India till April 17. They also revealed that they will credit Rs 10 in the prepaid accounts primarily the low-income mobile customers. This would make things easier for many low wage workers, who are struggling hard to make ends meet ever since the lockdown was announced

    Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited too had extended support to its customers in their own way. Minister for Electronics & IT, Communications and Law & Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad announced that no BSNL SIMs will be discontinued till April 20. As an additional benefit, Rs 10 had been credited in the accounts of poor and needy people so that they can continue to work without having to worry about these things.

    Vodafone too had announced that they would extend the validity of prepaid packs used by low-income customers. The company has also credited the accounts of the feature phone users with Rs 10.

  • Six-week-old baby dies of coronavirus in US

    New York:  A six-week-old baby girl has died of coronavirus in the US state of Connecticut, Governor Ned Lamont said on Thursday, stressing that the death is a reminder that “nobody is safe with this virus” as the COVID-19 cases there crossed 3,500.

    A report in the Hartford Courant newspaper quoted officials as saying that the infant arrived at the hospital unresponsive and tested positive for the coronavirus post-mortem.

    Probably the youngest person ever to die of COVID here in Connecticut. That baby was a less than seven weeks old. And it just is a reminder that nobody is safe with this virus, Lamont said.

    Lamont said that the state recorded a tragic milestone with the death of the infant.

    The governor, in a tweet, said that the baby from the Hartford area was brought unresponsive to a hospital late last week and could not be revived.

    “Testing confirmed last night that the newborn was COVID-19 positive. This is absolutely heartbreaking. We believe this is one of the youngest lives lost anywhere due to complications relating to COVID-19,” he said.

    “This is a virus that attacks our most fragile without mercy. This also stresses the importance of staying home and limiting exposure to other people. Your life and the lives of others could literally depend on it. Our prayers are with the family at this difficult time,” Lamont said.

    Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said, our hearts break for that family, and our prayers are with the families of all of those who have lost loved ones and all of those affected by this ongoing epidemic.

    Earlier, the youngest Connecticut resident to die of COVID-19 was a 35-year-old man, the report said.

    The state has 3,557 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 85 people have died of the disease.

    About 766 COVID-19 patients are currently hospitalized in the state.

    The news report said that a model prepared by the University of Washington projects that as the coronavirus hits a peak in Connecticut on April 15, hospitals here will fall dramatically short on available beds.

    In Connecticut, it foresees a peak of 41 single-day deaths in mid-April, before the numbers taper off during May and hit zero before the start of June. As many as 1,100 residents could die of the disease.

    According to Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, the number of Americans to have been infected by coronavirus stood at 214,000, and 5,093 had lost their lives from the deadly disease.

  • Photo Gallery | Spanish Influenza

    Spanish Flu: The Spanish flu was an unusually deadly influenza pandemic. Lasting from January 1918 to December 1920, it infected 500 million people—about a quarter of the world’s population at the time.

    Photos from Spanish Flu Pandemic:

    https://twitter.com/robbrecht/status/1248508931263078400?s=20

    https://twitter.com/RandVFoundation/status/1247817106982424577?s=20

    https://twitter.com/JARodriguezJr/status/1248366834379829252?s=20

    https://twitter.com/folioUAlberta/status/1247900683472273413?s=20

    https://twitter.com/hum_bolega/status/1245692047689830401?s=20

    No Copyright Infringement Intended

  • Coronavirus cases top 900,000 worldwide: AFP Tally

    Paris: More than 900,000 cases of coronavirus have been officially detected worldwide since the pandemic emerged in China late last year, according to an AFP tally at 1900 GMT on Wednesday using official sources.

    At least 905,589 infections including 45,719 deaths, have been recorded in 187 countries and territories globally, with 203,608 cases and 4,476 deaths in the United States where the pandemic is spreading rapidly.

    Italy with 110,574 detected cases has the highest number of fatalities with 13,155 deaths. Spain has 102,136 cases including 9,053 deaths and China has 81,554 cases and 3,312 deaths. (AFP)

  • Morning digest: India sees a sharp spike in infections, Wimbledon cancelled for the first time since WWII, and more

    Coronavirus | India sees a sharp spike in infections

    PTI

    India reported three deaths and over 370 new cases on April 1 — the highest-ever single-day increase in its COVID-19 tally.This brought the total confirmed cases to 1,637 and took the death toll to 38. One hundred and thirty two persons have been cured/discharged from hospitals after recovery, the Union Health Ministry said at its daily press briefing, which was the shortest in a month as questions were restricted to a couple of media outlets.

    Lockdown’s impact can be gauged only after two weeks, say experts

    The impact of the lockdown could be gauged only after two weeks, government as well as independent experts suggest. On the evening of March 24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nationwide 21-day lockdown to arrest “community transmission” of the coronavirus. Between March 24 and April 1, the number of COVID-19 positive cases has more than doubled — from 606 on March 25 to 1,637 on April 1. This, however, was slower — about half the rate of growth from the week before when only 151 cases were confirmed on March 18.

  • The hand of another Indian suspected in Kabul attack

    For the first time, NIA files case for terror attack outside India

    Vijaita Singh

    The National Investigation Agency (NIA) registered a case on Wednesday to probe the terror attack at a gurdwara in Kabul last week, in which 27 Sikh worshippers, including an Indian, was killed.

    Muhammed Muhsin, a 29-year-old man from Kerala’s Kasaragod, is suspected to be one of the three attackers.

    A senior official said there were indications that more than one Indian could have been involved in the attack. Also a suspect is Sajid Kuthirummal, a shopkeeper from Kasaragod, part of the group of 21 men and women that left India in 2016 to join the Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP) in Afghanistan.

    While Muhsin was not part of the group, he last spoke to his mother nine months ago. He moved to Dubai in 2018, and the family did not inform the police that he was missing.

    This is the first instance of the NIA registering a case for a terror attack committed outside India. The NIA Act was amended last year to empower the agency to investigate terror attacks committed outside India, “affecting Indian citizens or affecting the interest of India”.

    The NIA registered the case under various Sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Indian Penal Code and Section 6(8) of the NIA Act.

    About 150 persons were present in the gurdwara when the attack took place. An Indian citizen, identified as Tian Singh, was also killed. “Proscribed terrorist organisation, the Islamic State in Khorasan Province claimed the responsibility for this terror attack,” the NIA said. “As per the preliminary investigation, one Muhsin from Trikaripur in Kasaragod, and others who had joined the ISKP, are suspected to have been involved in the terrorist attack,” it said.

    The officials had earlier claimed that though Muhsin had never been on the radar, the security agencies noticed his father’s mobile phone number in a WhatsApp group created by Rashid Abdullah alias Abu Isa, who led the group of 21 men and women from Kerala that had left India in 2016 to join the ISKP. Also from Kasaragod, Rashid Abdullah is said to have been killed in a drone strike in Afghanistan by the U.S. led security forces.

    A senior official said they suspected that some members of the group were part of the conspiracy to attack the Kabul gurdwara. In the past, the family members in Kerala of most of the men from the group received messages about their death in drone strikes or other operations. “There are four-five persons from the group whose whereabouts are not known. There are indications that one of them, Sajid Kuthirummal, is involved in the attack,” said the official.

    Ten women from the Kerala group had surrendered to the Afghan authorities in November-December last year. A team of Indian security agencies interrogated the women at a Kabul prison in December last year.

    (This story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

  • Govt constitutes committee to examine seniority issue of JK Administrative service

    Srinagar,  Mar 01: The government today constituted committee to examine the seniority issue of the members of the jammu and Kashmir administrative service. The government order in possession of KINS reads:” in supersession of government order no 304-JK(GAD) of 2020, sanction is hereby accorded to the constitution of a committee to examine in detail the seniority issue,  of the members of the Jammu and Kashmir Administrative service, appointed to the time scale of Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service w. e. f 01.01.2004 to 01.12.2008, and work out the possible options for finalizing the seniority list on a normative basis.  The order further reads that the committee shall submit it’s report with one month.(KINS)

  • Covid-19: Valley’s first positive case recovered, discharged from SKIMS

    Srinagar, Apr 01: A woman from Khanyar area of Srinagar, who became the first case of Covid-19 in Kashmir, has recovered with doctors saying that the lady has been tested negative in multiple tests. She has also been discharged from SKIMS on Wednesday.

    “The Srinagar woman, who became the first coronavirus case in Kashmir on March 18 tested negative multiple times at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Srinagar and was discharged on Wednesday”, said doctors at SKIMS.

    The 67-year-old woman had returned to her home on March 16th after performing Umrah in Saudi Arabia. Nodal Officer for Coronavirus at SKIMS, Dr. G H Yatoo told wire service—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that the multiple samples of the woman sent to the viral Diagnostic and Research Lab have tested negative.

    He confirmed that she has been discharged from hospital today after treatment of 14 days at SKIMS. Notably, 62 persons have so far tested positive for COVID-19 in Jammu and Kashmir while two persons have so far died due to the novel disease (KNO)