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  • Coronavirus: DAK calls for ban on sale of hydroxychloroquine without prescription

    “The arthritis drug that has been found to be effective against the novel coronavirus falls under the schedule H of the Drugs and Cosmetic Rules, which means it can be sold only under prescription.

    Srinagar Mar 24: Following the approval of arthritis drug, hydroxychloroquine for the treatment and prophylaxis of the novel (new) coronavirus, Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) on Tuesday has called for ban on the sale of the drug without valid prescription from a registered medical practitioner.
    “Chemist shops should refrain from selling the drug without doctor’s prescription,” said DAK President Dr. Nisar ul Hassan.

    “The arthritis drug that has been found to be effective against the novel coronavirus falls under the schedule H of the Drugs and Cosmetic Rules, which means it can be sold only under prescription,” he said.

    “However, regulations for pharmacies are lax and violations are rampant. The drug is sold widely over the counter without prescription,” he added.

    Dr Nisar said after the reports that hydroxychloroquine cures the new virus, people are rushing to pharmacies and hoarding the drug.
    “I urge people not to go and find the drug, because they will be taking it out of the hands of those who need it most,” he said.

    “It has also been seen that some doctors are writing so many prescriptions of the drug for themselves and their families and stockpiling these medications. We need to take steps to stop these inappropriate prescriptions,” he added.

    Dr. Nisar said ICMR has recommended hydroxychloroquine as preventive medication for healthcare workers involved in the care of suspected or confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and for household contacts of laboratory confirmed cases.

    “The recommendation came after a French study showed promising results for hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for novel virus, and when used with Azithromycin, it significantly reduced viral load,” he said adding that 100% of patients treated with hydroxychloroquine were virologically cured at day 6 of treatment.

    Dr Nisar said though the sample size was small, the results were encouraging.

    “It is, therefore recommended that the new virus be treated with the combination of hydroxychloroquine and Azithromycin to cure the infection and to prevent the transmission of the virus to other people to prevent the spread of the new virus,” he said

    “Both drugs are in use for decades. While hydroxychloroquine is given for lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis, Azithromycin is an antibiotic used for the treatment of number of bacterial infections,” said Dr Nisar.

  • Omar’s release a “welcome step”: Sarah Hayat Shah

    Srinagar, Mar 23: National Conference (NC) Additional Spokesperson Sara Hayat Shah on Tuesday hailed the decision of Government of Jammu and Kashmir who revoked PSA detention order of former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
    Talking to Kashmir News Service (KNS), Shah termed the release of NC vice-president a “welcome step” by the authorities and appealed further release of all political and other Kashmiri detainees lodged in and outside J&K jails.
    She added, Government should not hesitate to take steps that will strengthen roots of democracy in J&K. Like Abdullah’s, Government should allow all political prisoners lodged in and outside jails including PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti, ? JKPC chairman Sajad Gani Lone? NC leader Ali Mohammad Sagar, JKPM chief Dr Shah Faesal, and others to walk home.

    She also said, “As COVID-19 struck the entire country, authorities should ensure return of all Kashmiri prisoners into Valley so that their relatives could see a glimpse of them without any inconvenience and trouble. (KNS)

  • Coronavirus: Strict new curbs on life in UK announced by PM

    Strict new curbs on life in the UK to tackle the spread of coronavirus have been announced by the prime minister.

    Source: BBC World News

    People may only leave home to exercise once a day, to travel to and from work where “absolutely necessary”, to shop for essential items, and to fulfil any medical or care needs.

    Shops selling non-essential goods have been told to shut and gatherings in public of more than two people who do not live together will be prohibited.

    The UK death toll has reached 335.

    If people do not follow the rules police will have the powers to enforce them, including through fines and dispersing gatherings, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a televised statement from Downing Street.

    Mr Johnson said the country faced a “moment of national emergency” and staying at home was necessary to protect the NHS and save lives.

    He said the restrictions would be in place for at least three weeks and would be kept under constant review.

    The government guidance says people should only leave home for one of four reasons

    • Shopping for basic necessities such as food and medicine. Shopping trips should be as infrequent as possible
    • One form of exercise a day such as a run, walk, or cycle. This should be done alone or only with people you live with
    • Any medical need, or to provide care or to help a vulnerable person. This includes moving children under the age of 18 between their parents’ homes, where applicable. Key workers or those with children identified as vulnerable can continue to take their children to school
    • Travelling to and from work, but only where work absolutely cannot be done from home

    Even when following the above guidance, people should minimise the amount of time spent out of their homes and should keep two metres (6ft) away from people they do not live with.

    The government is also stopping all social events, including weddings, baptisms and other ceremonies – but funerals will be allowed.

    Businesses that will not need to close include:

    • Restaurants, cafes and work canteens – but only for food delivery and takeaway services
    • Supermarkets and other premises selling food, including market stalls
    • “Health shops” such as pharmacies
    • Petrol stations, garages and car rental businesses
    • Bicycle shops
    • Home and hardware shops
    • Launderettes and dry cleaners
    • Pet shops
    • Corner shops, newsagents and post offices
    • Banks

    Other premises including libraries, non-essential shops, playgrounds, outdoor gyms and places of worship have been ordered to close.

    Parks will remain open for exercise but people are not allowed to gather in groups.

    Community centres can remain open but only for the purpose of “hosting essential voluntary or public services” such as food banks or service for homeless people, the guidance says.

    Hotels, hostels, campsites and caravan parks must also close unless key workers need to stay there, or if other people staying there cannot return to their primary residence.

    Scientists have said each person with coronavirus infects 2.5 people and that takes about five days. This means, over a period of 30 days, more than 400 people will have been infected as a result of that one person.

    If a person halves their social exposure, that first infection leads to only 15 infections after 30 days.

    ‘Real challenge’

    Several police forces said they were facing a high number of phone calls from members of the public seeking clarification on the new restrictions.

    Northamptonshire Police Chief Constable Nick Adderley warned the public not to “cripple” his force’s phone lines.

    Martin Hewitt, chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, said they were working with the government and other agencies to work out how best to enforce the new rules.

    But Ken Marsh, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said he was already seeing “large amounts of sickness” among officers across London and enforcing the new restrictions would be “a real, real challenge”.

    “We will be dealing with it, but I’m not sure we will have the resources to be able to see it through,” he added.

    Home Secretary Priti Patel said in a tweet that the next few weeks would be “testing” for police but that she would make sure officers had “the resources they need to keep themselves and the public safe”.

    Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the new restrictions “amount to a lockdown” and are “not done lightly”.

    “I am not going to sugarcoat it in any way,” she said. “Coronavirus is the biggest challenge of our lifetime.”

    In a tweet, First Minister of Northern Ireland Arlene Foster urged people to follow the restrictions “to save lives and protect our hospitals”.

    First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford said “these are really big changes for us all”.

    “We are making them because of the speed the virus is continuing to spread,” he added.

    Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the measures were “the right response”.

    “The government must close the loopholes to give security to all workers, including the self-employed, as well as renters and mortgage holders,” he added.

    • Five things that will now be banned
    • All non-essential shops to close immediately
    • Stay at home, first minister tells Wales
    • This is a lockdown, says Scottish first minister
    • ‘Wave of deaths’ in NI if social distancing not followed

    The prime minister said the measures were necessary to tackle “the biggest threat this country has faced for decades”.

    “Without a huge national effort to halt the growth of this virus, there will come a moment when no health service in the world could possibly cope; because there won’t be enough ventilators, enough intensive care beds, enough doctors and nurses,” he said.

    “And as we have seen elsewhere, in other countries that also have fantastic health care systems, that is the moment of real danger.

    “To put it simply, if too many people become seriously unwell at one time, the NHS will be unable to handle it – meaning more people are likely to die, not just from coronavirus but from other illnesses as well.”

    It seems hard to overstate how huge an impact this will have on the country, and what a massive decision this is for the government to have taken – whose effect will last at least for a period of three weeks at the shortest, potentially for very much longer.

    Remember this though is not quite the kind of total crackdown we have seen in other countries – at least not yet. Despite tonight’s enormous announcement, there are steps that other places have taken – curfews or total travel bans for example – that the UK is not pursuing.

    The government is not triggering the Civil Contingencies Act, designed for the most serious emergencies which gives ministers draconian powers.

    Not surprisingly, there is already therefore enormous controversy about whether the UK has been acting fast enough.

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

  • 4G: ‘Internet services upgradation as per situation’: K Vijay Kumar, senior security advisor MHA

    Srinagar, March 24: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday said its response to the demand for restoration of high speed internet services in Jammu and Kashmir is much “calibrated” and the internet services in the UT are being upgraded according to the needs.
    It, however, added that the final call will be taken by the government of J&K UT after assessing the situation on ground and getting security clearance of all concerned.
    Talking to Kashmir In-depth News Service (KINS), exclusively over phone from New Delhi, K Vijay Kumar, who was advisor to the former Governor in J&K Satya Pal Malik, and is now senior security advisor in the MHA on J&K affairs and left-wing extremism, said: “Our response to the issue (restoration of 4-G services) is steadily calibrated. Internet services are being upgraded according to the needs,” he said.
    “They (Govt in J&K UT) have to look at various parameters like society, environment, situation to lower down restrictions,” he said, adding that the J&K UT government is taking certain steps for lifting curbs like releasing detainees.
    Kumar suggested to talk to Home Secretary as he was not directly linked to comment on the issue.
    The high speed internet services were snapped across J&K prior to the GoI’s announcement on August 5 last year in the wake of roll back of J&Ks’ special status and slicing of erstwhile state into two UTs—J&K and Ladakh.
    Of late, at a time when J&K is under tight grip of fear triggered by the pandemic Covid-19 with Kashmir witnessed one positive case and Jammu three, the demand for restoration of 4-G services have gone shriller with even top officials from the government demanding it as a means to know various methods being adopted by the global community to fight the Coronavirus.
    Last week, when National Conference patron Dr Farooq Abdullah was released after J&K government revoked is PSA detention, he too demanded restoration of 4-G services. Today, when J&K government released his son and former chief minister Omar Abdullah after 232 days, he also vociferously sought restoration of 4-G services for learning the means to fight Covid-19. Earlier, Srinagar Municipal Corporation’s Mayor Junaid Azim Matoo too had urged government to restore high speed internet services.
    Top officials from the police and administration had been maintaining that the if high speed internet would be restored, there were apprehensions that vested interests and anti-peace elements both within the UT and across the LoC would utilize it to foment trouble in J&K by spreading radicalization campaign and fake propaganda.(KINS).

  • No fresh positive case of coronavirus detected at SKIMS: MS

    Srinagar March 24: Medical Superintendent SKIMS Soura Dr Farooq Jan said only one patient of coronavirus is admitted at the hospital so far.
    “We have only one positive case at SKIMS who was detected last week. No fresh case has been detected here so far,” he told Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).
    Two more positive cases were detected from Srinagar on Tuesday taking the number to three. However, MS said they were not detected at SKIMS.
    ” 2 more cases reported positive in Srinagar. One has confirmed travel history outside India. Full details regarding the second being ascertained,” Rohit Kansal said here in a tweet. (KINS)

  • Urgent Appeal: Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid Srinagar Appeal to people to stay at Home and offer Namaz at home as  Covid 19 pandemic spreads

    Srinagar: In the light of Islamic teachings and as is a precedent in Islamic history during such times , Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid appeals to people to offer Namaz at home, as the corona virus pandemic spreads. The Anjuman has already suspended all congregational prayers at Jama Masjid Srinagar for the time being

    As the world battles Covid 19, Muslim communities around the globe like others, are also carefully considering how best to continue with our religious activities, while trying to minimise the spread of the coronavirus. With the increasing rate of transmission, the number of deaths, and limited medical facilities available, all Islamic scholarly and medical advice points towards the curtailment of social contact as the key towards reducing the spread.

    Hence It is our public duty as Muslims to protect one another from harm, and it is evident the most effective way to do this now is to avoid social contact as much as possible. This includes in all walks of life, whether social, work or the mosques. It has become imperative that this extraordinary step is taken to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all as is being done in many Muslim countries.

    Anjum Auqaf on behalf of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq who continues to be under house arrest, urgently requests people to undertake these measures needed in such unprecedented times and put our trust in Allah and his mercy and pray for the safety and protection of mankind in this grave crisis.

  • COVID-19: 2 More Persons Test Positive, Kashmir Cases Rise To 3

    Govt Urges People Not To Panic, Follow Shutdown, Other Measures Strictly

    Srinagar, March 24 (GNS): Two people, who had arrived from Saudi Arabia and New Delhi recently, tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, official sources told GNS.

    As of now, three persons have tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Kashmir Valley while the tally of such patients in the entire J&K has gone up to 6. Three cases were reported from Jammu earlier this month.

    A senior officer in government also confirmed to GNS that two persons have tested positive and urged people not to panic. “We are dealing with the situation and people are requested to strictly follow the shutdown and other precautions such as maintaining hygiene and social distancing strictly,” he added.

    Sources said that as part of the procedure, the samples of the duo were sent to an outside laboratory for cross-checking purposes and at both laboratories, the tests came out to be positive.

    They said one of them is a resident of Natipora Srinagar and had returned from Saudi Arabia on March 16 in the same flight (443-Air India) which was boarded by the 67-year-old woman who tested positive on March 18, becoming the first COVID-19 case in Kashmir. The Natipora resident is 57-year-old and had reported to the CD hospital only a couple of days backs, causing a great deal of worry administration.

    The other person is said to be a resident of Hyderpora Srinagar, aged around 65-years, who had returned from New Delhi recently after being part of a ‘Tablighi Jamaat’ attended by people from Indonesia and Malaysia.

    As already reported by GNS, the duo was yesterday moved to separate isolation facility at CD hospital, which has since been converted into a Covid hospital along with two other hospitals—SKIMS Bemina and JLNM Rainawari. (GNS)

    —
    Warm Regards,
    Global News Service (GNS)
    Magarmal Bagh, Srinagar, Kashmir (J&K)
    *Phone: 0194-2480152, 9419049145

  • Coronavirus updates: China to Lift Lockdown Over Virus Epicenter Wuhan on April 8, UK in lockdown

    Countries worldwide urge people to ‘stay at home’ as global death toll reaches 16,500 and confirmed cases top 380,000.

    ALJAZEERA

    China has said it will relax many restrictions on travel to and from Hubei, the province where the coronavirus outbreak began, on Wednesday, as the United Kingdom announced strict controls on movement to slow the spread of COVID-19.

    The UK move came after the country reportred 52 more deaths and followed the imposition of strict lockdowns in France, Spain and Italy, as Europe reels from a pandemic that the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned is accelerating. In Africa, Senegal, South African and the Ivory Coast were among the countries to also announce sweeping movement restrictions.

    More 16,500 people have died from COVID-19 about the world, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University. Nearly 102,000 of the 382,000 people who have been diagnosed with the disease have recovered.

    (Except headlines, this story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

  • Desperate plea for evacuation from families of Kashmiri students stranded in different parts of India

    Srinagar, Mar 24, KNT: Anxious family members of scores of Kashmiri students stuck in various parts of India Tuesday plead with Lieutenant Governor GC Murmu to promptly arrange for their evacuation from different cities almost in lockdown.

    Dozens of anxious parents were seen waiting at Srinagar Airport for the return of their children but were shocked to learn that flights are not going to land at the Airport.

    “My daughter was supposed to land at Srinagar Airport from New Delhi, but here IndiGo officials are telling me flights have been cancelled. Another official said that Srinagar bound IndiGo flight can’t be landed as they are only few passengers,” Ghulam Mustafa from Srinagar told Kashmir News Trust.

    There was ruckus at the Srinagar Airport as the anxious parents were seen inquiring about the arrival of flights. “Some flights landed at the Airport but some were cancelled. It is total chaos here and nobody knows what to do,” said another parent, Ghulam Nabi.

    A large number of students are stranded in different parts of India. On late Monday evening, Kashmir students stranded at Bengaluru Airport staged a protest seeking evacuation form the city. Reports also said that over 25 students studying at Lundhiana City University staged protest and are seeking evacuation.

    Sajad Ahmed Khan, a student from Kupwara, who studies at Ludhiana City University, told KNT that they are starving as due to lock-down food is not available to them. “We appeal Jammu Kashmir Government to evacuate us,” he said.

    Reports said that over 70 Kashmiri students are stuck at Benapole, on India-Bangladesh Border. Their colleges have been shut and they have to return. With country in lockdown, they need to cross-over and reach Valley, but they seem to be helpless. India has already declared that it is going to suspend all the domestic flights from Wednesday.

    28 girls from Islamic University of Science & Technology, Awantipora were undergoing internship at CIPHET, Ludhiana. A mandatory training period in their University Academic Course. Due to the pandemic COVID-19 and Health Emergency Alert across the nation, students were informed to leave the CIPHET, Ludhiana campus and now are stuck at Kathua.

    Kashmiri students studying in different colleges have been asked by concerned college authorities to stay in hostels. However, these students are unable to procure the food due to unprecedented lock down. (KNT)

  • Covid-19: Form committees in every area to help poor, destitute in this hour of crisis : MMU, AeA Jamia appeals people

    Srinagar, Mar 24: Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema, an amalgam of various religious bodies in Kashmir and Anjuman-e-Auqaaf Jamia Masjid on Tuesday urged people across Kashmir to form Mohalla committees and to collect Baitul Mall(charity) for helping poor and destitute in the present challenging times.

    The MMU and Auqaf urged people to form small groups of youth volunteers in every area who would identify the families who are in dire need of food and other essential commodities.

    A spokesman of Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU) told wire service—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the lock-down imposed by the government in a bid to prevent spread of pandemic Covid-19 has triggered a crisis in Kashmir as a large chunk of people including labourers, orphans, widows and other downtrodden people are in a dire need of monetary support and other essential things needed to survive.

    “We request people across the Valley to form small groups of youth volunteers under the patronage of area/village elders to identify the needy and help them by raising Baitul-Maal on daily basis,” he said.

    Similar views were expressed by the spokesman of Anjuman-e-Auqaaf Jamia Masjid Srinagar who stated that in the present challenging times, there is a need of taking care of poor and needy. ” In Kashmir there are hundreds of families who are in need and may be on the verge of starvation.

    The panic triggered by the Pandemic Covid 19 has added to miseries of these people. So it’s the collective duty of people of Kashmir to extend a helping hand to these people who are in dire need of support at this juncture,” he said, adding that every Mohalla/Locality must have a team of volunteers who would collect essential items like rice , edibles, oil , gas and other items for the families in need—(KNO)