Srinagar, March 20: Usman Majid, a senior Leader of Apni Party was the part of 24 member delegation who met PM Modi & Amit Shahp last week said Prime Minister assured them statehood of J&K would be restored after assembly elections.
He told reporters today and added Domicile law would also be implemented for J&Kafter assembly polls.
Usman Majid also said delegation also raised with PM Modi & Amit Shah .
Meanwhile Prime Minister also noted that the democracy in the region could be strengthened through a fast moving process of political integration, he said.
Majeed also said Prime Minister assured the delegation that the government is committed to economic development of the region through extensive focus on infrastructure development and creating new investment opportunities in various sectors including tourism.
“He also assured full support by the government to resolve all the issues being faced by Jammu & Kashmir.” Usman Majeed said
Prime Minister engaged with the delegation on various issues like concerns on demographic changes, delimitation exercise and grant of state domicile. Referring to his statement in Parliament, Prime Minister underlined that the Government will work with all sections of the population to realize the hopes of state hood for Jammu and Kashmir at earliest
The delegation thanked the Prime Minister for his support and untiring efforts towards the development of Jammu & Kashmir. They also appreciated the efforts of the government, security agencies and the people of Jammu and Kashmir towards maintaining peace and security in the region, Majeed said. (KNS)
As India braced for a nationwide 14-hour lockdown on March 22 to break the spread of the novel coronavirus, and several State governments announced new, stringent measures to enforce social distancing, the Centre said there was no evidence of community transmission yet in the country.
The total number of people testing positive for the virus stood at 271 with 65 new cases on Saturday, the Union Health Ministry said. Reports from the States put the number of cases at 332.
Authorities are tracing 7,000 people who have come in contact with the affected persons, Joint Secretary in the Health Ministry Lav Agarwal said. All cases confirmed so far could be linked to imported cases, the official insisted, adding: “So far there’s no confirmation of any community transmission.”
Mr. Agarwal was responding to questions on reports of suspected COVID-19 infected persons in Tamil Nadu, Pune and Nagpur, who had no travel history or known history of contact with people from abroad.
Maharashtra and Kerala reported 12 new cases, Gujarat seven and Karnataka five.
The government held a conference call with Chief Secretaries of the States. Critical care training was imparted to 1,000 hospitals across the country and State health centres are scheduled to take part in a “mock drill” on Sunday on preparing for ventilator use and advanced care to patients, Mr. Agarwal added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for people to stay at home from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday, observing a ‘Janata Curfew’. Essential services will not be disrupted during the lockdown.
Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the national capital could be put under an extended lockdown, if needed. The Chhattisgarh government ordered closure of all its offices, except those providing essential and emergency services, till March 31.
In Odisha, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced a “near total” shutdown in five districts and eight other prominent towns for a week from Sunday morning. The Goa government imposed Section 144 across the State to prohibit large gatherings. The Kerala government has warned of strict action if people did not follow quarantine guidelines.
As of Saturday evening, 1.4 million passengers were screened at airports and 22 cases were cured or discharged. Four people have died.
Late on Friday, The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) expanded its testing to include all hospitalised patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (fever AND cough and/or shortness of breath) and asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts of a confirmed case should be tested once between Day 5 and Day 14 of coming into contact with them. The testing strategy was reviewed by the National Task Force constituted by Secretary DHR & DG, ICMR and Chaired by Prof. V. K. Paul, Member, NITI Aayog. Testing was also being offered to all symptomatic contacts of laboratory confirmed cases and all symptomatic health care workers.
The government is set to specify specific guidelines for private sector diagnostic companies to offer testing services, Mr. Agarwal added but till late evening, prominent diagnostic labs in Delhi contacted by The Hindu, said they had not received any guidelines.
Mr Modi also held a video conference with representatives of pharmaceutical companies and asked them to boost production. The companies reportedly assured the Prime Minister that India had enough supplies for all essential pharma commodities and there was no reason to worry.
To further research on the coronavirus, the government decreed that biology-research institutes affiliated with Bio Safety Level-3 facilities and part of government affliated labs such as the part of the network of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, the Department of Biotechnology, The Defence Research and Development Organisation be allowed to culture the virus. This is in line with WHO recommendations. Extremely dangerous viruses can only be cultured at BSL-4 labs with currently only the National Institute of Virology, Pune and Defence Research and Development Estabishment, Gwalior in India making the grade.
(With inputs from PTI)
(This story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Srinagar, March 21: The Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Wakf Board today ordered the suspension of congregational prayers at its mosques and shrines ahead of the Meraj-ul-Alam celebrations.
“In view of the outbreak of coronavirus, declared as pandemic by the World Health Organisation and as a preventive measure to contain its spread in Kashmir Valley and due to restrictions under Section 144 of the CrPC by the district administration, it is hereby ordered to suspend regular prayers in shrines/mosques affiliated to the Wakf Board and displaying of Holy Relic (PBUH) on the occasion of the Meraj-ul-Alam (SAW) celebrations,” read an order issued by the Wakf Board.
PM Modi had proposed the ‘Janata Curfew’ on Sunday between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. as part of social distancing to check the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
The ‘Janata Curfew‘, proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to curb the spread of COVID-19, kicked off on March 22, resulting in businesses being shut and transportation services being largely suspended across India.
PM Modi had proposed the ‘Janata Curfew’ on Sunday between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. as part of social distancing to check the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
Here are the latest updates:
Stay indoors and stay healthy, tweets PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 22 requested people to join the ‘Janata Curfew’ to make the fight against COVID-19 a success.
In a few minutes from now, the #JantaCurfew commences. Let us all be a part of this curfew, which will add tremendous strength to the fight against COVID-19 menace,” the Prime Minister wrote on Twitter.
Mumbaikars stay indoors as ‘Janata curfew’ commences
The city that never sleeps on Sunday woke up to empty roads and deserted public places as the ‘Janata curfew’ proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to counter the coronavirus spread began.
The usually bustling western and eastern express highways and other arterial roads looked empty as people stayed in their homes to support the curfew.
Same was the situation at the suburban train stations which normally see thousands of commuters jostling to get inside the overcrowded trains.
State government authorities had on Saturday informed people that only those engaged in essential services would be allowed to travel in local trains, that too after checking their identity papers.
Public transport is being curtailed in the city on Sunday. Local trains on the Central line will see 60% services as against the normal 70% on Sundays. The Western Railway has cancelled four services, two from Virar to Dahanu Road, and two from Dahanu Road to Dadar and Churchgate.
The Central Railway has cancelled 60 long distance trains across Mumbai division, while the Western Railway has cancelled 40 mail express and 26 passenger trains from Mumbai.
It has also cancelled 477 suburban locals on Sunday.
The Mumbai Metro and Mumbai Monorail will remain suspended for the day, while BEST buses will run according to their holiday schedule, officials said.
Late on Saturday evening, the Divisional Commissioner of Konkan Region declared that the police and State government staff will be present at all stations to ensure that people do not travel unnecessarily and only those engaged in essential services will allowed on local trains.
PTI
How Tamil Nadu reacted to Janata Curfew
People stay indoors, shops closed in MP
People in Madhya Pradesh remained indoors and streets wore a deserted look on Sunday in view of the ‘Janta Curfew’.
Roadside shops and eateries also remained closed in the State.
Four districts — Jabalpur, Rewa, Seoni and Narsinghpur — have already been placed under lockdown since Saturday.
PTI
(This story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Up to 1.5 million vulnerable people in Britain, identified as being most at risk from the coronavirus epidemic, should stay at home for at least 12 weeks, the government said Sunday.
Those with underlying health conditions such as bone or blood cancers, cystic fibrosis, or who have had an organ transplant have been advised by health officials to do all they can to shield themselves from the virus, including confining themselves at home for a long period.
“People should stay at home, protect our NHS and save lives,” Communities secretary Robert Jenrick said in a statement.
He added that the government was asking “extremely vulnerable individuals” to take “extra steps to shield themselves”.
A statement from the communities department outlined the time frame the government wanted the most vulnerable to follow.
“People identified as belonging to one or more of the at-risk groups will be contacted by their GP practice, specialist or both strongly advising them to stay at home for a period of at least 12 weeks.”
A dedicated phone line and arrangements to deliver groceries or medicines will also be announced.
Paul Johnstone, director of Public Health England, said those contacted should “not go out for shopping, for leisure or for travel”.
Latest figures show 177 people have died in UK from the coronavirus.
On Friday, the government announced stronger measures to try and combat the spread, including the closing of bars, pubs and restaurants.
(This story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
A total of 123 people in Iran have died of coronavirus over the last 24 hours, pushing the death toll to 1,556, said Iranian health officials on Saturday.
A Health Ministry statement said 966 new virus cases were found, raising the number of cases to 20,610.
A total of 7,635 people who were treated for the virus have been discharged from hospitals to date, it added.
The cases of new deaths dropped from the largest number recorded, 149.
The virus, which emerged in Wuhan, China last December, has spread to at least 166 countries and regions around the globe, while the tally of confirmed cases topped 275,000, according to data compiled by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.
The global death toll has exceeded 11,000, causing a chain reaction as governments place countries on lockdown to stem the spread.
China, Italy, Iran, and Spain continue to be the most affected countries.
Despite the rising number of cases, a vast majority of those infected by the virus suffer mild symptoms and recover.
(This story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Rome: Italy on Saturday reported 793 new coronavirus deaths, a one-day record, taking total number of deaths to 4,825 — 38.3 percent of the world’s total. The number of COVID-19 infections rose by 6,557 to 53,578, another record.
The number of COVID-19 infections rose by 6,557 to 53,578, another record. (File)
The total number of fatalities in the northern Lombardy regions around Milan surpassed 3,000. It accounts for nearly two-thirds of Italy’s fatalities.
Italy has reported 1,420 deaths since Friday, a grim figure that suggests the pandemic is breaking through the government’s various containment and social distancing measures.
The Mediterranean nation of 60 million has been under an effective lockdown since March 12, when public gatherings were banned and most stores shuttered.
Police were out in force across the streets of Rome on Saturday, checking documents and fining those outside without a valid reason, such as buying groceries.
Joggers were asked to run around the block of their houses, parks and beaches were closed, and the government in Rome prepared to extend school and other closures into the summer months.
But the outbreak keeps gathering pace in the new global epicentre of a virus that was first reported in December in China and has since transformed the world, straining health care systems, upending lives for millions and pummelling stock markets globally.
The figures released Saturday showed deaths still largely contained to Italy’s richer north, whose world-class healthcare system is creaking but still not breaking.
But it is much better that what is available in the poorer south, whose regions have registered a few dozen deaths each — and which the government in Rome is watching closely.
The Lazio region that includes Rome has recorded a total of 50 deaths and 1,190 infections.
(This story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Srinagar, March 21 (GNS): A contact of covid-19 patient was admitted to SKIMS hospital on late Saturday evening and his sample has been taken, official said.
Professor Farooq Ahmad Jan, the medical superintendent of SKIMS, told GNS that the patient has been admitted to an isolation facility at the tertiary care hospital. “The sample of the person has been taken and sent for the test.” With this, three persons were admitted to SKIMS today. The two others have travel history to Saudi Arabia and Thailand. Two contacts of the positive patient, a 67-year-old woman from Khayam, Khanyar Srinagar who had returned from Saudi Arabi on March 16, have already tested negative. (GNS)
Saudi Arabia’s decision to suspend entry for Umrah pilgrimage amid coronavirus fears has stoked Muslims’ fears that the ban on the ritual will be in place longer than initially thought and may impact the annual Hajj pilgrimage this year, which usually brings about three million people to Makkah. This year the Hajj is expected to take place from July 28 to August 2.
Umrah Ban
In the last week of February, Saudi Arabia halted Umrah trips to the holy cities of Makkah and Madina due to the coronavirus scare. Despite the fact that Kingdom took a series of stringent precautionary measures to keep the COVID-19 at bay, Saudi Arabia’s Health Ministry on Wednesday reported 67 new cases of coronavirus taking the total number of infections in the Kingdom up to 238. The viral ailment has claimed hundreds of lives among thousands of infections around the world since December when it broke out in China, where the virus originated.
Though the Kingdom said the Umrah suspension is temporary and “subject to regular review”, Muslims are increasingly apprehensive about the prospect of doing Hajj and fear that the hajj pilgrimage would be impacted. According to reports, some Egyptian lawmakers have called for cancelling this year’s annual Hajj season, citing fears of a pandemic of the coronavirus
Travel agencies bear the brunt
The Saudi measure has thrown the business of many travel agencies into disarray. All the tourism companies organising the Umrah and Haj trips will suffer heavy losses. Many travel agencies in Muslim countries deal exclusively with pilgrims and are likely to take a major hit. After Saudi Arabia closed off travel to the holy city for Umrah, many potential travellers are concerned that Hajj could be affected too.
According to Tariq Ghazi, hundreds of Canadians who had made Hajj booking with tour operators with non-refundable deposit in thousands of dollars per person are cancelling their plans, while Haj-Umrah operators are facing bankruptcy. Who will pocket the deposited thousands is not clear though.
Meanwhile, an economic adviser in the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) has said the country is in for recession that may continue until the last quarter of the year. So Canadians must turn to frugality and simple life, saying goodbye to luxuries they had been accustomed to.
An investor, on the other, hand said banks are likely to fail so people should find alternative ways to protect their savings. In India some banks have already failed with depositors losing their life’s saving.
Such warnings indicate that the current faulty economic system is going to crumble and make way for some new economic system to emerge from the debris. Who will author that new system is both unclear and obvious, depending on the vantage point you stand at to look at the global crisis.
Travel ban
Saudi Arabia has already extended its travel ban to include the European Union and 12 other countries, including India. Thus, the anguish of missing out on the annual pilgrimage is shared by Muslims worldwide. They are very much disappointed as some languish for years on waiting lists to take part in the larger Haj pilgrimage.
Cancellation of journey
Even if the pilgrimage is not cancelled by the Kingdom, the Coronavirus fear could force millions of Muslims around the world to postpone or cancel a journey that many have eagerly awaited for years. The Hajj is one of Islam’s five pillars. Muslims are expected to perform it at least once in their lives if they can afford it and are physically able. Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs has also asked applicants to submit refund forms if they have changed their plan amid the Coronavirus pandemic.
HCI releases Hajj schedule
Even as the uncertainty looms over Hajj pilgrimage, Hajj Committee of India has released the schedule for the Hajj pilgrims for the season of 2020. According to this schedule, the pilgrims will start leaving from 9th July and their return journey will start on 13th August.
(This story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Srinagar, Mar 21 (KNO): The English saying — an ounce of protection is worth a pound of cure — means a little precaution before crisis hits is better than a lot of firefighting afterwards. Whilst the West may have forgotten its own wise words, farther in the East in a miniscule city of Srinagar, long before the deadly Covid-19 set the alarm bells ringing, mindful preventive measures were being taken.
According to wire service—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), assessing the seriousness of the situation with agility of mind, the deputy commissioner Srinagar Dr. Shahid Iqbal Choudhary made a plan of action to prevent and control the spread of this pandemic. He conducted several meetings to discuss the response mechanism required to be activated to prevent the spread of CoVID-19. DC directed immediate district wide awareness campaigns at both district and zonal levels about coronavirus to control its spread.
Not a day goes by without him holding a meeting, creating rapid response teams, reviewing hospital preparedness in terms of isolation wards and ventilator management. He also directed for identifying gaps in the execution of the plans as well as in the laboratory supports required to identify suspected cases and then to control its spread.
Like a needle and thread at work to close the gap between two patches of the same cloth, this pandemic has brought the valley an equilibrium of opinions even if it’s for a short while.
Working parallel to DC Srinagar, the Mayor of Srinagar city, Junaid Azim Mattu worked to protect the city from the swampy tentacles of the deadly Covid-19 and took some harsh measures, amidst heavy criticism. Mattu, was first to advice the closure of schools and other educational institutions as a necessary measure to fight this pandemic. He didn’t stop there. He further went to SMHS, donning the CoVID-19 dress by WHO to assess beforehand the preparedness.
Soon after the first confirmed case of CoVID-19 in the Khanyar area of Srinagar, Mayor Srinagar proclaimed that even before the first ray of sun is out a joint team of SMC and Revenue department (District Administration) will conduct a survey of 300m radius from the house of the positive case, which will be important for quarantine. Moreover, an intensive inch by inch sanitisation with specialized chemical spraying was done in entire neighbourhood where the positive case of CoVID-19 was detected.
He regularly chairs meetings about further actions like carrying sterilisation drives on roads and public transport. Only yesterday he personally visited LT. Governor and requested the restoration of 4g services in U.T for mass awareness campaigns. Working round the clock these two men along with so many others are trying to protect the rest of us. Keeping in mind their valour and efforts lets cooperate and do what’s best for not only us but our fellow citizens—(KNO)
