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  • How to Test coronavirus At-home

    Source: Gulistan News

    Watch Video:

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2eMCXvtTCqc

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

  • Wuhan Reports No New Virus Cases, Offering Hope To World

    Wuhan- Last month, Wuhan was overwhelmed with thousands of new cases of coronavirus each day. But in a dramatic development that underscores just how much the outbreak has pivoted toward Europe and the United States, Chinese authorities said on Thursday that the city and its surrounding province had no new cases to report.

    The news offered a rare glimmer of hope for the rest of the world as it battles the virus, and perhaps a lesson in the strict measures needed to halt its spread. It came as President Donald Trump likened the fight to “a war” and invoked emergency powers that allow him to compel manufacturers to deal with the pandemic.

    Wuhan was where the outbreak first took hold and thousands once lay sick or dying in hurriedly constructed hospitals. But Chinese authorities said on Thursday that all 34 new cases recorded over the previous day had been imported from abroad.

    “Today we have seen the dawn after so many days of hard effort,” said Jiao Yahui, a senior inspector at the National Health Commission.

    Still, the virus continued to take its toll elsewhere, both human and economic. Stocks tumbled again on Wall Street on fears of a prolonged recession, falling so fast they triggered another automatic trading halt, while major US auto manufacturers said they were shutting down their North American factories.

    The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed more than 1,300 points on Wednesday, or over 6 per cent, and has now lost nearly all of the gains it had posted since Trump’s inauguration. Oil dropped below $21 per barrel for the first time since 2002. Shares in Asia continued their slide on Thursday.

    Around the world, countries closed down their borders, leaving some to wonder how they would get back home. In the Pacific, Australia and New Zealand shut out tourists, allowing only citizens and residents to return, while Fiji reported its first case, a worrying development in a region with poor healthcare.

    The US and Canada both closed their borders to all but essential travel and Trump said he plans to assert extraordinary powers to immediately turn back to Mexico anyone who crosses over the southern border illegally.

    Mexico, meanwhile, reported its first death from the virus and closed its popular spring equinox visits to the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon at Teotihuacan.

    The White House pressed Congress to swiftly pass a potentially $1 trillion rescue package to prop up the economy and speed relief checks to Americans in a matter of weeks.

    Calling himself a “wartime president,” Trump invoked the Defence Production Act of 1950 to steer industrial output and overcome shortages of face masks, ventilators and other supplies as hospitals brace for an expected onslaught of cases.

    The Korean War-era law gives the president extraordinary authority to compel industries to expand production and turn out vital materials. It was most recently used after the 2017 Puerto Rico hurricane to speed up contracts for food and other necessities.

    Trump likened the coronavirus fight to measures taken during World War II and warned of national sacrifices ahead.

    While China did not report any new cases in Wuhan or Hubei province it did record eight additional deaths.

    Jiao said the “double-zero” increase, which followed several days of improving numbers, meant their control and medical treatment methods were working well.

    Wuhan has been under a strict lockdown since January. Officials are moving to loosen travel restrictions, but only inside the surrounding province of Hubei where most checkpoints will be taken down. Wuhan remains cut-off, with only those with special permission allowed to travel in or out.

    The lockdown will be lifted there only if no additional cases are reported for two consecutive weeks, which may happen next month, Li Lanjuan, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, was quoted as saying.

    The virus has infected more than 218,000 people worldwide and killed over 8,800, mostly in China, Italy and Iran. The United Nations warned that the crisis could lead to the loss of nearly 25 million jobs around the world.

    More than 84,000 people overall have recovered from the virus, which causes only mild or moderate symptoms such as fever and cough in most cases. Severe illness is more likely in the elderly and those with existing health problems.

    Though China still has the largest number of cases, most of its patients have recovered. China even sent medical supplies to hard-hit France, returning a flavor done by the French weeks ago.

    But in a grim illustration of the pandemic’s shift, deaths in Italy were nearing China’s toll. Italy had more than 2,900 dead after a record one-day total of 475; China’s overall toll was around 3,200. Iran has also been hit hard, with more than 1,100 deaths.

    Around the globe, governments took increasingly drastic measures to fight the epidemic and the threat of a recession, in some cases using emergency powers.

    California’s governor warned that martial law could be imposed. The mayor of New York said the city’s 8.6 million residents should be prepared for a lockdown. The US Census Bureau suspended field operations for two weeks, soon after it began its once-a-decade count of American people.

    Czech authorities used emergency powers to raid a warehouse and seize hundreds of thousands of face masks. And Hong Kong widened the use of electronic wristbands that monitor people under self-quarantine.

    With a growing number of Americans thrown out of work by the near-shutdown of much of the US economy, Trump also said the Housing and Urban Development Department will suspend foreclosures and evictions from public housing.

    The Trump administration’s plan for issuing relief checks to Americans calls for the payment of $500 billion in two instalments over the next two months. The amounts have yet to be decided but would be based on income and family size.

    Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler, along with Honda and Toyota, said they will shut all of their factories in the US, Canada and Mexico. The closing of Detroit’s Big Three alone will idle about 150,000 workers, who are likely to receive supplemental pay in addition to unemployment benefits.

    At GM’s pickup truck assembly plant in Flint, Michigan, workers have been fearful since the virus surfaced in the US, said Tommy Wolikow, who has two young daughters.

    “That’s the thing that I was scared the most about, being the one to bring it home to them,” he said.

    The US has reported more than 9,400 coronavirus cases and at least 138 deaths, about half of them in Washington state, where dozens of residents from a suburban Seattle nursing home have died.

    Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida is the first known member of Congress to test positive for the virus. Other members of Congress have self-quarantined, but none have reported positive test results.

    Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who last week announced he tested positive, is sharing his experience in a daily YouTube diary and on Twitter as he runs the city from home isolation. His wife and children are staying with relatives.

    “The longer I live with COVID-19, the more I understand just how crucial social distancing is,” Suarez wrote.

    Scientists have no doubt the true number of people infected is higher than reported because of the possibility that many mild cases have gone unrecognised or unrecorded, and because of the lag in large-scale testing in the US

    In the first breakdown of its kind in the US, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said that the nation’s coronavirus deaths so far mirror what has been reported in other countries, with about 4 out of 5 fatalities occurring in people 65 and older, and no deaths in children.

  • Farooq Abdullah released Rs 1 Cr to combat #COVID19 Threat.

    Farooq Abdullah today released an amount of Rs 1 Cr to combat #COVID19 threat in J&K from his MPLAD. Out of this, Rs 50 lakh has been earmarked for SKIMS Srinagar and Rs 25 lakh each for Budgam and Ganderbal districts.

  • Two doctors of leading Valley hospitals put under observation

    Srinagar, Mar 21: Two doctors working in leading hospitals of Jammu and Kashmir have been put under observation after they developed symptoms of covid-19.

    Official sources told wire service—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that both doctors complained of respiratory distress besides fever after which they were kept under observation at SKIMS.

    One of the doctors is working at Description Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) while as the other is working at Description Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS), they said, adding that they have been kept under observation at SKIMS hospital.

    Doctors and medicos of hospitals under GMC Srinagar have alleged that they lack personal protection equipments while authorities deny the allegations, saying that adequate equipments are made available to them.

    A senior doctor at SMHS told—KNO that despite repeated requests, authorities have failed to provide personal protection equipment including masks, gowns, gloves, sanitizers to doctors and other medical staff.

    “Despite knowing the fact that they are vulnerable to all kinds of infections as they deal with hundreds of patients, the response of authorities is totally pathetic,” he said.

    Another doctor said that if the approach of authorities remain same, then the situation would turn ugly.

    If doctors and paramedical staff will become victims of this virus, then who will treat the patients, he questioned, adding that “I am unable to understand why authorities are not taking this issue seriously.”

    “We want to give our best but we need protective measures as lack of protective gear put our lives as well as lives of patients at risk,” he added.

    Senior health officials said that they are facing shortage of protective gears. “We are taking every possible step to procure masks and other protective gears at an earliest,” they said—(KNO)

  • Wakaf board suspends prayers in shrines, displaying of holy relics on ensuing Mehraj-ul-Alam celebrations

    Srinagar, March 21: As a preventive measure to contain the spread of coronavirus virus in Kashmir Valley, Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Wakaf Board on Saturday announced suspension of regular prayers in shrines and mosques affiliated with it.

    In an order issued by Chief Executive of the J&K Wakaf Board, displaying of Holy Relic of prophet Muhammad (SAW) on ensuing Mehraj-ul-Alam (SA) celebrations on Monday.

    “In view of the outbreak of Corona virus (COVID-19), declared as “Pandemic” by the World Health Organizations and as preventive measure to contain the spread of the virus in Kashmir Valley and subsequent the imposition of restrictions under Section 144 Crpc by the District Administration concerned,

    It is hereby ordered to suspend regular prayers in shrines / mosques affiliated with the Wakaf Board and displaying of Holy Relic (PBW) on the occasion of Mehrai-ul-Alam(SA) celebrations,” reads the order, a copy of which lies with GNS.

    The board District Magistrate has urged the district magistrates of Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian, Budgam, Srinagar, Ganderbal, Bandipora, Baramulla and Kupwara to provide necessary Police assistance to Controllers and Administrators of the Shrines and mosques affiliated with the Wakaf Board to strictly implement the provisions of Section 144 CrpC in and around the mosque and shrine. (GNS)

  • Free health insurance for J&K residents is a historic step by Govt: Priya Sethi

    Jammu Mar,19th: Former Minister and national council member from J&K BJP Priya Sethi today said that Modi governments major decision to improve the health sector in Jammu and Kashmir and that too free of cost Universal Health Coverage benefit to thepeople of this Union Teritory is a historic one,the decision was taken by the administrative council on yesterday which met under the chairmanship of Lt Governor G C Murmu.

    “The scheme will provide an insurance cover of Rs.5 lakh per family annually without any restrictions on family size, age or gender.

    The scheme will cover all the pre-existing illnesses besides high-end treatments of oncology, cardiology, and nephrology. This scheme will also cover employees, pensioners, and their family members,”

    Sethi added that after abrogation of article 370 ,this is one of the major decision by the LG of the J & K UT and we the residents of the Union Territory thanks him and his government.

    She said that Decades of dynasty rule in J&K has prevented the center government to take this type of decisions but now after abrogation of article 370 our govt at center led by PM modi has taken the UT to new heights.

    She explained that the free of cost Universal Health Coverage will would benefit over 1.25 crore people
    More than 1.25 crore residents of Jammu and Kashmir will be able to avail of this health benefit in over 20,000 hospitals across the country. In Jammu and Kashmir, Government has tied up with 159 hospitals for the scheme and this will include treatment of diseases like Cancer and Kidney Transplant.

    It will include free health insurance cover of Rs. 5 lakh per family per year on floater basis, no restriction on family size, age or gender. All pre-existing illnesses will be covered, and cashless services will available in all the empaneled hospitals

    Former Minister added that India has taken historic steps to ensure universal health under Modi Government as this government is having a clear focus on health sector and India has adopted a multi-sectoral approach towards the health sector.

    She added that the country is focusing on four main pillars of universal health. These are preventive health, affordable healthcare, supply side interventions and mission mode intervention,historic steps to ensure affordable health for all.

    She added that Emphasising on the second pillar of healthcare – affordability,the Ayushman Bharat is a already a historic step in this direction.

    “Ayushman Bharat is being implemented successfully. Under this scheme, more than 500 million poor, have been given the facility of free treatment every year

    She added that modi government has also opened more than 5000 public medicine centres (Jan Aushadhi Kendra), where more than 800 varieties of medicines are available at affordable prices,”

    She thanked the Modi government for this histrocal decision taken for this Union territory and added that his government is having a clear focus on health and has taken historic steps to ensure affordable health for all.

    She said that she there is a Sanskrit proverb ‘Sarve Bhvantu Sukhin, Sarv Santu Nirmaya’ that translates into “wishing all happiness, wishing all a disease-free life.”

  • Coronavirus Scare: Fourth death in India

    Coronavirus: India reports fourth novel coronavirus death, patient was from Punjab: Union Health Ministry.

    (PTI)

  • Ruckus at Srinagar Airport

    110 people landed in Srinagar from Bangladesh and Ladakh quarantined110 people landed in Srinagar from Bangladesh and Ladakh quarantined

    Srinagar, Mar 19: Srinagar Airport witnessed ruckus after the arrival of people mostly students from Ladakh and Bangaldesh landed at the Airport. Scores of parents were waiting for to take them to their homes but they were disappointed after all the people who had landed at the Airport were whisked away and quarantined at a private hotel.


    Sources told Kashmir News Trust police at Airport charged agitated parents with canes after they raised hue and cry. Parents alleged that two students from ‘influential’ background were allowed to go home after they were taken out from the Airport premises.

    An official said that parents created law and order problem while screening of the people who had landed was going on. He said that anyone arriving in Srinagar from any foreign country and Ladakh region is bound to be quarantined. He said 79 people who arrived from Ladakh and 40 students from Bangaladesh today were taken to a place and quarantined.


    “Proper medical teams have been deputed at the place where these have been quarantined,” he said.
    The official denied the allegations that two students were allowed to go to their homes. “These guidelines are for everyone and there is no laxity on part of authorities,” he added.
    Meanwhile, fliers alleged that no proper mechanism has been put in place at Srinagar Airport. They said that a flier is asked to wait for hours together and due to heavy rush, there is every possibility of this virus get spread.

    (KNT)

  • Shift people who arrived from Ladkah from Sgr hotel immediately: Altaf Thakur urges Sgr admin

    Srinagar: Bhartiya Janata Party JK spokesman Altaf Thakur today made a fervent appeal to the district administration Srinagar to immediately shift the people who arrived from.Ladakh and have been quarintined in a hotel in city as there is a lot of panic among residents of Srinagar.

    In a direct appeal to deputy commissioner Srinagar and divisional commissioner Kashmir, Thakur said there is a lot of panic among the residents of a particular area where dozens of people who arrived from Ladakah have been quarintined. “I request the administration to shift these people to hospitals where special quarintine facilities have been set up,” Thakur said.

    He also called for immediate drive to clean the hotel where these people.are lodged aince yesterday.

  • Restore 4G internet to ease peoples’ sufferings amid coronavirus: Farooq writes to Modi

    Srinagar, March 19: A day after Kashmir Valley reported first covid-19 case, National Conference president and incumbent Lok Sabha member from Srinagar Farooq Abdullah on Thursday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to 4G internet services in Jammu & Kashmir at the earliest to “ease the suffering of the people.”

    “As you are aware, the first case of Coronavirus has been detected in Kashmir yesterday which has resulted in authorities locking down large parts of the Valley. Businesses and students already hit hard by the shut down after 5th of August, 2019 are again suffering because of these restrictions,” reads the letter by Farooq, who was released recently after seven months detention under draconian Public Safety Act.

    “The people are being advised to work/study from home, but this is impossible with 2G internet speed and limited fixed line internet penetration. I would, therefore, request you to restore 4G internet services in Jammu & Kashmir at the earliest to ease the suffering of the people,”