China delaying permission to India to send flight carrying relief materials to Wuhan

China is delaying grant of clearance to India's proposal to send an Indian Air Force flight to carry relief material for people affected by coronavirus in the neighbouring country and bring back Indians from its city of Wuhan, official sources said Saturday.

India was to send a C-17 military transport aircraft to Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, on February 20 but the plane could not take off as permission was not granted for the flight.

"China is deliberately delaying grant of clearance for the evacuation flight," a high-level source said.

The aircraft was to carry a large consignment of medical supplies to China and bring back more Indians from Wuhan.

Sources said the Chinese side continued to maintain that there was no delay in granting permission for the flight to go, but "inexplicably" the clearance has not been given.

In a letter to President Xi Jinping earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed India's solidarity to the people and government of China in meeting the challenge of the coronavirus outbreak and offered to provide assistance to the country.

India then put together relief supplies in pursuance of Modi's commitment as a token of India's solidarity, particularly in the 70th year of the anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

"These supplies have been offered even as India faces tremendous shortage itself, given our ethos of helping others in their hour of need," said a source aware of the issue.

The items being supplied are gloves, surgical masks, feeding pumps and defibrillators based on the requirements as indicated by the Chinese side.

India's national carrier Air India has already evacuated around 640 Indians from Wuhan in two separate flights.

According to estimates, over 100 Indians are still living in Wuhan. A sizeable number of countries have evacuated their citizens from China and restricted movement of people and goods to and from the country in view of the massive outbreak of coronavirus there.

Indian nationals in Wuhan continue their long wait for the flight. The delay is causing them and their family members in India tremendous mental anguish, said the sources.

They said relief and evacuation flights from other countries including by France are allowed to operate by China but the permission has not come through in India's case.

"Are they not interested in Indian aid provided as our token of support? Why are they creating roadblock in evacuating our nationals from Wuhan and putting them under hardship and mental agony?" said a person aware of the issue.

Source: https://www.dailypioneer.com/2020/top-stories/-china-delaying-permission-to-india-to-send-flight-carrying-relief-materials-to-wuhan-.html

Prez Trump arrives in Agra to a boisterous welcome

US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania arrived in Agra on Monday to keep their date with the Taj Mahal even as hundreds of artistes welcomed the American leader at the airport with beautiful performances reflecting the rich culture of Uttar Pradesh.

Trump was received at the Kheria airbase by Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

He arrived here from Ahmedabad after jointly attending with Prime Minister Narendra Modi the mega 'Namaste Trump' event at the Motera cricket stadium.

A giant billboard featuring Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and Prime Minister Modi greeted the couple with a message – 'Grand welcome of India's best friend to the City of Love –Agra'.

On his arrival at the airbase, over 250 artistes drawn from different parts of Uttar Pradesh performed ‘Mayur dance', ‘Rai folk dance', Dhobia folk dance', 'bamrasia' dance as sonorous sounds of nagada, dholak and mridang added to the festive ambience.

The city has been spruced up to welcome Trump amid a huge security deployment.

Massive billboards bearing greeting messages dotted the nearly 13-km route of his convoy while major street roundabouts are decked up with US and India flags.

Along the route, over 3,000 artistes spread over 21 designated designated areas will also present dance forms of Brij, Awadh and other regions, like Krishna Lila.

Over 15,000 school students are lining up the streets on the convoy route, holding US and India flags to welcome Trump as his motorcade will pass through the city.

Many billboards reflecting the bonhomie between President Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have been put up in Agra.

A giant one near TDI Mall on the route practically covers an entire building showing the two leaders with a message – 'Namaste Trump: World's Oldest Democracy meets Worlds' Largest Democracy'.

The 17th century monument has been refurbished to welcome Trump and his family where they will spend about an hour to catch the sunset from the famed mausoleum built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal who died in 1631.

"From the airport, the US President's convoy will travel till the Oberoi Amarvilas hotel situated near the East Gate of the Taj Mahal complex. From there the President, his family and members of the high-level delegation accompanying him will move into eco-friendly golf carts to travel into the monument premises," District Magistrate of Agra Prabh N Singh earlier said, adding about 20 golf carts will ferry them.

As per Supreme Court directions, petrol or diesel-operated vehicles are not permitted within 500 metres of the Taj Mahal's gate.

The architectural marvel inscribed into the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 is made of white Makrana marble and red sandstones, and renowned for its intricate inlay work on the stone surface.

Source: https://www.dailypioneer.com/2020/top-stories/prez-trump-arrives-in-agra-to-a-boisterous-welcome.html

WHO chief condoles death of Chinese doctor in fight against coronavirus outbreak

The World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has condoled the death of a Chinese hospital chief who died of the deadly coronavirus in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak.

Dr Liu Zhiming, president of the Wuhan Wuchang Hospital in Hubei province died of the novel coronavirus pneumonia on Tuesday despite medical efforts to revive him, the state-run CCTV reported, the latest fatality among medical workers as they rush to save tens of thousands of patients at the epicenter of the outbreak.

"My deepest condolences to the family of Dr Liu Zhiming, his colleagues and patients for this enormous loss," the WHO chief tweeted on Tuesday.

Liu "touched and saved numerous lives in the COVID-19 outbreak," Tedros said, adding that "my thoughts are with them and all the front-line health workers fighting the virus."

An eulogy issued by the local health commission said Liu, 51, head of the Wuchang Hospital in Wuhan, had made important contributions to the city's epidemic prevention and control while leading all medical personnel of Wuchang Hospital on the frontline to fight against the epidemic.

A total of 1,716 Chinese medical workers have been infected with the novel coronavirus by February 11, and six of them have died.

The death toll from the coronavirus epidemic in China crossed the 2,000-mark on Wednesday with the death of 136 more people, while the overall confirmed cases climbed to 74,185, Chinese authorities said on Wednesday.

The National Health Commission (NHC) said in its daily report that 2,004 people had died of the disease known as COVID-19.

The NHC said 1,749 new cases of novel coronavirus infection have been confirmed.

Of the new deaths, 132 were reported from the worst-hit Hubei Province.

The WHO which has sent a team of experts to China early this week has issued guidance on the rights, roles and responsibilities of health workers as its latest move in its response to the current COVID-19 outbreak, highlighting the rights and responsibilities of health workers, including specific measures needed to protect occupational safety and health.

Noting that health workers are at the front line of any outbreak response, the WHO guidance said that the hazards include pathogen exposure, long working hours, psychological distress, fatigue, occupational burnout, stigma, and physical and psychological violence.

According to the guidance, employers in health facilities should assume overall responsibility to ensure that all necessary preventive and protective measures are taken to minimise occupational safety and health risks, and to familiarise personnel with technical updates on COVID-19 and share infection prevention and control information with patients and the public.

They should also provide a blame-free environment for workers to report on incidents, such as exposures to blood or bodily fluids from the respiratory system or to cases of violence, and to adopt measures for immediate follow-up, including support to victims.

The guidance suggests that health workers swiftly follow established public health reporting procedures of suspect and confirmed cases and provide or reinforce accurate infection prevention and control and public health information, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Source: https://www.dailypioneer.com/2020/trending-news/who-chief-condoles-death-of-chinese-doctor-in-fight-against-coronavirus-outbreak.html

India prepares to evacuate its citizens from virus-hit Wuhan

India was preparing to evacuate its citizens on Friday from China's Wuhan city, the epicentre of the deadly choronavirus that has killed 170 people, infected 7,711 others and spread to at least 17 countries.

India earlier requested China for permission to operate two flights to bring back its nationals from worst-affected central Hubei province. Wuhan is the provincial capital of Hubei.

In a big relief for Indians - mostly students and professionals - stranded in Wuhan, the Indian Embassy in a note circulated through social media on Thursday said that preparations are on to evacuate them from the virus-hit region.

"We are preparing for air evacuation from Wuhan tomorrow in the evening. This flight will carry those Indian nationals who are in and around Wuhan and have conveyed consent for their evacuation," the note said.

"There will be another flight subsequently which will carry those who are from other parts of Hubei province," it added.

The Indian government and the Indian Embassy here have been collecting requisite details of the stranded Indians and held talks with the Chinese Foreign Ministry to work out the modalities for their evacuation.

The exact number of Indians stranded in Hubei has not yet been revealed.

"Please note that these details are tentative and are being shared with you so that you are adequately prepared," the note said.

"We would request your understanding and cooperation. Our intention is to ensure that all those who have expressed consent to avail this facility are safely returned to India. We will shortly update you and send further instructions,” it said.

According to reports, an Air India 747 Boeing has been kept ready to fly them back to India.

The embassy has already informed the stranded Indians that upon their arrival in India they need to undergo a 14-day quarantine in a designated city, the name of it which has not yet been revealed.

The quarantine was necessary as experts say the incubation period of the new virus was on average three to seven days, with the longest being 14 days.

The Indian embassy has opened three hotlines to help the Indians in Wuhan to cope up with the crisis.
Besides India, several other countries including the US, France, Japan, South Korea, are airlifting their nationals from Wuhan.

A large number of people from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh from the neighbourhood besides African countries were also reportedly stranded in Hubei province.

The nationwide death toll from novel coronavirus has jumped to 170 with 38 more fatalities reported mainly from Hubei province, the government said on Thursday, while confirming more than 1,700 new infections.

China's National Health Commission said on Thursday that 7,711 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus had been reported in 31 provincial-level regions and in the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps by the end of Wednesday.

Source: https://www.dailypioneer.com/2020/top-stories/india-prepares-to-evacuate-its-citizens-from-virus-hit-wuhan.html