CRPF man's death sparks row over different COVID-19 guidelines in force; MHA takes note

The death of a 55-year-old CRPF personnel due to COVID-19 and about 50 other troops of his battalion being infected with the disease have rung alarm bells in the establishment after it was found that "dichotomous" orders were issued in the country's largest paramilitary force to check the spread of the pandemic.

CRPF Director General (DG) A P Maheshwari has again issued fresh directives that all suspected coronavirus cases will have to undertake a "mandatory" quarantine of 14 days after it recently came to light that the medical wing of the paramilitary issued a separate order sometime in April stating that asymptomatic staffers can join work after a five-day quarantine.

Maheshwari told PTI that after multiple positive cases were reported from the Delhi based 31st battalion of the force, contact tracing led them to the source -- a nursing assistant jawan, who had joined duty at this unit upon returning from leave after undergoing "only five days quarantine".

The nursing assistant, who himself is admitted to a Delhi hospital after he was detected positive for the virus, worked at the unit hospital for some days after spending five days in quarantine and it is suspected that the infection travelled from him to other troops of the 31st battalion.

"Our general order was 14 days quarantine for any personnel who came back to the unit after leave or had an exposure to COVID-19 infected person. Then we found there was another order by the medical wing that said medical staff who undergo five days quarantine and have no symptoms can be taken off quarantine.

"These were dichotomous orders. I have sought a written explanation from the Director Medical of the force on April 26 and have also referred the case to the ADG (Medical)," the CRPF chief told PTI.

The office of Additional DG (Medical) functions under the Union home ministry and has operational control over the medical wings of all Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) like the CRPF, BSF and CISF among others.

"I have asked the ADG (Medical) to take appropriate action on the directive issued by our medical director," the DG said.

H L Raskaran, CRPF's medical director, declined to comment stating he was "not authorised to speak to the media".

A senior official said the Union home ministry has taken note of this "serious" incident where a soldier has lost his life and about 50 others were infected with the pandemic in a single battalion.
The CRPF, on its part, has already submitted a report to the ministry of home affairs (MHA).

The ministry has sought details of the entire sequence of events, also the first case of COVID-19 death in CAPFs, from the force by this month-end.

The official said the CRPF DG has now issued fresh directives that all suspected cases will have to undergo mandatory 14-day quarantine as stipulated under the central government and global health bodies like WHO for COVID-19 containment.

The Sub-Inspector who hailed from Assam had tested positive for the virus a few days back and he breathed his last on Tuesday at the Safdarjung hospital in Delhi.

As the official suffered from co-morbid conditions like hypertension and diabetes he was admitted to the premier central government hospital while the rest of his positive colleagues have been admitted to a state government quarantine facility in Mandoli, a CRPF officer said.

The last rites of the deceased will take place in Delhi as per medical procedures decided for COVID-19 linked deaths, the official said.

While the entire premises of the 31st battalion based in Mayur Vihar has been sealed, about a thousand personnel and their families have been put on different levels of quarantine.

At least 45 personnel from this battalion have already tested positive for the corona virus and are admitted in various hospitals in the national capital. Over 400 samples from this unit have already been collected, officials said.

A jawan of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) and a doctor of the CRPF were earlier detected positive for COVID-19.

The 3.25 lakh personnel-strong CRPF is designated as the lead internal security force of the country apart from being the mainstay for anti-Naxal operations and counter-terrorist duties in the Kashmir valley.

Source: https://www.dailypioneer.com/2020/top-stories/crpf-man-s-death-sparks-row-over-different-covid-19-guidelines-in-force--mha-takes-note.html

Cabinet approves Rs 15,000 cr package for fighting COVID-19 outbreak

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved Rs 15,000 crore for what it calls COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package'. The funds will be utilized in 3 phases while for immediate COVID-19 emergency response, provision of an amount of Rs 7,774 crore has been kept.
Meanwhile the rest of the amount will be used for medium-term support for the next 1-4 years, which will be provided under the mission mode approach, said the government on Wednesday.

"The key objectives of the package include mounting emergency response to slow and limit COVID-19 in India through the development of diagnostics and COVID-dedicated treatment facilities, centralized procurement of essential medical equipment and drugs required for treatment of infected patients, strengthen and build resilient National and State health systems to support prevention and preparedness for future disease outbreaks, setting up of laboratories and bolster surveillance activities, biosecurity preparedness, pandemic research and proactively engage communities and conduct risk communication activities," said a government statement.

These interventions and initiatives would be implemented under the overall umbrella of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

In Phase 1, the health ministry with the support of all the other ministries has already undertaken several activities. Additional funds to the tune of Rs 3,000 crore is released under the package to states and UTs, for strengthening of existing health facilities as COVID Dedicated Hospitals, Dedicated COVID Health Centres and Dedicated COVID Care Centers. Detailed guidelines, protocols and advisory for quarantine, isolation, testing, treatment, disease containment, decontamination, social distancing and surveillance has already been made. Meanwhile, identification hotspots and appropriate containment strategies are also in full swing.

Talking about India's testing facilities, the government said, "Diagnostics laboratories network has been expanded and our testing capacity is increasing everyday. In fact, leveraging on the existing multi-disease testing platforms under NationalAA TB Elimination Programme, orders for procurement of 13 lakhs diagnostic kits have been placed to augment COVID-19 testing."

All health workers including Community Health Volunteers (ASHAs) have been covered with insurance. Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), N95 masks and ventilators, testing kits and drugs for treatment are being procured centrally, said the government.

However, the major share of the expenditure will be used for mounting robust emergency response, strengthening National and State health systems followed by strengthening pandemic research and multi-sector national institutions and platforms. It will be done for community engagement and risk communications and implementation, management, capacity building, monitoring and evaluation components.

The cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi also amended the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1987 to ensure safety of India's medical fraternity with steep fines and making any attack on them a cognisable and non-bailable crime.

Source: https://www.dailypioneer.com/2020/top-stories/cabinet-approves-rs-15-000-cr-package-for-fighting-covid-19-outbreak.html

COVID-19 cases cross 7,000 across India; Govts gear up for extending lockdown with some possible relaxations

The nationwide tally of confirmed COVID-19 cases crossed 7,000 on Friday with at least 236 deaths as several places including Delhi and Mumbai reported further spread of the deadly virus and Punjab became the second state to extend the lockdown till April 30, a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets chief ministers to take stock of the situation.

The Union Home Ministry also sought views of state governments on the 21-day lockdown including whether more categories of people and services need to be exempted, officials said on Friday, amidst indications of a possible two-week extension of the nationwide restrictions to curb the spread of coronavirus.

The Health Ministry in the meantime maintained that no community transmission is taking place as yet in India, while the World Health Organisation also put the country in a category named 'cluster of cases' -- a notch below the community transmission stage and a classification used by the global body for cases "clustered in time, geographic location and/or by common exposures".

While several states including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Jammu & Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh reported rising number of cases, the Union Health Ministry said the rate of people testing positive was only 0.2 per cent on Thursday when more than 16,000 samples were tested. Cumulatively close to 1.5 lakh samples have been tested so far across India.

A PTI tally of numbers reported by various states as on 7 PM showed a total of 7,049 having been affected by the virus nationwide so far with at least 236 deaths. More than 650 have been cured and discharged.

However, the evening update from the Union Health Ministry put the number of confirmed infections at 6,761 and the death toll at 206.

Maharashtra has reported the maximum 1,385 cases, including close to 1,000 in Mumbai itself, while at least 97 people have died in the state. Tamil Nadu has over 900 caes, Delhi has more than 700 cases and Rajasthan has over 500, while Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have reported more than 400 positive cases each.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, however, said most of the 27 positive cases reported in his state on Thursday -- the maximum daily increase for the state -- were those of secondary transmission and expressed apprehension that the state may be entering the community transmission stage of the outbreak.

A day after Odisha decided to extend the lockdown till April 30, Punjab also did the same on Friday, while a decision by the central government on the nationwide lockdown, which entered its 17th day, is expected after Modi's interaction with all chief ministers on Saturday.

In Tamil Nadu, an expert committee  recommended to Chief Minister K Palaniswami that the lockdown be extended by two weeks beyond April 14 considering the rise in number of cases.

A review meeting was also held by the Prime Minister's Office during the day on various efforts to check the coronavirus spread, which also discussed ramping up of production of personal protective equipments (PPEs) among other issues.

The Home Ministry, separately, has sought views of state governments on the 21-day lockdown, scheduled to end on April 14, including whether more categories of people and services need to be exempted, officials said on Friday.

Some of the suggestions made by state governments include allowing construction-related activities in rural areas.

The central government, while imposing the lockdown, had announced that shops dealing in essential commodities, including the online platforms, will remain open, besides services like health, sanitation, police, media, agriculture and banking. Movements of essential and non-essential cargos were also allowed by the government, but there have been reports about disruptions in the supply chain due to lack of labourers and trucks, among other issues.

There have also been reports of depleting levels of essential goods from various parts of the country.

Some states such as Kerala have suggested phased opening of the lockdown, while other suggestions from various states include allowing liquor sale to shore up the revenues and to allow private vehicles on an odd-even basis. However, most states have suggested keeping the public road transport, rail and airline services suspended for more time. Many have also recommended keeping state borders sealed, except for goods movement.

A few states have also suggested area-specific lockdown with stricter restrictions, which are as such being followed in the places identified as hotspots of the virus spread.

In the meantime, more states including Odisha and Telangana made it mandatory for people to wear masks or face covers at public places, while enforcement was beefed up for action against those violating the lockdown conditions.

The Centre also asked states not to allow religious gatherings and processions.

Government officials also said that a decision on bringing Indians from abroad will be taken at a later stage after reviewing the COVID-19 situation.

Globally, more than 16 lakh have tested positive for this deadly virus ever since it was first noticed in China last December, while the worldwide death toll has crossed 96,000. While more than 15,000 have died in the US alone, France has also reported over 12,000 deaths.

Source: https://www.dailypioneer.com/2020/top-stories/covid-19-cases-cross-7-000-across-india--govts-gear-up-for-extending--lockdown-with-some-possible-relaxations.html

Trump requests Modi to release Hydroxychloroquine ordered by US

President Donald Trump has said that he has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release the amount of Hydroxychloroquine ordered by the United States after India last month banned the drugs for exports.

Trump said that he spoke to Prime Minister Modi on Saturday morning and made a request to release Hydroxycholoroquine for the US.

"I called Prime Minister Modi of India this morning. They make large amounts of Hydroxychloroquine. India is giving it a serious consideration," Trump said at his daily news conference at the White House on Saturday.

India's Directorate General of Foreign Trade on March 25 banned the export of Hydroxychloroquine but said that certain shipments on humanitarian grounds may be allowed on a case-by-case basis.

With more than three lakh confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and over 8,000 fatalities, the US has emerged as the worst sufferers of the deadly coronavirus diseases to which there has been no cure.

Scientists across the world in particular in the US are racing against time to find either a vaccine or a therapeutic cure to the virus that has so far killed more than 64,000 people and infected 1.2 million in more than 150 countries.

Based on some initial results, the Trump administration is banking heavily on using Hydroxychloroquine, a decades old malaria drug, for the successful treatment of coronavirus.

Following a quick provisional approval from the US Food and Drug Administration last Saturday, the malaria drug along with a combination of some other drug is being used in the treatment of about 1,500 COVID-19 patients in New York.

According to Trump, the drug is yielding positive results. If successful, he told reporters that it would be a gift from heaven.

In the next several weeks, health experts in the US has projected between 100,000 to 200,000 deaths due to coronavirus, which due to human-to-human transmission is spreading like a wildfire in the US.

In anticipation of it being a successful drug in the treatment of coronavirus, the US has already stockpiled some 29 million doses.

It is in this context Trump requested Modi to help US get millions of doses of Hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug that can be produced at mass scale in India.

Trump said he would appreciate if India releases the amount of Hydroxychloroquine that the US has ordered.

"And I said I would appreciate if they (India) would release the amounts that we ordered, he said, without mentioning that quantity of Hydroxychloroquine that has been ordered by US companies from India.

The Trump administration has made Hydroxychloroquine as part of its Strategic National Stockpile.

Trump said that people in malaria affected-countries take Hydroxychloroquine and not many people are infected by coronavirus.

Trump said that he would take Hydroxychloroquine, if needed.

"I think people should if it were me, in fact, I might do it anyway. I may take it, Ok? I may take it. And, I'll have to ask my doctors about that, but I may take it, he said in response to a question.

Source: https://www.dailypioneer.com/2020/top-stories/trump-requests-modi-to-release-hydroxychloroquine-ordered-by-us.html

AP assly to pass resolution, requesting Centre to maintain NPR register as in 2010

The Andhra Pradesh government will pass a resolution in the ensuing Budget session of the state Legislature, requesting that the Centre maintain the National Population Register (NPR) as it existed in the year 2010.

Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy took to Twitter on Tuesday evening to spell out the YSR Congress' stand on the NPR issue.

"Some of the questions proposed in the NPR are causing insecurities in the minds of minorities of my state.

After elaborate consultations within our party, we have decided to request the Central Government to revert the conditions to those prevailing in 2010," the Chief Minister said in the first tweet.

"To this effect, we will also introduce a resolution in the upcoming assembly session,"Jagan said in the second tweet.

The Chief Minister's tweets came in the backdrop of his governments recent order, gearing up the administrative machinery for the conduct of the NPR exercise and Housing Listing and Housing Census as part of Census of India 2021 to be taken up for 45 days between April and September 2020.

"In view of a number of apprehensions and doubts being expressed in various quarters with respect to the conduct of NPR exercise, following clarifications are issued to all the District Collectors/ Principal Census Officers in the shape of "Frequently Asked Questions" (FAQ) for easy dissemination to all concerned," General Administration Department Secretary Shashi Bhushan Kumar said in the order issued on January 22.

He said people are not required to submit any document to the enumerators during the NPR exercise.
"Enumerators are just required to record whatever answers are given by the people and not to press for any further answers to any query if they do not intend to give and also not to ask for any document," Kumar said in the order.

The GAD Secretary added that all officials involved, from enumerators onwards, "have been/are being trained" to the effect that there was no requirement of submission of any document by the people during the NPR exercise, nor any requirement to insist on answer to any query if people do not intend to answer.

Source: https://www.dailypioneer.com/2020/top-stories/ap-assly-to-pass-resolution--requesting-centre-to-maintain-npr-register-as-in-2010.html

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