Coronavirus India Updates, 03 June: Tamil Nadu reports biggest single-day spike; Operation of Shramik trains ends in Delhi, says Railway

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) scientist Dr Nivedita Gupta has said that the country is still “very far away from the peak”. In an infectious disease, a peak signifies the point at which the daily case count will start to fall. Over the last few days, over 8,000 new cases have been reported from across the country daily.

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Manipur reports 19 cases today, tally 108

Manipur reported six more COVID-19 positive cases on Wednesday evening, taking the total number for the day to 19. Earlier in the morning 13, positive cases were reported. Adding up the latest figure, the total number of positive cases in the state has reached 108, with 70 active cases.

As many as 12 COVID-19 patients hospitalised at JNIMS were also discharged on Wednesday after testing negative. The total of recovered has increased to 38 with 35.18 per cent recovery rate.

Manipur government has increased the testing capacity of samples for COVID-19 to 1400 per day. So far, the labs at JNIMS and RIMS have tested 11,653 samples.

Govt allows foreign businessmen, technocrats to visit India

For the first time since the nation-wide lockdown was announced in March, the government has allowed foreign businessmen, healthcare professionals and engineers to visit India but they will have to obtain fresh visas. In an order, the Home Ministry said the foreign nationals, holding a valid long-term multiple-entry business visa, would also have to get their travel documents re-validated from the Indian missions.

Those who are allowed to visit India are: foreign businessmen coming to India on a business visa (other than on B-3 visa for sports) in non-scheduled commercial and chartered flights.

*Foreign healthcare professionals, health researchers, engineers and technicians who wish to come for technical work at Indian health sector facilities, including laboratories and factories.

*This is subject to a letter of invitation from a recognised and registered healthcare facility, registered pharmaceutical company or accredited university in India.

*Foreign engineering, managerial, design or other specialists who wish to travel to India on behalf of foreign business entities located in India.

Operation of shramik trains ends in Delhi: Railways

A Shramik Special train leaves Hubbali for Azamgarh on Sunday afternoon. (Photo: Twitter/ @SWRRLY)

The Ministry of Railways on Wednesday said that the operation of Shramik trains from Delhi ended as no new demand emerged from the Delhi government. A total of 242 trains originated from railway stations in Delhi since May 1; 101 went to Uttar Pradesh, 111 trains terminated in Bihar.

Last three Shramik trains from Delhi operated on May 31; Anand Vihar to Purnia, Anand Vihar toBhagalpur, H. Nizamuddin to Mahoba, said the ministry of railways.

Noida’s Sec 18 market battles low footfall; traders foresee change in market culture

Traders in Noida’s Sector 18 market opened their shops after over two months, following the relaxation in lockdown guidelines as well as in curfew timings for citizens. With overhead costs increasing by the day, traders are hopeful that sales will pick up over the next few weeks as people begin stepping out.

“Customers usually shop if they are around the market for lunch or dinner. If restaurants are not opened, we won’t have footfall,” says Shalabh Gautam, managing a shop selling opticalware. Gautam says most of his customers are buying only what is essential, that too on an order basis. “In my shop, the sale of sunglasses have gone down at least 75 per cent since all the orders have been for spectacles.”

Most shops that opened followed social distancing norms as well as the use of sanitizers at the door. Tina Kahrbanda, who manages a clothing store, said the fear of stepping out continues but our behaviour has to change. “People seem to be scared of coronavirus while some of them have adapted to the conditions. The whole world has suffered, so have we,” she says, as she engages with a few customers at her store.

Delhi forms second committee to assess hospitals with Covid-19 cases

Govt employees are required to attend office, since lockdown was relaxed on May 18.

The Delhi government has formed a five-member committee to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure and assess the overall preparedness of hospitals with Covid-19 cases. The city has been recording over 1000 cases in a day for at least a week now, with highest single-day spike of 1,298 cases reported on Tuesday.

The new members include Dr Mahesh Verma, Vice-Chancellor of IP University; Dr Sunil Kumar, Medical Director of GTB Hospital; Dr Arun Gupta, president of Delhi Medical Council; Dr R K Gupta, former president of Delhi Medical Association; and Dr Sandeep Budhiraja, Group Medical Director, Max Hospital.

The city has reported 22,132 cases of so far with 556 deaths. Of the total cases, 31 per cent have been reported in the last six days, 6876 in numbers.

Delhi seals borders: Khattar says will now allow inter-state movement only after talks with Kejriwal

After Delhi government decided to shut its borders with neighbouring states restricting inter-state movement, the Haryana government which had allowed free movement of people from the National Capital after the fourth phase of the coronavirus lockdown appeared on Tuesday to be having second thoughts.

“The guidelines of Ministry of Home Affairs were followed while taking this decision but the Delhi government decided not to allow any movement. Now any decision in this regard would be taken after discussing it with the Delhi government and borders would be opened after mutual consent of both the governments,” Haryana Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar Tuesday said.

As a result of Delhi shutting its borders, chaos prevailed throughout the day on Sonipat-Kundli border on Ambala-Delhi national highway. Similar reports from Gurgaon-Delhi border also came in as the National Capital did not allow entry of vehicles and individuals without e-pass.

Maharashtra’s Covid growth rate falls below India’s for the first time

As the Covid count increases across the country, touching the 2-lakh figure Tuesday, a small silver lining has emerged. For the first time in nearly two months, the growth rate of infections in Maharashtra has slowed to fall below that of the country as a whole.

The fall in Maharashtra rate has slowed down the national growth rate. (Express Photo by Arul Horizon)

This trend may not endure as the spread gets wider but it is significant. For, the rate in Maharashtra has been declining for over two weeks now and this has slowed down the national growth rate as well.

Growth rate of new cases slowing

At the start of May, the compounded daily growth rate of cases in India was around 6.2 per cent. It rose to about 7 per cent before starting a decline that has continued since then. On Tuesday, the national growth rate was 4.67 per cent.

One of the main reasons for the decline in growth at the national level is the fact that Maharashtra has been slowing down for more than two weeks now.

Read| 30% frontline workers in Bastar have comorbidities they didn’t know of: officials

Gujarat and Rajasthan, the states with fourth and fifth highest caseloads, have considerably lower growth rates, of 2.50 and 3.21 per cent respectively.

Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, the next biggest states in terms of caseloads, have also been growing at around the same rates.

Covid test should track viral load too, says new ICMR study

Only seven per cent of coronavirus samples have a “high viral load” — meaning these people would, on average, transmit the infection to 6.25 other people.Viral load refers to the quantity of a virus in an organism and is a reflection of how quickly the virus is replicating.

Read| CSIR research identifies unique trait in virus in India

These are new findings by ICMR’s National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH), Ahmedabad, based on a study of over 1,000 samples collected in the state in April and May.

Rajasthan hikes liquor prices to boost revenue amid COVID-19 crisis

The Rajasthan government Tuesday imposed a surcharge of up to Rs 30 on Liquor to mop up the revenue amid the coronavirus crisis.The state finance department said the decision has been taken to mitigate natural or man-made calamities like floods, epidemic etc

Similarly, the surcharge on Indian-made Foreign Liquor will be Rs 5 for 180 ml and 375 ml bottles, breezers, miniature and other packaging, while it will be Rs 10 on 750 ml bottles.

Mamata urges Centre to give Rs 10,000 each to migrant workers

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday appealed to the Centre to give one-time assistance of Rs 10,000 each to migrant workers amid the COVID-19 crisis.

People have been facing economic hardship of unimaginable proportions bcz of the ongoing pandemic. I appeal to Central Govt to transfer ₹10,000 each as one-time assistance to migrant labourers including people in unorganized sector. A portion of PM-CARES could be used for this.

— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) June 3, 2020

Banerjee suggested that a portion of the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM-CARES) could be used for the purpose.

To check community spread, Andhra Pradesh asks districts to test 290 daily

As states began phased reopening of most activities on Monday, the Andhra Pradesh government has passed an order to test 290 people every day in each district to track prevalence of infection in the community.

From construction workers to agricultural labourers, and vegetable vendors to shopkeepers, there are 15 categories of people who will be tested every day in each district as part of the sentinel surveillance, the state Health Medical and Family Welfare Department has ordered.

Gujarat relaxes curbs on testing

The Gujarat government Tuesday relaxed the curbs on testing for Covid-19 and allowed life-saving procedures to be carried out without waiting for Covid-19 tests.

Read| Gujarat tally crosses 17,500; more than 1,100 patients discharged

The guidelines issued by additional director, health department, Prakash Vaghela, stated that all emergency and life-saving procedures may be carried out “without waiting for Covid-19 testing in the best interest of patients”.

Read| No Tablighi members in quarantine centres, UP tells High Court

Amid lockdown NREGA May demand is highest for month in 8 years

With the lockdown sending lakhs of migrant labourers back to their villages, over 2.19 crore households utilised the rural job guarantee scheme in May, which is the highest for the month in the last eight years, according to official data.

over 2.19 crore households utilised the rural job guarantee scheme in May.(Express Photo by Gurmeet Singh)

The numbers are expected to go up as data over the years show demand peaking usually in June, after the harvesting season. The May spike is significant as there was a dip during April 2020, and reflects the lockdown’s impact.

Read| Palghar: Grappling with virus, villagers reluctant to shift to govt shelters

US to ship first batch of 100 ventilators donated to India next week: White House

The US will ship next week the first batch of 100 ventilators it has donated to India to treat the coronavirus patients, President Donald Trump has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a conference call, the White House said.

The first batch of 100 ventilators from the US will be shipped next week. (Representational Image)

Trump spoke with Modi on Tuesday and “the two leaders discussed the G-7 (summit), the COVID-19 response, and regional security issues”, it said.

Former Union Minister tests positive after death

A day after his death in Leh, samples collected from former Union minister and three-time Congress MP from Ladakh, P Namgyal tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday.

Leh District Magistrate Sachin Kumar Vaishya said two committees have been set up to probe the lapses and added that action will be taken against those found responsible.

AAP’s Sanjay Singh will send 33 migrants home with flight tickets from MP quota

Sanjay Singh will accompany 33 migrant workers in a flight to Patna on Wednesday evening, they said.

AAP leader Sanjay Singh has decided to use the 34 air tickets he is entitled to as an MP to help stranded migrant workers reach Patna from Delhi by flight, party sources said.

He will accompany 33 migrant workers in a flight to Patna on Wednesday evening, they said. An MP is entitled to 34 business class tickets in domestic flights annually.

The decision was praised by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who said it would be an inspiration for everyone.