Year: 2020

India has entered into lockdown 3.0 phase that shall end on May 17. However, following the conference with the Chief Ministers of states the Center may now plan to extend lockdown following the zones each state is in.   According to a report by a news channel, curfew restrictions from 7 PM to 7 AM may continue in areas that fall under the Red Zone, while there will be more relaxations for areas under the Green and Orange zones.   The Prime Minister has requested all state Chief Ministers to send in their suggestions on the same latest by May 15. Based on their advice, the Centre…

The Himachal Pradesh Police has charged a COVID-19 patient in Chamba with attempt to murder after he allegedly partied with his friends following his return from another district earlier this month.   DGP S R Mardi said that the patient infected his two-year-old daughter and two of his friends. Before he tested positive, he allegedly had a liquor party with his friends outside his house, and they also shared a cigarette. This act is a “suicidal act” by Mardi.   The police have also booked a Hamirpur resident who recently returned from Gujarat and called a barber to his house to cut his hair. He later tested positive, and…

While the government is planning to ease restrictions after two months of lockdown, the residents of northwest Delhi’s Shalimar Bagh fear the same claiming that it would result in a “rapid rise” in the number of COVID-19 cases and that it should be declared as a red zone.   The residents of this area believe that if the area is not converted into a containment zone and sealed properly, it would become a big hub of cases just like Mumbai’s Dharavi slum.   During a tele call with a news channel, Delhi Residents Forum Secretary Ritesh, said, “We…

An ICU of St. Petersburg, Russia saw the death of five COVID-19 patients when a ventilator caught fire, on Tuesday, reported news agencies.   A News agency quoted a source as saying that the patients had died from inhaling toxic substances released by the fire in the intensive-care unit located on the 6th floor of the hospital in the Vyborgsky district.   Rescue teams reportedly took 150 people to safety. Authorities have reportedly launched an investigation into criminal negligence leading to death. Much of Russia’s health care infrastructure is outdated, and the COVID-19 pandemic has put it under considerable strain.   Tuesday’s fire was the second such incident…

Microsoft mogul and philanthropist Bill Gates said he had tried to warn President-elect Donald Trump of the dangers of a major viral outbreak soon after the 2016 race, but feels guilty for not being more vocal.   “I chose, when I met with people all the way up to the top, in Europe, in the US, around the world, to talk about this pandemic risk,” he told a news paper in an interview, explaining that he even made the case to the US President during a December 2016 meeting at Trump Tower. Gates says that while many world leaders agreed with his advice in principle, few took any action to prepare, prompting him to begin looking for potential solutions on his own.   The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, founded in 2000, the tech…

Two news papers reported that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and cyber security experts believe Chinese hackers are trying to steal research on developing a vaccine against coronavirus.   The FBI and Department of Homeland Security are planning to release a warning about the Chinese hacking as governments and private firms race to develop a vaccine for COVID-19, the Wall Street Journal The hackers are also targeting information and intellectual property on treatments and testing for COVID-19.   US officials alleged that the hackers are linked to the Chinese government, the reports say. The official warning could come…

The government has announced a Rs 1.7 lakh crore relief package aimed at providing a safety net for those hit the hardest by the COVID-19 lockdown, along with insurance cover for frontline medical personnel. About 800 million people will get free cereals and cooking gas apart from cash through direct transfers for three months.   The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana includes higher wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Act (MGNREGA), Rs 1,000 ex-gratia payment to nearly 30 million poor senior citizens, widows and disabled as well as…

NITI Aayog member and former Defence Research and Development Organisation Chief V K Saraswat called on DRDO to provide ‘more focus’ on its six laboratories that work on life sciences. He was speaking at a video-conference on National Technology Day.   National Technology Day is observed on May 11 every year to commemorate the 1998 nuclear tests at Pokhran and to underline the need for self-reliance in critical areas.   While Saraswat did not directly suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic was related to biological warfare, it is significant that the…

In his much awaited address to the nation on 12th may at 8.00 PM, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a ₹20-lakh-crore relief package to help revive an economy hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. At ₹20 lakh crore, the quantum of the relief package works out to about 10% of the GDP. However,the details of the package will be shared by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tomorrow. This vision of India – turning crisis into opportunity- is going to prove equally effective for our resolve of self-reliant India. The great  COVID…