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Modi holds strategy meet with CMs, guidelines issued for passenger trains: Covid-19 news today
Here is a preview of the important Covid-19 news from India in the last 24 hours.
States will have a greater say in determining the extent of relaxations and restrictions after May 17, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told chief ministers at a meeting to discuss strategies against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) on Monday. Meanwhile, the Indian Railways issued guidelines for passenger services that are resuming on Tuesday, asking those boarding the special trains to reach stations at least 90 minutes in advance while also advising them to carry their own food.
PM Modi, CMs not in favour of lifting lockdown entirely
In his fifth interaction with chief ministers on the pandemic, according to participants at the meeting, PM Modi said India now had a good sense of the spread of the disease; urged states to carefully examine specific geographical areas to come up with a road map for the next phase of lockdown; highlighted the importance of green zones in restarting economic activity; underlined that the full resumption of rail travel would not be possible; pointed out that India will have to use technology in imparting education; and, more broadly, spoke about how the pandemic will change the world, just as the world wars did; and the new principle of life would be “jan se lekar jag tak” (from an individual to the whole of humanity). Read more.
Rush for tickets, guidelines issued for passenger trains
Indian Railways released a timetable for these trains, which will run only with air-conditioned (AC) coaches and have full seating capacity, and specified the stoppages they will make. Read more.
Covid-19: What you need to know today
India will restart train services from New Delhi to 15 other cities, and back, starting Tuesday. Of these, 16 trains will run every day, four only once a week, two thrice a week, and the rest twice a week. All the trains will stop at other stations (see pages 1 and 4). Read more.
German stuck at Delhi’s IGI airport refused to go home
A 40-year-old German who has been living in the transit area of the Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport for the last 55 days turned down an offer go to his home country, and was recently served a “Leave India Notice” by authorities, according to officials familiar with the matter. Read more.
Migrant trains to take more passengers, allowed 3 stops
Indian Railways approved on Monday an increase in the number of passengers allowed on board Shramik Special trains it is running for migrant workers returning home after being stranded by the Covid-19 lockdown, and allowed the trains to make three stops en route to their destinations. Read more.
Govt plans random testing for community surveillance
Every week, 200 people will be tested at health facilities in each of India’s 733 districts to check whether they have or have had the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), the Union health ministry said in new guidelines released on Monday, charting out a comprehensive community surveillance strategy that experts have long said was crucial in managing the outbreak. Read more.
Govt issues new protocol for Aarogya Setu data collection
The government issued on Monday a set of protocols for how data collected from people through the Aarogya Setu contact tracing mobile application will be used and shared, attempting to address privacy concerns raised by activists and experts about the way the tool functions, the information it stores and the lack of clarity around who has access to it. Read more.
Enzyme makes men vulnerable to coronavirus disease
Being male is a significant risk factor for severe illness and death from the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) regardless of age, according to a new study that identified higher concentrations of a key enzyme in men’s blood as the reason for the increased risk of death they face compared to women. Read more.
Sound public health policy need of hour | Opinion
Covid-19 is an unprecedented global challenge for both health and economic well-being. As seen in Italy and New York city, the exponential growth of Covid-19 infections can quickly overwhelm health systems and lead to tens of thousands of deaths. Read more.
Covid-19 crisis: Govt’s stimulus package on anvil
A comprehensive package of policy reforms, financial incentives and monetary measures is in the works to re-energise the economy by giving more fiscal space to the states, accelerating public works, easing the availability of credit and putting more cash in the hands of the people to generate demand, three people aware of the plan said. Read more.
