Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Passengers from Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Telangana will have to get the test done 72 hours before departure
A health worker takes a swab sample to test for COVID-19 at drive-through COVID-19 testing facility at GMDC ground in Ahmedabad. AP
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In view of increasing COVID-19 cases in the state, it has been decided to postpone the Class 10, Class 12 and Under Graduate examinations to 17 May , 2021, says the Department of Education, Himachal Pradesh.
ANI
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In view of the second wave of the coronavirus infection, the Rajasthan government has decided to postpone the Class 10 and 12 exams conducted by the state Board of Secondary Education, Ajmer, said Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Gehlot added that students of Classes 8, 9 and 11 will be promoted without exams.
इसी के साथ राज्य सरकार ने 8वीं बोर्ड के छात्र-छात्राओं को नवीं, कक्षा 9 के छात्र-छात्राओं को दसवीं तथा 11वीं कक्षा के छात्र-छात्राओं को बारहवीं कक्षा में प्रमोट करने का भी फैसला किया है।
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) April 14, 2021
Coronavirus LATEST Update
Coronavirus LATEST Update
Coronavirus LATEST Update
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that journalists should be treated as frontline workers and should be allowed vaccination on priorityas they are reporting from the most adverse situations. " Delhi government is writing to the Centre in this regard," he said.
Journalists are reporting from most adverse situations. They shud be treated as frontline workers and shud be allowed vaccination on priority. Delhi govt is writing to centre in this regard
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) April 14, 2021
Coronavirus LATEST Update
The Karnataka government on Wednesday said it has not taken any decision on cancelling the State board 10th standard exam This comes against the backdrop of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) cancelling the 10th standard and postponing the 12th standard examinations due to the prevailing coronavirus pandemic. The State Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar issued a statement saying: "The Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) exam will take place from 21 June." The statement further said no decision like the CBSE has been taken. However, keeping in view the situation in future, an appropriate decision would be taken, the minister was quoted as saying in the statement.
PTI
Coronavirus LATEST Update
Coronavirus LATEST Update
Coronavirus LATEST Update
With COVID-19 infections spreading rapidly in the country, the Congress on Wednesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being negligent, careless and callous in tackling the virus and jeopardising the lives of Indians, and asked him to follow "raj dharma".
Congress general secretary and chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the Modi government has been completely careless and cruel when it comes to ensuring life-saving drugs, providing oxygen and vaccines to Indians, and has proved incompetent in controlling the spread of the virus.
LATEST Updates: The West Bengal government on Wednesday issued a directive to air passengers coming to the state from Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Telegana to carry reports of their RT-PCR negative status conducted 72 hours before boarding the flights, a senior official told news agency PTI.
In view of the second wave of the infection, the Rajasthan government has decided to postpone the Class 10 and 12 exams conducted by the state Board of Secondary Education, Ajmer, said Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Gehlot added that students of Classes 8, 9 and 11 will be promoted without exams.
The Karnataka government on Wednesday said it has not taken any decision on cancelling the State board 10th standard exam This comes against the backdrop of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) cancelling the 10th standard and postponing the 12th standard examinations due to the prevailing pandemic.
The State Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar issued a statement saying: "The Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) exam will take place from 21 June."
The drug controller and health ministry have asked manufacturers to strengthen the production of remdesivir injection.
Amid an unprecedented surge in cases in the National Capital, ICU beds with ventilators are fully occupied in 69 of 94 hospitals with such facilities and only 79 beds are vacant, according to data shared on an official app on Wednesday. According to the Delhi Corona App till about 2 pm, in 75 of the 110 hospitals, all ICU beds without ventilators had patients.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal welcomed the decision to cancel CBSE Class 10 board exams and postpone Class 12 exams in view of surge in cases, saying it will provide a great relief to students and their parents.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra welcomed the government's decision to cancel the CBSE Class 10 board exams but urged the government to arrive at a decision on the Class 12 board exams.
The total number of vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 11 crore on Wednesday, the fourth day of the 'Tika Utsav', said the Union health ministry in a press release. Cumulatively, 11,11,79,578 vaccine doses have been administered through 16,53,488 sessions, as per the provisional report till 7 am on Wednesday, it added.
Ten states, including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Kerala, have shown a steep rise in daily new cases accounting for 82.04 percent of the fresh infections being reported in a day, said the Union Health Ministry
Union education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said the situation will be reviewed on 1 June and details for Class 12 exam will be shared after that
The CBSE officials denied any change in the schedule "yet" and reiterated that the arrangements are being made to ensure social distancing by increasing exam centres by over 50 percent. The exams are scheduled to begin from 4 May.
The active caseload in the country was at its lowest at 1,35,926 on 12 February and it was at its highest at 10,17,754 on 18 September, 2020.
This is also the fourth straight day of the country seeing over 1.5 lakh fresh infections and the eighth straight day of over one lakh cases.
With the death of 1,027 more patients in the past 24 hours, the toll in the country has increased to 1,72,085 on Wednesday, said the health ministry. The fatality rate has risen to 1.24 percent.
Reeling under an unprecedented wave, the Maharashtra government on Tuesday announced
severe, curfew-like restrictions on public movement over the next 15 days across the state, saying the "war against has begun again," as it flagged a shortage of medical oxygen and hospital beds.
The "lockdown-like" restrictions, which exclude essential services, will come into effect from 8 pm on 14 April and remain in force till 7 am on 1 May, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said in his address via social media to people of the state.
Section 144 of CrPC prohibiting assembly of five or more people at one spot will be in force during the period, Thackeray said but refrained from terming the new curbs as lockdown.
The new norms entail stricter curbs on public activities to stem the infection spread and build on the existing weekend and night curfew in the state.
Thackeray's announcement of the new curbs came on a day when Maharashtra recorded 60,212 fresh cases and 281 fatalities.
There is a shortage of medical oxygen and beds and the demand for Remdesivir, a key drug, has increased in Maharashtra, he said, adding the Centre should help supply oxygen for patients in the state by using Air Force planes.
"The war against has begun once again," he said, adding the pandemic has assumed a scary proportion in the state.
There is a severe strain on Maharashtra's health infrastructure due to a spike in cases, he added.
Seeking to minimise the adverse impact of the curbs on a large population, the chief minister announced a sort of relief package.
The state government will provide three kg wheat and two kg rice free for the next one month to every poor and needy person, Thackeray said.
He announced a ban on the movement of people for non-essential works during the restriction period.
All essential services, including medical stores hospitals, supply of medicines, among others will remain
operational. The local transport will also function for those involved in essential services, he said.
Thackeray made an emotional appeal, seeking people's support for successful implementation of the curbs.
"I appeal to people to help the state. I want to know whether people are on the side of or the state that wants to break the chain of its spread," he said.
A range of other essential services will also remain out of the purview of the new curbs.
Services such as vaccination, oxygen production, home delivery of food, operation of e-commerce firms, work at construction sites with residential facility and industrial activities, where accommodation or transportation of personnel is available, will remain unaffected, he said.
All banking and financial services, the RBI and its affiliated offices, insurance offices and pre-monsoon works will remain operational, he said.
However, there will be a complete ban on religious, social, cultural and political functions in the state till 1 May, he said.
For political rallies during elections, not more than 200 people can attend an event or 50 percent of the seating capacity of the hall, Thackeray said.
The number of participants at marriage and funeral was capped at 25 and 20, respectively.
Saloons, spas, schools, colleges, private coaching classes, beaches, clubs, swimming pools, gyms, drama theatres and cinema halls will remain close during the next 15 days, the chief minister said.
Though roadside eateries are allowed to operate, buyers can not consume food on the street and only take away will be available, said Thackeray.
He announced a package of Rs 5,476 crore for the poor whose earnings will be impacted.
He said The Shiv Bhojan service of offering a meal at Rs 5 will be offered for free during the period. The state daily feeds around two lakh people. They will now get the food for free."
"Similarly, under the Food Security Act, the registered beneficiaries will get three kg of wheat and two kg of rice for free. The period of this free food grain is for one month. There are seven crore registered beneficiaries," he said.
The 12 lakh registered construction workers will get Rs 1,500 during the period while license holding auto-rickshaw operators will get Rs 1,500. There are 12 lakh such auto-rickshaw drivers. Also, the registered hawkers will get Rs 2,500 during the same period as well, he said.
The number of registered beneficiaries under various state and central schemes such as the Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar, Shravanbal and the Indira Gandhi National pension scheme in the state stood at 35 lakh, the chief minister said.
They will get Rs 2,000 for the next two months, he said.
Also, 12 lakh Adivasi families will get Rs 2000 for a month as financial assistance, Thackeray announced.