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Covid-19 in India

India logs 70K Covid cases, lowest since March 31 and 3,921 deaths

This is the seventh consecutive day when India has reported less than one lakh Covid cases. On June 13, India recorded 80,834 cases. India's overall tally of Covid-19 cases now stands at 2,95,10,410. The active cases have come down below 10 lakh. The country has 9,73,158 active cases presently and has witnessed 3,74,305 deaths so far. According to the Health Ministry, a total of 1,19,501 people have been discharged in the last 24 hours, taking the total discharge to 2,81,62,947 till date. The Health Ministry said that a total of 25,48,49,301 people have been vaccinated so far in the country, including 14,99,771 who were administered vaccines in the last 24 hours. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, 37,96,24,626 samples have been tested up to June 13 for Covid-19. Of these 14,92,152 samples were tested on Sunday.

Karnataka readies to partly unlock in 19 districts

Bengaluru, June 14: As the pandemic's second wave wanes, Karnataka is reading to partly unlock from Monday in 19 districts where the test positivity rate has fallen below 5 per cent, an official said. "As announced by Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on June 10 and notified by Chief Secretary P. Ravi Kumar on June 11, lockdown restrictions will be relaxed from Monday in 19 districts, including Bengaluru Urban, to resume economic activity and allow movement of people and vehicles," a Home Department official told IANS. The districts are Bagalkot, Ballari, Bengaluru Urban, Bidar, Chikkaballapur, Chitradurga, Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri, Kalaburagi, Kolar, Koppal, Raichur, Ramanagar, Tumukur, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Vijayapura, and Yadagir. Curbs will, however, continue in the remaining 11 districts -- Bengaluru Rural, Belagavi, Chamarajanagar, Chikkamagalur, Dakshina Kannada, Davangere, Hassan, Kodagu, Mandya, Mysuru, and Shivamogga -- till June 21 to reduce the positivity rate, as advised by the technical committee of health experts. The relaxation will allow autos and taxis to operate with two passengers in these 19 districts. "Essential shopping will be allowed from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Parks will be open for walking from 5-10 a.m. Street vendors can do business from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.," said the official. All industries will be allowed to function with 50 per cent staff, while garment units will function with 30 per cent employees. As per the guidelines, ration shops selling foodgrains under the public distribution system (PDS) will function from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. "Hotels, restaurants and eateries can operate their kitchens to provide parcel service only. Dine-in will not be allowed and customers have to maintain social distancing for ordering and collecting parcels," said the order. Liquor shops will be able to allowed to be open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. As all construction activities are allowed to continue, cement and steel shops will be permitted to reopen from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. "Night curfew from 7 p.m. till 5 a.m. will stay in place, while weekend curfew from Friday to Monday will be from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m.," he said. Only those having medical emergency or air or rail travellers will be allowed to move in this period.

TN announces more easing of curbs in 27 districts from Monday

Chennai, June 13: The Tamil Nadu government announced more relaxations in 27 districts of the state including Chennai corporation following a decrease in the number of fresh Covid-19 cases as well as active cases in the state. Chief minister M.K. Stalin in a statement said that following representations from various sections of people, the state government is providing relaxations in 27 districts of the state including the capital, Chennai. Tea shops are permitted to function from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday but they are allowed to offer only parcel services and people are not allowed to stand near the shops and consume tea. It may be recalled that when the government announced the opening of TASMAC liquor vends from Friday, there were widespread criticisms against the government's move in not allowing tea shops to function while the liquor shops were allowed to operate. M. Pugazhendi, an avid blogger and social media influencer while speaking to IANS said, "Thanks to proactive youths of our state who came out against the government's decision to allow liquor vends and prevent tea shops to function, the government was forced to allow opening tea shops, even though we are not permitted to sit or stand near these shops and consume the brew." He adds, "The government was forced into submission as the social media posts pointing out the discrepancies in allowing liquor shops and preventing tea shops to function was a rage in the state as well as outside." The BJP and PMK had also condemned the opening of liquor shops from Monday. The BJP will stage protests across the state against the decision to open liquor shops. While hotels and bakeries are already allowed to function, the state government has now allowed sweet shops to start business from Monday from 6 a.m. 2 p.m. While construction companies are allowed to function, the offices of these companies were not allowed to open leading to difficulties in payment of salaries of the staff as also purchasing of construction materials. The offices of the construction companies will start functioning with 50 per cent of the employees. These relaxations will not be allowed in 11 districts of Tamil Nadu including seven western districts and 4 in Delta region.

Covid-19 in India

Covid kills: 54 govt teachers die in Champaran, no salaries,

no ex-gratia many families, it is too late. "Due to lack of money, my Motihari (Bihar) June 9: The delay in salaries is husband ignored going to "Happiness is no longer typical and a delay of two the doctor and preferred to part of my life," said Kumari months is quite common for take medicines prescribed Neha. The 30-year-old was both regular and contractu- by the chemist," said Savita tragically widowed when al teachers. Kumari, 42, about Ramesh her husband Deepak The association's president, Sah, a government teacher Anand, a government Amardeep Kumar, told in West Champaran. school teacher succumbed 101Reporters, "Most of them "But his health deteriorated to Covid-19 while being are contractual teachers suddenly and he had to treated at Government who died owing to a be admitted to GMCH on Medical College and Hospital at Bettiah, the headquarters of Bihar's West Champaran district. It hasn't even been two years since they got married and he leaves behind a one-year-old child. financial crunch. They were deprived of their salaries for four months, and hence they did not opt for the best medical services. "As per the allotment received, the salary was paid for November, December May 1. He passed away the following day before he could even be tested," she says. The mounting death toll has expedited the demand for relief. Premchand (he goes by one name only), State the district officials chose to remain tight-lipped. BNPSS president Kumar, said families from East Champaran are still knocking at the doors of government offices to claim the promised ex-gratia a contract teacher posted at Englishiya in West Champaran, is yet to come to terms with his death on May 13. His wife, Vibha Gupta -- a mother to two -- is too deep in mourning to deal with paperwork. The He is among the 54 gov- (2020) and January (2021) Spokesperson and Media relief and compassionate responsibility has fallen on ernment teachers claimed -- about 80 per cent of In-Charge of Bihar Rajya appointment. "Paperwork Gupta's father, Rameshwar by the virus in East and salary was received for Prathamik Shikshak Sangh, is progressing at a snail's Prasad, who said that they West Champaran districts the latter. Teachers were said, "The number of deaths pace," he added. are yet to receive his son's since the start of the second wave in April. The state education department has initiated an exercise to determine the state-wide toll. "The compilation of data from other districts is being done. It is still at an introductory level," said a senior government functionary, refusing to be identified. without payments between February and May 2021." Stranded in the middle of a crisis Praful Kumar Mishra, District Programme Officer (Establishment) of the education department in East Champaran, confirmed the delay in salaries. "We process the payment as soon as the allotment ardue to Covid-19 is high. We are compiling a list from all the districts. A demand for immediate compensation and jobs for dependents of each of the deceased has been made." Sanjay Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary of the State Education Department, had announced in May that dependents of all the Death and confusion The grieving families have to jump through bureaucratic hoops for the ex-gratia and it has been especially hard to get proper death certificates. "An RT-PCR or antigen report is mandatory for declaration of a COVIDrelated death," according to Dr Srikant Dubey, Deputy death certificate. The family have not been able to procure one since the RT-PCR or antigen test, required for the document, was not done. This death too occurred at the GMCH at Bettiah. At that time, the family was in a panic over his deteriorating health and didn't have the time to get an RT-PCR test done. "In April and May 2021 rives. The pending salaries teachers who died due to Superintendent of GMCH "We left everything for the alone, 29 of our teachers have been paid towards Covid-19 are entitled to in Bettiah. But in many doctors to decide. For now, died," informed Awdesh the end of May," he said. claim an ex-gratia of Rs 4 cases, these tests were not we have submitted all the Kumar Singh, District Teachers have confirmed lakh. However, when asked conducted. documents to the governEducation Officer (DEO) of East Champaran. West that they have now received their salaries but for how many people have received the amount so far, The family of Ajay Gupta, ment, but cannot guess what the investigation Champaran has witnessed report will say." 25 deaths, according to DEO Rajesh* (name changed) Binod Kumar Vimal. was a teacher who was The districts are now staring being treated at GMCH at a huge loss to their basic before his death. A family education workforce when member, who wished to schools eventually reopen. remain anonymous, told While online classes were 101Reporters that the CT happening in an erratic scan results are available manner, teachers had been and Remdesivir was struggling with finances administered to the patient. either due to delayed "Why is the death certificate salaries or increasing being denied when all the expenditures. As a result, treatments were provided they were often unable to to the patient as per pay for the treatments. Covid-19 protocol?" they ask. Bihar Panchayat Nagar Many families have not Prarambhik Shikshak Sangh been able to apply for the (BPNPSS), a teacher's asso- ex-gratia announced by the ciation in East Champaran, government because of the believes that timely salaries trouble involved in getting could have prevented some the appropriate death deaths. certificate.