March 25, 2020

Nagaland Post www.nagalandpost.com

Vol XXX No. 108

DIMAPUR, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020 Pages 12 ` 5.00

Omar freed after 8-month detention

Japan, IOC agree to postpone Olympics

WHO warns COVID-19 pandemic accelerating

NATIONAL, PAGE 5

SPORTS, PAGE 12

INTERNATIONAL, PAGE 9

response to lockdown in Nagaland PM declares 21-day national lockdown Mixed 167 BOOKED IN DIMAPUR, 135 VEHICLES CHALLANED

NEW DELHI, MAR 24 (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a complete nationwide lockdown for 21 days from Tuesday midnight, asserting in an emotional appeal “with folded hands” that unless India’s 130 crore people practice social distancing, the country will lose the war against coronavirus outbreak and slide back 21 years.

In his second national broadcast in a week on the pandemic raging across much of the world with the number of infections rising in India, Modi made a fervent appeal to the countrymen not to cross the ‘lakshman rekha’ of their homes in the next three weeks. “If the situation is not handled in these 21 days, the country and your family could go back by 21 years. If situation is not handled in these 21 days, several families will get devastated forever,” he said underlining the massive danger the coronavirus poses. “My fellow citizens, there is absolutely no need to panic.

Essential commodities, medicines etc. would be available. Centre and various state governments will

NE reports first COVID-19 case in Manipur

MHA issues strict lockdown guidelines

Narendra Modi

work in close coordination to ensure this,” he tweeted after his speech. Separately, the government issued detailed guidelines about the restrictions, along with certain exemptions. He noted that the lockdown has brought a very difficult time for the poor and added that the Centre along with states, individuals from civil societies and institutions is constantly striving to reduce their problems of the poor.

The Centre has put in place a provision of Rs 15,000 crore for treating coronavirus patients and strengthening medical infrastructure in the country.

“I am confident that every Indian will not only successfully fight this difficult situation but also emerge victorious,” he said.

Union Home Ministry has issued strict guidelines for the enforcement of 21-day complete nationwide lockdown in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, invoking the National Disaster Management Act which may result in imprisonment of up to two years for any violation.

All government offices, the offices of state and union territory governments, autonomous institutions, public corporations, commercial, private, industrial establishments shall remain closed, the guidelines issued by the ministry said.

However, fair price shops and those dealing with food, groceries, fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, fish, animal fodder will remain open, it said.

Banks, insurance offices, print and electronic media will also remain open, according to the guidelines.

All transport services -- air, rail and roadways -- shall remain suspended during the three-week period, it said.

“In case of funerals, congregations of not more than 20 persons will be permitted,” it said.

Hospitality services and educational institutions will remain suspended during the period.

However, hotels, homestays,

State Covid-19: 1 more test negative; results of 3 awaited

Correspondent

Correspondent

IMPHAL, MAR 24: First novel coronavirus (Covid19) case in the North East has been reported in Manipur, after a 23 year old woman who had recently returned from the United Kingdom tested positive.

The patient, who hails from Thangmeiband, Imphal West, was currently undergoing treatment at Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) hospital in Imphal. An official statement of director of state health services Dr K Rajo confirmed about the case.

According to reports, the woman flew from London to Delhi on March 19, 2020 and arrived at Imphal on March 21 by flight (AirAsia) via Delhi-Kolkata and Agartala sector. State Health authorities also quarantined the entire family member of eight at a government designated centre.

State authorities have also begun to track the copassengers of the flight. In this regard, state health authorities asked all passengers of AirAsia flight i5-501 to contact them immediately and not later than 8 a.m. of March 25 or face legal action as per IPC.

KO H I M A , M A R 2 4 (NPN): Out of four samples which were sent for testing to Guwahati laboratory on Tuesday at Dibrugarh, one was found negative.

The results of three are awaited, Health & Family Welfare principal director Dr. Vizolie Z. Suokhrie said on Tuesday. On Monday, a suspected Covid-19 sample sent to Dibrugarh for testing was found negative.

Dr. Suokhrie said as on March 24-- 5312 persons were screened at the airport, 9037 in the Railway station and 168 under surveillance.

He also informed that 794 were under quarantine and six foreign tourist currently in the state. Meanwhile, in Tuensang district it was reported that out of 129 persons who had come from affected states and screened, 25 of them have been placed

This is it!

“He’s ready to go on nationwide yatra with his ‘Go Carona Go slogan’, if lockdown fails to stop the virus .”

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lodges and motels which are accommodating tourists and people stranded due to the lockdown, medical and emergency staff, air and sea crew have been exempted, it said.

Defence, Central Armed Police Forces, treasury, public utilities including petroleum, CNG, LPG, PNG, disaster management, power, warning agencies, state police, home guards, fire and emergency services, district administration and treasury, electricity, water, sanitation, and Municipal bodies (only staff required for essential services) have been exempted from lockdown, it said.

These offices should work with minimum number of employees while all other offices will work from home, it said.

District Magistrates shall deploy Executive Magistrates as incident commander to oversee overall implementation of these measures, it said.

To ensure strict implementation of these measures, the government has invoked Sections 51 to 60 of the Disaster Management of Act which mandate up to two years of imprisonment for any violation by individuals, companies or officials involved in implementation, they said.

under home quarantine. It was also reported that there was immediate requirement of 1000 personal protective equipment, 10 ventilators, 100 oxygen cylinders, 5000 masks, 5000 gloves and 200 hand sanitizers.

H&FW minister visits hospitals in Dimapur H e a l t h & Fa m i l y Welfare (H&FW) minister Pangnyu Phom visited the Rangapahar military hospital, Eden Hospital, CIHSR (Referral hospital) and Dimapur airport on Tuesday to take stock of the preparedness and preventive measures kept in place for possible coronavirus case in the district.

He was accompanied

by IPR, SCERT and VG advisor Toshi Wungtung, Dimapur chief medical officer (CMO) Pangjung Sangtam, deputy CMO Dr Antony,

MS Dimapur, Dimapur DPRO and district administration officials.

The minister expressed satisfaction with the arrangements made at the Rangapahar military hospital, which had kept nine isolation beds and eight beds in ICU with one ventilator and two transport ventilators exclusively for COVID-19 cases.

During a brief interaction with the minister and his entourage, GOC 3 Corps Lt Gen RP Kalita said in case of extreme emergency, a team of 100 people had been prepared to work in shifts in any of the isolation zones. Underscoring the importance of social distancing at this juncture, the GOC said that leave had been extended to those soldiers already on leave and those who have returned from leave for unavoidable reasons had been quaran(Cont’d on p-7) tined.

Staff Reporters/Correspondent

DIMAPUR/KOHIMA, MAR 24 (NPN): State-wide lockdown and Section 144 CrPC in Dimapur evoked a mixed response as a significant number of people were seen moving either on foot or in vehicles even as violators were taken to task by police personnel.

In Dimapur, prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC were promulgated effective March 23 from 6 a.m. onwards till further orders. PRO Dimapur police informed that 167 individuals were booked for violating the order and 135 vehicles challaned for violation of M.V Act. Police personnel were deployed at various junctions of Dimapur city stopping vehicles and pedestrians.

In some places Traffic personnel were seen providing sanitizers to manual labourers. Those who drove aimlessly were asked to return while some were made to do hold their ears and do frog jump. Some violators were also made to hold placards that read: “I am an enemy of the society and human race. I cannot stay at home.”

Some colonies in Dimapur have announced total lockdown with some barring entry or exit of all persons irrespective of whether or not they were residents of the colonies.

Travellers stranded: Some passengers of Avadh Assam Ex-

of Medicine, the world’s most-cited research journal, on the varying stability of the coronavirus on different surfaces found that the lowest transmission possibilities were through copper because of its atomic makeup and cardboard because of its porous texture. The transmission was highest through aerosols and higher through plastic and stainless steel, the study found.

Nivedita Gupta, chief epidemiologist at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), told ET that Covid-19 is a “respiratory infection” and there is “no risk” of catching it through newspapers and packages.

“I do not think we should stop getting these things...,” said Gupta, whose organisation is tasked with tracking and documenting Covid-19 cases. The coronavirus loses half its potency every 66 minutes

and is only one-eighth as infectious three hours after landing on a surface, and has 2% potency after six hours, researchers found.

It lasts longest on smooth, non-porous surfaces , and can stay live on plastic and stainless steel with steadily lowering potency for two to three days.

The virus does not last on cardboard after 24 hours, and lasts even less on newsprint, which is far more porous than cardboard.

E x p e r t s h ave d i s missed the misinformation that newsprint can cause Covid-19 across continents.

“Newspapers are pretty sterile because of the way they are printed and the process they have been through.

Traditionally, people have eaten fish and chips out of them for that very reason. So all of the ink and the print makes them actually quite sterile....,” Prof George Lo-

press who arrived at Dimapur at around 9 a.m. Tuesday were left stranded as there were no autos nor taxis.

Some of the passengers, who were mostly on their way to Manipur, claimed that they were caught unaware by the curfew. They expressed helplessness as they could not find any public transport due to the lockdown. Officers of East PS, on duty, said they were trying their best to assist the stranded passengers. They advised the stranded passengers to obtain medical certificates from the Dimapur District Hospital before travelling.

In Kohima, speaking to Nagaland Post, a police personnel on duty said people were very casual

DIMAPUR, MAR 24 (NPN): Deputy chief minister Y Patton has reassured people of Nagaland that the Health & Family Welfare department along with Home and other departments were working 24/7 for the safety of all citizens.

Addressing a brief meeting held to assess the state’s preparedness to tackle coronavirus pandemic at his official residence here on Tuesday, Patton directed the district administrations, particularly those in the inter-State borders, to restrengthen the sealing of the border areas.

He also appealed to all civil society groups, NGOs, churches and student bodies to come out and support the various safety measures being adopted by the state government in guiding the common people to comply with the government’s advisories.

Patton also directed (Cont’d on p-7) state DGP to instruct all

DIMAPUR, MAR 24 (NPN): Expressing concern over the Coronavirus (COVID- 19) pandemic that was claiming thousands of lives worldwide, the Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) has urged the people of Nagaland to stand united and pray to Almighty God for His healing and also cooperate with the directives of the government to get rid of the dreaded disease.

In a press release, NTC president Toniho Yepthomi and general secretary Nribemo Ngullie said that India was no exception to the problem in spite of several precautionary measures adopted by the government both at the centre and the state. Referring to ICMR report that India was not very far away from Stage-3 of COVID-19 spreading into communities, the NTC queried whether the Nagaland and the state government was ready to deal with the impending COVID-19 pandemic.

monossoff, a project leader in the Department of Chemistry at the John Innes Centre, Norwich, told BBC. Leading experts, including from apex health research and public health organisations, as well government centres tasked with tracking and containing infections in India, have also dismissed misinformation regarding newspapers as potential carriers of Covid-19, saying it has no scientific basis.

National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) director Dr Sujeet K Singh said it is untrue that newspapers can be a source of Covid19 infection. ”There is no evidence to suggest that. If it was happening, we would have said so to stop the infection. What we know about the virus, for sure, right now is that it spreads largely through droplets and fomites [infected surfaces], not newspapers,” said Singh.

in treating lockdown as holiday and venturing out, regretting that the people perhaps did not understand the gravity of COVID 19.

Public distribution system shops were also seen crowded during the day, which indicated that panic buying continued despite the government’s assurance on having enough stock of essential commodities.

More than 100 commercial vehicles, especially local taxis, were detained and more stringent checking is expected in the coming days. In an attempt to make people understand the current situation, Kohima Police displayed placards that read “We stay at work for you, please stay at home for us”.

Govt working 24x7 for public safety: Patton

NTC urges citizens to cooperate with govt

Newspapers not Covid-19 carriers, say top scientists NEW DELHI, MAR 24 (AGENCIES): No one has been infected by coronavirus (Covid-19) through newspapers or packages with scientific research showing the virus does not survive on porous surfaces. The particular sterility of newsprint makes newspapers safe, the world’s top scientists and researchers have said.

Scientists at India’s top health research bodies and health experts have also said that holding newspapers in your hands is safe, and there is no evidence of them or other types of paper being carriers of Covid-19 infection.

Over the past week, there have been WhatsApp messages and forwards — stating that newspapers can be avenues of infection. But this has been roundly refuted by health experts and doctors. A study published in the New England Journal

Cops in Kohima with placards send out message to citizens. (NP)

NPA flags misinformation

DIMAPUR, MAR 24 (NPN): Nagaland Press Association (NPA) has flagged the issue of newspapers as a medium becoming the latest victim of COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement issued through its president H Chishi and joint secretary Alice Yhoshu, NPA pointed out that messages were being shared and forwarded on social media that newspapers could be avenues of virus, despite it being refuted by health experts and doctors.

This had affected circulation of newspapers in the State, besides affecting livelihood of newspaper hawkers and distributors. In the State Capital, it alleged that newspaper hawkers were being barred from entering wards and colonies, which was hampering delivery of information to the doorsteps of public.

(Cont’d on p-7)

Y. Patton with officials during the briefing, Tuesday.

units to remain alert and extend full cooperation in all possible ways as and when required. He emphasised initiating stern action against those people not complying with the government advisories pertaining to social distancing and staying indoors, except for necessary emergencies.

Expressing concern over the random and unnecessary movement of government employees and students, Patton explained that shutting down of offices and educational institutions, except essential services, did not mean that they should roam around

in public places, but stay indoors to avoid getting infected by COVID-19 as the best remedial measure was staying at home.

He appealed to the people of Nagaland not to panic or get swayed by rumours being spread on social media from unauthenticated sources, but remain calm and strictly adhere to the advisories issued by the government from time to time. “Stay at home and stay safe,” he remarked.

The meeting was also attended senior government officials from various departments and police.

DMC to begin fumigation DIMAPUR, MAR 24 (NPN): Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) would be carrying out fumigation (spray disinfectants) in and around Dimapur.

Informing this in a statement, Dimapur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) said it had contributed over 20nos of the sprayer to DMC. DCCI president Akashe Zhimomi appealed the public to extend full corporation to DMC during the process.

Further, DCCI warned all shops and business establishments not to indulge in hoarding. It said shops found indulging in such hoardings, will be sealed and goods hand over to the administration for free distribution. DCCI said it will be monitoring the market round the clock and take direct complaints from the public. DCCI also reassured the citizens not to worry as there was sufficient stock

of essential items. It said goods trains/trucks carrying essential items were allowed to ply and kept out of the purview of lockdown.

DCCI has called upon the business community to rise up to the occasion and give its best even in terms of contributing cash and kind to assist the administration and the government as and when the situation arises. For any grievances, the public can contact/ WhatsApp to 9436002945, 9402022222, 7005526728 and 7005031706.

DMC directs: DMC has directed all whole sale dealers/retailers of essential commodities and perishable goods not to indulge in any illegal activity of hoarding or selling the items at higher rate. DMC administrator Albert Ezung said eight vegetable vendors found selling items at a higher rate were being penalized.

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state

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World TB Day observed in Nagaland

Officials of NTEP at the observation programme.

DIMAPUR: Nagaland commemorated “World Tuberculosis (TB) Day” Tuesday in an effort to raise public awareness about the devastating health, social and economic consequences of TB. Wokha: National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) Wokha commemorated World TB Day at Dis-

trict Tuberculosis Centre, Wokha under the theme, “It’s time” by organising a poster campaign.

In a press release, district media officer stated that while flagging off the campaign, chief medical officer, Wokha, Dr. C.W. Tungoe stated that due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, large scale programmes and activities were re-

Dr. Ruokuohelie along with the staff at the review meeting.

stricted by the state government.

He urged NTEP staff to identify TB patients and create more awareness and TB was curable with timely intervention and proper medical treatment.

NTEP staff led by Dr. Akum Jamir, district tuberculosis officer pasted posters on TB in all 23 colonies and wards around Wokha town.

DBCK holds 3rd gratitude day

Special prayer being invoked at the gratitude day.

DIMAPUR: Don Bosco College Kohima (DBCK) held its 3rd gratitude day at the college premises on March 7, with the Salesian co-operators as special invitees namely Linus, David, Issac and Henry.

A press release from DBCK stated that, during the programme, Linus, Salesian co-operator, Kohima unit, in his speech remarked that the outgoing students will start a new beginning with new opportunities. Also highlighting on God’s unconditional love, he urged upon the students not to wish for the best

alone but to move forward towards excellence.

College principal, in his speech, underlined on the journey of life and remarked that the journey offers joy, sorrows, and unexpected surprises. Stressing on the college values, he further exhorted the outgoing students to have moral and spiritual values throughout their lives and encouraged them to dedicate for humanity.

Speech on behalf of the staff was delivered by Kezienuo while R. Kangluba, BA 6th semester delivered speech on behalf

of the outgoing batch.

Highlight of the programme was a special candle ceremony where the 149 outgoing students lighted individual candles symbolizing their light that they would take with them as they pass out from the college. Best Bosconian Award for students, certificate of appreciation to teachers and special number by Silu and Thuchi BA 4th semester also marked the day. Programme was organized by the 4th semester students under the leadership of Dr. Thoshimenla.

Phek: Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) has observed “World TB Day” on March 24 under the theme “It’s time to stop TB” at Phek.

A press release from NHM Phek district media officer, Kutolu Nakro stated that, activities were focused on information education communication activities (IEC). Dr.

National seminar held at MMC DIMAPUR: Department of Political Science, Mount Mary College (MMC), Chümoukedima organised national seminar under the theme “unfolding citizenship doctrines in India: the implications for Northeast India” on March 7, sponsored by the college.

A press release from MMC stated that, the seminar was chaired by Rosy Rengma, assistant professor of Economics, welcome address by Dr. Kaustubh Deka, assistant professor of Political Science, Dibrugarh University and vote of thanks by HoD, K. Viyinali Aye, assistant professor of Political Science.

The programme was attended by guest speaker, Pritom Doley assistant professor, Jagiroad College Jagi Morigaon, paper presenters from different colleges of Nagaland and others.

Ruokuohelie Rutsa district tuberculosis officer Phek held a review of the programme activities achievements made and challenges faced by the district. He highlighted the changes made in the programme (NTEP) in order to achieve TB elimination by 2025 in India. Leaflets on basic information about TB was distributed to the general public.

Nagaland Post, Dimapur WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020

NTTU writes to Centre on timber ban DIMAPUR, MAR 24 (NPN): Nagaland Timber Traders’ Union (NTTU) and all its affiliated district units have written to Director General of Forests, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change raising the issue about the recent decision of the state cabinet to ban direct sale of timber outside the state and only to allow finished products.

In a joint statement, NTTU president Kevise Sogotsu, district president of Peren, Ichiau; general secretary Phek district, Tsolomong Peri; general secretary Kiphire district, Rolland; president Dimapur district mill owners Henito K Swu, Balie Sogotsu, Chumukedima unit and F&RMCA Tuli president T. Nukshi Yaden said this was in direct contravention to Article 371 (A) and an infringement of Articles 19 (1) (g) and 21 as well as a negation of ‘Right to livelihood’ as espoused by the Supreme Court.

It pointed out that in Nagaland, except for

Advisor of Horticulture & Border Affairs Mhathung Yanthan at the jubilee.

DIMAPUR: Amidst the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic across the nation and call for social distancing, Longtsüng Baptist Church celebrated its centennial jubilee under the theme, “Nteno a ehongpvüiden” (You are my witnesses) Acts1:8 on March 21-22 at Longtsüng village.

It may be noted that Nagaland gover nment also took several precautionary measures to prevent possible spread of COVID-19 and lockdown the state on March 23. The government has prevented social gathering, functions and movement of public, exception for essential or emergency cases.

Demonstration & training on disaster managements

DIMAPUR: District office of the Home Guards & Civil Defence (HG&CD), Mokokchung in continuance with the programme to impart basic training on disaster management organized one-day training at town hall, Mokokchung on March 7. According K Y M C

to DIPR report, training was attended by the students and cadets of Bharat Scouts & Guides and NCC from Mayangnokcha Govt. Higher Secondary School (MGHSS).

Participants were imparted training on CPR, FBAO, bandaging, knot, lashing

Students with HG&CD personnel at CMHSS Phek. (DIPR)

splinting and emergency method of rescue (EMR).

Theoretical classes along with demonstration and hand on practical were carried out for in depth understanding and learning during the day long training programme.

A similar exercise was

In a press release, the jubilee planning committee stated that the theme speakers were Lotha missionary overseas, Rev. J. Thungjamo, Kohima Lotha Baptist Church, senior pastor Rev. Mhathung Lotha and Lotha Baptist Church Dimapur, pastor Rev. Zanao Mozhu.

Greetings were deliv-

ered by advisor for Horticulture & Border Affairs Mhathung Yanthan and advisor for IT Science & Technology, NRE Mmhonlumo Kikon.

The jubilee chairperson was Lotha Baptist Church Dimapur, pastor Rev Zanao Mozhüi; jubilee monolith was dedicated by Lotha Baptist Churches Association, executive secretary, Rev. Nyanchumo Lotha; jubilee hall was dedicated by Lakhuti Baptist Church, pastor Rev. Ezanbemo Odyuo and dedicatory prayer for jubilee theme and opening service was done by Lotsu Baptist Church, pastor Rev. Zaremo Tsanglae. Jubilee choir master was Nchumbemo Mozhüi, jubilee pianist and choir director was Senjümbeni Jungi and jubilee bugle was called

by Longshithung Yanthan Lotha. Hundreds attended the centennial jubilee celebration.

Workshop on Nai Talim conducted at MITE DIMAPUR: Modern Institute of Teacher Education (MITE), Kohima conducted a oneday workshop on Nai Talim, which is a basic education based on Gandhian philosophy on March 11.

A press release from MITE principal Dr. Devanand Sinha stated that, resource persons were Chulou Sekhamo, asst. professor MITE and Ketoriavi Sakhrie, asst. professor MITE. Twenty activities were carried out by the student-teachers of B.Ed 2nd semester, out of which the important activities were old age care, making heritage craft, public health, pregnancy and early childhood care, sharing household responsibilities domestic budgeting and planning, recycling plastic and field studies of flora and fauna and developing a herbarium. A total of 93 student-teachers and 5 teacher-educators participated in the workshop.

made a sincere appeal that each and every single individual member of the society come together to defeat COVID-19 and that common sense would prevail, to fare through this trying situation together and safely as a society. MPC will continue to remain active in line of duty and those in need of its service may contact at 9436016099 or 7005638013 for necessary details. MPC also thanked Young Women Christian Association of Mokokchung for face masks donated to Student-teachers during craft making.

Mokokchung Press Club.

Participants with training certificates at Mokokchung. (DIPR)

IOCL Dimapur informs: Dimapur LPG SA, Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) Achintya Kumar Saikia has informed that the demand of LPG cylinders have shot up due to the situation of the COVID19 pandemic. Public have been requested not to panic as there was adequate availability of LPG cylinders in the market. Domestic LPG being covered under the Essentials Commodities Act, 1955 will continue to be made available in the market even if there is a complete lock down.

Lost and found: United Colony Purana Bazar (B) Village Block IV Union has recovered one two wheeler, Hero Glamour, red and black colour bearing chassis no.

MBLJAS051JGK11693.

Rightful owner has been informed to claim it by producing the original document within two weeks or publication of this information.

Centennial jubilee held at Longtsüng

MPC to avoid press conferences

DIMAPUR: Mokokchung Press Club (MPC) has resolved to avoid all press conferences for the time being in view of the global pandemic COVID-19 outbreak and as a countermeasure for protection of members.

A press release from MPC president, Limalenden Longkumer and secretary, Sashimeren Jamir also appealed to all the citizens of Mokokchung to adhere to the public advisories issued by competent authorities from time to time on the matter. MPC further

some few reserved forests, the government has no control or jurisdiction over forest land as it was the community and villages which possess ownership of forest land and natural resources.

For generations, they said Naga tree farmers and timber traders had been dependent on sale of timber, cut down either from community forests or individual plantations, for their very livelihood.

Also the sudden decision to ban sale of timber in any other form except finished products without providing any viable or alternative source of income generation would have severe economic impact on hundreds of tree farmers/ timber traders and their families.

Therefore, the signatories urged the DG’s intervention with the hope that they will be allowed to continue the trade and also urged the Ministry to open new avenues for welfare of timber traders and tree farmers.

news in Brief

also conducted by Home Guards & Civil Defence, Phek at Christian Mission Higher Secondary School (CMHSS), Phek and Kiddies Corner School (KCS), Phek on March 6 and 7 respectively. Programme started with a brief introduction on disaster man-

agement by district commandant, Phek after which he led the mock drill & demo on CRP (First Aid), bandaging and splinting, emergency method of rescue, knots and lashing.

Training was attended by students, teachers and faculty members.

DC Mon clarifies on SAGY adopted village Angphang

DIMAPUR: Deputy commissioner (DC), Mon Thavaseelan K has clarified to the news report published on March 18 in local dailies under the caption, “Meeting held on adopted village Angphang”. According to DIPR report, DC has issued clarification to clear confusion among the citizens of SAGY adopted village that Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana is a scheme for adoption

of village by the Member of Parliament. DC said that there are no schemes or fund provision available solely for the purpose of SAGY. The approach of this scheme is to converge different government schemes or programme, both existing and a new plan or schemes, for bringing about transparency and accountability in the public services and to trigger processes which lead

to holistic development of the gram panchayat.

DC also clarified that the report should read as PHED department issued 2 water tanks, Forest department planted 5000 ornamental trees and constructed footsteps, Rural Development department has formed 43 self help groups under NRLM and not as published. Factual error is regretted, DC added.

GPRN/NSCN condoles

DIMAPUR: GPRN/NSCN has expressed profound grief at the untimely demise of ‘capt.’ Taliba ( Rocky) son of Pensokiu of Iponger village, Yimchungru Region, who passed away in an unfortunate incident on March 21.

In a condolence message, GPRN/ NSCN MIP said late Taliba served the na-

tion wholeheartedly and was committed to the cause of the Naga national movement.

MIP said his contributions towards the nation will be ever remembered by the Nagas.

GPRN/ NSCN has further conveyed condolence to the bereaved family members and prayed for the departed soul to rest eternal peace.

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State

Nagaland Post, Dimapur WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020

COVID-19: Information, appeals and directives

DIMAPUR: Following the outbreak of COVID-19 across the world, which has now been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO), various preventive measures are being undertaken by the state government and its agencies, and village authorities to prevent the spread of the virus.

DC Kohima restricts movement: As precautionary measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 outbreak in the district, DC Kohima, Gregory Thejawelie has restricted nonessential movement in the district with immediate effect.

According to DIPR, the DC has directed citizens to stay at home and not move out except for purchase of essential commodities and medical exigencies. Only one person should come out for purchase and should strictly be done from their respective colonies, DC stated.

All vehicular movement of non-essential nature have been prohibited and no private vehicle should carry passengers.

It also asked all shops and business establishments to remain closed, except pharmacies, petrol pumps, groceries shops selling food items, vegetables, daily use items, LPGs and bakeries etc.

Kohima DTF: Kohima district task force (DTF) on COVI-19 held its review meeting on March 23, under the chairmanship of deputy commissioner Kohima, Gregory Thejawelie. DC apprised the members that all the measures and preparedness level have been taken up so far by the DTF and the concerned members in their respective areas.

Medical superintendent NHAK, Kuobunuo and deputy chief medical officer, Dr. Hoito briefed the members on the preparedness level at NHAK and Chedema Ayush Hospital. District surveillance officer, Dr. Asenuo also informed the members that the surveillance team was closely monitoring the people coming from outside the state as per the guidelines. Following measures were resolved to be taken up in order to prevent and control the Coronavirus outbreak

DC Kohima Gregory Thejawelie with DTF officials on March 23. (DIPR)

in the district: Students coming from other states are to mandatorily stay on home isolation for 14 days and to contact the Kohima Helpline No. 8575563906/6909937493 for any information and queries; Appeal the people to disseminate the information and to be responsible and also to extend full cooperation with the government; To put on hold of all the construction works except for road construction within the district and to disseminate the information and sensitize the general public through print and electronic media and public announcement.

DC Zunheboto: De puty commissioner Zunheboto has issued an order for all concerned that: All shops and other establishments which are frequented by public are to mandatorily keep hand sanitizers or provide facilities for hand washing with soap and water for the public as well as for their own staff/workers.

Further the proprietor of the shops and establishment should regularly get the door handles, surfaces and other objects which are frequently touched by people, cleaned and disinfected; All the restaurants/ eateries are to mandatorily provide facilities for handwashing with soap and water for the public as well as for their own staff/workers. Further they should regularly clean and disinfect the door handles/ knobs, tables, chairs and other surfaces which are touched by a large number of people; All hotels/ guest houses/ rest houses are to mandatorily provide nagalandpost.com Poll facilities for handwashing with soap and water for Q . : Has Coronavir us taught public about their guests and travelimportance of personal ers as well as for their employees. They should hygiene? regularly clean and dis100% –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– infect the rooms, door 90% –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– handles/knobs, tables, 80% –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– chairs and other surfaces 70% –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– which are touched by a 60% –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– large number of people; 50% –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– All the operators of public 40% –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– and private carriers like 30% –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– bus, taxi operators etc., 20% –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– are to regularly clean and 10% –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– disinfect the seats, door 0% A B C handles, railings, surfaces etc of the vehicles under 80% A Yes. their fleet.

0% B No. Surprise inspections 20% C Can’t Say. by officers/staff of the shall be conNext poll department ducted to check compliQ: W i l l c u r f e w b e ance. DC also ordered for effective in containing closure with immediate cornavirus spread? effect of the following  Yes. within Zunheboto district  No. until further order; All dine-in restaurants, dhabas  Can’t Say. and eateries. However, any such outlets may keep its WEATHER open if it provides FORECAST kitchen for home delivery or takeMarch 25 away, provided all health measures are followed by (Temperature in ºC) Max Min the employees; All shopAgartala Hazy sun 35 18 ping malls, departmenAizawl Hazy sun 29 11 tal stores, gyms, beauty Guwahati Hazy sun 33 16 parlours, salons/barber Imphal Hazy sun 30 11 shops and all other such Itanagar Hazy sun 29 15 establishments; All shops Shillong A few afternoon showers 23 10 located in crowded areas except those shops/outlets Kohima A passing afternoon shower 23 10 dealing with food grains, Dimapur Hazy sunshine 30 16 vegetables, food items, Mkg 25 11 Hazy sun medicines and other essenTuensang Cool with hazy sun 16 7 tial items and goods; Entry Wokha Hazy sun 24 14 of public into any banks Zunheboto Partly sunny 22 9 or financial institution are K Y M C

restricted with immediate effect except for very essential and emergency services like passing of govt bills, payment of charges and fees, withdrawals of cash for urgent purposes and other such needs. All banks should adhere to the health advisories on prevention and spread of COVID-19; All Shops, business establishments, except pharmacies, petrol pumps and grocery shops selling food grains, food items, vegetables, daily use items, LPG distribution, water tankers, other essential commodities, and media offices shall remain closed till further orders; All commercial passenger vehicles, both private and public like buses, taxis, autos, two wheeler taxis etc. shall not ply till further orders; Movement of public is restricted except those coming out of their homes for procurement and distribution of essential commodities, availing essential services, medical facilities and other basic needs; All entry points to Zunheboto district has to be sealed/restricted except for movement of essential commodities, security forces, medical equipment and supplies and goods vehicles in transit till further orders. However, the drivers and attendants of the vehicle transiting shall be subject to screening by authorised teams at each entry point. All area administrative officers having entry point(s) to the district under their jurisdiction shall coordinate with the block medical officer under their respective jurisdiction and immediately form the screening team; All government offices both central and state, except district administration, Police, Judicial Officers, S e c u r i t y Fo r c e s, F i r e & Emergency services, Home department, Medical, Postal Services, NIC, NSDMA, Power, PHED, Food & Civil Supplies, Finance, Treasuries & Accounts, Banks/ATMs, AIR, Doordarshan shall remain closed till further orders, However HoDs, heads of offices shall form a core group of officers/ staff to attend urgent and essential matters. All other gover nment employees should be available on call.

DC Tuensang: Deputy commissioner Tuensang has constituted the inspection team with the following members: Thsadongpi Sangtam, assistant commandant VC as team leader with 2 DEF personnel and 2 DBs in team 1; Chullen Chang OC Police Station Tuensang as team leader with 2 DEF personnel and 2 DBs in team 2. The inspection teams will be tasked with responsibility of strictly enforcing: All shops and business establishments, except pharmacies, petrol pumps and grocery shops selling food grains, food items, vegetables, daily use items, other essential commodities and media offices shall remain closed till further notice; All commercial passenger vehicles, both public and

private, like buses, taxis, autos, two-wheeler taxis etc shall not ply till further orders; Movement of public is restricted except those coming out of their homes for procurement and distribution of essential commodities, availing essential services, medical facilities and other basic needs. The inspection teams will carry out regular patrolling of the town area to monitor and to enforce the above provisions; The inspection teams will submit the report of its findings to the district task force on COVID-19, Tuensang on daily basis. DC Tuensang also issued strict compliance of all concerned through the following orders: General public are advised to refrain from hoarding essential commodities and only buy as per requirement. District has sufficient supply of essential commodities and efforts are being made to maintain continuity in the supply of essential commodities. Public are advised not to resort to panic buying; All shops/ outlets dealing with food grains, vegetables, food items, medicines and other essential items are directed to adhere to this advisory and refrain from hoarding essential commodities, black marketing and profiteering. Further, they are also directed to ration the selling essential commodities to the general public; Any person(s) found violating the above advisory shall be punishable under relevant section of the Indian Penal Code 1860 and Essential Commodities Act 1955. DC also issued the following directives to all village council under Tuensang district to comply immediately: Village council to avoid/ restrict movement of public within its jurisdiction especially those coming from outside; To avoid/ restrict gathering of people within its jurisdiction; To earmark/designate council hall (preferable) or village rest house or any other places as “quarantine zones” for use in case of any eventuality. The same may be conveyed to the office of the DC; Should get in touch with the local health workers such as ASHA, ANM, CHOs etc in case of any exigencies; All the orders/notifications/guidelines etc issued by the government (state as well as district administration) from time to time with regard to COVID-19 need to be strictly complied by the village council.

VC S : I n v i e w o f C OV I D - 1 9 p a n d e m i c, Village Council Sovima (VCS) held an emergency meeting on March 23 and has adopted few resolutions for the safety of the villagers.

In a press release, VCS chair man, Neikhriehu Kense has informed that following resolution has been adopted: No new individual/person will be allowed to come and stay within the village jurisdiction from March 24 till further notice; Any individual/person leaving the village or travelling to

other places will not be allowed to come back till further notice from the village council; All development works within the village jurisdiction will be stopped immediately till further order; No organization will be allowed to function any type of camps/seminars/ group activities within the village jurisdiction without the consent of the village council.

USLP: United Sangtam Likhum Pumji (USLP) the apex Sangtam organization has appealed to all the citizens of Sangtam living in different parts of Nagaland, such as Kiphire, Longkhim-Chare and Dimapur to strictly observe and implement the guidelines set by the state government in the fight against COVID-19. In an appeal letter, president, USLP, T. Seopi Sangtam and general secretary, USLP, P. Achumse Sangtam asked citizens to extend fullest cooperation to district administration, Police and Medical staff. USLP asked citizens to strictly adhere to all the guidelines set by the government for the time being, though it might cause some inconvenience.

USLP also urged upon the district administration of Kiphire to ban entry of all domestic tourist in the district and to temporarily suspend issue of Inner Line Permit (ILP) and set up check points to monitor people entering the district at three locations, such as at Ngoromi village (Kohima road), Anatongre village (Tuensang road) and Seyochung town. USLP in support of the government also issued an advisory: All village councils, village guard (VGs) are directed to strictly monitor movement of people entering the village; All persons including students who are studying outside and patients who have entered the state/district/village after March 6 are asked to contact helpline no provided by government of Nagaland for precautionary measure; Public are directed not to hold gathering in any form till further notice; Public are asked not to spread any unverified information in social media which may create panic and chaos. Any person found indulging in spreading misinformation will be dealt seriously.

Any person from Kiphire district needing help in regard to current pandemic are asked to contact at 7005589941/9612921898.

ZTC: Zunheboto Town Council (ZTC) has directed all shops and business establishments under Zunheboto town, to sell all essential commodities at the prescribed MRPs and that hoarding/selling of essential commodities at exorbitant prices is strictly prohibited. Strict action will be initiated against the violators along with penalty in accordance to relevant laws.

ZTC also endorsed that the spitting of paan/ tamul, sputum etc in public places and institutions under Zunheboto town is banned with immediate effect. Strict action will be initiated against the violators along with penalty in accordance to relevant laws YNA: Young Namsang Association (YNA) has appealed to the principal director Health & Family Welfare, Nagaland and the CMO Longleng that, the border gates located in Yonglok & Shetap villages under Longleng district are yet to be provided thermal screening. In an appeal letter YNA president, Dr. Phongshak Phom and joint secretary, Bausha stated that, Yonglok and Shetap villages in the border area, vehicular movements and inter-state business trans-

actions between Assam and Nagaland are taking place. Considering the high chance to spread COVID19 through movements and contacts of people, the YNA has requested the medical authorities of Nagaland to immediately depute trained medical personnel with necessary equipments for thermal screening at the border gates mentioned above for the safety of all people.

MTGBU: Medziphema Town GB Union (MTGBU) has requested all residents under its jurisdiction to cooperate with the government prohibitory order under Sec. 144 CrPC to effectively prevent the spread of COVID-19.

A press release from MTGBU head GB Neingusie Meyase and secretary, Kecalhoutuo Kuotsu, GB has urged residents to restrict unnecessary movement within its jurisdiction and practice personal hygiene and maintain social distancing at this critical juncture. GB’s also asked all the shops selling essential commodities under its jurisdiction to maintain supply of essential commodities and not to hike prices. MTGBU asked the residents to contact its office if any shopkeeper was found indulging in artificial price hike. Stringent actions will be initiated against the defaulters.

LSU: Lotha Students Union (LSU) has appealed to the department of Health and Family Welfare to issue adequate thermal scanners & safety suit to Wokha District Hospital so as to ensure public safety as Wokha district shares the longest boundary belt with Assam. A press release from LSU president, Ashanthung Humtsoe and general secretary Pithungo Shitio stated that, LSU inspected the Bhandari check gate on March 23 & learned that the concerned department was not in a position to tackle the pandemic Covid-19. It therefore urged the state government and concerned minister of Health & Family Welfare to immediately intervene & supply medical equipments needed for the safety of the district.

LSU also cautioned any pharmacies or individuals found selling hand sanitizers, mask & commodities above the MRP price within its jurisdiction will be dealt seriously as per the law. Union also appealed to the students returning back to Wokha district to cooperate with the medical department formalities & to be home quarantined immediately.

For any assistance one may contact at students grievances cell Pithungo Shitio general secretary 8974523931 & vice president Chumben Khuvung 7005362064.

DC Kiphire: Deputy commissioner Kiphire, Sarita Yadav has issued the following directives with immediate effect till further orders: General public are advised to refrain from hoarding essential commodities and only buy as per requirement.

The district has sufficient supplies of essential commodities and efforts are being made to maintain continuity in the supply of essential commodities therefore public are advised not to panic; Pharmacies, grocery shops, petrol pump and market will be always open as usual but business establishments and shops will be closed till further orders; Commercial vehicles movement like taxi and two wheeler taxis are totally banned within the district from March 24; Public are advised to stay at home except only for coming out for daily needs.

DC Mon: De puty commissioner, Mon Tha-

vaseelan K ordered the following be applicable throughout Mon district: All shops and business establishments except pharmacies, petrol pumps and grocery shops selling food grains, food items, vegetables, daily use items, other essentials commodities and media offices, shall remain closed till further orders; All commercial passenger vehicles, both public and private like buses, taxis, autos etc shall not ply till further orders; Movement of all public is restricted except those coming out of their homes for procurement and distribution of essential commodities, availing essential services, medical facilities and other basic needs; All inter-state entry points shall be sealed except for movement of essential commodities, securities forces, medical equipments and supplies and goods vehicles transiting the state till further orders.

However, the drivers and attendants of the vehicle transiting the state shall be subject to medical screening as per laid down protocol; All government offices both central and state except district administration, Police, Securities Forces, Fire & Emergencies Service, Medical, Postal services, NIC, DDMA, Power, PHED, food & Civil supplies, Treasury & Accounts, Banks/ATMs shall remain closed till further orders. However, HoDs shall form a core group to attend urgent and essential matters.

All other government employees should be available on call; Any person/ group of persons acting in violation of this order shall be deemed to have committed an offence punishable under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code.

ADC Noklak: Additional deputy commission, Noklak M. Chaitanya Prasad has informed all village councils under Noklak sub-division to strictly comply to the following necessary precautionary measure with immediate effect: Village councils to strictly movement of public within its jurisdiction especially those coming from outside; To avoid, restrict gathering of people within its jurisdiction; to earmark, designate council hall (preferably) or village rest house or any other places as “quarantine zone” for use in case of any eventuality of outbreak of Covid-19. Report on the same is to be conveyed to this office at the earliest; Should get in touch with the local health worker such as ASHA, ANM, CHOs etc in case of any exigencies.

Wokha DTF: District task force for COVID-19 and the rapid response team inspected the quarantine facility centered at Gover nment Higher Secondary School (GHSS) Boys Hostel, Wokha on March 23 to examine the status of the building and monitor facilities like electricity and water supply.

All necessary facility will be put up/installed after disinfection of the place is done. The team inspected the three sixbedded isolation rooms kept reserved in case of any emergency.

Team also visited the screening room for people coming for check up with flu like symptom, where people are requested to wash hand outside the screening room for preventive measure located at District hospital, Wokha.

Peren DTF: District task force (DTF) meeting on COVID-19 for Peren district was held on March 23 at DC office chamber, Peren, under the chairmanship of DC Peren-cumDTF chairman, Sentiwa-

3

pang Aier. CMO Peren, D r. D e n n i s H a n g s i n g highlighted the board members on the district preparedness. Board members resolved to form subdivisional rapid response team (SDRRT) wherein district surveillance officer, Dr. Kevi Meyase and MO, Dr. Hatlhing Hangsing were inducted as convenor and co-convenor respectively. Moreover, DC Peren has requested the sub-divisional rapid response team to coordinate with district task force, sub-divisional task force as well as village councils for proper monitoring of those villages situated and beyond the check-post.

The following members were inducted as members of SDRRT in the meeting: Peren sub-division EAC, OC, NGOs and MO PHC Peren, Dr. Kekhrie; Jalukie sub-division - EAC, OC, NGOs and MO PHC Jalukie, Dr. Albert; Tening sub-division - EAC, OC, NGOs and MO. PHC Tening, Dr. Nuktsung and Ahthibung sub-division - SDO, OC, NGOs and MO PHC Ahthibung, Dr. Vezokhulo. Board members also agreed to seal Peren-Maram border so as to restrict the movement of people.

SVC: Senjum Village Council (SVC) has banned the entry of all outsiders within the village jurisdiction with immediate effect.

A press release from SVC chairman M. Chenithung Ezung has exempted government officials or those connected to duties from the ban. Ban has been imposed to avoid possible spread of COVID-19 to local inhabitants, whereby everyone has been requested to strictly adhere.

AYO: Angami Youth Organization (AYO) has appealed to the citizens of Kohima to adhere to the government’s notification issued in public interest by various state departments following the promulgation of the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897. A press release from AYO president Kekhrie Pfukha stated that, it was extremely troubled by the behaviour of some irresponsible people who choose to ignore the standing government order, and are found loitering around and in the process endangering the lives of people and their own. AYO, therefore, makes an earnest appeal to all the denizens of Kohima to heed to the restrictions imposed by the government till such time the order stands; With COVID-19 being detected in neighboring state Manipur, it has become very vital for sealing and strictly manning the entry/ exit points, particularly the Khuzama check gate and the Chümukedima check gate. AYO fervently appeals to the district administration and police personnel to be vigilant and take preventive steps in order to let our people stay away from the deadly virus; On reported incidents of shopkeepers trying to sell essential commodities at exorbitant rates, AYO sternly warns against such unethical practices; AYO requests the district administration to provide basic protective gears to all the KMC ward sanitation workers, in order to let them continue performing their duties in collecting the household wastes. Their services remain indispensable and therefore, ensuring their safety should be of utmost priority; In spite of government order in restricting vehicular movement, it has been observed that many citizens are seen in the open with their vehicles. AYO reminds the public to strictly adhere to this notification. Organisation also requests the police personnel to keep a check on the violators.

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northeast

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Nagaland Post, Dimapur WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020

Spontaneous response to lockdown in NE states

COVID-19: Assam man booked for not self-reporting

Tamang, said in a video message that the decision was taken in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

Sikkim has not reported any positive case of coronavirus, which has infected nearly 500 people in the country. During this weeklong lockdown, all shops and business establishments will remain shut throughout the state, he said.

Private vehicles and taxis will not be allowed to ply, Rai said.

Essential ser vices such as pharmacies, petrol pumps, LPG supply and movement of government and Army vehicles have been kept out of the purview of the lockdown.

Other essential services such as telecom, internet, postal, banks and ATMs will remain operational during the period. Civil defense personnel will also be exempted.

Meghalaya: The Meghalaya government on Monday shut down 17 government departments till March 31 and imposed curfew in two districts in view of the coronavirus outbreak, officials said.

Over 16,000 people, who returned from other states, have been screened for COVID-19 at Byrnihat in Ri-Bhoi district bordering Assam till date, they said.

Private vehicles will be allowed to ply in the state capital on odd and even numbers alternately, beginning with odd numbers on March 24, a government order said.

District authorities

in Ri-Bhoi have declared night curfew from 10 pm on March 23 to 6 am on March 24, while curfew has been imposed in the entire East Jaintia Hills from Monday midnight till March 31 as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the officials said. Both districts are bordering Assam as a result maximum movement of people and vehicles take place via this route to other states, including Mizoram and Tripura.

Ri-Bhoi District Magistrate R M Kurbah informed that the curfew was imposed in the district to prevent people from entering the state or a group of people roaming in the district without valid reasons at night.

East Jaintia Hills district SP P Vivekanand Singh said curfew has been imposed in the entire district from Monday midnight till March 31 as a precautionary measure in view of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Markets, commercial and financial establishments, all forms of public transport have been shut down till March 31.

Three temporary markets for vegetables and meat have been set up in the outskirts of state capital in view of the current COVID19 crisis, East Khasi Hills district officials said.

The state government has also activated the district emergency operation centres in East Khasi Hills district, District Magistrate Matsiewdor W Nongbri said.

The state government

has also announced relief for the distressed construction workers and contractual employees affected by the shutdown.

The state government has also announced Rs 1,000 relief per week for the distressed construction workers, Principal Secretary of the Labour Department, D P Wahlang said.

The department has decided and approved to pay an amount of Rs 1,000 only per worker per week for the wages foregone on account of the shutdown on commercial operations and business establishments in the state of Meghalaya, Wahlang said in a statement. The order will be applicable for the week from March 23 to March 29 and will be reviewed again the next day, he said.

At least 30,000 persons registered with the government will benefit from this initiative of the state government, another government official said.

The state government has also warned private and public establishments not to terminate or force their employees to go on leave without wages, Wahlang said. Transport department commissioner and secretary M R Synrem has issued restraint order on movements of private vehicles in the state except those on essential duties and government duties.

On Sunday, the Meghalaya government restricted entry of people from other states in view of the coronavirus threat.

Panic buying in Assam before lockdown begins Assam MLAs to donate onemonth salary to fight COVID-19

Sikkim Assembly passes Rs 9,100cr budget for FY21

COVID-19: Mizoram churches ask people to pray at home

GUWAHATI/IMPHAL/ AG A RTA L A / G A N G TOK, MAR 24 (IANS/ PTI): People from all walks of life, including traders and transporters, on Tuesday fully followed the lockdown, imposed on the seven northeastern states in a bid to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, officials said.

Manipur: The authorities, specially the health services officials, have further stepped up their efforts and campaign against the COVID-19, after a 23-yearold Manipuri woman who returned from the United Kingdom last week tested positive, making it the first case in the northeast region of India.

The woman, who is now undergoing treatment at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) in Imphal, did not reveal her travel history earlier before she was detected positive with the novel coronavirus.

The officials of the Manipur health services said that on March 19 the younger brother of the woman had arrived in Kolkata from Atlanta. Both stayed in a hotel in Kolkata and arrived in Manipur capital Imphal on March 21 by a private airliner via Agartala airport (Tripura) along with 108 other passengers.

Majority of the northeastern states declared the lockdown until March 31, while Nagaland enforced it for indefinite period, Mizoram till March 29 and Meghalaya imposed the

Guwahati, Mar 24 (PTI): Ahead of the statewide eight- day lockdown from 6 pm on Tuesday, markets and shops in Assam witnessed huge rush of buyers who wanted to stock up on essential items.

Food items, soaps, disinfectants and other essential items flew off the shelves before midday as people jostled with one another in shops ignoring the one-metre social distance norm the government has advised.

Similar was the situation in the vegetable, fish and meat markets, pharmacies and even liquor shops where people were seen buying stuff in huge quantities at premium rates to stock up their homes and brace for the week-long restrictions indoors ordered by the government till March 31 midnight.

In their bid to grab the items before they get sold out, buyers also forgot Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s assurance that grocery and medicine

Image of Imphal tweeted by N Biren Singh lockdown until March 29 with a break on March 26 to facilitate people to buy essential items and daily necessities. During the lockdown period, various state governments of the region also announced a diverse sops and free rice supply and financial supports to the working class people especially the daily wage earners besides medical help.

In the lockdown period, banking services, shops and markets dealing with groceries, vegetables, medicine, milk, cooking gas, and petrol pumps would remain open in most of the northeastern states.

Most state governments also arranged alternate duty roster for their employees asking a large numbers of government staffs to come to office alternatively and to work from their residence.

However, just before and during the lockdown period, prices of various

supply will continue to be available during the period.

Kandarpa Kalita was one such buyer who was seen near a Guwahati market carrying four large bags full of vegetables on a rod tied behind his twowheeler.

“We have to eat well and remain strong to keep our immunity high to fight the coronavirus. That is why I have bought these vegetables for my family,” Kalita said.

Home-maker Pramila Boro was queuing up in front of a grocery shop in Kokrajhar district. “I must have rice, dal, oil, milk and other items. My family consists of my elderly in-laws, children and husband. I require stuff in large quantities that should last for eight days. My husband is in the vegetable market,” she said.

Bipul Gogoi in upper Assam’s Sivasagar district was struggling under the weight of his purchases of fish, meat and vegetables

essentials, vegetables, meat, rice, and other commodities including soaps and disinfectants are soaring up.

Availability of transport fuel becomes scarce.

The officials of the enforcement departments of various northeastern states are visiting in the markets to check the prices of the essentials, vegetables, meat, rice, and other supplies.

Assam: Assam Health and Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb warned the traders and suppliers to take stern actions if they increase the prices of the essentials and try to hoard the commodities especially rice, potato and onion. In Guwahati, Sarma had urged people not to frighten as basic essential services would be available during the lockdown period.

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has

at a local market. But he was happy that he got all the items he wanted, “even though I paid double the normal prices”.

However, this panic buying is not liked by all.

Mask-wearing college student Hamid Ali of Karimganj district said, “The mad rush to buy groceries, vegetables, fish and meat has increased their prices. Shops and markets are so crowded that there is practically no space between two persons.

This will turn a market a happy hunting ground for coronavirus.”

Health Minister Sarma had urged people not to panic as basic essential services will be available during the eight- day lockdown period to prevent the spread of deadly novel Coronavirus COVID-19 in the state.

Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has directed district Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police to ensure that there is no shortage of essential commodities in the state.

directed district Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police to ensure that there is no shortage of essential commodities in the state.

Agartala: In Agartala, according to Tripura Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar, 11 passengers, who came to Agartala with the same flight of novel coronavirus (nCoV) infected Manipuri girl are in home quarantine and another 47 people arrived in Tripura from abroad are in special surveillance.

He said the state, district and sub-divisional control rooms are being opened to monitor the situation round-the-clock.

Sikkim: Sikkim will be placed under lockdown from 6 am on Wednesday till March 31 to check the spread of coronavirus, a senior official announced.

Jacob Khaling Rai, the political secretary to Chief Minister Prem Singh

Guwahati, Mar 24 (PTI): All members of the Assam Assembly on Tuesday unanimously announced to contribute their one months salary to support the government in fighting the novel coronavirus crisis in the state.

During a discussion on the preparedness of the state government to fight a possible outbreak of COVID-19 in Assam, Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia said all Congress members will donate one month’s salary for the cause.

After this, leaders of all parties the BJP, AIUDF, AGP and the BPF -- announced similar contributions to a government fund.

“This is a very good gesture and a step in solidarity. All of us took a historical decision to fight unitedly. I thank all of you for contributing one month’s salary,” Speaker Hitendra

Nath Goswami said.

He also appealed to the Assembly staff to take similar steps if they wish.

“We from the House, appeal to the people to follow all the instructions by the Health Department in this situation. We appreciate all the medical staff for their fight against the coronavirus. We also mourn all those died due to COVID-19 and wish a speedy recovery of the affected ones,” Goswami said.

The nine-day Budget Session, which began on March 2, was adjourned sine die on Tuesday instead of March 30 in the wake of the coronavirus situation.

“We are ending the session sine die due to unavoidable circumstances,” the Speaker announced.

Assam is placed under full lockdown from 6 pm on Tuesday till midnight on March 31 to combat the impact of deadly novel CoronaVirus in the state.

‘Not enough resources to support people if lockdown continues’ Guwahati, Mar 24 (PTI): Admitting that the Assam government does not have enough financial resources to support the poor if the lockdown continues beyond March 31, Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said some drastic steps may have to be taken in April.

Entire Assam has been placed under a lockdown from 6 pm on Tuesday till midnight of March 31 to combat the impact of novel coronavirus in the state.

The senior minister asked people to be mentally prepared for any situation as the state is heading towards an uncertain phase.

“There are lots of problems in the current situation. Many of the ruling and opposition members have expressed apprehensions about tea garden workers, daily wage earners or people engaged in the tourism sector. We have never seen such a crisis in our lives. I do not have a quick fix answer now,” Sarma said.

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Himanta Biswa Sarma Taking part in a special discussion on the coronavirus situation in Assam Assembly, he said all allocations under different heads have already been exhausted as the financial year is nearing its end on March 31.

“In the new fiscal, usually the month of April is dry because new bills are raised, work tenders are issued. So, the treasury takes some time in releasing money. If we need to extend the lockdown beyond March 31, I do not know how to handle the situation,” he said.

Sarma said the government needs to take some

drastic steps to address the economic hardship of people. If anything happens, it will be in April,” said Sarma.

He said around 40 lakh active bank accounts, including those from Ujjwala scheme, tea gardens and construction workers, where cash can be transferred to mitigate the crisis.

“Even if we transfer Rs 1,000 to each account, we will require Rs 400 crore.

Your (opposition) concern is genuine, but we do not have that much money in April. Our target is the entire population and the government is considering various innovative techniques,” said Sarma who is also the health and family welfare minister.

The situation could be aggravated saying as, Sarma said, the deadly Japanese Encephalitis hits the state around April every year, followed by several waves of flood from May-June onwards.

“Assam will probably

have the most unfortunate and crisis-filled year in 2020.

The next two months are going to be very challenging for the Health Department.

If science cannot find a solution, I do not know if our Budget (for 2020 -21) will remain like this. If the lockdown prolongs, we may not even be able to release MLA funds,” he added.

Sarma said with full lockdown, tax collection in the state and country will take a severe hit, which in turn will impact developmental works.

He informed the House that the healthcare system in the state is not robust enough to handle an overwhelming situation arising out of possible outbreak of the COVID-19.

“Today, the lives of doctors, nurses and medical staff are more important than us. We are doing everything possible to protect them. We do not make masks here, so that is a concern. Excise department informed us having about

enough spirit, so we are making sanitisers here.

“The most important is the PPE (personal protective equipment). Unless we have that kit, our doctors cannot treat patients. We have somehow managed to procure 2,000 PPE kits and 500 are coming everyday. Once we have one lakh PPE kits, we will be comfortable,” Sarma said.

The state currently has 155 beds in ICU with ventilator facilities dedicated for coronavirus patients and efforts are on to augment this with 100 more beds, but all major manufacturing units across the world are shut now, he added.

He said the government is trying to create 20,000 isolation beds to treat only COVID-19 patients.

Appealing to people to fully abide by government regulations by maintaining social distance, Sarma said those who are not revealing their travel details are “equivalent to murderers”.

H ailakan d i ( A s sam), Mar 24 (PTI): The Hailakandi district administration of Assam on Tuesday filed an FIR against a man for not informing police or health officials about his return from abroad amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The FIR under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) was lodged with Hailakandi Sadar police station, Deputy Commissioner Keerthi Jalli said.

Departmental action will also be taken against the man’s father, a government employee, for not informing authorities about his son’s return, Jalli said.

The deputy commissioner said that the man’s family members misled the district authorities by claiming he would return after three days but during further enquiry, it was found that he had already reached home.

A rapid response team went to the man’s residence and took him for screening, Jalli said.

The deputy commissioner said that any person returning from coronavirushit states or countries must immediately self-report to the nearest police station or health centre, failing which strict action will be taken against him or her.

The returnees’ families will also face action if they do not extend cooperation to the administration or try to mislead the authorities, Jalli added.

Aizawl, Mar 24 (PTI): A statewide prayer has been called by a church body in Mizoram to contain the global outbreak of deadly coronavirus that has killed more than 14,000 people across the world till Tuesday.

The Mizoram Kohhran Hruaitute Committee (MKHC), a conglomerate of 15 major churches in the state, appealed to every household to hold prayers in their respective houses at 7 pm on March 28, a statement issued by the body said on Tuesday. Mizoram is currently in lockdown mode to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus in the state.

The MKHC urged people to seek divine intervention to ensure that Mizoram is safe from the deadly virus and the global outbreak is fully contained.

It asked them to pray for the people engaged in essential services and those

who are facing food shortages. The MKHC also suggested people to keep praying until the virus is contained.

This is the second time the MKHC has asked people to seek divine intervention to contain the coronavirus outbreak. Earlier, on March 14 and 15, all churches across the state held mass prayers to contain the deadly disease.

Meanwhile, officials of the state health department said that around 59,496 people have been screened for the virus till Monday.

At least 180 people have been placed under home quarantine out of which 8 have been discharged so far, they said.

More than 2,100 incoming passengers have also been advised home quarantine. The state has not reported any confirmed case of coronavirus infection so far.

Two KSU activists arrested for murder of Assam trader

Do not stigmatise Covid-19-postive patients: Mnp CM

Gangtok, Mar 24 (PTI): The Sikkim Assembly on Tuesday passed the Rs 9,100-crore budget for the fiscal 2020-21.

The 32-member state legislature passed the budget by voice vote on the second and final day of the budget session.

The appropriation bill, authorising the state government to withdraw budgetary funds from the consolidated fund of Sikkim, as well as the second supplementary demands for grant of Rs 216 crore to meet additional expenditure in 2019-20, were also passed by the House.

The assembly also passed a number of other bills, including the Sikkim Panchayat (Amendment) Bill, 2020, the Sikkim Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (Amendment) Bill, 2020 and the Sikkim Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2020.

Correspondent

SHILLONG, MAR 24: In what can be termed as a major breakthrough, two Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) activists have been arrested by Meghalaya police on Monday in connection with the murder of a Assam-based vegetable vendor at Iewduh in Shillong last month, police said on Tuesday.

The two activists- Malajied Khongbuh and Landin Nongkynrih- were arrested allegedly for the murder of a 29-year old vegetable, Rupchand Dewan, on February 29 at Iewduh, the main market in Meghalaya.

“The police had left no stone unturned in meticulously collecting evidence and statements from eyewitness, and during the last three weeks, were able to collate all evidences to identify the perpetrators of this heinous crime,” Superintendent of Police for East Khasi Hills district, Claudia Lyngwa said. Following the

arrest of one accused who also confessed to have committed the crime along with three other accomplices, Claudia Lyngwa said the second accused was arrested on his lead.

“We are on the lookout for the remaining two who have been identified and will be arrested shortly,” Lyngwa said. Khongbuh is the publicity secretary of KSU’s Jaiaw Circle and Nongkynrih is the executive member of KSU’s Mawkhar Circle. The attack on Dewan and more than half-dozen non-tribal traders was the backlash following death of a KSU member Lurshai Hynniewta after he was attacked by non-tribals at Ichamati village near Shella in East Khasi Hills district on February 28.

The clash occurred after an anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act and demand to implement Inner Line Permit rally at Ichamati organised by KSU and Federation of Khasi, Jaintia and Garo People’s.

Imphal, Mar 24 (PTI): Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Tuesday urged people not to discriminate against anyone who tests positive for COVID-19.

In a video address, he said “there is no need for stigmatization for none of them had indulged in immoral activities or done something that is socially unacceptable”.

The CM requested people with recent travel history to a foreign country to voluntarily share details with the government authorities and seek medical help. “On the contrary, if individuals hide their travel history or condition, the possibility of affecting others would always be there,” Singh said. Expressing disappointment over the fact that several people ventured out defying the ‘complete lockdown’ order and indulged in group activities, the CM said, “Some people ignored the rules, forcing the government to declare curfew in the state.”

K Y M C

national

Nagaland Post, Dimapur WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020

Omar freed after 8-month detention

SRINAGAR, MAR 24 (PTI): Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah was on Tuesday freed after nearly eight months in detention with the administration revoking the Public Safety Act against him, and said the first task was to fight COVID-19 and any discussion on political developments could come later.

The world is different today from the one that existed on August 5, 2019, Abdullah said in his first tweet after being released, underscoring the threat of the pandemic.

The National Conference leader was among the host of political leaders taken into detention on August 5, when the Centre announced the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 and its bifurcation into the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Abdullah called for the release of all others detained, including PDP leader and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti.

He also asked the Centre to remove communication restrictions and ensure high speed internet so people are able to educate themselves on ways and means of protecting themselves from the coronavirus pandemic.

The order revoking the PSA against him was issued

by Home Secretary Shaleen Kabra. Abdullah was booked under the stringent act on February 5, hours before his six-month custody under preventive detention was to end.

The government has revoked his detention with “immediate effect”, the or-

Omar Abdullah speaks to media in Srinagar, Tuesday. (PTI)

der stated.

Abdullah’s mother Molly was the first to arrive at the makeshift detention centre after news came in that her son was about to be released. He was kept at the state guesthouse Hari Niwas, just a few hundred metres from his official residence.

His father, former chief minister Farooq Abdullah, was also charged under the PSA and released on March 13 after 221 days in detention.

Abdullah senior, who is also NC president, expressed happiness over the revocation of his son’s PSA detention, but said total redemption would not be possible until all political detainees were released.

Dressed in T-shirt and jeans and sporting a long, grey beard, Omar Abdullah, who turned 50 on March 10, got behind the wheels of his car and drove to his parents’ home from Hari Niwas. His mother and sister Safia were with him.

In his first tweet since August 5 last year, he said, “232 days after my detention today I finally left Hari Niwas. It’s a very different world today to the one that existed on 5th August

2019.”

“Had lunch with my mum and dad for the first time in almost 8 months.

I can’t remember a better meal even though I’ve been in a bit of a daze and don’t remember what I ate,” added the third generation politician.

Outside his residence, a swarm of reporters and supporters, many in masks, waited to speak to him.

“During my period of detention, I thought a lot about what I would say the moment I come out....but today, let’s not be complacent towards the challenges being faced the world over. This is a fight between life and death. All of you have come here and it is definitely in violation of the government order.

“We should ensure social distancing and take adequate precautions. We should ensure that the coronavirus does not spread.

I will talk about political developments and other aspects post August 5 but let us first fight this coronavirus,” he said.

The education of children, the tourism industry, businesses and every other sector in the state had suffered, he said.

In another tweet later in the day, he said, “If anyone wants tips on surviving quarantine or a lock down I have months of experience at my disposal, perhaps a blog is in order.”

On February 5, Omar Abdullah, who was junior foreign minister and commerce minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led Cabinet in 2000, was served with a three-page dossier that was challenged in the Supreme Court by his sister Sara Abdullah Pilot.

The Supreme Court last week asked the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir administration to inform by this week if it was releasing him.

He also thanked his legal team and added, “Thank you to my baby sister Sara for filing the petition to have me freed.”

Political parties, including NC rival PDP, welcomed the revocation of the PSA against Abdullah.

Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter Iltija, who uses her mother’s Twitter handle, said she was glad at his release.

CPM leader Sitaram Yechurry said on Twitter that he welcomed the release of Abdullah after eight months of a “totally unjustifiable detention”.

“Immediately, Mehbooba Mufti, Shah Faesal and thousands of others detained in and outside JK must be freed. Given the nation-wide clampdown over COVID19, this is an imperative.”

He also supported Abdullah’s call for removing communication blockade saying, “Internet, the lifeline for support and information at a time like this, cannot be limited in Kashmir...”

Health Ministry issues guidelines on use of PPE

Scindia quit as he wanted to become Union minister: Digvijay

NEW DELHI, MAR 24 (PTI): The Union Health Ministry on Tuesday issued guidelines on the rational use of personal protective equipment (PPE) which is being used by healthcare workers and others working at quarantine centres, hospitals and laboratories.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is a protective gear designed to safeguard the health of workers by minimising the exposure to a biological agent. Components of PPE are goggles, face-shield, mask, gloves, coverall/gowns (with or without aprons), head cover and shoe cover.

The guidelines issued by the ministry mention the functions of PPE and how it prevents one from contracting the infection in different settings.

“This guideline is for healthcare workers and others working in points of entries (POEs), quarantine centres, hospital, laboratory and primary healthcare / community settings.

The guideline uses setting approach to guide on the type of personal protective equipment to be used in different settings,” the guidelines added. Explaining the mode of transmission of the pathogen, the ministry said there is a clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of SARS-CoV-2.

“It is thought to be transmitted mainly through respiratory droplets that get generated when people cough, sneeze, or exhale.

SARS-CoV-2 also gets transmitted by touching, by direct touch and through contaminated surfaces or objects and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes.

BHOPAL, MAR 24 (PTI): Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Tuesday hit out at Jyotiraditya Scindia, saying that he “auctioned” Madhya Pradesh’s mandate, and also refuted the claims that Scindia was denied ticket for the Rajya Sabha by the party leadership. The reason Scindia left the Congress was he wanted to become a Union minister once again, Singh alleged.

Scindia quit the party to join the BJP earlier this month, triggering the fall of the Kamal Nath-led Congress government and paving the way for the saffron party’s Shivraj Singh Chouhan to take oath as Madhya Pradesh chief minister on Monday.

In an open letter, Singh said, “When Scindia himself went out to auction Madhya Pradesh’s mandate, (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi, (Union Home Minister Amit) Shah were obviously present there to grab it. But auctioning one’s own house cannot be termed an honourable deal.

“It is a very painful development. It has decimated the hopes and struggles of not just the Congressmen but all those who believed in the Congress ideology, Singh said.

In the 2000-word letter, which he also shared on Twitter, Singh further said, “Scindia joined the BJP at a time when the saffron government (at the Centre) is trying to divide the country as per the RSS’s agenda.

Some people are saying as there was no possibility for Scindia to get proper post and honour in the Congress, he joined the BJP, but this is wrong. If he wanted to become Madhya Pradesh

India has capacity in eradicating COVID-19: WHO

GENEVA, MAR 24 (PTI): India, which led the world in eradicating two silent killers - smallpox and polio - has a tremendous capacity in eradicating the deadly coronoavirus pandemic that has now claimed nearly 15,000 lives and infected over three lakh others globally, according to a top WHO official.

The executive director of the World Health Organisation, Michael Ryan, said India, the world’s second most populous country, has a tremendous capacity to deal with the coronavirus outbreak as it has the experience of eradicating the small-pox and polio through targeted public intervention.

“India led the world in eradicating two silent killers and eliminating them

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from the country,” he said during a press conference in Geneva on Monday on the COVIVD-19 pandemic.

India, through targeted public intervention, ended smallpox and gave a great gift to the world. India also eradicated polio, he noted.

“India has tremendous capacities. It is exceptionally important that countries like India lead the way to show the world what can be done,” Ryan said.

“India led the world in eradicating two silent killers, small-pox and polio so India has a tremendous capacity,” Ryan said.

“There are no easy answers. It is exceptionally important that countries like India show the way to the world as they have done before,” he said.

Diseases such as polio and smallpox, which once claimed many lives in India, have been defeated with targeted public interventions.

While India attained the polio-free status in 2014, the country got rid of smallpox in 1977.

Ryan’s remarks came as the WHO said the number of deaths due to the coronavirus soared to 14,652, with more than 334,000 people infected worldwide.

India has reported 492 cases of coronavirus and nine deaths, according to Health Ministry data on Tuesday. The total number of active COVID-19 cases across the country now stands at 446, after over 22 fresh cases were reported, the ministry said.

M e a n w h i l e, W H O

Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday warned that the coronavirus pandemic was clearly “accelerating” but said it was still possible to “change the trajectory” of the outbreak.

“The pandemic is accelerating,” Tedros told journalists in a virtual news briefing.

He said it took 67 days from the beginning of the outbreak in China in late December for the virus to infect the first 100,000 people worldwide.

In comparison, it took 11 days for the second 100,000 cases and just four days for the third 100,000 cases, he said.

“The #COVID19 pandemic is accelerating. It took 67 days from the 1st reported

(DR. VIZOLIE Z SUOKHRIE) Principal Director Directorate of Health & Family Welfare

5

Digvijay Singh and Jyotiraditya Scindia

Congress president, then it had been offered to him in 2013 but then he preferred to remain a union minister,” the senior Congress leader claimed.

“In 2018 too, after the Congress won the state polls, it had offered him the deputy chief ministers post, but Scindia refused it and insisted on making his supporter Tulsiram Silawat deputy CM. But Kamal Nath did not agree, and the recent development has proved he (Nath) was right as Silawat joined the BJP at a time when the dreaded coronavirus has turned into a pandemic and as the state’s health minister, it was his primary responsibility (to tackle it),” the former chief minister said.

“Scindia wanted to make this person deputy chief minister but he was not only found to be against the Congress’s ideology but also highly irresponsible,” Singh alleged. The Congress leader also refuted the allegations that the party did not want to offer Scindia a Rajya Sabha seat.

“As per my information, nobody opposed it as the Congress had the requisite number of MLAs to win

two seats of the upper house from Madhya Pradesh. So it was not an issue. The issue was (he wanted to become) a minister in the central government, and at present it is only possible for Modi and Shah to offer that,” Singh alleged. “...all those people in the country who are fighting against the RSS’s ideology without any greed, they are all with Congress because the country is standing at ideological cross roads. At this juncture, Scindia’s joining the BJP only proves that he wanted to use Congress workers’ and supporters’ struggle and ideological commitment only for his own personal power. As long as there was guarantee of power in the Congress, he remained with it, when it is weakened, he went to the BJP,” Singh further said.

He also said that the party gave Scindia a lot of opportunities and he was close to Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s family.

Singh also claimed that he, along with late Arjun Singh, brought Jyotiraditya’s father late Madhavrao Scindia into the Congress’s fold in 1979 on the directive of Sanjay Gandhi.

WEDDING POSTPONEMENT

case to reach the first 100K cases, 11 days for the second 100K cases & just 4 days for the third 100K cases.

“These numbers matter, these are people, whose lives & families have been turned upside down,” Tedros tweeted later.

“We are not helpless bystanders. We can change the trajectory of this pandemic,” Tedros said.

Solemnisation of the Wedding of our childrenMiss Seyiekhrienuo Khezhie with Mr Khyochamo Tungoe on 3rd April 2020 in Kohima has been postponed due to the present situation.

Invitees and well wishers are requested to bear with our families.

Mrs Sazonuo Khezhie (W/o Lt. Khrievotso Khezhie) and Rilanbomo Tungoe & Mrs. Nchumboni Tungoe

GOVERNMENT OF NAGALAND DIRECTORATE OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE NAGALAND :: KOHIMA GUIDELINES FOR HOME QUARANTINE A.

Definition of Contact: A contact is defined as a healthy person that has been in such association with an infected person or a contaminated environment as to have exposed and is therefore at a higher risk of developing disease.

A contact in the context of COVID-19 is: • A person living in the same household as a COVID-19 case; • A person having had direct physical contact with a COVID-19 case or his/her infectious secretions without recommended personal protective equipment (PPE) or with a possible breach of PPE; • A person who was in a closed environment or had face to face contact with a COVID-19 case at a distance of within1 metre including air travel; The epidemiological link may have occurred within a 14-day period before the onset of illness in the case under consideration.

B.

Instructions for contacts being home quarantined: The home quarantined person should: 1.

Stay in a well-ventilated single-room preferably with an attached/separate toilet. If another family member needs to stay in the same room, it’s advisable to maintain a distance of at least 1 meter between the two.

2.

Needs to stay away from elderly people, pregnant women, children and persons with co-morbidities within the household.

3.

Restrict his/her movement within the house.

4.

Under no circumstances attend any social/religious gathering e.g. wedding, condolences, etc.

5.

He should also follow the under mentioned public health measures at all times: a) Wash hand as often thoroughly with soap and water or with alcohol-based hand sanitizer b) Avoid sharing household items e.g. dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, bedding, or other items with other people at home. c) Wear a surgical mask at all the time. The mask should be changed every 6-8 hours and disposed off. Disposable masks are never to be reused. d) Masks used by patients / care givers/ close contacts during home care should be disinfected using ordinary bleach solution (5%) or sodium hypochlorite solution (1%) and then disposed of either by burning or deep burial. e) Used mask should be considered as potentially infected. f) If symptoms appear (cough/fever/difficulty in breathing), he/she should immediately:  Inform the nearest health centre or  Call Helpline: • 011-23978046.

• 7005415243 • 9856071745 • 7005539653  Call Toll Free: • 1075 • 102  Email: nlssu.idsp@nic.in

C.

Instructions for the family members of persons being home quarantined: 1.

Only an assigned family member should be tasked with taking care of the such person.

2.

Avoid shaking the soiled linen or direct contact with skin.

3.

Use disposable gloves when cleaning the surfaces or handling soiled linen.

4.

Wash hands after removing gloves.

5.

Visitors should not be allowed.

6.

In case the person being quarantined becomes symptomatic, all his close contacts will be home quarantined (for 14 days) and followed up for an additional 14 days or till the report of such case turns out negative on lab testing.

D.

Environmental sanitation: 1.

Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces in the quarantined person’s room (e.g. bed frames, tables etc) daily with 1% Sodium Hypochlorite Solution.

2.

Clean and disinfect toilet surfaces daily with regular household bleach solution/ phenolic disinfectants.

3.

Clean the clothes and other linen used by the person separately using common household detergent and dry.

E.

Duration of home quarantine: 1.

The home quarantine period is for 14 days from contact with a confirmed case or earlier if a suspect case (of whom the index person is a contact) turns out negative on laboratory testing.

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(DR. VIZOLIE Z SUOKHRIE) Principal Director Directorate of Health & Family Welfare Nagaland :: Kohima

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OPINiON/EDITORIAL

Nagaland Post Vol. XXx NO. 108 Dimapur, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020

Locking out Coronavirus

A

s infection from Coronavirus count rose to 468 on Monday from 396 the day before, India has firmed up its resolve to check the virus from going into Stage 3 or community spread. Currently the virus is classified as Stage 2 –infection form person to person. In this regard, as many as 30 states and union territories have ordered total Lockdown from Wednesday. Most states had declared curfew under Section 144 CrPC to prohibit assembly of five or more people. This is seen as a determined and desperate measure to prevent the virus from taking on a community spread or Stage 3. Though the lockdown is considered as a preventive measure, analysis of medical infrastructure and other data of the top 10 affected countries shows that India lags far behind on the resources required to deal with a pandemic.

Global hysteria has been fuelled also by the absence of key requirements such as masks and respiratory equipment, an issue that India could also face, according to the manufacturing segment. Also the other factor that could trigger spread in India about the prospect of it spreading into impoverished communities and the ability of resource-starved public health sectors to cope. While lockdown and curfew may address the issue of restriction of mass gathering so as to prevent the virus from spreading to community; the strategy alone may not be enough. It is not easy to contain the virus through lockdown as in China because in India, it is totally voluntary.Even in other countries, lockdown has not brought down the number of infections since the virus has already spread.

The present ‘0’ statistic in the north east could be shattered once the virus manifests in those infected.

Even before the name of the virus was known during December to January, health authorities in India were aware of the Coronavirus pandemic in China but had not taken immediate pre-emptive steps to unleash counter measures. The main problem is that by the time the initial few cases were reported, thousands of people had returned from various countries where the Coronovirus is on rampage. As the government at the Centre is on overdrive to combat the spread of the virus, the medical facilities could however prove inadequate in supplementing the effort. India has fewer hospital beds and doctors per 1,000 people than any of those countries. The scenario in Nagaland is also a matter of concern,even though the state government has been on track in issuing advisories to prevent the spread of the virus. A report by this newspaper had revealed that the district hospital in Dimapur has only ten beds for quarantine of patients and that too, a makeshift arrangement out of an existing isolation ward. Ventilators are also unavailable in the hospital, considered among the largest government hospitals. Medical teams, police, security forces and civil administration are working on war footing to screen, detect, isolate and prevent spread of the virus. Public cooperation is still needed especially on providing information about those who returned home from outside even as long back as February. This is a huge challenge before the state government and this, not medical facilities, could tilt the difference between success and failure.

DailyDevotion Decreasing for His Purpose

He must increase, but I must decrease. —John 3:30 If you become a necessity to someone else’s life, you are out of God’s will. As a servant, your primary responsibility is to be a “friend of the bridegroom” (John 3:29). When you see a person who is close to grasping the claims of Jesus Christ, you know that your influence has been used in the right direction.

And when you begin to see that person in the middle of a difficult and painful struggle, don’t try to prevent it, but pray that his difficulty will grow even ten times stronger, until no power on earth or in hell could hold him away from Jesus Christ. Over and over again, we try to be amateur providences in someone’s life.

We are indeed amateurs, coming in and actually preventing God’s will and saying, “This person should not have to experience this difficulty.” Instead of being friends of the Bridegroom, our sympathy gets in the way. One day that person will say to us, “You are a thief; you stole my desire to follow Jesus, and because of you I lost sight of Him.” Beware of rejoicing with someone over the wrong thing, but always look to rejoice over the right thing. “…the friend of the bridegroom…rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:29-30). This was spoken with joy, not with sadness— at last they were to see the Bridegroom! And John said this was his joy. It represents a stepping aside, an absolute removal of the servant, never to be thought of again.

Listen intently with your entire being until you hear the Bridegroom’s voice in the life of another person. And never give any thought to what devastation, difficulties, or sickness it will bring. Just rejoice with godly excitement that His voice has been heard.

You may often have to watch Jesus Christ wreck a life before He saves it (see Matthew 10:34).

Quotes All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Nagaland Post, Dimapur WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020

Post-mortem

China and WHO chief under scanner for failing to alert spread of Novel coronavirus C ritics are raising questions as to why, despite repeated warnings from many experts, health officials and governments of various countries, did the World Health Organisation take so long to declare the deadly disease a pandemic.

At the time when the Novel coronavirus epidemic has reached a critical juncture with more than 3,40,000 cases being reported worldwide, questions are being raised whether China and the World Health Organisation can be legally held accountable for this pandemic.

WHO had declared the Wuhan coronavirus, which emerged from China and swiftly spread to other parts of the world, a pandemic only on March 11.

Now, according to a USbased publication The Hill, critics are raising questions as to why, despite repeated warnings from many experts, health officials and governments of various countries, did the World Health Organisation take so long to declare the deadly disease a pandemic.

Experts like Bradley Thayer, a political science professor at the University of Texas, San Antonio, and Lianchao Han, the vice president of Citizen

Power Initiatives for China, questioned why the WHO and its director-general waited so long when health officials from various governments alerted them of the widespread devastation weeks in advance.

Experts are of the view that this laxity and callousness has caused more than 14,700 deaths across the globe and that the organization’s directorgeneral, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, like China’s Xi Jinping, should be held accountable for recklessly managing this deadly pandemic. According to the report by The Hill, it is being alleged that Tedros, the WHO chief, not only turned a blind eye to what happened in Wuhan but also, after meeting with Xi in January, helped China to play down the severity, prevalence and the amplitude of the deadly COVID-19 outbreak. It is also being alleged that the WHO Director-General defended China despite its gross mismanagement of the highly contagious disease.

Even though the deadly disease had met the criteria like the transmission between people, high fatality rates and worldwide spread, WHO, which is the apex body responsible for

public health, took months to declare the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic.

Many people are of the view that when Tedros should have been focussing on the global counter-pandemic efforts he was busy politicising and helping the Chinese President eschew his responsibility of tackling the crisis. Tedros used the WHO platform to defend the Chinese government’s gross violation of human rights.

The report gives a few examples in this context: * It says that from its first case discovered in November to its Wuhan lockdown, and even until today, China has been dishonest about the coronavirus’s origin and prevalence. * People who tried to uncover it were detained or disappeared, their online reports and posts deleted. * China has misinformed and misled the world, and Tedros joined this effort by publicly praising China’s “transparency” in battling the spread of the disease- In an earlymorning tweet on March 20, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had applauded Beijing for its handling of the global pandemic, when China is largely blamed for spreading. The report further reveals that at the

time when the president of China, Xi Jinping, ordered its health officials to expedite the development of drugs by using “integrated Chinese traditional herbal medicine and Western medicine,” the WHO’s official publication, “Q&A on coronaviruses (COVID19),” made a subtle change to it.

Chinese netizens were, however, quick to point out a discrepancy between the Chinese and English versions of a list of measures deemed ineffective against COVID-19.

The English version listed four items: smoking, wearing multiple masks, taking antibiotics, and traditional herbal remedies.

The fourth item was not included in the Chinese version. (Today the English version also has deleted that item.) The report further throws light on the secret behind the cosy and symbiotic relationship between China and the World Health Organisation chief.

China had reportedly pledged $20 million to help the WHO fight the COVID-19 outbreak, for which Tedros, the former minister of health and minister of foreign affairs for Ethiopia now the WHO chief, thanked Xi. The

report divulges that China has invested heavily in Ethiopia, which is Tedros’s homeland. Ethiopia, now called East Africa’s “Little China” is China’s bridgehead to influence Africa and a key to China’s Belt and Road initiative there.

This is the reason which deliberated Tedros to publicly praise the country, even though China knowingly misled the world.

The WHO chief is also being held responsible for making various misleading and biased statements. When President Trump took a critical step to stop the coronavirus at US borders by issuing a travel ban as early as Jan. 31, Tedros said widespread travel bans and restrictions were not needed to stop the outbreak and could “have the effect of increasing fear and stigma, with a little public health benefit.”

He warned that interfering with transportation and trade could harm efforts to address the crisis, and advised other countries not to follow the US lead.

Despite the fact that he was not trained as a medical doctor and had no global health management experience, Tedros was appointed as the WHO chief in 2017. A former minister of health and

minister of foreign affairs for Ethiopia, Tedros is an executive member of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) political party, which came to power through a struggle in 1991 and has been listed as a perpetrator in the Global Terrorism Database. After he became the WHO’s chief, Tedros was critiqued for his attempt to appoint then-Zimbabwe dictator Robert Mugabe as a WHO goodwill ambassador.

According to experts, the coronavirus pandemic has further gone to prove that Tedros is not fit to lead the WHO. It is being believed that because of his leadership, the world may have missed a critical window to stop the pandemic. The coronavirus COVID-19 is affecting 192 countries and territories around the world with more than 3,40,000 cases reported so far. As many as 14,776 people (according to the statistics available at the time of publishing this report) have succumbed to this deadly virus.

As the world battles with the rising infection, many experts have held Tedros accountable for his role in mismanaging efforts to control the spread of the virus.

(Courtesy : OpIndia report)

Who convened Naga people convention?

A lmost everyone elderly Naga and all the 60 Members of the august Legislative Assembly of the State of Nagaland knows the NAGA PEOPLE CONVENTION [NPC] of 26 August 1957 brought the 16-Point Agreement that brought the creation of the blessed State of Nagaland, but less people knows how the NAGA PEOPLE CONVENTION originated.

The NAGA PEOPLE CONVENTION was not in existence before it came into existence, and an Organization cannot call a meeting of the Organization before it came into existence.

This thought occurred to me and while talking one day with Mr. Jasokie Zinyü, a former Chief Minister of Nagaland, after he left active Politics, I asked him who called the NAGA PEOPLE CONVENTION AT KOHIMA. He told me the main points in the following words of how the historic Body first came into existence: Jasokie Zinyü, a man enthusiastic and as bubbling as Boris Johnson, British Prime Minister today, left his Science study at Shillong’s S’t Edmunds College, to attend the funeral of his elder brother High School Teacher Zasinihu Zinyü, -a nicer man I have not known- died in Kohima in 1951 if my recollection is still with me.

Jasokie did not go back to Shillong for his study and taught in the Government High School, now Rüzhükhrie Government High School Kohima for a very brief period before he joined the NNC as the Jt. Secretary, Information & Publicity.

The ending of the tumultuous WW II was poignant to the civilized world and dramatically palpable

to the people of Naga Hills particularly in the Capital Town of Kohima, charred and devastated beyond recognition as a result of perhaps the fiercest battles of WW II. The war leaved not only unimaginable material devastation of the land but also charred the attitude and views of the People: Everybody thought anew and looked for a new life.

The need of new Agricultural Crops, of cultivation of Education and knowledge of the outside World, was felt in the Naga.

The political climate of Indian sub-continent was fast changing, and in view of the vast political changes expected in the future life of the Naga whose loyalty to the British Administration proved invaluable in the success of the Allied Forces, in stemming down of the flame of the Japanese conquest of the Southeast Asia and in consideration for the preservation of the Naga unique way of life, the last Deputy Commissioner of the Naga Hills, Sir CR Pawsey, ICS, constituted an Administrative Council called Naga Hills Tribal Council [NHTC] for self Administration of the Naga by themselves in post Independent India.

The latent political breeze of the Naga started to blow fondly over the mute mountains of the Naga Hills not very long time after the Japanese left Kohima Battle in 1944.

In a meeting of Naga Hills Tribal Council at Wokha in 1946, the members decided to form a political Body of the Naga Hills called NAGA NATIONAL COUNCIL [NNC] and renamed the monthly KOHIMA TIMES as ‘THE NAGA NATION’ from the October Issue of 1946.

Jasokie worked as the Joint Secretary of Publicity & Information of the Naga National Council and he told me: “I knew about the workings of the NNC more than field worker Mr. [Such & Such, an old Field Worker of the NNC from Jotsoma], because I was the Jt. Secretary of the Council and knew all the discussions, decisions planning of the Council.”

“You must have failings and Phizo also must have his: How did the differences between you and Phizo come up?” I asked him.

Jasokie said: “It was not big thing: ‘I said, let us first become a little better economically, after that we would continue the movement’.

Phizo said: ‘If we discontinue the movement now, the people will loose interest in it afterwards in the future, so we must continue the movement’.

Phizo called a meeting of the Khonoma Villagers, Phizo was an accomplished Orathor, but I am not and most of the Villagers turned o his side.

I was sitting in the midst of his Clansman and they were all deadly serious did not take me well. I was afraid of them and so I left the meeting and that was the last I saw him. It is mainly on this issue that we parted Ways”, Jasokie said Theyiechüthie Sakhrie, Secretary NNC and Jasokie were the first persons in the NNC who “differed a little” with Zapuphizo, the President of NNC. Sashimeren Ao, at that time was the Development Commissioner Tribal Affairs in the Assam Secretariat Shillong; “Sashimeren came to Kohima and requested me to convene a Naga Meeting.”

“Rather, You should make the Call”, Jasokie

replied him. “After some time, Sashi again came and requested me to call the Meeting. And so I called the Meeting” Jasokie said.

“Kepethau, [Sir]”, I said, “at that time if the Nagas of outside Nagaland were also invited to the Meeting, it would have been easy for those Naga Areas to have been included in the Naga Hills. Did you send Invitation to the Nagas of NEFA also?” the Writer enquired.

“Yes, I sent Invitations to all Nagas through Naga Officers working in the Areas. I sent the Invitations to Mhondamo Kithan, Aliba Imti, Officers working in Nefa”, Jasokie said.

But Nagas from other States did not come and only Nagas of Naga Hills and Nagas of Mon-Tuensang Areas of NEFA attended the Meeting.

After Naga Hills District and Tuensang-Mon Area of NEFA [North East Frontier Area] together became a separate ‘Administrative Unit’

called NHTA [Naga HillsTuensang Area], the first Chief Minister P. Shilu sent personal envoy Minister Chiten Jamir, to enquire whether Nagas of Manipur would like to join Nagaland or not.

Mr. M.L. Kampani, a great friend of Nagaland, was the Chief Commissioner of Manipur by then.

He collected the Nagas of Manipur at Ukhrul and Chiten Jamir enquired whether they would like to join Nagaland or not.

Manipur was then already a Princely State, different in political status from that a State and the Nagas gathered there replied they would prefer to remain in Manipur.

Nagas of Nagaland in its 9-Point Agreement in 1947 with Sir Akbar Hydari Governor of Assam kept the door open for Nagas of other Areas to join Nagaland, then in the 16-Point Agreement also implored the GoI to Integrate adjacent Naga Areas to Nagaland and even today the As-

sembly continues to pass Resolutions after resolutions asking Integration of Naga Areas with Nagaland. Nagaland Assembly has passed at least 4 Resolutions over the past more than half-Century to get Naga Areas of outside Nagaland into Nagaland.

Patriotic Nagas of outside Nagaland have not raised even their little finger to voice for democratic Integration even once in their State Assemblies to get the Naga area integrated with Nagaland.

Four times Tangkhul Nagas have even been Chief Minister of Manipur one after the other and all they said was that “not a square inch of Manipur will be disintegrated”!

Instead of struggling to integrate all Naga areas with Nagaland, Muivah and his Tangkhul dominated NSCN Group is trying to control Nagaland State by political trickery. I would not like to say more than this here today.

Thepfulhouvi Solo

Reader’s Post

Steps to reconsider on Covid-19?

Sir,

It is a matter of great concern about the COVID-19 declared as Pandemic following institution/ movement declared suspended & section 144 of Cr.PC executed in certain district for pubic interest which deserves appraise. However, institution long suspended, NU Sem exams postponed and public transportation restricted hasitly altogether without advanced prior notice, is a matter of concern on the part of GON. It is beseeched to reconsider the untold hardships faced by the general public (mostly students) who are stranded tediously in hostels from month long exam postponement plus restriction on transportation and therefore are made to suffer debarring them to meet their family members (both dear and near ones) to stay close-up from this very long outdoor restrictions.

Thus, certain more a day extension/exemption pertaining to availing of inclusive inter-district transportation, would bear a fruitful outcome to general commuters from this unreached Covid-19 in our state.

H. Kaboto Kibami, Fellowship colony

Reader’s note: Articles or letters published in any of the columns do not reflect the view of this newspaper nor that of the Editor in any manner.

national/state

Anti-CAA protesters removed from Shaheen Bagh

Police remove posters and boards from the anti-CAA protest site at Jamia Nagar in New Delhi, Tuesday. (PTI)

“Only two-three protesters were staging a protest against the newly amended citizenship law at the venue.

After we made an appeal, they left the spot,” Thakur said.

In a tweet, the Delhi Traffic Police said, “Road no 13 A has been cleared for vehicular movement.”

Welcoming the move, BJP’s national spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain on Tuesday said clearing the protest site is in the best interest of everyone during the time of coronavirus outbreak.

The BJP leader said, “CAA doesn’t take anybody’s citizenship. It is about giving citizenship to minorities who are facing prosecution in the neigh-

bouring countries.”

Shaheen Bagh was at the centre of BJP’s poll campaign in Delhi.

The agitators at Shaheen Bagh, mostly women, had been on a sit-in at the site since December 15 against the newly amended Citizenship Act, the proposed National Register of Citizens and National Population Register. They were also protesting against the police action against Jamia Millia Islamia students.

The move comes two days after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced a complete lockdown in the national capital till March 31 in order to control the spread of coronavirus.

After the coronavirus

breakout, the Delhi government had banned all kinds of gathering, including political. However, the protests continued.

The Delhi Police has also imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC, which bans assembly of four or more people at one place, in the national capital till March 31.

Coronavirus cases in the country rose to 519 and one more death from the infection was reported on Tuesday taking the toll to ten. Delhi has reported 30 cases.

Shabina Khan, a protestor, said they were “deceived” by the police.

On Monday evening, she said, the police asked

NPCC suggests action plans to contain COVID-19

DIMAPUR, MAR 24 (NPN): Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has suggested several action plans to substantiate the government’s effort in containing COVID-19 and the resultant fallout, which it said was going to create a huge socio-economic crisis.

NPCC through its communications department has suggested total lockdown of urban areas across the state with exemption only to essential goods and services.

It urged the government to direct village/ colony councils especially in urban areas to sensitize people and prevent unnecessary movements within respective jurisdiction.

Village councils of

villages located near the porous boundary of neighbouring states must be empowered to check movement of people in absence of state police personnel.

NPCC said that the message of ‘stay home stay safe’ along with basic hygiene routine must percolate down to lowest level, understood and followed by all people.

It said state government must urge the centre to set up COVID-19 testing laboratory with experts on urgent basis in Nagaland as they did in Iran to evacuate stranded Indians.

Congress asserted that priority procurement of medical equipments to fully arm health care workers and refurbish existing medical infrastructure on war foot-

ing especially quarantine facilities rather than indulge in ad hoc arrangements outside existing medical facilities.

Apart from health care workers, NPCC said police and other emergency/essential service workers have to be fully protected with mask and clothing gear that meets prescribed requirements. Besides, it said special monetary allowance must be granted to those working in frontline.

During lockdown period, NPCC said free rations as per scale must be issued to every deserving household through existing delivery mechanism.

It also suggested that a certain fixed amount must be sanctioned to those daily wage earners and workers

who were facing the brunt of lockdown.

Masks and hand sanitizers should be made freely available and distributed to all citizens, it said, adding that routine health bulletins from a single government source to keep people well informed.

Further, NPCC suggested that cyber police must monitor those indulging in spreading rumors or fake stories through social media platforms.

Meanwhile, NPCC stated that political leaders especially from the ruling government must avoid attempting to convert battle against COVID-19 into an event management spectacle as it recently happened after Janta Curfew on March 22.

NTC urges citizens to cooperate with govt

(From p-1) The council asserted that taking care of people entering Nagaland, be it children from other affected areas, tourist or other commoners visiting the State or passing through Nagaland were of prime importance.

NTC said at the same time it was worrisome to think the safety of the medical health workers and the facilities made available to them.

NTC has urged the state government to ensure proper safety and precautions for the health workers in the hospitals, quarantine centres, the lone airport and railway stations

and check points etc. It also said that police personnel involved in the job must be provided with health safety gears.

NTC maintained that the need of the hour was to provide face mask of good quality which prevents infection, face shields or goggles.

Further, NYC has demanded creation of public registry of ICU beds not only in government hospital but private hospital also in order to know how many critical patients could be treated effectively. It said that provision of additional beds based on prediction of WHO and

ICMR must be made urgently.

Further, it suggested expansion of screening facilities in the state to contain COVID-19 from becoming epidemic. It has asked government to provide testing kits and preparedness instruction to all 11 districts and the sub-divisions in Nagaland to enhance screening and testing capacity to all suspected patients as immediately as possible.

NTC expressed hope that the distribution of safety materials provided to all the health centres could be published in the print media for satisfaction of the general public.

After joining BJP, forgery case against Jyotiraditya Scindia closed

Govt warns of fraud in name of COVID-19

the Congress was in power in the state, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) decided to verify facts afresh into the complaint against Scindia and his family of allegedly indulging in wrongdoing while selling a land in Gwalior in 2009.

“The complainant, Surendra Shrivastava, approached us for the second time on March 12 seeking a re-look into his complaint against Scindias. We forwarded the complaint to our Gwalior office which, after a re-investigation, closed it,” a top EOW official said.

According to sources in the EOW, it closed the case against Scindia and his family on Friday.

Incidentally, Kamal

NEW DELHI, MAR 24 (PTI): The government on Tuesday cautioned people about attempts being made by fraudsters to steal confidential data of phones and computers by circulating malware in the name of coronavirus.

A home ministry spokesperson advised people not to fall in the trap of such fraudsters. “Beware of fraudsters circulating malwares in the name of coronavirus.

Such apps/links, if opened, may steal confidential data from your phone/computer,” the spokesperson tweeted. The cyber fraudsters are circulating the malware link about a so-called coronavirus app like Spymax, Corona Live 1.1.

BHOPAL, MAR 24 (PTI): The Madhya Pradesh Economic Offences Wing has closed a case against former Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and his family members, where they were accused of falsifying a property document while selling land, an official said on Tuesday.

Scindia quit the Congress on March 10 and later joined the BJP. His resignation from the Congress triggered a revolt in the Madhya Pradesh party unit, with 22 MLAs who belong to his camp also tendering their resignations. This led to collapse of the Kamal Nath-led state government last week.

On March 12, when

Nath also stepped down as chief minister on Friday after his government was reduced to a minority.

On March 12, Shrivastava filed a fresh complaint against Scindia and his family, alleging that by falsifying a registry document, they sold him a piece of land at Mahalgaon which was smaller by 6,000 sqft than the original agreement in 2009, the EOW official said.

He initially lodged the complaint on March 26, 2014 against Scindia, who was then a Congress leader, and his family. But it was investigated and closed in May 2018 (when the BJP was in power in the state), the official said.

them to vacate the site, following which more protestors gathered.

“We were then assured by the police that they will not evict us and said the area would be disinfected,” she said.

Khan said in the morning, a large police force evicted them from the spot and even took away all the belongings related to the protest.

Ritu Kaushik, who has been staging protest at the site since the initial days, said the protestors were vacated without any notice.

She said the number of protestors at the site had also come down due to the coronavirus outbreak.

“We had been following all the necessary guidelines to avoid spread of the infection,” Kaushik said.

A decision about resuming the protest will be taken after the coronavirus situation comes under control, she added.

“Most of the protesters vacated the site after police made an appeal but a few refused. So, police detained them,” a volunteer at the site requesting anonymity said.

On Sunday, during the ‘Janta curfew’, only five women were at the site while others had left their slippers as a symbol of solidarity.

Unidentified men had also hurled “inflammable substance” near the site on Sunday but none of the five women protesters present there were injured.

KVs to promote all students of classes 1 to 8 NEW DELHI, MAR 24 (PTI): Kendriya Vidyalayas in the country will promote all students of classes 1 to 8 irrespective of whether they appeared for exams or not, officials said on Tuesday.

“The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) has decided that students of classes 1 to 8, whether appeared in session ending examination 2019-20 or not due to any reason, may be promoted to the next higher class and their verification of fee be done accordingly,” an official said.

Classes and exams are suspended in Kendriya Vidyalayas and all other schools till March 31 in view of Coronavirus.

NEW DELHI, MAR 24 (PTI): The death toll due to the COVID-19 rose to 10 in the country with Delhi reporting second death, while the number of coronaviruspositive cases, including casualties, in India reached 519 on Tuesday, the Union Health Ministry said.

West Bengal and Himachal Pradesh reported a casualty each on Monday, while seven deaths were earlier reported from Maharashtra (two), Bihar, Karnataka, Gujarat and Punjab.

According to figures updated at 8.15 pm, the number of active COVID19 cases were 469 while 40 people have been cured/ discharged or migrated.

The figure includes 43 foreign nationals and the ten deaths reported so far, the Health Ministry said.

M e a n w h i l e, l a t e s t ICMR data says a total of 536 individuals have been confirmed positive among suspected casees and contacts of known positive cases. A 65-year-old coronavirus patient died in Mumbai on Monday evening, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said. But this case was not counted in the health ministry’s latest figure. Kerala has reported the highest number of COVID19 cases so far at 95, including eight foreign nationals, followed by Maharashtra which recorded 89, including three foreigners, according to the ministry data.

Correspondent

KOHIMA, MAR 24 (NPN): Reacting to the statement by the state government on use of Niathu Resort and Sovima Cricket Stadium as isolation wards in the event of quarantine of persons infected with Coronavirus, NPF spokesman and secretary general Achumbemo Kikon opined that instead, that several government guest houses could be utilised for the purpose.

Addressing media persons Tuesday at its central office, Kikon said he was critical of the plan to use the two private properties in Dimapur at government expense and at a time when it was already saddled with many liabilities.

He also said there are many private hospitals in the state who could be provided with aid for use as quarantine facilities and if the requirement increases, then private hotels or resorts could be thought of . He also asked the government not to use the occasion for politics. Opposition MLAs have also reached out to the interior areas of the state by contributing one lakh printed leaflets to villagers in local dialects on awareness on COVID-19. The leaflets were distributed through party workers in all districts at expense borne by the MLAs. He said the party will also continue to help the people if required. Kikon

said NPF has been with the people since inception and will continue to do so .

While appreciating the state government for promulgating 144 CRPC in Dimapur, Kikon urged that the order must be should be judiciously implemented.

Kikon also reminded that the party had demanded setting up of viral testing laboratory and if so, wanted details on where it was to be set up and how much it cost? He reminded that the absence of testing centre in the state has caused a major challenge since it was difficult to send all samples to three testing centres in Assam and Manpiur. Kikon also expressed concern over the fate of stranded students and the racial discrimination issue adding these should be properly addressed. Kikon also said that after the series of orders and advisories , the government should undertake measures to man important offices and if situation improves, normal life must return. He also said daily wage earners should also be given assistance so that they do not starve. Kikon also opined that there were need for proper communication on the situation so that the common people do not panic.

He appealed the citizens to hold each other in prayer to overcome the situation and assured to extend full cooperation of the party with the state government during this “extra ordinary situation”

H&FW minister visits hospitals in Dimapur (From p-1) He informed Pangnyu that the international border with Myanmar, especially at Longwa, had been completely sealed. He said troops had been deployed to prevent movement of people not only in Nagaland, but in Manipur and Mizoram too.

At Eden Hospital, Pangnyu and his team held a brief meeting with Nagaland Private Doctors’ Association (NPDA) office bearers, during which he expressed his gratitude to the private doctors for showing their concern in times like this. He informed them that the proposal regarding COVID19 submitted by them would be taken up by him during his meeting with chief minister Neiphiu Rio and in the cabinet so that it could be collectively considered for benefit of the State. “Let us all work together because only government sector alone cannot do without the help of your specialised skills,” he suggested. At the airport, the visiting team was briefed by airport director on the preventive measures being taken. And as the team reached CIHSR (referral hospital),

medical superintendent Dr Clement shared preparedness level of the hospital and said 10 beds had been kept ready, around 120 staff trained and a Rapid Response Team exclusively for COVID-19 cases had put in place. He however expressed concern over the limited number of ventilators available, adding that only two to three ventilators could be spared in case of sudden outbreak of COVID-19.

Further, as the hospital was attending to several dialysis and cancer patients, Dr Clement pointed out that it would be able to take patients only in small numbers. He also apprised the minister about the shortage of protective gowns and N 95 masks for the health workers, adding that the hospital currently had only 25 gowns, which would get exhausted in one day for three shifts, if emergency situation arose. Pangnyu assured of all possible help from the government On his part, Wungtung remarked that the present scenario was beyond a medical problem and advised people not to panic, while encouraging frontline workers to continue working on a war-footing.

NPA flags misinformation

(From p-1) In this connection, NPA urged the State government and health department to look into the matter, so that dissemination of information was not held back.

It also requested the government to provide safety and protective kits and hygiene aid to journalists, newspaper hawkers and distributors to be used at distribution centres and last-mile delivery of newspapers.

NPA also suggested

the state government to appoint a nodal officer to share updated information with media houses and journalists so as to facilitate the journalists to work from offices and home.

With all the uncertainties, NPA pointed out that journalists around the world were faced with many challenges of covering the pandemic, including combating misinformation and health risks to journalists in the field, while not fuelling

NPR, Census exercise deferred

NEW DELHI, MAR 24 (PTI): The exercise to update the National Population Register (NPR) and the first phase of the Census-2021 have been deferred indefinitely due to the 21-day lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, officials said on Tuesday.

The two exercises were supposed to be carried out from April 1 to September 30.

Due to the prevailing situation, the NPR and Census exercises have been deferred till further orders, a senior home ministry official said.

The home ministry had recently said the preparation for the Census 2021 and updation of the NPR were at its peak and will begin from April 1.

The ministry said this

after a conference of the Directors of the Census Operations on status of preparatory work around Census 2021 and NPR updation.

There have been opposition from several state governments to the NPR and some of them even adopted resolution expressing their opposition to the exercise.

The states which have been opposing the National Population Register include Kerala, West Bengal, Punjab, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Bihar.

However, most of them also said they will cooperate with the house listing phase of the Census.

The objective of the NPR is to create a comprehensive identity database of every usual resident in the country

panic in this extraordinary situation.

Unfortunately, examples abound of communication failure had delayed outbreak control, undermined public trust and compliance, and unnecessarily prolonged economic, social, and political turmoil.

Pointing out that the Central and State governments had understood the major role of media in these times of crisis and had deemed it as part of

essential services that needed to function during the lockdown, NPA recalled that in his address to the nation on March 19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had listed media among essential services, while the State government’s notification also clearly spelt out that media was an essential service and exempted from the lockdown. These pronouncements underlined the significance of media, it added.

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NEW DELHI, MAR 24 (PTI): In an early morning action amid the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus, the police on Tuesday removed anti-CAA protestors at Shaheen Bagh, more than three months after they had occupied a critical road connecting Noida and south Delhi.

Protestors were also cleared from anti-CAA protest site in Hauz Rani in south Delhi, Turkman Gate in Old Delhi and Jaffarabad in northeast Delhi on Tuesday morning, the police said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (southeast) R P Meena said people were “requested” to vacate the Shaheen Bagh site as a lockdown has been imposed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

However, action was taken when they refused to move, he said.

About 50 protesters, including men were at the venue when it was vacated.

Meena said a total of nine protesters, including six women were detained and taken to a nearby police station, after clearing the protest site at Shaheen Bagh which had become a model for other sit-ins across different parts of the country.

The protest site at south Delhi’s Hauz Rani was cleared at around 7 am after the police made an appeal, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (south) Atul Kumar Thakur.

COVID-19 death toll rises to 10, positive cases climb to 519

7 NPF sceptical on use of pvt properties as isolation wards

K-458

Nagaland Post, Dimapur WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020

business/state

Nirmala Sitharaman along with Anurag Thakur addresses the media via video conferencing in New Delhi, Tuesday. (PTI)

said at a news conference.

“If the current situation continues beyond April 30, 2020, we may consider suspending Section 7, 9 and 10 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) 2016 for a period of 6 months so as to stop companies at large from being forced into insolvency proceedings in such force majeure causes of default.”

With lockdowns restricting movements, the government waived a minimum balance fee on the savings bank account as well as allow charge-free withdrawals from any bank ATM for three months.

Also, bank charges for digital trade transactions for all trade finance consumers have been reduced.

For companies, it relaxed mandatory requirement of holding meetings of the board of directors by 60 days and waived the fee for late filings during the moratorium period.

Stating that the announcements done on Tuesday were to ease the burden of compliance on citizens

during the lockdown period, Sitharaman said an economic relief package was in works and it will be announced “sooner rather than later”.

“Every attention is being given to the economy.

The Prime Minister himself is closely monitoring the situation,” she said adding multi-layered composition of the Covid-19 Economic Task Force, announced by the Prime Minister last week, is already working.

Inputs from sub-groups of the task force on various sectors of the economy are being analysed in detail.

“And as I said, the economic package is being worked out. And as I said earlier, sooner we shall come with an announcement on that,” she said.

“The work of the task force which is multi-layered is already almost intensively nearing a conclusion. So, the task force based report and the action following the task force’s report are almost at its peak. And that is why I have said, we will announce

Status on functioning of bank branches DIMAPUR, MAR 24 (NPN): Following government order to contain and prevent the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID19) in Nagaland, the state level bankers’ committee (SLBC) Nagaland convener and SBI Regional Business Office, Dimapur regional manager has informed that in all category of Bank branches identified for opening.

In a press release, SLBC convener and assistant general manager, Paogin Haokip, informed that following essential banking services would be made available: cash deposits and cash withdrawals;

Crossword 5

Su doku

KAKURO

cheque clearance – presenting & accepting cheques for payments / transfers, etc; Remittances – Intra & Inter Bank Transfer of Funds- NEFT, RTGS and government business.

It stated that some of the SBI branches identified for normal functioning are authorized branches for handling State government business and these branches will be fully operational for government business.

All outsourced ATM Cash Replenishment Agencies (CRAs) will replenish cash at all important ATM sites will also ensure cash availability of own Bank branch managed ATMs.

It has also been decided to reduced business transaction hours at Bank branches in the interest of public health and safety as per details below: Dimapur district Stipulated Business Hours (10am to 4pm) and Proposed Business Hours (10am to 2pm) and all other districts Stipulated Business Hours (9am to 3pm) and Proposed Business Hours (9am to 1pm).

Further, all precautionary measures for preventing the spread of COVID-19 in conformity with Government’s and Indian Bank’s Association (IBA) directives are in place, the release stated.

DIMAPUR, MAR 24 (NPN): Following lockdown order in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the four church associations – Chang Baptist Lashong Thangyen (CBLT), Khiamniungan Baptist Churches Association (KBCA), United Sangtam Baptist Lithroti Ashiműkhong (USBLA) and Yimchungru Baptist Boru Amukhungto (YBBA) along with district administration and with apex bodies of the four tribes have resolved that churches (both in town and villages) under four associations would not meet with effect from March 25, 2020 until further notice.

MUMBAI, MAR 24 (PTI): Snapping its four-session losing run, the rupee on Tuesday gained 26 paise to settled at 75.94 (provisional) against the US dollar after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government is working on an economic package to deal with the coronavirus crisis.

Forex traders said the rupee which started the day on a positive note, witnessed heavy volatility amid concerns over the impact of coronavirus outbreak on the domestic economy but recovered after the government said an economic package is under works to tackle the coronavirus-led lockdown. Moreover, the recovery in domestic equities, which closed 693 points higher on Tuesday, also supported the local unit. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the local currency opened at 76.02. During the day it saw a high of 75.94 and a low of 76.40 against the American currency. The domestic unit finally settled at 75.94 against the greenback, up 26 paise over its previous closing price.

The local unit had settled at 76.20 against the greenback on Monday.

No. 4152 Yesterday’s solution No. 4151

No. 3178 Yesterday’s solution No. 3177

smallcap indices rose up to 1.56 per cent. “Market seemed to breathe a sigh of relief today after the crash yesterday, in sync with the global markets. In addition to the huge relief package by the US Fed yesterday, there were also expectations of a fiscal package by the government,” Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services, said.

The market came off its highs after no significant announcements by the finance minister and the fact that the economic package was still in development, he said, adding that European and US manufacturing activity data due later, which may indicate the impact of Covid-19 on economies, could influence markets tomorrow.

KO L K ATA , M A R 2 4 (PTI): Banks are likely to face significant defaults in payment and miss internal targets as more and more states announce lockdowns in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, senior officials of a number of lenders said on Tuesday. Bankers are also expecting the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to come out with a forbearance package so that accounts are not classified as NPAs for the next few years. “There should be some forbearance on account of cash flow mismatch. There will be many defaults in the MSME, retail and related sectors,” a senior United Bank of India official told PTI. “We are expecting the RBI to come out with such a package so that accounts are not categorised worship as per own specified as NPAs for at least the next two years,” he said. timing.

The associations have asked every believer to begin their time of prayer and worship in their own respective homes as they hear the bell. As per the directives KOHIMA, MAR 24 (NPN): of the association and the In continuation with its local church leadership, the inspection drive to check believers would continue to price rise and hoarding of worship in their own homes essential items, Kohima Municipal Council (KMC) and pray without ceasing.

The church associa- Tuesday seized trade licenstions have called upon the es of defaulting groceries in believers to all unite together PWD colony, Officers’ Hill in prayer and pray for health and Tinpatti Pezielietsie.

KMC, while reiterating deportment, district administration, police, business that it would continue the establishment, leaders and drive, warned shops of stern every citizen of the world. action against defaulters.

4 Church assns resolve not to meet

Rupee settles 26p higher against USD

No. 9533 Yesterday’s solution No. 9532

history on Monday. Indices had closed with up to 13 per cent plunge. On Tuesday, Indian equities followed an improved investor sentiment in Asia after the Federal Reserve announced limitless bond-buying programme to support the US economy.

Top gainers in the Sensex pack included Infosys, Bajaj Finance, HUL, Maruti, HCL Tech and Reliance Industries; while M&M, IndusInd Bank, ITC, PowerGrid and L&T were among the losers. Sectorally, BSE IT, teck, energy, FMCG, auto, bankex, finance and metal indices advanced up to 6.95 per cent. While realty, capital goods and basic materials indices ended up to 2.01 per cent lower. In the broader market, BSE midcap and

Banks brace for payment defaults, missed targets

Across 1 With reference to (2,3) 6 Storage container (5) 9 German measles (7) 10 Characteristic (5) 11 Sea duck (5) 12 Flower part (5) 13 Flatfish (7) 15 Spanish cry (3) 17 Prayer ending (4) 18 Trader (6) 19 Spanish man (5) 20 Country (6) 22 House type (4) 24 Teacher’s title (3) 25 Football official (7) 26 Tarnish (5) 27 Exhibit buoyancy (5) 28 Yields (5) 29 Stress (7) 30 Baffling question (5) 31 Facial hair (5) Down 2 Yell (6) 3 Primary source (6) 4 Groove (3) 5 Brimless cap (5) 6 Mrs Mop (7) 7 Complain bitterly (4) 8 Threefold (6) 12 Pulped fruit or veg (5) 13 Suspends (5) 14 Prise (5) 15 Elder (5) 16 Boy’s name (5) 18 Senior member (5) 19 Disperse (7) 21 Market or exchange (6) 22 Tranquil (6) 23 Shooting star (6) 25 Wash through (5) 26 Satisfy fully (4) 28 Male swan (3)

A statement issued by CBLT executive secretary, Rev. Achu Chang, on behalf of the executive secretaries of four associations, stated that the church door would remain open for anyone to go and pray. However, it was resolved that going in groups would be restricted. It advised that distance should be maintained inside the church while spending time in prayer.

The four associations also resolved that church would ring the bell every Wednesday and Saturday evening besides Sunday devotional service and any other women and youth

KMC seizes TLs of traders

Coronavirus test: Mylab to roll out India-made kits immediately NEW DELHI, MAR 24 (AGENCIES): Private labs are gearing up to carry out coronavirus tests as kitmakers work overtime to ensure timely delivery.

Mylab and Altona Diagnostics India are the two suppliers of the testing kits.

Mylab said it was likely to ship out its first set of kits Tuesday.

They are targeting producing 150 kits, which translates to 15,000 tests in batch sizes of 100 tests per day, in the next two days Mylab’s director Dr Gautam Wankhede says they are in a position to start supplying because they already have “the raw material and been in the molecular diagnostics manufacturing for the last three to four years.” “We have already been approved for other sensitive kits for HIV, and have been supplying to leading hospitals. We have the manufacturing in place with well set protocols. Having known the RNA sequence that needed to be targeted

for this virus, we started designing our primers and probes (essential components of a kit),” Wankhede said. Majority of all the components used in Mylab kit is sourced from India with “very little dependence on foreign suppliers,” he added. The foreign suppliers did not include China, he quipped.

Mylab will supply the kits at around Rs 1,500 per test. Labs will add costs of protective gear and other items on this amount.

But, the final price to consumer cannot exceed the government-fixed cap of Rs 4,500.

Meanwhile, German company Altona Diagnostics has applied for an import licence from the Drug Controller General of India.

They hopes to get it this week and start supplying to the ICMR-affiliated and private labs from early next week. “These are German products, and totally imported. They are not made locally,” says Tarun Jain, General Manager, Altona Diagnostics India.

“Initially, we will be importing 100 kits (translating to 9,600 tests) in a week and gradually increase the capacity 2x and 3x in coming weeks,” says Jain.

No shortage of LPG cylinders: IOCL DIMAPUR, MAR 24 (NPN): Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) has assured that there was adequate supply of domestic LPG cylinders across the state.

According to an official bulletin, the Indian Oil Corporation Limited sales officer Achintya Kumar Saikia informed that the demand of LPG cylinders have shot up due to the situation arising out of COVID-19 pandemic.

He, however, requested the public not to panic

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NEW DELHI, MAR 24 (PTI): The government on Tuesday extended the deadline for filing income tax and GST returns, raised threshold of default that could trigger insolvency of a company and waived charges on cash withdrawals from ATM of other banks as a precursor to a broader stimulus package for the economy distressed by the coronavirus outbreak.

The last date for filing income tax returns for 201819 as well as that for linking PAN with biometric ID Aadhaar has been extended by three months to June 30.

The last date for filing GST annual returns for last fiscal, which is due on March 31, has also been extended till the last week of June.

As the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdowns across cities create large scale economic disruption, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the threshold of loan default that could trigger insolvency proceedings has been raised to Rs 1 crore from the existing Rs 1 lakh now.

“This will by and large prevent triggering of insolvency proceedings against small, micro and medium enterprises (MSMEs),” she

the economic package sooner rather than later.”

“Work is going on we are very close to announcing economic package,” she said.

The measures announced included an extension of the deadline for the tax settlement scheme, Vivad se Vishwas, to June 30, 2020, along with some other income tax filing requirements.

The extension of timelines for GST returns for three months -- March to May, to the end of June without any late fees, penalty and interest for enterprises with turnover less than Rs 5 crore will provide significant relief for SMEs who are likely to be subject to intense liquidity pressures.

While the extension of default threshold for IBC applicability from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1 crore will act as a protection for MSMEs in the current crisis period and further, the intent to suspend creditor rights on corporate insolvency for a temporary 6-month period was also hinted by the finance minister.

This will arrest any possible move by lenders to proceed under IBC in a scenario where corporate asset quality has already seen stress due to the continuing economic slowdown and is being further aggravated by the Covid-19 led lockdown.

MUMBAI, MAR 24 (PTI): A day after suffering their biggest single-day collapse, benchmarks Sensex and Nifty on Tuesday staged a sharp recovery in line with global markets as investors held out hopes that measures by governments across the world will offset the economic damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The BSE gauge Sensex closed 692.79 points or 2.67 per cent higher at 26,674.03, after a highly volatile trading session. The index swung between a high of 27,462.87 and a low of 25,638.90 during the day. Likewise, the NSE barometer Nifty settled 190.80 points, or 2.51 per cent, up at 7,801.05.

Both Sensex and Nifty had suffered their worst ever single-session drop in

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Waives ATM charges, relaxes insolvency norm ahead of eco stimulus

Indian equities rebound after worst day

DP-2065

Govt extends tax deadlines

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WHO warns COVID-19 pandemic accelerating

Geneva, March 24 (IANS): The global coronavirus pandemic was accelerating, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned, who urged the international community to pull together to tackle the outbreak.

“It took 67 days from the first reported case to reach 100,000 cases, 11 days for the second 100,000 cases, and just four days for the third 100,000 cases,” Efe news quoted WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as saying at a daily press briefing on Monday.

As of Tuesday, a total of 381,499 coronavirus cases have been detected globally, with 16,557 deaths, according to John Hopkins University. At least 101,794 people have recovered.

But despite the pandemic’s rapid growth, Tedros remained optimistic that the situation can be reversed.

“We’re not prisoners to statistics,” he said.

“We’re not helpless. We can change the trajectory of this pandemic.”

Tedros was speaking at a press conference, at which the WHO announced that it has teamed up with international foot-

T.A. Ghebreyesus (File)

ball organization FIFA to launch a COVID-19 awareness campaign with five key steps to help stop the spread of the disease.

While he praised the efforts made and measures taken by national and local governments so far, including urging people to stay at home and practice social distancing, he said: “You can’t win a football game only by defending - you have to attack as well.

“Asking people to stay at home and other physical distancing measures are an important way of slowing down the spread of the virus and buying time.

“But they are defensive measures (...) To win, we need to attack the virus with aggressive and targeted tactics.”

He praised countries for mobilizing their resources and sending emer-

gency medical teams and supplies to help other crisishit nations, and urged the WHO’s partners and nations around the world to “rationalise and prioritize” the use of personal protective equipment and cooperate to ease these issues.

“Addressing the global shortage of these life saving tools means addressing every part of the supply chain, from raw materials to finished products,” Tedros continued.

“Measures put in place to slow the spread of the virus may have the unintended consequence of exacerbating shortages of essential protective gear and the material needed to make them.

“Solving this problem requires political commitment and coordination at a global level.”

The WHO will be holding meetings with G20 leaders to ask them to work together to “increase production, avoid export bans and ensure equity of distribution on the basis of need”, he added.

“Commitment at the G20 level means a very strong solidarity that can help us move forward and fight this pandemic in the strongest terms possible.”

UK govt orders three-week lockdown to tackle virus L o n d o n, M a r 2 4 (AFP): Britain has ordered a three-week lockdown to tackle the spread of coronavirus, shutting “non-essential” shops and services, and banning gatherings of more than two people.

“Stay at home,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a televised address to the nation on Monday, as he unveiled unprecedented peacetime measures after the country’s death toll climbed to 335.

The announcement came after outrage in government that recommendations about reducing social contact to minimise close-contact transmission of the virus were being ignored.

Crowds of people were seen enjoying weekend spring sunshine in parks and countr yside across the country, prompting calls for tougher action to be imposed.

“From this evening (Monday) I must give the British people a very simple instruction -- you must stay at home,” Johnson said.

“Because the critical thing we must do is stop the disease spreading between households.” Under the new measures, Johnson said going out to shop for basic necessities was still allowed, as was exercise,

medical need, and travel to and from work.

But shops selling items such as clothes or electronics, libraries, playgrounds and places of worship would be shut, with a ban also extending to weddings and baptisms but not funerals.

Parks will remain open but Johnson warned: “If you don’t follow the rules the police will have the powers to enforce them, including through fines and dispersing gatherings.”

He called the outbreak “the biggest threat this country has faced for decades” and said the already overstretched staterun National Health Service (NHS) would be unable to cope if the pace of transmission continued.

“I urge you at this moment of national emergency to stay at home, protect our NHS and save lives,” he said. The restrictions, similar to those in place in other countries, would be “under constant review”, he added.

“We will look again in three weeks, and relax them if the evidence shows we are able to,” he said.

“But at present there are just no easy options.

The way ahead is hard, and it is still true that many lives will sadly be lost.”

Man dies of ‘hantavirus’ in China

spread from person to person through droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes — the hantavirus is primarily spread by contact with mice and their urine, feces or saliva. In fact, the CDC notes that, to date, “no cases of HPS (hantavirus pulmonary syndrome) have been reported in the United States in which the virus was transmitted from one person to another.” So avoiding the hantavirus basically comes down to avoiding contact with rodents, Dr. Elliott said.

According to the US’ Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a severe, sometimes fatal, respiratory disease in humans caused by infection with hantaviruses.

It added that anyone who comes into contact with

rodents that carry hantaviruses is at risk of HPS. Rodent infestation in and around the home remains the primary risk for hantavirus exposure. Even healthy individuals are at risk for HPS infection if exposed to the virus, it said.

Even though the US has not reported any case in which the virus was transmitted from one person to another, the CDC noted that in Chile and Argentina, rare cases of person-to-person transmission have occurred among close contacts of a person who was ill with a type of hantavirus called Andes virus.

How is the Hantavirus spread?

According to CDC, rodents shed the virus in their urine, droppings, and saliva.

The virus is mainly transmitted to people when they

breathe in air contaminated with the virus.

However, there are several other ways rodents may spread hantavirus to people, including if a rodent with the virus bites someone.

Scientists believe that people may get the virus if they touch something that has been contaminated with rodent urine, droppings, or saliva, and then touch their face.

People can become sick if they eat food contaminated by urine, droppings, or saliva from an infected rodent, the CDC said.

Symptoms of the virus: CDC says that early symptoms include fatigue, fever and muscle aches, especially in the large muscle groups — thighs, hips, back, and shoulders at times. These symptoms are universal.

It added that there may also be headaches, dizziness, chills, and abdominal problems, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. About half of all HPS patients experience these symptoms, it said.

Treatment for the virus: There is no specific treatment, cure, or vaccine for hantavirus infection.

“However, we do know

that if infected individuals are recognised early and receive medical care in an intensive care unit, they may do better. In intensive care, patients are intubated and given oxygen therapy to help them through the period of severe respiratory distress,” CDC said.

US: 139 COVID-19 deaths in 1 day, Trump signs order to prevent hoarding

Trump signed a order preventing hoarding of vital medical supplies and PPEs

Washington, Mar 24 (PTI): US president Donald Trump has signed an executive order to prevent hoarding of vital medical supplies and personal protective equipment as the country for the first time registered over 130 deaths in a day due to coronavirus.

Till Monday, more than 43,700 confirmed cases of coronavirus were reported in the United States.

Of these, over 10,000 were added in one day, according to Worldometer, a website which compiles COVID-19 cases. With 139 deaths, the number of fatalities crossed 550 by Monday night.

Signing the executive order, Trump said his government would take action against hoarding and excessive pricing of vital medical and personal protective equipment as well as supplies such as hand sanitisers and face masks.

“Very simply, we will not allow anyone to exploit the suffering of American citizens for their own profit,” he asserted, adding the Department of Justice will aggressively prosecute fraudulent schemes related to the pandemic.

New York State, in particular New York City, emerged as the hotspot of one of the worst public health crisis in the United States in recent memory.

1st DEATH ANNIVERSARY of our beloved father

LATE AKITO ZHIMOMI

Nearly one in every two Americans infected by novel coronavirus are from New York City which reported 5,085 news cases on Monday taking the total to 20,875. As many as 157 residents of New York, a city which has one of the highest concentration of people in the country, have died of coronavirus so far.

Of the total deaths in the city so far, 43 were reported on Monday.

Health officials warned that COVID-19-related casualty figures in New York are expected to jump significantly in the coming days.

White House Coronavirus Task Force Coordinator Deborah L Birx told reporters that New York City, the New York Metro area of New Jersey and parts of Long Island have an attack rate close to one in 1,000.

This is five times of what the other areas are seeing.

“Through high throughput lab investigations we are finding that 28 per cent of the submitted specimens are from that area, whereas it is less than 8 per cent in the rest of the country,” she said.

“So to all of my friends and colleagues in New York, this is the group that needs

to absolutely social distance and self-isolate at this time.

Clearly, the virus has been circulating there for a number of weeks to have this level of penetrance into the general community,” Birx said. President Trump told reporters at a White House news conference that New York along with other hotspots such as Washington State and California is the top priority for his administration.

“Essential medical supplies and emergency equipment are being rushed to New York.” he said, adding the Federal Emergency Management Agency is distributing eight million N-95 respirator masks and 13.3 million surgical masks across the country right now.

“Focusing on the areas with the greatest need, we have shipped 73 pallets of personal protective equipment to New York City and 36 pallets to the State of Washington. In the past 96 hours, FEMA has also received donations of approximately 6.5 million masks.

We are focused on some of the hotspots,” Trump said.

He also announced that clinical trials for existing drugs that may prove effective against the virus will begin in New York.

“The federal government is working to help obtain large quantities of chloroquine. It will be a big game-changer. So, we will see distribution starting tomorrow (Tuesday) early morning in New York. I think a lot of people are going to be hopefully very happy with the results. We all will be watching it closely,” Trump told reporters.

6th DEATH ANNIVERSARY

Lt. TEMSUONEN PONGEN Years have gone by but the memories of your loving character and prayers are still afresh in our lives.

We deeply miss you in our hearts.

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NEW DELHI, MAR 24 (AGENCIES): Even as the world is grappling with the coronavirus, hantavirus of Korean origin, has claimed the life of a man in China.

Chinese state-run Global Times reported that a person from Yunnan Province died while on his way back to Shandong Province for work on a chartered bus Monday.

“He was tested positive for #hantavirus. Other 32 people on bus were tested,” it tweeted. A person from Yunnan Province died while on his way back to Shandong Province for work on a chartered bus on Monday.

He was tested positive for #hantavirus. Other 32 people on bus were tested.

There was no immediate confirmation about the test results of the other passengers on board the bus.

Dr. Tania Elliott from NYU Langone Health in Manhattan told MarketWatch that hantavirus has actually been around for a long time, “probably for centuries,” and that it is most prevalent in China with anywhere from 16,000 to 100,000 cases a year.

But unlike the coronavirus — which is believed to

9

international

Born on : 14/08/1978 – Died on : 25/03/2019 Death has separated us but it can’t take away the memories we shared in the past.

Remembering you forever.

“The Lord watches over you- the Lord is your shade at your right hand.” – Psalms 121:5 K-852

Loving Wife, Daughter & Relatives Died: 25th March 2014

1st DEATH ANNIVERSARY L. IMKONG LONGKUMER (18th May 1965 – 25th March 2019)

Loving Wife & Son

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Visitors must book tickets on the official website or through WeChat in advance and register with their personal information to get a health code.

Beijing, March 24 (IANS): The famous Badaling section of the Great Wall of China partly opened on Tuesday, after being closed for almost two months due to the coronavirus pandemic which originated in the Asian giant last december.

The scenic area will be open between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., and the daily number of visitors will be capped at 19,500, reports Xinhua news agency.

As of 2 p.m. Tuesday, a K Y M C

total of 892 tickets had been reserved.

Visitors must book tickets on the official website or through WeChat in advance and register with their personal information to get a health code, while their temperatures will be checked upon entry.

A one-way circular tour route has been designed to prevent the gathering of crowds.

The cableway, the China Great Wall Museum,

the ancient Great Wall and some other sections still remain closed.

The Badaling section is located in Beijing’s Yanqing district, about 60 km northwest of the city centre.

It was one of the first sections to open to the public and also the most popular segment of the Unesco World Heritage among tourists.

The scenic area received more than 9.9 million visitors in 2018.

The move came on the same when the capital of Hubei province Wuhan, the epicentre of the pandemic, announced that it will lift outbound travel curbs from April 8 after over two months of lockdown.

On January 23, Wuhan declared unprecedented traffic restrictions, including suspending the city’s public transport and all outbound flights and trains, in an attempt to contain the epidemic within its territory.

Similar restrictions were soon introduced in other areas in Hubei.

One new confirmed COVID-19 case was reported on Monday in Wuhan after the city had seen zero new reports for five consecutive days.

It was also the sole new confirmed case reported in Hubei on Monday.

As of Tuesday, the number of confirmed cases in China increased to 81,545, while the death toll stood at 3,281, according to the latest updates by the Washington-based John Hopkins University.

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Great Wall of China partly reopens to visitors

It's been a year since you have left us and though we are happy for you that you are in a better abode, we miss you dearly every single day.

Loving wife, daughters, brothers, sisters and relatives We, the bereaved family members of LATE NZIO NGULLIE would like to convey and express our heartfelt gratitude to every individual, friends, neighbours and wellwishers for your love, comfort and prayers support. We are indebted to each and every one of you who stood by us physically, spiritually, financially and materially at the sudden demise of our beloved on 19th March 2020.

We sincerely convey our special gratitude to: 1. Chumukedima Lotha Baptist Church 2. Dimapur Mungya Union.

3. Dimapur Mungya Eloe Okho.

4. Kohima Mungya Union.

5. Wokha Mungya Union 6. Lotha Baptist Church, Youth Dept., Chumukedima Town 7. Lotha Youth Organisation, Chumukedima Town 8. Chumukedima Lotha Eloe Ekhung 9. Chumukedima Lotha Union 10. Ward No. 5, Chumukedima 11. Pastor, Lotha AG Church Kohima 12. Rev. T. Ngullie, Rev. Mhonyamo Ngullie 13. AG Church Mungya 14. NCRC Mungya 15. Lotha A.G Church, Pastor, Wokha Town Lastly, we deeply regret our inability to thank each and every one personally, but it is our humble prayer that may our Almighty GOD bless you abundantly.

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Loving wife, children, grandchildren, family members and relatives.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Late Temjennokcha Amri 07.08.1952 – 14.03.2020 With immense gratitude and appreciation, the family of Late Temjennokcha Amri would like to express our heartiest thankfulness to our relatives, friends, neighbours, Kohima Ao Baptist Arogo, Faith Harvest Church Kohima, Kohima Changki Senso Telongjem, various organizations and well wishers who stood by us and shared our pain during the period of sudden demise of our beloved father.

We are humbled by the shower of love, prayers and support rendered to us in every possible way providing comfort and strength.

We regret our inability to mention each and every individual for your act of kindness. It is our prayer that our Lord Almighty bless you all abundantly.

Loving daughters, brothers, sisters, in-laws and relatives K-854 K Y M C

10

Infotainment

Ryan Reynolds jokes that celebrities will ‘get us through’

Behati Prinsloo got a lot of attention

“W

e need to work to flatten the curve and fight off COVID19,” said the 43-year-old actor in a video posted to Twitter on Monday, before making a joke about who the real heroes are during these times. “I think in times of crisis, I think we all know that it’s the celebrities we count on most. They’re the ones that are going to get us through this.”

He added playfully, “Right after healthcare workers, of course. First responders. People who work in essential services.

Ping pong players. Mannequins, they’re great. Childhood imaginary friends, sure. Like 400 other types of people.”

The Deadpool actor’s video was in response to Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau nominating the fellow Canadian to spread the word to people to “stay at home and save lives” amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

“COVID-19 is hitting hard all around the world and right across the country, everyone needs to step up to fight against the virus,” said Mr. Trudeau in a Twitter video, as he currently self-isolates at home after his wife tested positive for coronavirus.

“And to protect the health care workers who are working so hard to keep us all safe.”

“You need to stay home. And so do your friends and family mem-

bers. Help spread the word with your own video - and tag your friends to remind them to stay home too. And together, we can #PlankTheCurve. @MichaelBuble and @VancityReynoldscan you help? #StayAtHomeSaveLives,” wrote Mr. Trudeau on social media, tagging Reynolds.

In his video, Reynolds also urged people to “stay at home, practice social distancing, wash your hands, we are going to get through this thing together.”

Reynolds also joked that he was giving “another important message from an important celebrity” before tagging Seth Rogan on Twitter to also spread the word about social distancing.

The fellow Canadian posted his own video, joking, “Hello this is Seth Rogan, I’m in my bunker where I’ve emptied out all my hoarded toilet paper and Purell to record this message... Ryan Reynolds nominated me to help spread the word to Canadians to help #PlanTheCurve. Stay inside, wash your hands, just don’t leave the house. There are worse things you could be asked to do.”

(E Online)

Nagaland Post, Dimapur WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020

Adam Rodriguez and wife Grace welcome son

T

B

ehati Prinsloo sparked pregnancy r umors after she posted a picture to her Instagram that resembled an ultrasound. Her fans and followers were quick to comment and congratulate the 31-year-old model on her “third pregnancy.”

However, an E! News source shared that Prinsloo is “not pregnant.”

“It was one of her daughters that took her phone and posted accidentally,” the source explained.

The former Victoria’s Secret Model and mother-of-two shared Dusty Rose Levine and Gio Grace Levine with husband Adam Levine.

Prinsloo also took to

Instagram to clear the air in an updated caption on the photo.

“Guys. This is not an ultrasound lol. Dusty got hold of my phone and somehow posted this picture from my photo library i thought it was weird and cool and left it up,” she explained.

“But everyone is now congratulating me on my 3rd pregnancy. It’s a close up of my black and white splatter sweat pants!”

On her Instag ram Stories, the 31-year-old also wrote, “Wow this picture that was accidentally posted by my 3 year old today got a lot of attention haha.”

(E Online)

he Criminal Minds actor, 44, has welcomed his third child with wife Grace, his rep confirms to PEOPLE exclusively. Son Bridgemont Bernard Rodriguez arrived on Monday, March 16, weighing 7 lbs., 11 oz., and measured 21 inches.

“Bridge and Grace are feeling great and his big sisters are in love — and so am I, of course!” Rodriguez tells PEOPLE. Rodriguez and his wife’s baby boy joins big sisters Georgie Daye, 3, and Frankie Elle, who turns 6 in April.

The Magic Mike XXL star wed Grace, a model, in front of family and friends in Tuscany, Italy, on May 2, 2016, his rep confirmed exclusively to PEOPLE at the time. The wedding — which was planned by Francesca Simoncini — was “beautiful!” one guest told PEOPLE. “There is love all around here.”

Reid Carolin, who wrote the Magic Mike movies, officiated the ceremony, which capped off a long weekend of celebration. Following a welcome brunch on April 29, guests enjoyed sightseeing in Florence and Siena before a pizza dinner on May 1 in the alfresco garden of

Borgo Pignano.

Married at Borgo Pignano, a 750-acre hilltop estate, Rodriguez wore a suit

by Ermenegildo Zegna, Made-to-Measure, while the bride walked down the aisle in an Eavis & Brown of London gown.

Rodriguez proudly announced both of his girls’ arrivals on Instagram and posts the occasional snapshot to celebrate birthdays and the like. “So happy with life and all of the beauty and LOVE I am surrounded with that I wanted to introduce all of you that show me Love and support, to the BIGGEST, GREAT-

EST, MOST FULFILLING blessing I have ever received. My daughter …

Frankie Elle Rodriguez,” the actor wrote in June 2014, sharing a photo of Frankie for the first time.

In Febr uar y 2017, Rodriguez posted his first public photograph of Georgie, which showed the thennewborn resting in her dad’s arms as he looked down at her adoringly.

“I wondered ‘How?’ and you showed me. Thank you my Georgie Daye. No doubt that Hubble’s Law applies to Love. #teacher,” Rodriguez wrote in the caption.

(MSN)

Supernatural will get a real ending Octavia as America’s first female millionaire despite production shutdown

“S

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long with most other TV shows, Supernatural had to shut down production as a precaution against coronavirus a few weeks ago. Unlike most other TV shows, Supernatural was in the midst of its final season, with just two episodes left to film.

It’s likely that most shows will not be able to film more of their current seasons, and many post production teams are also on an indefinite hiatus, meaning there’s a whole lot TBD about TV right now.

Supernatural is included in that, but showrunner Andrew Dabb promises we won’t be left without an actual ending.

“And yes, we, the CW, and Warner Bros fully intend to return and finish the series. It’s not a matter of “if ”, it’s a matter of “when,” he tweeted.

He revealed in that same thread that Monday’s

episode, which features the return of Genevieve Padalecki and Daneel Ackles, will be the “last episode for a while,” not because it was the last episode filmed, but because other episodes can’t be fully finished yet. “ We h ave f i l m e d through episode 18, however our visual effects and sound departments have closed because of the outbreak. So, right now, the episodes can’t be finished.

However, have some spe-

cial treats coming along the way—to help us all get through this,” he said.

Carina Adley MacKenzie, the showrunner of Roswell, New Mexico, also posted an update about new episodes of that show, which only premiered season two last Monday. It currently airs after Supernatural. All 13 episodes have been filmed, and nine are fully completed so far, though it’s not clear yet if the CW plans to air them as scheduled.

(E online)

elf Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker” examines a fascinating historical figure, but in a soapy and slightly uneven way. Octavia Spencer plays the title character, whose creation of an African-American haircare company turned her into America’s first female millionaire. But too much of this four-part miniseries focuses on what amounts to a cat fight with her chief rival.

Beyond her rags-toriches tale, the remarkable thing about C.J. Walker is the likelihood that people have never heard of her. That’s a situation her great-great-granddaughter, A’Lelia Bundles, sought to remedy with the book “On Her Own Ground.”

That becomes the inspiration for the miniseries, which charts Walker’s unshakeable determination in establishing her business and empowering black women despite the racial

Organic molecules found on Mars ‘consistent with... life’

I

n 2018, NASA announced that its Curiosity rover had discovered organic molecules on Mars. A new study suggests that those molecules are “consistent with early life” on the Red Planet.

The research, published in Astrobiology, notes that organisms known as thiophenes, which are found in white truffles, coal and crude oil on Earth, have also been discovered on the Red Planet.

“We identified several biological pathways for thiophenes that seem more likely than chemical ones, but we still need proof,” the study’s co-author, Dirk Schulze‑Makuch, said in a statement. “If you find thiophenes on Earth, then you would think they are biological, but on Mars, of course, the bar to prove that has to be quite a bit higher.”

The research suggests that a biological process “most likely involving bacteria rather than a truffle K Y M C

though, may have played a role in the organic compound’s existence.” However, it’s also possible that it could come from nonbiological sources, such as meteor impacts.

If indeed the thiophenes were formed from a biological process, it may have stemmed from bacteria that “could have facilitated a sulfate reduction process,” as Mars was warm and wet 3 billion years ago.

More will be learned

about the organic molecules from the European Space Agency’s Rosalind Franklin rover, slated to launch in July 2020.

The researchers said that even if the next rover gets isotopic evidence of carbon and sulfur isotopes, which Schulze‑Makuch calls “a telltale signal for life,” it may not be a guarantee there was or is life on Mars.

“As Carl Sagan said ‘extraordinary claims require extraordinary evi-

dence,’” Schulze‑Makuch explained. “I think the proof will really require that we actually send people there, and an astronaut looks through a microscope and sees a moving microbe.”

NASA is slated to launch a new rover to Mars, known as Perseverance, on July 17, 2020.

This rover will attempt to detect if there is any fossilized evidence of extraterrestrial beings, in addition to other tasks.

Upon its expected arrival on the Martian surface on Feb. 18, 2021, it will join the still functioning Curiosity rover and the now-deceased Opportunity rover on the Red Planet.

Unlike Curiosity or Opportunity, this rover will carry the “first helicopter that will fly on another planet,” NASA added.

NASA’s long-term goal is to send a manned mission to Mars in the 2030s.

(MSN)

and gender barriers she faced, as well as betrayal and disappointment related to those close to her.

Unfor tunately, the miniseries spends a little too much of its time on Walker’s feud with Addie Monroe (Carmen Ejogo), a relationship characterized by backstabbing, competition and occasional theft of product ideas. Whatever its accuracy, those interludes prove less interesting

Vet Greg shares positive COVID19 diagnosis

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ctor Greg Rikaart, best known for his rough;y 15-year run as Kevin Fisher on CBS’s The Young and the Restless, took to social media to reveal that he has tested positive for the coronavirus. According to his Instagram account, the multiple Daytime Emmy nominee had been experiencing symptoms for a while and initially was diagnosed with pneumonia.

“I just tested positive for coronavirus. I am a pretty healthy 43-year-old who doesn’t smoke, doesn’t drink much, eats well and exercises regularly and this has been the hardest experience of my life. Two+ weeks ago, everyone in my house had a bit of a cough and my son came home from school with a high fever. Everyone recovered, but I deteriorated. I isolated from my family and have been in solo quarantine since Saturday the 14th. I had a fever for 11 days, difficulty breathing and was diagnosed with pneumonia,” he wrote to his followers.

(MSN)

-- and more florid -- than the larger structural and societal hurdles that Walker overcame.

Set during the early 20th century, directors Kasi Lemmons and DeMane Davis have certainly mounted a handsome production, one that explores aspects of the time beyond just business and race -- including Walker’s disapproval when her daughter (Tiffany Haddish) begins a

romantic relationship with a woman. The story also deals with the resentment Walker’s success fostered from her husband (Blair Underwood), who didn’t relish living in his wife’s shadow. The Oscar-winning Spencer (also a producer on the project, along with, among others, basketball star LeBron James) sinks her teeth into this meaty role, portraying Walker as a woman with boundless

drive and grit -- despite the skepticism of investors and peers -- whose triumphs were balanced by plenty of setbacks and trials. The narrative is punctuated by other real-life figures that pass through her orbit, including Tuskegee Institute founder Booker T. Washington and business titan John D. Rockefeller, whose massive estate wasn’t far from her own.

Still, “Self Made” is ultimately a solid but unspectacular effort, more interesting finally for its subject matter than its execution.

Walker’s life is, clearly, a story worth telling, and as basically a longish movie split into four chapters, it’s a reasonably concise package.

It just could have been made in a way that would have more fully branded this inspirational biography as a miniseries worth watching. “Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker” premieres March 20 on Netflix.

(CNN)

Woody Allen memoir released by new publisher

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oody Allen’s autobiography has been released by a new publisher after being dropped by his previous backers over protests by staff.

Apropos Of Nothing came out with little advance notice in the US on Monday, released by Arcade Publishing. Original publishers Hachette Book Group had dropped the memoir earlier in March following a walk-out by staff over long-running claims the film director sexually abused his adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow.

Allen’s son Ronan Farrow, a journalist credited as one of the reporters who triggered Harvey Weinstein’s downfall, had also criticised the decision

by Hachette to work with the filmmaker.

However, the 400page book quickly found a new home.

“The book is a candid and comprehensive personal account by Woody Allen of his life,” Arcade

announced. “Ranging from his childhood in Brooklyn through his acclaimed career in film, theatre, television, print and stand-up comedy, as well as exploring his relationships with family and friends.”

Allen, 84, has always vehemently denied the allegations by his adopted daughter, and was not charged following two separate investigations in the 1990s. He has previously accused actress Mia Farrow, Dylan’s adoptive mother, of “exploiting” their daughter.

The four-time Oscar winner, best known for films including Annie Hall,

Manhattan, Crimes And Misdemeanours and Vicky Cristina Barcelona, has seen the allegations come to the surface once again in the wake of the #MeToo movement.

In November last year, the director settled a multimillion-dollar lawsuit with Amazon after the company abandoned a film deal with him. No financial details of Allen’s book deal with Arcade, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, have been released. A Skyhorse spokeswoman said no decisions had been made on whether Allen would give any interviews about the book.

(Sky News) K Y M C

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Nagaland Post, Dimapur WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020

COVID-19: LaLiga players bond with fans

People in Pakistan not realising COVID-19 is a great threat: Akhtar

shared a number of interactive games on its social media feeds for fans to get involved with. From spot the difference to knots and crosses to a wordsearch, the Asturian club has been entertaining its own fans and new followers too.?

Helping others At these difficult times, there are many who are in need of support and several LaLiga players have been doing their bit to help out. The ‘Saldremos Juntos’ initiative – ‘We’ll Make It Out Together,’ in English – is being led by Atlético de Madrid’s Saúl Ñíguez, and also has the backing of fellow Atleti player Álvaro Morata, Barcelona’s Sergio Busquets, Sevilla’s Óliver Torres, Real Sociedad’s Miguel Ángel Moyá and others. It’s just one of the many examples of the good being done in the communities where the footballers of LaLiga reside.

Working out with Leganés’ fitness coach CD Leganés players have been taking part in a very special series of workouts this past week. Given the current circumstances, the club’s fitness coach Pol Lorente has been streaming exercise instructions for the first-team squad and for the public, allowing people around the world to watch Lorente’s workouts live on YouTube and learn how to train like a pro from their own homes.

Lahore, March 24 (IANS): Former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar has been left frustrated with the way people in the country are dealing with coronavirus, saying Pakistani citizens are busy enjoying picnic and travelling in such a dangerous scenario and they are not understanding the gravity of the situation.

Close to 900 confirmed cases of coronavirus have been reported so far in Pakistan and six people have already lost their lives because of COVID-19.

“I went outside for some really important work today. I did not shake hands with anyone or hugged anyone. The windows of my car were closed the entire time and I came back home as soon as possible.

But I noticed a very worrying trend outside. I saw four guys travelling on one bike, they were going for a picnic. People are having food together outside, travelling to other places.

Why are restaurants still open, why are we not closing them,” Akhtar said in a video posted on his YouTube channel.

In India where so far more than 400 confirmed coronavirus cases have been reported, various states have been put under lockdown.

“In India, people have embraced a curfew. But

here in Pakistan, we can’t stop travelling. 90 percent of cases are due to human contact but we are not ready to stay at home.

What are we doing? This is dangerous, it’s like playing with the lives of people,” he added.

He further called on Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to impose a lockdown in the country, while urging citizens to adhere to the guidelines and rules imposed by the authorities in order to stop the spread of novel coronavirus.

“We are failing to understand that this (coronavirus) is a huge threat. Don’t believe in myths that this virus will not spread in the summer or not infect young people. People are roaming around freely, what is the need to go outside,” said Akhtar.

“I request Pakistan government to take strong action and impose a lockdown. Please lockdown the cities. Italy made a huge mistake by not imposing lockdown early. People are dying there every day. I request Pakistan government to give a time slot to people to buy all the necessary items like groceries and impose a lockdown. Sorry to say but people in Pakistan are not listening, they are out there having picnics and celebrating,” he added while citing the example

Chhetri joins Messi for FIFA UEFA formally postpones campaign against COVID-19 Champions League final

Ashwin hails PM Modi's 21-day lockdown move

Eden pink ball Test viewed by 43 million people: BARC

Madrid, March 24 (IANS): Spain is currently in lockdown, yet LaLiga players and clubs are keeping themselves very busy and, more often than not, involving fans around the world. With residents in Spain staying at home in a bid to halt the spread of the coronavirus, LaLiga footballers continue to come up with unique and creative ways to stay busy, stay in shape and stay in touch with their fans.

Some of the ways the footballers have found to spend time in the wake of the pandemic are: Entertaining fans and raising money for charity While there wasn’t any action in LaLiga stadiums this week, there were a load of virtual matches for fans to enjoy. Spanish eSports commentator and influencer Ibai Llanos organised a FIFA20 tournament called the LaLiga Santander Challenge featuring a player of each LaLiga Santander team.

Marco Asensio and Aitor Ruibal took their Real Madrid and Leganés teams to the final, which was won 4-2 by Asensio. Fans following the action could donate money to help the fight against the coronavirus and over €140,000 had been raised by the conclusion of the tournament.

Reading some books This is a great time to start a brand-new book

and two LaLiga Santander players discussed their reading preferences on social media. RC Celta’s Rafinha was looking for an interesting non-fiction book and asked for recommendations via his Twitter account. The midfielder received many excellent suggestions, including from Real Betis striker Borja Iglesias, who shared a photo of Lamar Odom and Jermaine Pennant’s autobiographies and of a book about the New Zealand rugby team by James Kerr.

Holding virtual press conferences It’s impossible to organise in-person press conferences right now, but there have been virtual ones over the past week for fans to stay up to date on the lat-

Sunil Chhetri

Bengaluru, March 24 (IANS): India captain Sunil Chhetri has been picked by FIFA along with 28 past and present football icons to spread an awareness campaign to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

FIFA and the World Health Organization (WHO) have teamed up to combat the coronavirus (COVID -19) by launching a new awareness campaign as football calls on all people around the world to follow five key steps to stop the spread of the disease.

“FIFA and its President Gianni Infantino have been actively involved in passing the message against this pandemic since the very beginning,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the virtual launch of the campaign at WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

“Be it through campaigns or funding, FIFA has stood up to the coronavirus, and I am delighted that world football is supporting WHO to kick out

Amid COVID-19 outbreak, Amarjit ‘determined’ to work hard New Delhi, March 24 (IANS): After a rollercoaster season that saw him make his senior India debut and then miss out on almost four months of action due to injury, Amarjit Singh Kiyam had begun the ongoing off-season with a steely determination to work harder than everyone else, and enter the new campaign with a bang.

However, the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic in India and subsequent lockdowns across the nation have meant that he has been unable to return to his home in Thoubal, Manipur so far, and is currently in Chandigarh for over a month.

The current scenario has had an impact on his routine, with neither training on the field nor working out in the gym an option.

But does it affect his determination? “No,” replies the gritty midfielder.

“The goal remains the same. I am determined to K Y M C

work extra hard to cover for the training that I have missed. I have to be in top shape. I know have to keep pushing myself constantly to grow as a player,” he stated.

“I keep myself in shape with stretching exercises which I can do indoors and take care of my body. There are no excuses in football and I know that the efforts I put in now will pay certain dividends in the future,” the 19-year-old who had captained India in the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2017 affirmed in a chat with theaiff.com.

A key characteristic of the midfielder’s style of play is his determination -something fans have grown accustomed to seeing on the pitch over the last three years. The former AIFF Academy cadet and Indian Arrows man is well aware of the impact of the global pandemic and referred to the circumstances as “challenging.”

est happenings at their club.

For example, Athletic Club forward Iñaki Williams answered questions from fans and from the media from his home, while Levante coach Paco López similarly spoke about the situation at his club in a streamed video.

Alavés players share their favourite series With people searching for something to watch as they stay at home, Alavés has helped out by asking players to recommend their own favourite series.?

Playing football tennis with the neighbours CA Osasuna teammates Raúl Navas and Fran Mérida live next door to each other, which proves very useful when

the coronavirus. I have no doubt with this type of support that together we will win,” he said in a FIFA release.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “We need teamwork to combat the coronavirus. FIFA has teamed up with WHO because health comes first.

I call upon the football community worldwide to join us in supporting this campaign to pass the message even further. Some of the greatest players to have played the beautiful game have put their names to the campaign and are united in their desire to pass the message to kick out COVID-19.”

The 28 players, who will be involved in the video campaign to be published in 13 languages, include the likes of Argentina and FC Barcelona star Lionel Messi and World Cup winners like German Philip Lahm, Spain’s Iker Casillas and Spanish defender Carles Puyol.

it comes to keeping their skills sharp. The two players enjoyed a game of football tennis by using the hedge they share as a net, with a video filmed and shared on social media.

“The toilet roll challenge” Several clubs have been encouraging their fans to take part in the toilet roll challenge, where they are asked to take a video of themselves performing keepy-uppies with a roll of toilet paper and to share it online. Several players have shown their skills, with Levante UD one of the most active clubs in this challenge.

Real Oviedo’s online games LaLiga SmartBank side Real Oviedo has

UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin

N y on ( S w i t z e r l a n d ) , M a rc h 2 4 (IANS): UEFA has formally postponed the Champions League final, slated to be held in May, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The final was scheduled for May 30 in Istanbul before the coronavirus pandemic forced the four remaining second-leg games on March 17-18 to be delayed indefinitely.

In a statement, UEFA has also announced that Wo m e n’s C h a m p i o n s League final (scheduled for May 24 in Vienna, Austria) and Europa League final (due on May 27 in

Gdansk, Poland) also stand postponed.

It, however, said that no decision regarding the rearranged dates has been made yet.

“No decision has yet been made on rearranged dates. The working group, established last week as a result of the conference call among the stakeholders of European football, which was chaired by UEFA President, Aleksander Ceferin, will analyse the options available.

“The group has already begun its examination of the calendar. Announcements will be made in due course.”

Chennai, March 24 (IANS): Soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day pan India lockdown starting from March 24 midnight, senior India cricketer R. Ashwin hailed the move, saying we need to stay indoors for this time frame to beat the deadly coronavirus.

"3 weeks it is ... let's stay indoors India. I repeat the consequences of irresponsible community behaviour over the next 3 weeks could cost us 2 decades. Well done @narendramodi ji. Now let's follow instructions rather than moaning and giving our own opinions," Ashwin said in a tweet.

The PM announced on Tuesday that a nationwide three-week lockdown starting from Tuesday midnight will be adhered to by all states and union territories.

He said this is an essential step to fight coronavirus decisively. He added that saving lives is priority as of now.

Emblem, slogan for 2022 Asian Para Games unveiled

The Hangzhou Asian Para Games will take place from October 9 to 15, 2022.

Hangzhou, March 24 (IANS): The emblem and the slogan for the 2022 Asian Para Games have been unveiled. The motif of the emblem consists of a wheelchair athlete striving forward.

A running track, formed by 10 semi-arc lines with a gradient ramp from purple to red and then yellow, stretches out into the distance, and reflects

the surging tides of the Qiantang River that runs through Hangzhou.

The athlete dashing forward in the wheelchair exudes dynamism, energy and passion. The motif resembles the fine spray of the Qiantang River tides, a fitting statement on the sublime heroism of the para-athletes persevering and challenging themselves.

Beneath is lettering

denoting the host city and the year. The visuals and style of the Asian Para Games emblem are in line with those of the Asian Games.

“The emblem conforms to the concept of ‘sunshine, harmony, selfimprovement and sharing’, which reflect the values of the Games,” said Chen Weiqiang, deputy Secretary-General of the Asian

Para Games organising committee and Vice Mayor of Hangzhou.

The slogan for the Asian Para Games is “Hearts meet, Dreams shine”, mirroring the core message and style of the slogan for Asian Games: “Heart to Heart, @Future”.

Asian Paralympic Committee President Majid Rashed commented on the new logo and slogan: “With over two years to go to the Games, we’re delighted that the emblem and slogan are being launched now and congratulate the Organising Committee on their efforts. The chosen design for the emblem together with the slogan captures the dynamic, positive spirit of the Asian Para Games perfectly and we are very pleased to unveil these today.”

The Hangzhou Asian Para Games will take place from October 9 to 15, 2022.

An estimated 3000 athletes will take part in 22 sports.

of Italy where more than 6,000 people have already lost their lives due to coronavirus.

Earlier, Akhtar had urged people to help each other rising above religion and economic status.

“Request all my fans all across the globe. Coronavirus is a global crisis and we have to think as a global force, rise above religion.

Lockdown is happening so that the virus does not spread. If you are doing interaction and meeting in places, it will not help,” Akhtar “If you are hoarding things, please think about the daily wage workers.

Stores are empty. What is the guarantee that you will live after three months?

Think about the daily wage worker, how will he feed his family? Think about people, time to be a human, not Hindu, Muslim. People will have to help each other, collect funds. Stop hoarding.

“Rich will still survive; how will the poor survive?

Have faith. We are living like animals, live like humans. Try to be helpful, please stop storing stuff. It is the time we look after each other. No time to be divided, we have to live as humans,” he added.

Coronavirus, which originated in China’s Wuhan city, has so far infected over 3,00,000 people and claiming over 16,000 lives.

The second Test between Virat Kohli’s India and Bangladesh was played under lights at Eden Gardens amid a lot of hype and packed crowd.

Mumbai, March 24 (IANS): The first-ever pink ball Test in the country between India and Bangladesh last November was viewed by 43 million people and clocked 2 billion viewing minutes -which was also the highest viewership for a first day of any Test match played over 2018-19, the BARC has said.

After Sourav Ganguly became the BCCI President, he ensured India take up the pink ball challenge after initial resistance when the team refused to play a D/N contest in Australia.

The second Test between Virat Kohli’s India and Bangladesh was played under lights at Eden Gar-

dens amid a lot of hype and packed crowd. The match, part of the ICC World Test Championship, got over early on Day 3 with the hosts winning by an innings and 46 runs to wrap the series 2-0.

It was a no-contest but the thrill of watching cricketers play under lights in white flannels with a pink SG ball saw many glued to their TV sets.

Beyond cricket, the most watched sports in 2019 were kabaddi, wrestling and football. Together, they consumed 85% of viewing minutes of noncricket events.

Sports channels saw a growth of 17% (viewing minutes) over 2018.

OFFICE OF THE

AOYIMKUM VILLAGE COUNCIL DIMAPUR DIST. : NAGALAND

PRESS NOTE

A combined emergency meeting of Aoyimkum Village Council, Aoyimkum Senso Mungdang and Aoyimkum Lanur Telongjem was held on 24th of March 2020 and resolved to notify the following resolutions for safety of the public.

Due to the current COVID-19 emergency the Aoyimkum Village Council impose total restriction entry of outsider within village jurisdiction till further notice w.e.f 25/03/2020. This notice implies to all the construction workers as well as manual wage earners.

Hence, all the concern are asked to comply with the notification as per the notice.

DP-2184

Moasunep L.k.r K Y M C

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Japan, IOC agree to postpone Olympics

Abe had previously said that a postponement is unavoidable if the 2020 Games cannot be held in a complete manner amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Tokyo, March 24 (IANS): The 2020 Tokyo Olympics has been postponed with Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe saying on Tuesday that he has reached an agreement with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to hold the Games in 2021.

“I proposed to postpone for about a year and President Bach responded with 100 per cent agreement,” Abe told reporters referring to Thomas Bach,

head of the IOC. This thus makes it the first Olympics to be postponed with the Games being cancelled previously during the Second World War. Abe had a telephonic conversation with Bach on Tuesday after which he told reporters that the pair have come to an agreement on the postponement.

The IOC has come under increasing pressure from a number of quarters to

Raina thanks Sachin for wishes on becoming father

Suresh Raina and his wife Priyanka with their baby boy.

New Delhi, March 24 (IANS): India cricketer Suresh Raina and his wife Priyanka on Monday welcomed a new member in their family. The couple became parents for the second time as they were blessed with a baby boy, Rio. And master blaster Sachin Tendulkar took to social media to wish his former teammate.

Taking to Twitter, Tendulkar wrote: “Welcome to the world Baby Rio Raina!

Many congratulations to Priyanka & Suresh! God bless him with the best of health.”

Raina replied to this

and wrote: “Thanks a lot Paji !! Lots of love from Rio and Gracia.”

Raina announced the news of his son’s birth on Monday on Twitter as he wrote: “The beginning of all things -- wonder, hope, possibilities and a better world!

We are proud to welcome our son & Gracia’s little brother -- Rio Raina. May he flows beyond boundaries, bringing peace, renewal & prosperity to everyone’s life.”

Raina’s Indian Premier League franchise, Chennai Super Kings, also welcomed the news with a tweet saying: “Hello Rio.”

announce a postponement with restrictions on movement of people being set in countries around the world due to the coronavirus pandemic that has claimed over 16,500 lives as on Tuesday.

Abe had previously said that a postponement is unavoidable if the 2020 Games cannot be held in a complete manner amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to NHK. IOC member Dick

Pound had stated that the 2020 Summer Games will be postponed by one year because of coronavirus.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has stated that no decision regarding the postponement of Tokyo Games, slated to start from July 24, has been made as of now by the International Olympic Association (IOC) and it will be done only in four weeks’ time.

Chairman of the British Olympic Association has said Great Britain would be unlikely to send a team to Tokyo this summer while Australia and Canada had already said they will not compete in Japan due to the coronavirus pandemic this year.

The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee said that “the path toward postponement” of the Tokyo Games is “most promising” after surveying about 2,000 American athletes.

The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee sent a survey over the weekend to more than 4,000 athletes on the coronavirus pandemic and the Games, and they received responses from 1,780, reports Xinhua news agency.

Never thought would see my city like this: Ganguly Kolkata, March 24 (IANS): Locked at home amid the lockdown in West Bengal due to the coronavirus pandemic, BCCI President and former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Tuesday said he never thought his city would wear a deserted look with virtually no one on the streets.

“Never thought would see my city like this .. stay safe .. this will change soon for the better ...love and affection to all ..” Ganguly said in a tweet with few pictures of some of the city’s iconic landmarks wearing an empty look.

People stayed indoors while police personnel hauled up those on the streets as a complete lockdown began in large parts of West Bengal, including the whole of Kolkata and eight districts continued to combat the spread of novel coronavirus infection.

The lockdown, christened ‘complete safety restrictions’, covers all municipal and district towns besides some rural areas in other parts of the state and started from from 5 p.m. on Monday. The lockdown is set to continue till Friday midnight.

Nagaland Post, Dimapur WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020

Pleasing to see pictures of dolphins near shores of Mumbai: Rohit Sharma

Dolphin spotted playing in shores of Mumbai.

Mumbai, March 24 (IANS): Amid the doom and gloom due to the coronavirus pandemic, India opener Rohit Sharma, an environment enthusiast, has tried to find a silver lining by talking about pictures of dolphins swimming near the shores here.

India’s limited overs deputy Rohit pointed out that with no traffic on the roads due to the lockdown in the state, the flora and fauna are breathing better.

“Pleasing to see pic-

Ronaldinho barred from receiving visitors in jail Ri o d e J a n e i ro, March 24 (IANS): Brazilian football great Ronaldinho will no longer receive visits at the Paraguayan jail where he is being held as local authorities attempt to combat the coronavirus outbreak.

Ronaldinho and his brother, Roberto Assis, have been imprisoned since March 6 for allegedly using fake passports to enter the South American country, reports Xinhua news agency.

It is reported that Paraguayan officials have ordered that the prison on the outskirts of capital Asuncion tighten protocols to prevent the spread of the virus.

In addition to barring all visitors except lawyers, jail staff have been ordered to wear protective gloves and masks while all prisoners must undergo a daily health check, a Globo Esporte news portal report said.

Ronaldinho and Assis travelled to Paraguay on

Ronaldinho and his brother, Roberto Assis, have been imprisoned since March 6 for allegedly using fake passports .

March 4 to participate in a children’s charity event and promote a new book. The pair were arrested later that day when police realised they had entered the country with fake passports.

They have denied any wrongdoing and said they

were presented with the doctored travel documents as a “gift” upon arriving at Asuncion’s international airport.

A judge refused the brothers’ request for house arrest and ordered them to remain in jail pending the

police investigation, citing a flight risk.

Ronaldinho retired from football in 2018 after a career that included a World Cup triumph in 2002 and two FIFA World Player of the Year awards.

tures of dolphins swimming near the shores of Mumbai, it shows us that if we tweak our ways we can make a huge difference in finding a balance with nature,” Rohit said in a tweet.

A 65-year-old man who arrived here from UAE via Ahmedabad passed away due to COVID-19 late on Monday night, taking the death toll due to the disease in Maharashtra to four.

The death toll across

India is now 10. The total number of coronavirus positive cases in Maharashtra increased to 101 after four new cases were detected since Monday night.

The pandemic has seen the fate of the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League hang in balance with the BCCI cancelling a conference call that was set to take place between the board and the IPL team owners to discuss the way forward.

Sehwag uses ‘truck’ image to advice people on social distancing New Delhi, March 24 (IANS): Former India batsman Virender Sehwag has some advice to give those on Twitter amid the coronavirus pandemic and for that, he tweeted the picture of the back of an Indian truck.

It had the words “Keep Distance OK” which is commonly found on trucks across the country. “ Tr u c k k a p a a l a n kijiye. Please follow this. #Covid_19 (sic.),” Sehwag said in the tweet.

On Monday, Sehwag -- who never fails to impress his followers with his social media pun -- had shared a video of a ragpicker, who took part in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Janata Curfew clapping initiative, to pay tribute to all the medical staff and healthcare professionals who are working round the clock to treat Covid-19 patients.

Sharing the video on Twitter, the former Indian opener had written, “Wow! Speechless #JantaCurfew.

May our unity help us go

Virender Sehwag

through this difficult time with ease and may the #COVID2019 go away for good very soon”.

The coronavirus pandemic has reached India and has prompted lockdowns and curfews in most states across the country.

Nearly 500 cases have been reported across the country and the global death count has crossed 16,500.

The cricket calendar, like the rest of sports, has come to a virtual standstill with South Africa’s tour of India, New Zealand’s tour of Australia and England’s tour of Sri Lanka being among the international series that have been postponed.

Warne Mourinho helps self-isolating Can’t have DRS in entire Ranji Trophy: Karim callsShane for lockdown

New Delhi, March 24 (IANS): The 2019-20 Ranji Trophy season saw many firsts. It not only saw Saurashtra clinching the trophy for the first time in the history of India’s premier domestic competition, but also saw the maiden usage of Decision Review System (DRS) -- though in limited format -- in the Ranji Trophy.

Speaking to IANS after the successful completion of the Ranji Trophy, BCCI GM Cricket Operations Saba Karim said that limited DRS was able to serve its purpose and the players and the match officials were happy with its introduction. According to Karim, they were able to eliminate a lot of umpiring mistakes which were witnessed in the knockout stages of the last Ranji season, something which pleased him a lot.

“I am very happy to see the results of the limited DRS. I interacted with the players, the coaches and the match officials. The idea was to prepare them as and when the matches are played with full DRS, they are able to understand that and use it accordingly,” Karim pointed.

Saba Karim

“We were able to eliminate lot of howlers which we had noticed in the last season of the Ranji Trophy knockouts.”

When asked about the response from the players and the match officials regarding limited DRS, Karim said the “overall feedback was heartening”.

“Largely, the players and the match officials were very happy. Since it was a limited DRS, it was explained to the players and the match officials how to use, the number and the kind of decisions to be referred to the third umpire.

“There were obviously a few misgivings about the decisions. But the overall feedback we received from the players and the coaches was heartening,” he said.

Karim further said that as of now, they have not made any decision with regard to continuing with the usage of DRS in Ranji Trophy.

“There is a constant exchange with the players and the match officials as to how to take it forward.

And now as the season is over, we will have a brain storming session before the next season starts and see

how to take it forward,” he said.

“You possibly cannot have it in the entire tournament because all the matches are not televised.

It’s only the semi-finals and the finals which are televised. That’s one issue and it’s for that reason in order to bring uniformity, we cannot have DRS in the entire tournament,” he added.

Karim, who represented India in one Test and 34 ODIs, also expressed his opinion on the debate between the four-day and five-day Test matches. According to him, the original format, i.e. five-day format should be continued.

“For me, I believe in five-day Test matches. It’s not only about the players but also about the curators who prepare the pitch which is sporting enough and help all the aspects of the game till the fifth day,” said Karim.

“The entire gambit of a Test match cricketing experience is of five days. Plus, weather plays a big role. You cannot have matches being played for more than 6-7 hours in a day. So, I think, I would prefer to stick with five-day format,” he added.

in Australia

Melbourne, March 24 (IANS): Legendary Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne has called for "clear rules" and a lockdown in the country to combat the increasing threat of coronavirus which has so far taken eight lives.

"I know it's impossible to please everyone as PM at the moment, but surely clear rules and lockdown for Australia as of NOW is the only decision -- end of. Let's learn from the mistakes other countries have made. Health has to be the most important thing for everyone !" Warne said in a tweet.

"Listening to the PM like everyone here in Aust & what I understood was.

It's essential. Unless it's not.

Then it's essentially not essential. I can't be clearer" Plus people can buy a new shirt at a shopping centre ? WTF? PM just had a shocker. Surely should be in lockdown now," he added.

The COVID-19 pandemic has already claimed over 16,000 lives across the world.

A 70-year-old woman succumbed to the deadly virus at a local hospital here on Tuesday.

elderly with necessary items

Mourinho delivering food to the elderly.

L o nd o n, M a rc h 24 (IANS): Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho has worked alongside Age UK and Love Your DoorStep in Enfield to prepare food parcels and other items for delivery to the more vulnerable members of the community as people here grapple with the coronavirus pandemic.

“I am here to help Age UK Enfield, Love Your DoorStep Enfield and of course you can donate food, money or be a volunteer,” Mourinho said in a video posted by Love

Your DoorStep’s Twitter account as quoted by news. sky.com.

The charity has been providing for essential goods to elderly members of the society who have been advised to stay in quarantine for the next 12 weeks, the report further said.

Meanwhile, Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata also offered to practice with a self-isolating boy from Dublin, whose video of solo goalkeeping went viral with United keeper David de Gea among those acknowl-

edging it.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that for at least the next three weeks, residents all across the country will have to remain in their homes in an effort to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus.

UK health authorities said on Monday that the number of confirmed cases climbed in the last 24 hours by 967 to 6,650, while the death toll increased by 54 to 335.

Another 77,295 people have tested negative, the Department of Health and Social Care said.

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