Friday prayers suspended across country amid lockdown
All Muslim sects have suspended Friday prayers to abide by the government’s decision of complete lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus, however the call for prayers will continue in the mosques. Jamaat-e-Islami Sharia Council said in a statement that, “the Friday prayer (Juma namaz) should also be observed (only by Imam, Muezzin, Khadim, and […]
COVID-19: Bengal man steps out for milk, dies after police beating
A 32-year-old man in West Bengal’s Howrah, who had gone out of his home during the coronavirus lockdown to buy milk, was beaten up by the police on Wednesday. Later, the doctors at hospital declared him brought dead. His family has alleged he died of the injuries. The man has been identified as Lal Swami, […]
Social Distancing and Antipathy in the Time of COVID-19
On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the spread of the novel coronavirus to be a pandemic, and pandemonium broke out worldwide as people were in a mad rush to get to or away from places. At this point I was in Germany and like many others rushed home before the Government of India closed […]
Coronavirus lockdown: MHA issues fresh guidelines on exemptions
The Ministry of Home Affairs Wednesday issued several additional guidelines for essential service providers after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day lockdown as part of measures to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. Here are some of the key additions: ?All government offices — both state and Centre — shall remain closed during the lockdown period. Exemptions are: […]
At G-20 meet tomorrow, PM Modi’s push to turn Covid-19 into global fight
Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants the G-20 conference tomorrow to turn the battle against the deadly Sars-CoV-2 pathogen into a global fight where participant countries pool in their medical knowledge and resources to block the spread of contagion, people familiar with the developments said. Rather than be confined to the 15-member UN Security Council currently […]
Private lab starts coronavirus tests for ₹4,500 in Delhi, NCR
Diagnostic services provider Dr Lal PathLabs has started conducting coronavirus tests. Talking to Livemint, one of the sample centre, confirmed the news. The pathology has started conducting tests for the deadly COVID-19. The suspected patient need to show doctor’s prescription for the same. Right now, only home collection facility is available. The charge for the […]
An Expert Explains: ‘Coronavirus will stay; difficult to lock down for long’
Dr Marc-Alain Widdowson is an infectious disease epidemiologist who worked for 18 years with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Since 2019, he has been Director of the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium. He speaks to The Indian Express on the coronavirus pandemic. This approach will work to different degrees in different places. In […]
Spreading fake news, rumours on Covid-19 can land you in jail for a year
New Delhi: Circulating fake news on Covid-19 during the 21-day ‘complete lockdown’ announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday can lead to a trial, and punishment of up to one-year imprisonment. In its lockdown order, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) refers to Section 54 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, which says, “Whoever makes or […]
PM announces complete lockdown in India for next 21 days
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday announced a complete lockdown across the country for three weeks starting from midnight tonight to stave off the menace of novel coronavirus (COVID-19). “In the view of the current situation, the nationwide complete lockdown will be in place for 21 days,” the Prime Minister declared in his second address to the nation in a […]
Modi govt to bring back 400 Indians from Iran in 2 batches, first one will arrive today
New Delhi: The Modi government will be bringing back 400 Indian nationals from Iran via Tehran-based airline Mahan Air, ThePrint has learnt. Indians, mostly students and pilgrims, will be brought back in two batches — the first batch will arrive Tuesday and the other Saturday, 28 March. In the first batch, 278 Indian nationals will […]