Govt cautions people to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour; asks states and Union territories to notify mucormycosis under the Epidemic Diseases Act
Needy people stand in a queue to collect food distributed by volunteers in Kolkata on Thursday. Pic/PTI
Cautioning people to maintain physical distance to prevent the transmission of the Covid-19 virus, the office of the principal scientific adviser to the Government of India on Thursday said that aerosols, one of the key transmission mode of the SARS-CoV-2, can travel in the air up to 10 meters.
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“Aerosols and droplets are key transmission mode of the Covid-19 virus, and while droplets fall within 2 meters from an infected person, aerosols can be carried in the air up to 10 meters,” an advisory said.
Doctors perform a diagnostic nasal endoscopy on a patient to detect ‘black fungus’, at a hospital in Hyderabad, on Thursday. Pic/PTI
Ventilation important
Well-ventilated spaces play a crucial role in diluting the Covid-19 viral load of infected air and help in decreasing the risk of transmission from one infected person to the other, it added. “Ventilation can decrease the risk of transmission from one infected person to the other.”
With 2,76,110 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, India’s tally of Covid-19 cases climbed to 2,57,72,440 while the daily deaths were recorded below 4,000 after four days, taking the toll to 2,87,122, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday. A total of 3,874 fatalities due to Covid-19 were registered in a span of 24 hours.
The active cases have further reduced to 31,29,878, comprising 12.14 per cent of the total infections, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate has improved to 86.74 per cent, the data updated at 8 am showed.
Modify rules so more get aid: UP to EC on teachers’ death
The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday suggested the state Election Commission to modify its guidelines so that more people, including teachers and shiksha mitras, who died due to Covid-19 during the panchayat poll duty could be given compensation. The suggestion came amid the demands of compensation by teachers' unions and criticism from opposition parties over death of teachers and other staff during polls.
After black, Bihar hit by white fungus
Even as India was dealing with mucormycosis, a black fungal infection, Bihar reported cases of white fungus that is said to be more severe, according to reports on Thursday. Four cases of white fungus were found in Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) so far, its Microbiology Department’s head Dr S N Singh was quoted as saying by Zee News. White fungus damages lungs, and also affects nail, skin, stomach, kidney, brain, private parts and mouth, Dr Singh said. Earlier, the Union health ministry urged states and UTs to notify mucormycosis a disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, stating that the infection is leading to prolonged morbidity and mortality among Covid-19 patients.
‘Modi behaving like a dictator, insulting CMs’
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday complained that state chief ministers were reduced to being puppets and not allowed to speak at Prime Minister Narendra Modis meeting on the Covid-19 situation with district magistrates (DM) and officials despite being invited.
Mamata Banerjee at a press conference in Kolkata. Pic/PTI
Banerjee said she along with her counterparts from many states weren’t allowed to speak, which was akin to insulting them. The PM’s interaction was a planned event with DMs on the Covid-19 situation. But, several CMs, including those from UP, Rajasthan and Maharashtra, where these officers are posted, were also invited.
“This was a casual and super flop meeting. Only CMs of BJP-ruled states were allowed to speak and others were reduced to (being) puppets. “We feel insulted and humiliated. This is an attempt to bulldoze the federal structure of the country. PM Modi is so insecure that he did not listen to us,” she said.
BJP’s West Bengal unit president Dilip Ghosh claimed that Banerjee is blaming Modi to hide her government’s failure to deal with the Covid-19 situation in the state.
Also Read: Covid-19: Cases in Mumbai climb again, but doubling rate improves
‘Give free education to Covid orphans’
Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday urged PM Narendra Modi to provide free education in Navodaya Vidyalayas to children orphaned due to the pandemic. In her letter, she said the nation owes it to children to give them hope and provide them a robust future after their tragedy. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also tweeted later, “Children are among the worst hit by Covid trauma, many having lost their parents to the dreadful situation... It’s high time GoI listened.”
2,57,72,440
Total no. of coronavirus cases in India so far
2,87,122
Total no. of deaths due to the virus in India so far
31,29,878
Total no. of active cases in India
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