- 12 new COVID-19 cases in Kerala on Thursday: Pinarayi Vijayan
Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said that 12 new coronavirus positive cases have been confirmed in Kerala. He was speaking to the media after the coronavirus evaluation meeting here. Out of the 12 positive cases confirmed on Thursday, 4 are from Kannur, 4 are from Kasaragod, 2 are from Malappuram while one each are from Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts. While only one out of the 12 new cases had returned from abroad, 11 developed the disease through conta…
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- Govt to set up coronavirus testing labs in every district: Pinarayi Vijayan
Thiruvananthapuram: Four labs will be established in Kerala within four days to increase the testing facilities for COVID-19, said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. He was speaking to the media after the coronavirus evaluation meeting. “The testing facilities in the state need to be widened. Within four days, 4 labs will be established. The motto is to set up one lab each in every district. Also testing authority will be extended to private labs. An order in this regard will be issued soon,”…
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- Lockdown restrictions need to continue in Kozhikode: Minister T. P. Ramakrishnan
Kozhikode: Minister for Excise and Labour, T. P. Ramskriahnan on Thursday said that even if lockdown is lifted by the centre on April 14, restrictions need to continue in Kozhikode as it is one of the hotspots of coronavirus. Speaking at the COVID evaluation meeting held at Collectorate, he said that further decisions on it will be taken in the next cabinet meeting. Many people are entering the district through other rural roads after inspections started at district borders near Mahe and Wayana…
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- COVID-19: 540 new cases, 17 more deaths in India in 24 hours: Health Ministry
New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry on Thursday emphasised that people should not fall for fake news as it said 540 new cases of coronavirus infection and 17 more deaths have been reported since Wednesday and 10 teams of coronavirus specialists have been sent to nine states. At the daily media briefing, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health, also said that 473 people have recovered. With the new cases and deaths, the total number of confirmed cases in India is 5,734, while 166 succumbed to the…
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- Congress demands to disperse Administrative Reforms Commission, suggests 15 ways to cut expenses
Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress has listed out 15 ways by which the Kerala government can find additional resources to meet the expenditure on fighting COVID-19. In a letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Leader of opposition Ramesh Chennithala, here on Thursday, said the government should immediately cancel all cabinet status posts and ask advisors to work for free. He also suggested scrapping the Administrative Reforms Commission (headed by former Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan).…
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- COVID-19: Kerala govt keeps tabs on ground through zoom conferences
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala, from where the countrys first three coronavirus positive cases, all Wuhan returnees, were detected, is using technology to ensure that public healthcare system works like a well-oiled machine to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. The state government has turned its public healthcare system into a single interconnected grid to generate uninterrupted information and provide efficient services, thanks to daily video conferences of top health authorities for chalking out a dy…
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- Centre clears COVID-19 emergency package for states, UTs
New Delhi: The Central government has approved a COVID-19 emergency response and health system preparedness package in a bid to strengthen the national and state health systems. The Centrally funded project will be implemented in three phases -- from January 2020 to March 2024 -- stated an April 7 letter signed by National Health Mission Director Vandana Gurnani. The first phase will be from January 2020 to June 2020. "The project will be implemented with the objectives of emergency COVID-19 r…
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- COVID-19: Kerala all set to conduct plasma therapy
Thiruvananthapuram: With the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) now giving nod to Kerala to conduct plasma therapy, the team of medical professionals is all set to do it. Kerala is the first state in the country to have been given the nod to try this out, as a task force was already in place. Anoopkumar a member of the task force said this process is done first by conducting a blood test on a coronavirus positive patient who has turned negative. "The positive patient after turning nega…
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- Irregularity over ration supply: 2 shops including one owned by CITU leader suspended
Alappuzha: The Civil Supplies Department has temporarily suspended the approval of two ration shops in the state after finding irregularity over the distribution of free ration announced in times of COVID-19. The shops ARD 30 near Vellakinar, under the licence of Noufal, Kerala Ration Employees Union (CITU) Ambalappuzha taluk office bearer and ARD 57 under the licence of Upendran near Muppalam here were suspended. In Upendran's shop, there was a reduction of 14 quintal of rice. It is assumed t…
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- Boris Johnson making steady progress in ICU with Covid-19
London: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spent a third night in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a London hospital with coronavirus and is making steady progress, Downing Street has said. The 55-year-old was shifted to the ICU of St. Thomas Hospital in London on Monday night as his condition worsened over 10 days after he had tested positive for coronavirus and went into self-isolation. He has since received "standard oxygen treatment" but has not been diagnosed with pneumonia or required a…
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- K.M. Mani's first death anniversary a low affair
Kottayam: The first death anniversary of Kerala politician K.M. Mani, the leader of the third biggest ally of the Congress-led UDF, the Kerala Congress (Mani), was observed solemnly on Thursday on account of COVID-19 lockdown. Following police instructions prohibiting gathering of a large number of people, only very close family members of Mani, including his son and Rajya Sabha member Jose K.Mani and his mother besides a few close family members, came to the cemetery and spent a few minutes in…
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- Man takes daily bike ride evading lockdown, wife informs police
Muvattupuzha: In an interesting incident, a man was arrested for evading lockdown restrictions after his wife informed the police. The man used to take bike ride daily by evading the lockdown restrictions. To trick the police, he always carried a packet of paracetamol in his pocket. He has been taking the ride for more than 15 days through the paths where police inspections are rare. But on Wednesday, he got trapped before the police. When police asked him about the purpose of his journey, he…
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- Cricket violating lockdown: Nurse, family who informed police threatened
Uduma (Kasaragod): A nurse and her family were threatened for informing the police about a group of youngsters playing cricket violating lockdown norms here. Bekal police registered a case against seven people based on the complaint filed by Bekal Thampuranvalappu native Maneesha, a nurse at Kanhangad Mansoor Hospital. According to the police, Maneesha noticed a group of youngsters playing cricket near her house violating the lockdown. She requested them to go back as they did not maintain any…
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- COVID-19: Jail dept recommends parole for elderly prisoners
Thiruvananthapuram: In the wake of COVID-19 and to reduce the rush inside prisons, the jail department has recommended to grant parole to elderly prisoners. Male prisoners above 60 years of age and female prisoners above 50 years of age are being recommended for parole. A letter in this regard has been forwarded to Home Secretary by jail department chief. Earlier around 1400 prisoners, who were either undertrials or remand prisoners, were granted parole after coronavirus outbreak. The recomme…
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- Brazilian president thanks Modi for allowing export of raw materials to produce hydroxychloroquine
New Delhi: Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for facilitating the export of raw materials to Brazil for production of anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine, cited by many as a viable therapeutic solution to fight coronavirus infection. In an address to the nation on Wednesday, Bolsonaro said Brazil will receive ingredients from India for the production of hydroxychloroquine on Saturday. "We have more good news. As an outcome of my direct conversation w…
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- Free online medical consultation facility for expats is here; learn how
Thiruvananthapuram: More than 50 lakh Non Resident Keralites can avail the facility of a free doctor thanks to the joint initiative by Kerala Government, NORKA Roots, QuikDr and IMA. The service will be available from Thursday. One can access the service by visiting the apps or websites of NORKA Roots or QuikDr. Patients can contact the doctor sitting in their own homes after logging in using their email id and phone number. The doctor's prescription will be sent via email or by sms. This can…
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- Protest after police beats harvesting machine operators from TN in Thrissur
Thrissur: Police reportedly beat up paddy harvesting machine operators from Tamil Nadu who were on their way to a field here in the district. The three operators were going to the field on their motorbikes when the incident happened on Wednesday. They were harvesting machine operators who came from Tamil Nadu based on the instruction from the government to proceed with the paddy harvesting activities in Thrissur. The trio left Salem in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday. The workers have been protesting…
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- Newborn baby found abandoned in front of house in Kollam
Kollam: A five-day-oldbaby was found abandoned in front of a house near Snehatheeram charitable society at Vilakkudi here. The incident took place on Wednesday at around 1 am midnight. The baby was covered in a cloth and was abandoned in front of a house near Snehatheeram. The family residing in the house came out after hearing the babys cries. Following this, the family informed the nun who is the director of Snehatheeram. The Sister informed the police about the incident. Kunnikkode police a…
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- Study begins in Pathanamthitta on people testing positive for COVID-19 without symptoms
Pathanamthitta: An expert team of doctors have begun a study regarding some COVID-19 patients here displaying no symptoms at all. The team will also take into account some of the similar cases outside the district. Doctors Rasmi M S, Naveen, Gethu Mathew and Parvathy along with two PG students of Pushpagiri College are included in the team. In Pathanamthitta, the other day, three cases were reported where patients exhibited no COVID-19 symptoms. Following this, the health department decided to…
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- Trucks from Tamil Nadu carrying fruits, vegetables under scanner
Thrissur: In the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, lorries carrying fruits and vegetables from Tamil Nadu are under strict observation. Tamil Nadu is one of the state that has seen large number of coronavirus cases. The trucks arriving at Sakthan market from TN, are thoroughly monitored. Thrissur Corporation has decided to stop permitting lorries to enter the market. Instead, drivers and cleaners can enter market only after they have disinfected themselves. Facilities for this have been arranged by th…
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