Narendra Modi has announced a 21-day lockdown starting from midnight tonight as a major step in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the “containment” period of 21 days from March 25, 2020, the following services
Will remain open:
Shops, including ration shops, dealing with food, groceries, fruits and vegetables, dairy and milk booths, meat and fish, animal fodder. District authorities to encourage home delivery to minimise individual movement.
Banks, insurance offices and ATMs
Print and electronic media
Telecommunication services (internet, cable, IT/IT enabled services for essentials)
Delivery of food, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment through e-commerce
Petrol pumps, LPG, petroleum and gas retail and storate outlets
Power and electricity services
Capital and debt markets notified by SEBI
Cold storage and warehousing
Private security services
Also open are offices of GOI such as Defence, police forces, treasury, public uitilies, disaster management, power generation and transmission, post offices, NIC, early warning agencies; State govt. institutions such as police, home guards, fire services, disaster management and prisons, district administration and treasury, electricity, water sanitation, municipal bodies. Hospitals and all medical establishments will be open. Transportation only of essential services will be permitted.
Manufacturing/production units of essential commodities, hotels/Lodges etc which accommodate tourists and persons stranded due to lockdown, emergency staff, air and sea crew will also remain open
What will be closed:
GOI & State offices, commercial, private establishments, transport services (exceptions above) will remain closed.
Educational institutions, places of worship, functions and gatherings will be closed/barred without exception.
Funerals – not more than 20 people will be permitted
People violating containment measures will be liable to be proceeded against provisions of Disaster Management Act, besides legal action under Sect. 88 of the IPC
A Chinese man died due to ‘hantavirus’, Chinese state-media reported, spreading panic at a time when the world is fighting the novel coronavirus pandemic. However, hantanvirus is not a new virus and has been infecting humans for decades.
HIGHLIGHTS
A Chinese man died due to ‘hantavirus’, Chinese state-media reported
Hantanvirus is not a new virus and has been infecting humans for decades
This morning, hantavirus became one of the top trends on Twitter
Reports of a person in China dying due to a virus called hantavirus have spread panic at a time when the world is battling the pandemic of novel coronavirus, which began in China. The novel coronavirus has killed over 16,000 people around the world and the outbreak is yet to be brought under control.
This morning, hantavirus became one of the top trends on Twitter after the Chinese state media tweeted about one person in the country dying due the virus. However, it turns out, hantavirus is not a new virus and has been infecting humans for decades.
Global Times, a state-run English-language newspaper, wrote on Twitter on Tuesday, “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.”
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. pic.twitter.com/SXzBpWmHvW
Global Times’s hantavirus report on Twitter has been shared over 6,000 times.
On Tuesday, hantavirus was one of the top trends on Twitter.
WHAT IS HANTAVIRUS?
Some people are calling it a new virus but so is not the case. United States’s National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) in a journal writes that currently, the hantavirus genus includes more than 21 species.
In 1978, a causative agent Korean Hemerologic fever was isolated from small infected field rodent near Hantan river in South Korea.
The virus was named as Hantaan virus, after the name of the river Hantan. This initial discovery dates back to scientific approaches that were initiated after the Korean war (1951-1953), during which more than 3,000 cases of Korean hemorrhagic fever were reported among United Nations (UN) troops.
In 1981, a new genus termed as “hantavirus” was introduced in the Bunyaviridae family, which included the viruses that cause hemoroligic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS).
CDC ON HANTAVIRUS
The United State’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on its website, writes that hantaviruses are a family of viruses spread mainly by rodents and can cause varied disease syndromes in people across the world.
“Hantaviruses in the Americas are known as ‘New World’ hantaviruses and may cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome [HPS],” CDC says. “Other hantaviruses, known as ‘Old World’ hantaviruses, are found mostly in Europe and Asia and may cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome [HFRS].”
Any man, woman, or child who is around mice or rats that carry harmful hantaviruses can get HPS.
People get HPS when they breath in hantaviruses. This can happen when rodent urine and droppings that contain a hantavirus are stirred up into the air. People can also become infected when they touch mouse or rat urine, droppings, or nesting materials that contain the virus and then touch their eyes, nose, or mouth. They can also get HPS from a mouse or rat bite.
In the US, 10 confirmed cases of hantavirus infection in people who visited Yosemite National Park in California, US, in November, 2012, were reported. Similarly, in 2017, CDC assisted health officials in investigating an outbreak of Seoul virus infection that infected 17 people in seven states.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF HANTAVIRUS?
If people get HPS, they will feel sick one to five weeks after they were around mice or rats that carried a hantavirus.
At first people with HPS will have:
Fever Severe muscle aches Fatigue
After a few days they will have a hard time breathing. Sometimes people will have headaches, dizziness, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain.
Usually, people do not have a runny nose, sore throat, or a rash.
As India tackles the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced various measures taken by the country and about the vital aspects of the disease.
“My dear countrymen, I once again have come among you to speak about Coronavirus.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins his speech “The resolution that we made on March 22, of a Janata Curfew, all carried it out with the greatest sincerity and came together.”
Mr. Modi says “With one day’s Janata Curfew the country demonstrated that when there is a crisis before the country or humanity, we stand united.
“You are watching what the global situation is with regard to Coronavirus.
‘Most countries are helpless’
“Even the most prosperous of countries have been made helpless by this pandemic.”
The Prime Minister says “It’s not like they don’t have resources or they are not trying, but the virus is such that these efforts are not enough.”
“The experience of these countries in the last two months, and what the experts are also saying is that there is only one way to effectively combat it is social distancing.”
He says “To stop Coronavirus, we must break the cycle of its spread.
“Some people are under the erroneous assumption that social distancing is only for those who are infected, but that is not true. It’s for everyone even for the PM.”
“The irresponsibilty of some people will imperil your life, the life of your children. If this continues then you and India may have to pay a huge price.
21-day lockdown
Mr. Modi says “In the last two days several states have gone under lockdown. Tonight from 12pm, the whole country will come under complete lockdown.”
The Prime Minister says “This is being done to save every citizen of the country.”
Mr. Modi “In every state, every union territory, every district, kasbah is being lockeddown. This is a curfew, stricter than Janata curfew.”
Mr. Modi says “No doubt we will have to pay a cost for this, but to save the life of every Indian is the priority for me, government of India, state governments, local government.”
“As of now the lockdown will be for three weeks, 21 days.”
“I ask that you please stay where you are. The coming 21 days are very important to break the coronavirus infection cycle. If we are not sincere in the curfew for 21 days then the country will fall back 21 years. For 21 days forget about venturing out. Stay home. Just do that one thing.”
Mr. Modi says “Draw a Laxman Rekha outside your door and remember that even step outside of it will bring Coronavirus into your house. Corona yaani koi road par na nikley”.
Mr. Modi says “Experts also say that if today anyone acquired the virus, symptoms arise several days later. Within that time he/she can infect others.”
“WHO says that one infected person can spread it to several people within a week. It’s a fast spreading infection. It took 67 days for the first 100,000 cases. The next 100,000 came up within only 11 days.
“What is most scary that it reached 300,000 within 4 days. You can see how fast it can spread and once it does it’s difficult to stop it.
“In Countries like China, US, Italy, Iran once things went out of hand it’s been difficult to get back control it. Italy and US and UK are considered countries with good health infrastructure and still they are struggling.
Mr. Modi says “The ray of hope has come from the experience from countries where some control has been found over the infection. These are countries that enforced social distance rigorously.
‘Social distancing must’
The Prime Minister says “No matter what we should stay at home. Social distance applies from Prime Minister to every citizen.
“State and Centre are both making efforts to make sure that we tackle this challenge. For sure this challenge will be particularly hard for the poor. Alongside Govt, civil society outfits should help mitigate some of their hardship. We have to prioritise what is required for saving life. The govt has taken advise from WHO, scientists and health experts.”
Mr. Modi says “Government has allotted Rs. 15,000 crores to strengthen health infra to combat coronavirus. This will be spent on testing centres, PPE, ventilators and other equipment. Private sector and private labs have also joined the fight.”
Mr. Modi says “Friends do remember that at such times rumours also abound. Please try and avoid being swayed by rumours.”
The Prime Minister says “I pray that you do not take any medicine without consultation with a doctor.”
Mr. Modi finally asserts “21 days of lockdown is a long time but for the safety of your family this is the only way that we have. I am confident that every Indian will not only combat this difficult situation but will emerge victorious. “
Vakis Demetriou posted a video to his Instagram account last week showing him using a remote controlled drone to walk his dog Oliver while he watches from his “locked down” balcony.
NASA’s Curiosity Rover takes a 360 degree selfie on Mars mountain New Delhi : NASA‘s Curiosity rover took a stunning selfie on a Mars mountain which happens to be the steepest climb the robot has taken till date. It captured the scene just below ‘Greenheugh pediment which is a broad sheet of rock that sits atop a hill. In front of the rover is a hole it drilled while sampling a bedrock target called “Hutton.” The selfie has been clicked in a way that it brings a 360-degree panaromic view of the site, NASA said in a statement on Saturday.
During uphill struggles, think of the view from the top.
I completed my steepest climb yet in “Greenheugh Pediment.” It took three drives, and was worth it. Before I scaled the hill, I took this self-portrait. Here's why you don't see my arm in the shot: https://t.co/tpjkGQjQLapic.twitter.com/oTMkA6H7KR
