How Sushant Singh Rajput brought to life Dhoni’s persona and calm on screen in MS Dhoni: The Untold Story

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How Sushant Singh Rajput brought to life Dhoni’s persona and calm on screen in MS Dhoni: The Untold Story

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How Sushant Singh Rajput brought to life Dhoni’s persona and calm on screen in MS Dhoni: The Untold Story

Indian cricketer MS Dhoni is celebrating his 39th birthday today on July 7. And on this day it becomes equally important to remember late actor Sushant Singh Rajput who played a crucial role in bringing the life struggles of the cricketer in front of everyone. He was the one who played the lead role in the biopic MS Dhoni: The Untold Story and bought life into the cricketer’s persona on screen through his spectacular performance. There were many who were left spellbound and were confused whether they watched Sushant or Dhoni on screen. This shows how genuine Sushant was as an actor. It took Sushant a lot of practice to mold himself into Dhoni. From his walk to his game, gestures to the way of talking, he observed everything and depicted that in the biopic. During the course of their meetings, he became good friends with the cricketer. Sushant’s hard work made the film a box office hit and it became one of his best performances.

Everyone knows that Dhoni has a different style in cricket. When the film was set, the task of teaching Sushant the nuances of cricket was given to cricketer Kiran More. Sushant had worked hard to learn Dhoni’s helicopter shot and his training lasted for about 9 months. Talking about the actor’s perseverance, Arun Pandey, the producer told a portal, “Sushant used to practice under the watchful eyes of former cricketer Kiran More who taught him how to keep wickets, which was very essential to play the role of Mahi. I still remember that Sushant had a bad side strain during practice and even there was a crack in his backbone. But he was confident, worked hard in rehabilitation, and recovered within a week. Even Mahi was impressed to see his dedication to work.”

If the news is to be believed then Dhoni’s biopic was all set for a sequel and the cricketer wanted Sushant to play his role. Sushant’s love for cricket began in childhood and he even wanted to become a cricketer. But his luck brought him to Bollywood where he tried to fulfill his heart’s desire. Even in his debut film ‘Kai Po Che,’ he played the role of a cricket coach, and his character was liked by everyone.  MS Dhoni: The Untold Story also featured Disha Patani and Kiara Advani who played crucial roles. Not only them, but veteran actor Anupam Kher was seen playing the role of his father, while Bhumika Chawla, played his ever-supportive sister.

Sushant’s death left a void in the hearts of many. One amongst those was MS Dhoni, who as per CSK captain’s business manager was very morose after the tragic incident. The actor was found hanging at his Bandra residence in Mumbai on June 14. Ever since the investigation on his death has been going on and over 27 people have been interrogated latest being filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who was spotted outside Bandra Police Station on July 6 and was questioned for over 3 hours.

As Dhoni celebrates his birthday today, many took to social media to express their love for both the cricketer and the late actor. One such fan shared a video of a painting in which Dhoni can be seen wearing a yellow jersey while looking up in the sky where Sushant is seen in the clouds wearing the No.7 Indian cricket team jersey. The description on the video read, “The picture read, “Goddd…I’m taking GRS. I hope it’s a no-ball. He is…not out and he still needs to play. SSR you are a king man.”

Watch MS Dhoni: The Untold Story trailer here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

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SC grants bail to Unitech promoter Sanjay Chandra

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SC grants bail to Unitech promoter Sanjay Chandra

By: Express Web Desk | New Delhi |

Published: July 7, 2020 1:30:12 pm





Sanjay Chandra (in pic) and his younger brother Ajay were arrested by the Delhi Police on March 31, 2017, for allegedly duping home buyers through two housing projects in Gurugram.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted bail to Unitech promoter Sanjay Chandra to visit his parents who are hospitalised. The real estate firm promoter has been languishing in New Delhi’s Tihar Jail for about three years in connection with a money laundering case.

Sanjay Chandra and his younger brother Ajay were arrested by the Delhi Police on March 31, 2017, for allegedly duping home buyers through two housing projects in Gurugram. Over 150 home buyers had lodged a criminal case against the firm in 2015 for its real estate projects — ’Wild Flower Country’ and ‘Anthea Project’, alleging that the builders had not delivered possession and cheated the public at large.

The top court had directed Chandra to deposit Rs 1,000 crore in court for refunding home buyers who had invested in projects undertaken by the group. Chandra had expressed his inability to pay the desired amount, stating he could not sell his assets while in jail.

In 2017, the Centre had moved a plea before the National Company Law Tribunal, in which it had sought suspension of the incumbent directors of the real estate firm. In January this year, the apex court granted the Centre to form a new board at the company in order to sell the assets of the company.

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Locally built ventilators ready in two weeks as Covid cases rise – The Mail & Guardian

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Locally built ventilators ready in two weeks as Covid cases rise – The Mail & Guardian

In two weeks’ time the National Ventilator Project will distribute the first batch of non-invasive ventilators to hospitals in the country. This much cheaper technology is built locally, stimulating the local economy and creating jobs. 

Professor Justin Jonas, the chief technologist at the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (Sarao), said the first 1 000 of 20 000 machines will be rolled out on July 16.

This comes in time for the rapid rise in Covid-19 cases — on Monday there were more than 200 000. Over 10 800 cases were confirmed in one day this past week, the highest daily increase. It surpassed that of Mexico, Russia and Argentina. Those countries with a greater daily increase were the United States, Brazil and India, which have higher population sizes than South Africa.

The number of deaths also escalated, with Sunday marking the deadliest day when 175 were lives lost. More than 3 300 people in South Africa have died so far.

Jonas said: “We have been watching the [Covid19] models and it looks like that we are on track to meet the expected demand that will be coming in the next month or two. We planned our production numbers according to the epidemic models and our production timescales are almost on track. We are hoping that we are in time.” 

He said that a few months ago, there were two ways of getting oxygen. “You would either be put onto a low flow, oxygen cannula, which is a low dose of oxygen, but you’re lying there and you’re awake and you know you’re all okay. And then there is the other extreme, which was full ventilation. Those are the million rand devices, which need to be operated by a specialist, and, in most cases, if you’re having invasive ventilation, you need to be sedated.” 

Based on the experience in the United Kingdom, Italy and other places where Covid-19 has hit hard, “we have realised that, actually, what’s needed is an intermediate therapy; the so-called non-invasive ventilation”, Jonas said.

Two types of non-invasive ventilators being manufactured locally are the Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) and High-Flow Nasal Oxygen (HFNO) devices.

The CPAP has a mask or hood and a patient is provided with a small “overpressure” of air to ensure that air sacs in the lungs remain inflated and oxygen is transferred efficiently to the blood. The hood or mask prevents the virus-laden air exhaled by the patient from infecting hospital staff and other patients. The HFNO provides the required slight overpressure and raised oxygen concentration, and the air is supplied to the patient through a high-flow cannula inserted in the nostrils. The use of the non-invasive ventilators are being ramped up to be the first port of call when Covid-19 patients are battling to breathe.

Jonas said these machines, at R10 000 a unit, are much cheaper than the current ventilators and because the machines are being manufactured locally, hundreds of jobs will be created. 

With the production line now in full gear after the Solidarity Fund confirmed about R150-million for the manufacturing of the non-invasive ventilators, 1 000 units will be produced every week.

Out of the 95 companies that responded to the call for requests for information, Sarao chose six that provided prototypes. The companies are not ventilator manufacturers and range from car and diving manufacturers to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. 

Once the rollout begins in less than two weeks, Jonas said that the department of health’s hospital readiness team will identify the hospitals where these devices will be sent, based on where there is a need, the hotspots and in the provinces hardest hit by the virus. 

But ensuring that the life-saving machines are ready for the peak in cases has not been a simple process. The experience of Sarao, which is best known for its world-renowned work in developing complex systems for the MeerKAT radio telescope — a precursor to the Square Kilometre Array — has been vital.

Jonas said the key to running such a technical procurement process for a project such as the National Ventilator Project was in blocking out the noise that comes with thousands of different opinions published every day. 

“Just about every university had ideas about how to build ventilators. Something which was quite common to both the radio astronomy and the ventilator side is having the ability to get rid of noise in the system. 

“So when we started building Meerkat, there were a lot of opinions. Everybody in the world had their opinion about what we needed to do and a very important reason for our success with Meerkat is that we sifted through those opinions to find the ones that were appropriate. It turns out it was the same thing in the ventilator project with the advent of Covid.”



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Can I enrol with #EVUS from the airport?

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Can I enrol with #EVUS from the airport?

If you’re a Chinese national with a 10-year B1/B2 visa for the US, you’ll need to register with EVUS before travelling. With so much to think about when planning a trip, it can be easy to forget that DS-160 form is just the first step to getting access to the US. You’ll then need to schedule an interview at your nearest US embassy or consulate before being granted your B1/B2 US visa.

Even now that you have a valid visa there is still one essential stage left in the process, registering with EVUS.

The Electronic Visa Update System checks Chinese passport holders’ right to travel before they board a plane bound for the US. If you fail to register with EVUS you won’t be able to enter the States.

How long does it take to register with EVUS?

The EVUS registration form can be completed in just a few minutes provided you have your passport and visa to hand. You need to provide some personal information, passport details, and US visa information including the type of visa and visa number.

Whilst most requests receive an immediate response, some may take up to 72 hours to process. This means that, although it is possible to register with EVUS from the airport, you are not guaranteed to be granted permission to enter the US in time for your flight. If you arrive at your port or airport without having enrolled with EVUS you won’t be able to cross the border.

For this reason, travellers are strongly advised to apply in advance, at least 24 hours, and preferably 3 days before departure. Although you can complete the process from a smartphone at the airport, this should only be a last resort if you forget to do so beforehand.

Can an EVUS application be denied?

Another reason why it’s not advisable to leave it until the last minute is that the EVUS enrolment could be unsuccessful.

Although this is not likely to happen, administrative errors or failure to provide the correct details do occasionally prevent the EVUS from being registered correctly. Should this occur, it’s best to wait 24 hours before reapplying.

If you’re already at the airport with a flight to catch, you’ll have to try again straight away and may get the same result, you cannot enter the US until the EVUS enrolment has been successfully completed.

I’ve enrolled with EVUS before, do I need to register again?

Another reason why some people get to the airport without having enrolled with EVUS is due to the fact that they’ve registered for a previous trip and therefore believe they don’t need to do so again.

This may be the case, but only if you have enrolled within the last 2 years. An EVUS registration is valid for 24 months, if it’s longer than that since you last visited the United States, it’s essential that you reapply.

In addition, the visa and passport you’re travelling with must be those you used to enrol with EVUS previously. Even if it’s less than 2 years since you last registered, if either the visa or passport has expired during this time you’ll need to sign up for EVUS again.

How can I check the status of my EVUS?

Not sure whether your EVUS registration remains valid? Don’t risk leaving it until you get to the airport to find out. You can check the status of your EVUS online using the EVUS enrolment number you were issued with when you signed up.

If your EVUS is no longer valid, it’s a good idea to enrol again straight away to avoid any disruptions to your travel plans.

Can I register with EVUS from a mobile phone or tablet?

If you have forgotten to complete the EVUS enrolment in advance you’ll have to apply from the airport. Fortunately, the EVUS platform is mobile-friendly and can be used on a smartphone or other mobile device such as a tablet.

You’ll need to be connected to the internet, if using WiFi be sure to use a trustworthy network only.

The process is the same as when registering from a laptop or PC, you’ll need your passport and visa details to hand to complete the registration form.

If you’re applying in a hurry from a handheld device, take extra care when filling in the details. You’ll have to complete the EVUS enrolment process again should you make any mistakes at this point.

Do children need EVUS to travel to the US?

All passport holders from The People’s Republic of China traveling to the US with a 10-year B1/B2 visa need to enrol with EVUS. There are no age exceptions, children also need to be registered.

So if you’re travelling with kids, don’t forget that you’ll need to register on their behalf. Many people arrive at the airport without having completed the EVUS process for their little ones, thinking it’s only required by those of legal age when in fact every member of the family needs to be registered.

If this does happen, parents and guardians can enrol their children from the airport, in most cases a response will be received in a few minutes. When possible, however, apply for EVUS for your children at least 72 hours in advance.

It can be easy to forget that the DS-160 form is just the first step.

 

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Doctor’s Note: How COVID-19 is increasing antibiotic resistance

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Doctor’s Note: How COVID-19 is increasing antibiotic resistance

Doctors and scientists have long spoken about the world sleepwalking towards an “antimicrobial apocalypse” – where antibiotics used to treat some of our most common and serious infections are rendered useless as bacteria grow resistant to them. These experts have said urgent action is needed if we want to continue to be able to treat bacterial infections effectively in the future.

Antibiotics are one of our most useful medications. There are many different types and they work in a variety of ways, but essentially they all have the same goal: to stop bacteria that cause infections from multiplying and spreading. They are used to treat simple chest and throat infections but also in hospitals to treat more serious infections such as meningitis and sepsis.

Without antibiotics, infections can run rife inside the human body causing widespread damage and even death. Without them, the infections we normally treat quite effectively will begin to increase and we will be left with no medicine with which to fight them.

Antimicrobial resistance

In recent months, the coronavirus pandemic is thought to have accelerated the threat of global antimicrobial resistance as many patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 receive antibiotics to keep secondary bacterial infections, such as bacterial pneumonia, in check.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in March that a “worrying number” of bacterial infections were becoming increasingly resistant to the antibiotics normally used to treat them.

Senior scientific adviser to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Dawn Sievert has also said, “Since the emergence of COVID-19, collected data have shown an increase in antibiotic use, even though most of the initial illnesses being treated have been from COVID-19 viral infection.”

It is not only those who are admitted to hospital who are receiving antibiotics; people with mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms such as cough and fever are also being given prophylactic antibiotics in case they develop bacterial infections. This is not useful, as COVID-19 is a viral infection and antibiotics are ineffective against viruses. But some doctors who may be concerned about a risk of a secondary bacterial infection are prescribing them. 

Infections are caused by many different types of bugs: bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi, to name a few. But antibiotics do not work on viruses, parasites or fungi as they have a different cell makeup and way of dividing.

The common cold, most sore throats and sore ears are caused by viral infections. More serious viral infections such as HIV and viral hepatitis may be treated with specific anti-viral drugs, but not antibiotics. Infections such as malaria are caused by a parasite and need to be treated with special drugs that are not antibiotics. And common fungal infections including thrush are usually treated with antifungals.

How do bacteria become resistant to antibiotics?

Antibiotics are only effective in treating bacterial infections. 

There are several different groups of antibiotics that target different groups of bacteria. A clinician should only prescribe antibiotics for a patient when a bacterial infection is suspected and when it is likely that antibiotics are the most effective way to treat the infection.

Antibiotics work in a variety of ways to either kill bacteria or stop them from multiplying.

Bacteria can multiply at such a rate that they can double their numbers every 20 minutes in ideal conditions. This is how infections take hold and spread. This rapid rate of multiplication leads to large numbers of random mutations taking place within the bacterial population. Most mutations are harmful to the bacteria and do not benefit it in any way.

However, as more and more people use antibiotics to treat infections, a mutation will randomly take place every now and again that is advantageous to the bacteria and makes it resistant to the effect of the antibiotic.

This means those bacteria without the mutation are susceptible to the medicine and are killed, but those with the new mutation can continue to reproduce and create a whole new colony of bacteria that are now resistant to that antibiotic.

The more antibiotics we use, the more we push bacteria in the direction of new mutations – and increase resistance. If we were to use fewer antibiotics, these mutations would likely happen less frequently and would not be so advantageous to the bacteria.

How might the pandemic cause an increase in antimicrobial resistance?

Although COVID-19 is caused by a virus, patients with severe symptoms can develop complications as their lungs weaken and fluid starts to build. This fluid attracts bacteria and they can cause pneumonia.

Patients are given antibiotics either before this happens to prevent pneumonia or to treat the infection once it has set in. But studies have shown that antibiotics have also been used to treat mild symptoms, when there was a low risk of developing pneumonia. This number was particularly high for those patients being treated in Wuhan, China.

Scientists have also warned that clinicians face a level of uncertainty when patients present with COVID-19 symptoms including a fever and cough that means some clinicians will use their “standard reflex” and prescribe antibiotics in the first instance. 

This, combined with the lack of an effective treatment for the coronavirus and high mortality rate, means there has been an increase in antibiotic prescribing.

Another risk of antibiotic misuse comes from premature misinformation about therapies for COVID-19.

Some media reports and political leaders talked extensively about the possible use of the antibiotic azithromycin in combination with the drug hydroxychloroquine, despite the lack of clinical evidence for their effectiveness.

While antibiotics may play a role in the treatment of those who have severe symptoms of COVID-19 and require hospitalisation, scientists warn that there will be a time after the COVID-19 outbreak where we will go back to fighting infections we have always been battling against and antibiotics will have a crucial role in this.

We must not lose sight of long-term problems that may be exacerbated by this global pandemic. Worldwide antibiotic resistance may well be one of those problems.

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Commission approves a Cypriot scheme to support newspapers affected by #Coronavirus outbreak

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Commission approves a Cypriot scheme to support newspapers affected by #Coronavirus outbreak

The European Commission has approved a €106,000 Cypriot scheme to support newspaper companies in the context of the coronavirus outbreak. The scheme was approved under the state aid Temporary Framework. The public support will take the form of direct grants to newspaper publishers that have experienced a loss of their turnover due to the coronavirus outbreak. The scheme aims to ensure that the disruptions caused by the outbreak do not undermine the viability of the publishers and thereby preserve the continuity of economic activity. The Commission found that the scheme is in line with the conditions set out in the Temporary Framework. In particular, the amount of aid granted will not exceed €800,000 per company.

The Commission concluded that the measure is necessary, appropriate and proportionate to remedy a serious disturbance in the economy of a member state, in line with Article 107(3)(b) TFEU and the conditions set out in the Temporary Framework. On this basis, the Commission approved the measure under EU state aid rules. More information on the Temporary Framework and other actions taken by the Commission to address the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic can be found here.

The non-confidential version of the decision will be made available under the case number SA.57762 in the state aid register on the Commission’s competition website once any confidentiality issues have been resolved.

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Chris Cuomo Debunks Pence’s Claim Of ‘Whole Of Government Approach’ To Coronavirus

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Chris Cuomo Debunks Pence’s Claim Of ‘Whole Of Government Approach’ To Coronavirus

Pence, who leads the White House coronavirus task force, has said on multiple occasions that a “whole of government approach” is being used to tackle the public health crisis.

Cuomo explained why that simply isn’t true.

“That would mean HHS handing down national guidelines for both diagnostic and antibody testing,” said the news anchor. “It would mean a strategy for how to monitor hot spots and defining national reporting standards.”

“While we’re at it, it would mean the VA secretary showing up to answer how the hell he’s taking care of the people that we promised to do the best by,” Cuomo continued. “A labor secretary insisting on protections for workers, who have to be in dangerous places like meat processing plants. The HUD secretary defending fair housing rules at a time that so many are hurting.”

“In other words, it means do your damn job,” Cuomo concluded. “I know he doesn’t like the reality. What is your reality? Why are you there? And if you’re not going to help people, get the hell out and let somebody else do it. There are plenty who want to do the right thing in this country.”

Check out Cuomo’s full monologue here:

A HuffPost Guide To Coronavirus



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Andaman Police to Summon American Nationals To Join Probe in John Allen Chau Death Case

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Andaman Police to Summon American Nationals To Join Probe in John Allen Chau Death Case

Andaman island
Image for representation.

Investigation in the case revealed that both Parks and Christian are members of the All Nations Church.

The Andaman and Nicobar Police would soon issue a summon letter via the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to examine Colorado-based Bobbie Par and Tennessee-based Christian in connection with American tourist John Allen Chau murder case. Chau was killed by the Sentinelese tribe in the Archipelago in November 2018.

Investigation in the case revealed that both Parks and Christian are members of the All Nations Church. “We will soon send a summon letter to Bobbie Parks and Christian to join us in the ongoing probe in American tourist John Allen Chau death case,” said Director General of Police, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dependra Pathak.

“I have asked a concerned officer to prepare a letter to call them for examinations under the provision of the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT). The letter will be routed through MEA. Their statements are very important in this case because as per the circumstantial evidence it seems that John Allen Chau was reluctant to visit the Sentinel Island and he was brainwashed to go there,” Pathak said.

Parks and Christian left Port Blair on November 10, 2018, before having a couple of meetings with John Allen Chau. After a few days, John went to the Sentinel Island and there he was murdered. It seems that John Allen Chau was brainwashed as he was reluctant to visit the Island, Pathak added.

In the context of COVID-19 norms, while summoning the two American Nationals, Pathak said, “yes, we are aware of that and there are many ways to examine a person under MLAT. Their examination is very crucial in this case and we hope that they will cooperate with us in our probe.”

The Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) is an agreement between two or more countries for the purpose of gathering and exchanging information in an effort to enforce public or criminal laws.

It was learnt that the local fishermen and his friends who accompanied John to somewhere near the Island told sleuths that he was confused and indecisive about visiting the island.

The investigator suspects that John was persuaded in between December 5 to 10, 2018 to visit the Sentinel Island.

According to the police, John was supposed to have left for the North Sentinel island but had to postpone the plan to November 15, 2018, due to bad weather.

The access to North Sentinel Island and its buffer zone is strictly prohibited under the Protection of Aboriginal Tribe (Regulation), 1956 and Regulations under Indian Forest Act, 1927.

The case of John’s murder had sent ripples across the country and the international community given that no one before had attempted to contact the world’s last pre-Neolithic tribe – Sentinelese. The case had also raised several questions of marine security.

On November 17, 2018, around 6.30 AM, John’s fishermen friends saw John’s body being dragged and getting buried by the unknown persons near the shore.


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Delhi’s Coronavirus Tally Crosses 1 Lakh-mark, Daily Case Count Sees Sharp Drop after 19 Days

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Delhi’s Coronavirus Tally Crosses 1 Lakh-mark, Daily Case Count Sees Sharp Drop after 19 Days

With its infection tally crossing the 1,00,000-mark on Monday, Delhi became the first city in the country to surpass the grim milestone, even as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said a drop in the number of daily cases and declining positivity rate indicated an improvement in the situation.

According to a bulletin issued by the Health Department, 1,359 fresh cases were reported on Monday, in a record drop after 19 days.

On June 16, Delhi recorded 1,859 coronavirus cases. However, since then it saw a sharp rise in the number of cases with the daily figures oscillating in the range of 2,000-3,000. On June 23, the national capital had reported its highest single-day spike of 3,947 cases.

The total number of coronavirus cases stand at 1,00,823. With 48 fresh fatalities, the death toll has climbed to 3,115.

After Delhi, Mumbai has the highest number of coronavirus cases. The total number of cases in Mumbai stood at 85,724 while the death toll was 4,938. Chennai, a distant third, has 70,017 cases and 1,082 deaths.

Overall, Maharashtra has recorded 2,11,987 cases and 9,026 deaths, followed by Tamil Nadu, which has 1,14,978 with 1,571 fatalities. This is followed by Delhi with 1,00,823 cases.

Addressing an online briefing earlier in the day, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the coronavirus recovery rate in Delhi has gone up to 72 per cent, and more and more people are recovering from COVID-19 on a daily basis.

There has been a considerable dip in the positivity ratio and the death rate in Delhi, he said.

“In the last three months, the total number of corona patients in Delhi has reached approximately 1 lakh. But there is no need to worry or panic because out of these one lakh people, 72,000 cases have recovered. The recovery rate in Delhi has gone up to 72 per cent, which is a huge figure,” Kejriwal said.

He added that there has been a considerable improvement in the coronavirus situation in Delhi. “In the month of June, around 35 out of 100 people were found to be positive when tests were conducted. Now, only 11 out of 100 people are found to be positive. There has been an improvement in the positivity ratio in Delhi,” he added.

There are a total of 15,000 beds for coronavirus patients, out of which only 5,100 beds are occupied, which means that there are only 5,100 patients in all the hospitals in Delhi, he pointed out.

Last week, there were 6,200 coronavirus patients admitted to the hospitals in Delhi. “The number of patients admitted to the hospitals has gone down and patients are recovering and returning to their homes. They are not facing any hassles in either testing or beds. They can check the availability of beds in the hospitals on the DelhiCorona App,” he added.

The Union Health Ministry said the average number of samples being tested per day for COVID-19 has gone up in Delhi from 5,481 to 18,766 in about a month and in spite of increased testing, the positivity rate has declined from around 30 per cent to 10 per cent in the last three weeks.

The government also said that the national positivity rate, percentage of samples testing coronavirus positive from the total number of samples, has also reduced and now stands at 6.73 per cent.

In Delhi, efforts being made by the Union Territory were significantly bolstered by the central government to ensure an increase in testing, the ministry said.

Tests were ramped up through increased RT-PCR testing along with the new Rapid Antigen Point-of-Care (POC) tests which gives results in only about 30 minutes, the Centre said.

“As a result of concerted and focused efforts by the government of India to augment efforts, the average number of samples being tested per day which was only 5,481 (June 1-5) has witnessed a huge increase to reach an average of 18,766 samples per day between July 1 to 5,” it said.

Meanwhile, Kejriwal appealed to hospitals to counsel their COVID-19 patients to donate plasma after 14 days of recovery from the disease, noting that the number of donors is yet to pick pace.

Kejriwal said that there has been a major spike in demand for plasma over the past 4-5 days, after the opening of the country’s first plasma bank in Delhi.

“The number of plasma donors is less, while the number of people demanding plasma is huge. If it continues, the stock of plasma at the plasma bank will finish soon… I request recovered coronavirus patients to come forward and donate their plasma in large numbers,” he said.

Last week, the government had set up the plasma bank at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS).

Kejriwal said authorised helpline numbers of all COVID hospitals in the city are being reflected in the ‘Delhi Corona’ mobile application after the city government received many complaints from citizens that the helpline numbers of these medical facilities remained unreachable most of the time.

“All these hospitals have come out with 24X7 available authorised helpline numbers and the numbers are available in the Delhi Corona app which was developed and launched by the Delhi government to provide COVID-19 pandemic related information,” the statement said.


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Commission approves €6.3 million Cypriot incentive scheme towards airlines affected by #Coronavirus outbreak

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Commission approves €6.3 million Cypriot incentive scheme towards airlines affected by #Coronavirus outbreak

The European Commission has approved a €6.3 million Cypriot incentive scheme towards airlines affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The scheme was approved under the state aid Temporary Framework. Under the scheme, the support will take the form of direct grants of up to €800,000 per company and will be accessible in a transparent manner to all interested airlines operating routes to and from Cyprus.

The level of remuneration will depend on the aircraft’s load factor (that is, the number of passengers on board divided by the capacity of the aircraft in passenger numbers), starting from a load factor of 41% and up to a 70%, and it will be paid per each transported passenger. The aim of the scheme is to incentivize airlines in order to re-establish air routes from/to Cyprus and thus enable the recovery of air connectivity and tourism and broadly support the general economy and development of the island by providing support to airlines in a comprehensive and non-discriminatory manner.

It is designed to support the air transport and tourism, sectors that have been particularly affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The measure is expected to benefit approximately 60 airlines from inside and outside the European Economic Area (EEA). The Commission found that the Cypriot scheme is in line with the conditions set out in the Temporary Framework. In particular, the aid will be granted before 31 December 2020 and will not exceed €800,000 per company.

The Commission concluded that the measure is necessary, appropriate and proportionate to remedy a serious disturbance in the economy of a member state, in line with Article 107(3)(b) TFEU and the conditions set out in the Temporary Framework. On this basis, the Commission approved the measures under EU state aid rules. More information on the Temporary Framework and other actions taken by the Commission to address the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic can be found here.

The non-confidential version of the decision will be made available under the case number SA.57691 in the state aid register on the Commission’s competition website once any confidentiality issues have been resolved.

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