LOCKDOWN SEVERELY TIGHTENED IN AHMEDABAD

Chaos reigned on AhmedabadÂ’s streets Wednesday, after the newly appointed

team of bureaucrats placed in charge of the city decided to lock it down

completely for a week from today, allowing only milk and medicine shops to

remain open.

Ahmedabad accounts for over 70 per cent of the cases, and many fatalities,

due to Covid-19 in Gujarat.

Ironically, as soon as the order was out, people rushed to buy vegetables,

groceries and milk, causing traffic jams and long queues even at fuel

stations.

As per the decision, all branches of all banks except ATMs will remain

closed in the red zones.

Meanwhile, Gujarat Director General of Police Shivanand Jha said that the

Union government has sent five additional companies of para military forces

in Ahmedabad from Wednesday, as the city braces for the complete shutdown

till May 15. “To avoid further spread of infection in the containment areas

of Ahmedabad city and to secure it further, the Union government has sent

four companies of Border Security Force and one company of Central

Industrial Security Force (CISF) to be deployed in Ahmedabad. Till now, 38

companies of SRP and paramilitary forces have been deployed in the city. In

Surat, additional three companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed

taking the count of companies to six. In Vadodara, two companies have been

deployed,” said Jha.

Also, an order has been passed to issue noticed to all private clinics,

nursing homes and hospitals to resume operations within 48 hours, or they

will lose their licences.

CONGRESS AGAIN RAISES CONCERNS OVER AAROGYA SETU

The Congress on Wednesday again criticised the central government over

Aarogya Setu, IndiaÂ’s contact tracing app, arguing that it raises serious

data security and privacy concerns. It said the application detects and

tracks usersÂ’ movement, and that it can be misused as there is a human

interface at the backend.

The government, on its part, “assured” that “no data or security breach has

been identified”.

CongressÂ’s Randeep Surjewala argued that an ethical hacker had on Tuesday

pointed out “serious privacy flaws” in the app. He said the French hacker —

who goes by the pseudonym Elliot Alderson — has claimed that he had been

contacted by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-in) and

National Informatics Centre (NIC).

The government defended the app in response to AldersonÂ’s claims. It

released a statement early Wednesday on the official handle of the Aarogya

Setu app saying that “no personal information of any user has been proven to

be at risk by this ethical hacker”, and “assured” that “no data or security

breach has been identified”.

It said it had discussed the issues raised by the “ethical hacker”, and that

either they were by design or the information was already public and did not

“compromise on any personal or sensitive data”. It thanked “this ethical

hacker” for engaging with them and encouraged “any users who identify any

vulnerability” to inform them.

BJP ACCUSES SONIA OF WEAKENING FIGHT AGAINST COVID

The BJP on Wednesday accused the Congress and its president Sonia Gandhi of

doing politics on the issue of coronavirus and trying to weaken the country

in its fight against the pandemic.

According to BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain, while Prime Minister Narendra

Modi brought together all the Chief Ministers by taking them into confidence

for a constructive and collective fight against Covid-19, Sonia Gandhi was

allegedly trying to divide the country by talking to Congress CMs

separately. “Are they Chief Minister of states or the Congress,” Hussain

questioned.

“The entire world is praising the efforts of the Prime Minister. We should

all be together in this fight. If the Congress cannot help the country, it

should at least not try to weaken its fight against coronavirus,” he said.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday convened a meeting with the CMs

of Congress-ruled states to take stock of the situation after the third

lockdown was imposed by the Modi government. At the meeting, she also

questioned the government on what would happen post May 17. “What after May

17? What criteria is the Centre using to judge how long the lockdown will

continue?” she said.

IMRAN KHAN CLAIMS INDIA COULD LAUNCH ‘FALSE FLAG OPERATION’ AGAINST PAK

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday claimed that India could use

the current tension to launch a "false flag operation" against his country

on the pretext of infiltration.

Khan took to Twitter after India said Pakistan was behind the unrest in

Kashmir, leading to a spike in the verbal duel between the two sides. "I

have been warning the world about India's continuing efforts to find a

pretext for a false flag operation targeting Pakistan. Latest baseless

allegations by India of ‘infiltration’ across LoC are a continuation of this

dangerous agenda,” Khan tweeted.

Khan also claimed that the violence in Kashmir was local.

He once again accused India's ruling party of following policies that could

imperil the peace in South Asia. “The international community must act

before India's reckless moves jeopardise peace and security in South Asia,”

said Khan.

COVID-19 DASHBOARD – (Nos. IN INDIA / Nos. WORLDWIDE)

(Indian data from covid19india / and World Data from

worldometers.info/coronavirus/ )

Total Cases 53,003 (+3,606) / 38,22,860 (+95,058)

Total Deaths 1,785 (+91) / 2,65,076 (+6,738)

Total Recovered 15,331 (+1,189) / 13,02,890 (+60,543)

Active Cases 35,887 (+2,326) / 22,54,894 (+27,777)

Serious / Critical Cases (Not Available) / 48,211 (-1,037)

Top impacted nations so far: (And some of IndiaÂ’s Neighbours)

Country / Total Cases / Deaths / Total Deaths per 1M Pop.

USA 12,63,092 / 74,799 / 226

Spain 2,53,682 / 25,857 / 553

Italy 2,14,457 / 29,684 / 491

UK 2,01,101 / 30,076 / 443

France 1,74,191 / 25,809 / 395

Germany 1,68,162 / 7,275 / 87

Russia 1,65,929 / 1,537 / 11

Turkey 1,31,744 / 3,584 / 42

Brazil 1,26,611 / 8,588 / 40

Iran 1,01,650 / 6,418 / 76

India 52,987 / 1,785 / 1.0

Pakistan 24,073 / 564 / 3.0

Bangladesh 11,719 / 186 / 1.0

Sri Lanka 797 / 9 / 0.4

Top 17 impacted Indian States so far: (Total No. of Confirmed case / No. Of

Deaths)

State/UT Confirmed Deceased

Maharashtra 16,758 / 651

Gujarat 6,625 / 396

Delhi 5,532 / 65

Tamil Nadu 4,829 / 35

Rajasthan 3,317 / 93

Madhya Pradesh 3,138 / 185

Uttar Pradesh 2,998 / 60

Andhra Pradesh 1,777 / 36

Punjab 1,526 / 27

West Bengal 1,456 / 144

Telangana 1,107 / 29

Jammu and Kashmir 775 / 8

Karnataka 693 / 29

Haryana 594 / 7

Bihar 542 / 4

Kerala 503 / 4

Odisha 205 / 2

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

======================

WHO WARNS OF NEW LOCKDOWNS IF TRANSITION NOT MANAGED CAREFULLY

The head of the WHO on Wednesday warned of the risks of returning to

lockdown if countries emerging from pandemic restrictions do not manage

transitions "extremely carefully and in a phased approach".

Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus listed a series of steps needed

before countries lift measures designed to control the spread of the

COVID-19 respiratory disease, such as surveillance controls and health

system preparedness.

"The risk of returning to lockdown remains very real if countries do not

manage the transition extremely carefully and in a phased approach," he said

at a virtual briefing in Geneva.

He also said that it was not possible to return to business as usual when

the pandemic eventually ebbs, stressing the need for investment in health

systems.

VENEZUELA ACCUSES THE US OF ATTEMPT TO TOPPLE ITS GOVT

Authorities in Venezuela have recently detained two US citizens for what

they are calling an attempt to topple President Nicolás MaduroÂ’s

government.

A US military veteran has admitted that the men work for him, and has

claimed responsibility for a failed armed incursion into the country.

During a state television address, Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro said

that the authorities had arrested 13 “terrorists” involved in the plot,

which he claimed was coordinated with the US to enter the South American

country through the Caribbean coast to oust him. During his televised

address, Maduro showed the US passports and other identification documents

of the two detained US citizens, identified as Airan Berry and Luke Denman,

who he claims were working with Jordan Goudreau, a US military veteran who

runs a Florida-based security firm called Silvercorp USA. Goudreau has

admitted the men work for him.

US president Donald Trump has denied any involvement of the US government.

During a White House press briefing on May 5, Trump said, “I just got

information. Nothing to do with our government, but I just got information

on that.”

Venezuela is currently under the authoritarian rule of President Maduro, who

belongs to the United Socialist Party of Venezuela and took his position in

2013 after the death of former president Hugo Chávez. After completing his

first term, Maduro began his second term in January 2019, which is seen by

many Venezuelans and members of the international community as illegitimate.

THE REST

========

HIZBUL MUJAHIDEEN CHIEF NAIKOO KILLED IN J&K ENCOUNTER

Hizbul MujahideenÂ’s 35-year-old chief operations commander Riyaz Naikoo was

killed along with his associate at Beighpora village in South KashmirÂ’s

Awantipora sub-district yesterday.

Naikoo, who carried a reward of Rs 12.5 lakh on his head, had been on the

run for the past eight years. J&K Police chief Dilbagh Singh said Naikoo had

been posting audio and video clips on social media to motivate youth to join

militancy.

NaikooÂ’s killing comes days after the security forces suffered heavy

casualties recently.

The operation to track Naikoo was launched on Tuesday morning following a

tip-off. Searches continued during the day and in the evening, the forces

dug up suspected locations in and around the village with excavators to look

for a possible militant hideout.

Contact with militants was established Wednesday morning. The ensuing

four-hour gunfight resulted in the killing of Naikoo and another militant.

Two houses were also damaged during the encounter.

“He (Naikoo) was responsible for a large number of youths joining militant

ranks and indulging in serious violence against locals and forces,” DGP

Singh said, adding that “he was directly involved in many killings”.

Fearing widespread protests following the killing of Hizb commander, the

authorities suspended mobile Internet and mobile telephony across the

Valley. There were reports of clashes at some places in Awantipora.

Riyaz Naikoo, who joined Hizbul Mujahideen in 2012, was a close aide of

Burhan Wani.

MHA RED FLAGS BENGALÂ’S COVID-19 RESPONSE

In a two-page letter to West Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha, Union Home

Secretary Ajay Bhalla said stricter enforcement of lockdown was necessary in

the state and the problems have arisen due to ostracism of healthcare

professionals and lack of quarantine facilities in the state.

“The response to COVID-19 in the state of West Bengal is characterised by a

very low rate of testing in proportion to the population, and a very high

late of mortality of 13.2 per cent for the state, by far the highest for any

state,” Sinha said in the letter.

The home secretary said instances of overcrowding in ‘bazaars’ (markets)

with poor sanitation, free movement of people in large numbers without

masks, bathing of people in rivers, people playing cricket and football,

serious laxity in enforcing lockdown measures in containment zones, plying

of rickshaws without any restriction are grave violation of lockdown

instructions and social distancing norms. These are all examples of poor

supervision and implementation of crowd-control measures by district

authorities, he said.

BhallaÂ’s letter came following the report submitted by two Inter-Ministerial

Central Teams (IMCTs) sent to the state to take stock of the preparedness

against the COVID-19 pandemic in the state.

Earlier in the day, the MHA also wrote to the state government that its

“unilateral decision” of not allowing movement of goods trucks through

Indo-Bangladesh border was jeopardising IndiaÂ’s international commitments to

the neighbouring country.

MUMBAI POSITIVITY RATE 15%, CENTRE STRESSES ON CONTACT TRACING

Forty three days into the lockdown, Mumbai is reporting a novel coronavirus

(COVID-19) positivity rate of about 15%, against a national average of 3%,

sending alarm bells ringing.

Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan Wednesday reviewed the status of

Maharashtra and Gujarat and asked states to focus on surveillance and

contact tracing.

A death audit report submitted by a committee set up by the Brihanmumbai

Municipal Corporation had earlier found that while the average time between

the onset of Covid-19 symptoms in a person and death was 6.4 days in Mumbai,

the average time between hospital admission and death was 2.4 days. In some

international studies, the latter figure is over 15 days. This meant that

people in Mumbai were arriving late to hospital, when their chances of

survival were far less.

“States need to focus on more effective surveillance, contact tracing and

early diagnosis, to reduce high fatality rate. Proper interventions,

screening and testing of Severe Acute Respiratory Infections /Influenza Like

Illness cases need adequate attention as this may prevent the spread of

infection in other areas. The implementation of an effective containment

strategy needs be the top priority of states to reduce the mortality rate.

It is the need of the hour to take preventive, pre-emptive and comprehensive

measures in a systematic manner and follow the protocols laid down by the

Centre,” Dr Harsh Vardhan said.

The Maharashtra government has sought to take over hospitals owned by

private organisations and the military as cities like Mumbai and Pune run

out of ICU beds for Covid patients.

More than 25,000 doctors, who operate as private practitioners in Mumbai,

have also been asked to sign up to treat Covid patients or risk having their

licenses cancelled.

The CM said that the state government had already set up huge facilities for

treating patients affected by the pandemic at Nehru Science Centre,

Mahalaxmi racecourse, Nehuru Planetarium, Bombay Exhibition Centre, MMRDA

grounds at Bandra-Kurla Complex and other places. However, the number of

patients is likely to increase as people are likely to return to

Maharashtra, Thackeray added.

KARNATAKA U-TURN: STATE STOPS SPECIAL TRAINS FOR MIGRANTS

As the exodus of migrant workers triggered by the coronavirus lockdown

continued, the Railways said on Wednesday it has ferried over 1.25 lakh

stranded people across the country from May 1 in 122 trains, while a fresh

row erupted after Karnataka Government withdrew its request for such special

trains apparently due to concerns over shortage of labour.

The opposition attacked the BJP government in Karnataka, accusing it of

treating migrant workers worse than “bonded labourers”, even as Chief

Minister BS Yediyurappa appealed to more than one lakh workers who wished to

go back to their native states to stay back as construction and industrial

activities have begun.

Yediyurappa announced a Rs 1,610-crore relief package for the benefit of

those in distress due to the COVID-19-induced lockdown which included a

compensation of Rs 5,000 each for registered workers.

The Principal Secretary in the Revenue Department, N Manjunatha Prasad, who

is the nodal officer for migrants, had on Tuesday cancelled the request for

10 Shramik Special trains, apparently after the builders had apprised

Yediyurappa about the shortage of labourers if they were allowed to go back

to their home states, said a source privy to the issue.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury hit out at the stateÂ’s decision.

“This is worse than treating them as bonded labour. Does the Indian

constitution exist?” he said in a tweet.

Taking to Twitter in a series of tweets Congress Legislative Party leader

Siddaramaiah wrote, “The CM’s decision of to cancel trains for migrants is

not just inhuman but also violation of fundamental rights. The argument of

the Chief Minister that construction will not happen if migrants go back

just exposes BS YediyurappaÂ’s mindset. He is willing to sacrifice the lives

of helpless labourers for the sake of invisible hands,” he added.

WILL TAKE STATE GOVT TO HC FOR ORGANISING NAMASTE TRUMP AMID COVID-19

THREAT: GUJARAT CONGRESS

The Gujarat Congress Wednesday said it will drag the state government to the

High Court for organising the ‘Namaste Trump’ event in February amid the

Coronavirus threat.

The Congress alleged that the assembly of lakhs of people in a packed

stadium, which included foreigners, “resulted in community transmission of

Coronavirus, due to which Gujarat state has ranked as the second-highest

infected state in the country”.

UP ORDINANCE: LIFE TERM IF CORONA PATIENT CAUSES DEATH BY ‘INTENTIONAL

AFFLICTIONÂ’

The Uttar Pradesh Public Health and Epidemic Disease Control Ordinance,

2020, cleared by the Cabinet on Wednesday, prescribes a maximum punishment

of life term if “death be caused by intentional (COVID-19) affliction”.

Section 24 of the ordinance on “punishment for intentional affliction” says

any person who “intentionally” infects another person with a contagious

disease shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for 2-5 years.

Section 25 defines “mass affliction” as infecting five or more persons.

Section 26 states that “whoever causes death by affliction under Sections 24

and 25, shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall

not be less than seven years but may extend to imprisonment for life”, and

shall also be liable to pay a fine ranging from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.

When contacted, Chief Secretary R K Tiwari said the meaning of

“intentionally here is the same as defined in legal terms”.

INDICATORS

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53.33, Aus$- Rs. 48.28

GBP 0.80 /US$, Euro 0.92 /US$, Jap.Yen 106.20 /US$, Aus$ 1.55 /US$, Sing

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Bitcoin - USD 7,093

Dollar Index 100.19 Brent Crude 29.84 BDI 575

Gold world Spot Price USD/aoz 1,691 India (Rs. per gm 24k/22k) 4,545 /

4,445, Silver (Rs. Per KG) 41,220

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

This world, after all our science and sciences, is still a miracle;

wonderful, inscrutable, magical and more, to whosoever will think of it. -

Thomas Carlyle

OFF TRACK

Some young interns at a hospital were discussing theories about pre-natal

influence.

“Obviously, there’s no such thing,” scoffed one. “It’s been disproved time

and again. For example, before I was born, my mother broke a huge batch of

phonograph records. But itÂ’s never bothered meÂ… never bothered meÂ…never

bothered me…”