LOCKDOWN HAS HELPED SLOW DOWN VIRUS SPREAD, SAYS GOVT

With total number of cases at around 14,000, the Union Health Ministry said

on Friday that the doubling time of COVID-19 cases — number of days taken

for cases to double — has dropped to 6.2 days over the past week, as

compared to three days before the nationwide lockdown began on March 25.

The ICMR said three strains of the virus have been detected in India so far.

While this will have no bearing on the efficacy of a drug, as and when it is

developed, it may affect the efficacy of a vaccine.

While Maharashtra continues to be the worst-affected state with 194 deaths,

Indore in Madhya Pradesh has become IndiaÂ’s most worrisome hotspot.

Officials in Indore have started to prepare for an eventuality where they

outnumber the beds available in the city. A decision has also been taken to

screen “every single resident” in Indore, a city with a population of around

30 lakh people, over the next few weeks.

Kerala, on the other hand, appears to have flattened the curve with more

recoveries than active cases. The state, which had reported IndiaÂ’s first

three COVID-19 cases, has recorded two deaths so far and 138 active cases.

The number of those recovered stands at 255.

One of Uttar PradeshÂ’s worst hotspots, with 172 cases and five deaths, Agra,

that has seen patients linked to foreign travel and the Tablighi Jamaat, is

now grappling with another crisis. A private hospital - Shri Paras Hospital

- in the district has been linked to around 50 positive cases, sending alarm

bells ringing through 11 neighbouring districts. On Thursday, an FIR was

registered against the hospital manager and the main doctor, who remain

missing, over charges of negligence.

As the Delhi govt steps up its efforts to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic,

officials in the health department are struggling to find the source of

transmission of 191 of the total 1,707 cases reported until Friday.

According to official data, of the total cases, 1,080 are linked to the

Nizamuddin Markaz event, followed by 353 cases of local transmission, which

implies contact with someone who has tested positive. There are 83 cases of

people with a travel history. But it is the remaining 191, where the source

of transmission is yet to be identified, that has emerged as a worry.

RBI INJECTS LIQUIDITY TO PROP UP ECONOMY

Within three weeks of announcing a major COVID-19 relief package, the RBI

Friday stepped in again to ensure liquidity and alleviate stress in segments

where the pain is becoming acute — state finances, NBFCs, micro-finance

institutions, commercial real estate, and housing.

Stating that COVID-19 has “severely impacted” small and mid-sized

corporates, including NBFCs and micro-finance institutions, the RBI slashed

reverse repo rate — the rate at which the RBI borrows funds from banks. The

25-basis point cut to 3.75 per cent will nudge banks to give loans to

productive sectors rather than lazily park these with RBI.

With the lockdown adversely impacting the already stressed finances of

states which are at the vanguard of the war against COVID-19, the RBI has

enhanced the limit on ways and means advances (WMAs) by 60 per cent over the

March 30 levels. ICRA Ratings said this would help them borrow Rs 51,600

crore (roughly Rs 20,000 crore more over the March 30 levels). WMA is a

short-term liquidity arrangement facilitated by the central bank, which

enables states to borrow money up to 90 days from the RBI (with a 21-day

overdraft permitted) at the repo rate of 4.4 per cent to tide over their

liquidity problems.

The RBI kept the main policy rate, Repo rate, or the rate at which the RBI

lends funds to banks, unchanged at 4.40 per cent. On March 27, the RBI, in

its first Covid package, had slashed the Repo rate by 75 basis points to

4.40 per cent, cash reserve ratio (CRR) by 100 bps to 3 per cent and

announced three-month moratorium on terms loans to support the economy.

PMO HOLDS MEETING ON EASING LOCKDOWN AFTER APRIL 20

The Prime MinisterÂ’s Office on Friday held a preparatory meeting with

officials of seven key ministries to go through the fine details of

partially relaxing on Monday, the ongoing sweeping, central lock-down -- a

move aimed at restarting activity in select sectors of the Indian economy.

Chaired by PMÂ’s Principal Secretary P K Mishra, the meeting primarily

focused on getting workers to factories and back, and on the systems and

processes states need to put in place for effective implementation of the

guidelines for a partial exit from the lockdown as laid out in a home

ministry order of April 15.

The idea behind the relaxation of restrictions is to allow economic

activities to restart and also provide employment, especially to daily wage

earners. Food processing industries, road construction and industrial

projects in rural areas will restart from April 20.

Up to 45% of the economy is expected to become operational again, up from

just 25% during the initial lockdown from March 24 to April 14, economists

said.

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

(Indian data from covid19india / and World Data from

worldometers.info/coronavirus/ )

Total Cases 14,352 (+922) / 22,50,709 (+68,512)

Total Deaths 486 (+38) / 1,54,256 (+8,735)

Total Recovered 2,041 (+273) / 5,72,105 (+24,810)

Active Cases 11,825 (+611) / 15,24,348 (+34,967)

Serious / Critical Cases (Not Available) / 57,136 (+548)

Top 6 impacted nations so far: (Country / Total No of cases / Deaths)

USA 7,10,021 / 37,158

Spain 1,90,839 / 20,002

Italy 1,72,434 / 22,745

France 1,47,969 / 18,681

Germany 1,41,397 / 4,352

UK 1,08,692 / 14,576

Top 15 impacted Indian States so far: (Total No. of Confirmed case / No. Of

Deaths)

Maharashtra 3,320 / 201

Delhi 1,707 / 42

Tamil Nadu 1,323 / 15

Madhya Pradesh 1,310 / 69

Rajasthan 1,229 / 17

Gujarat 1,099 / 41

Uttar Pradesh 849 / 14

Telangana 766 / 18

Andhra Pradesh 572 / 14

Kerala 395 / 2

Karnataka 359 / 13

Jammu and Kashmir 328 / 5

West Bengal 255 / 10

Haryana 223 / 3

Punjab 211 / 14

Bihar 85 / 1

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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

CHINA REVISES DEATH TOLL IN WUHAN BY 50%

The Chinese city of Wuhan raised its death toll from the novel coronavirus

by 50 per cent on Friday, bringing its total to 3,869, amid doubts about the

accuracy of China's data on the disease as global cases mount.

The central city where the virus first appeared in humans late last year

added another 1,290 fatalities to the 2,579 previously counted as of

Thursday, reflecting incorrect reporting, delays and omissions, according to

a local government taskforce in charge of controlling the coronavirus.

Reflecting the additional deaths in Wuhan, China revised up its national

death toll later on Friday to 4,632. The revision follows widespread

speculation that Wuhan's toll was significantly higher than reported.

Rumours of more victims have for weeks been fuelled by pictures of long

queues of family members waiting to collect ashes of cremated relatives and

reports of thousands of urns stacked at a funeral home waiting to be filled.

"In the early stage, due to limited hospital capacity and the shortage of

medical staff, a few medical institutions failed to connect with local

disease control and prevention systems in a timely manner, which resulted in

delayed reporting of confirmed cases and some failures to count patients

accurately," an official said.

A sharp upward revision was "an attempt to leave no case undocumented" after

medical services in Wuhan were overwhelmed at the start of the outbreak, the

WHO said.

US President Donald Trump said Friday that ChinaÂ’s coronavirus deaths were

“far higher” than it has admitted. “China has just announced a doubling in

the number of their deaths from the Invisible Enemy. It is far higher than

that and far higher than the U.S., not even close!” Trump tweeted.

China faces a drawn-out struggle to revive an economy that suffered its

biggest contraction since possibly the mid-1960s after millions of people

were told to stay home to fight the virus.

The world's second-largest economy shrank by 6.8% from a year earlier in the

quarter ending in March after factories, offices and shopping malls were

closed to contain the outbreak, official data showed on Friday. Consumer

spending, which supplied 80% of last year's growth, and factory activity

were weaker than expected.

NEW YORK GOVERNOR ATTACKS TRUMP FOR 'PASSING BUCK' ON PANDEMIC RESPONSE

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Friday launched a blistering attack on

President Donald Trump's response to the coronavirus crisis, accusing him of

"passing the buck" to the States and favoring big business over communities

hardest hit.

Cuomo, whose State is at the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, accounting for

nearly half of the country's deaths, said the president had repeatedly

refused to help States with ramping up testing because it was "too

complicated."

He criticized the aid packages passed by Congress to date for a lack of

funds to hard-hit states like New York. "Is there any funding so I can do

these things that you want us to do? 'No,'" Cuomo told a daily briefing on

the coronavirus. "That is passing the buck without passing the bucks."

He spoke one day after the Trump administration outlined plans for a phased

reopening, starting with the states least affected by the virus.

THE REST

========

ON AN AVERAGE, 69% OF COVID-19 CASES IN EACH STATE FROM JUST 3 DISTRICTS

An average of 69 per cent of all active Covid-19 cases in any state are

concentrated in just three of its districts, an analysis shows.

This trend holds pointers to not only working out the easing of the lockdown

post-April 20, it is key to designing public health interventions to contain

the outbreak.

In Maharashtra, 89.27 per cent of the cases are concentrated in Mumbai,

Pune, and Thane; in Gujarat, 84.87 per cent of cases are concentrated in

Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat; in Madhya Pradesh, 81.51 per cent of the

total cases are concentrated in Indore, Bhopal and Khargaon.

In Andhra Pradesh, the districts of Guntur, Kurnool and Nellore; in

Telangana the districts of Hyderabad, Nizamabad and Vikarabad; in Karnataka,

the districts of Bangalore, Mysuru, and Belagavi and in Kerala, the

districts of Kasargod, Kannur and Ernakulam — an average 63 per cent of the

cases are concentrated in three districts in these states.

In Uttar Pradesh, there is a slight dip in percentage: the top three

districts Agra, Lucknow and Gautam Buddha Nagar account for 45 per cent of

total active cases – one reason is the large geographic sprawl of the state.

However, in Bihar, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan, three districts contribute

to an average 60 per cent of total active cases.

One state which is the outlier is Tamil Nadu where cases are spread across.

Data shows that the top three districts account for only 33.46 percent of

active cases: Chennai (217), Coimbatore (127), and industrial hub Tirupur

(80). Two districts have cases in the range of 79-80; three districts have

cases in the range of 65-50 ; and as many as eight districts have cases in

the range 40-35.

UP BUSES CUT ACROSS STATES TO BRING STUDENTS HOME FROM KOTA CENTRES

Four days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the extension of the

national lockdown by two weeks, Rajasthan officials said that “about 100”

buses from UP reached Kota Friday to take students home.

The move follows a massive social media campaign launched by thousands of

students stuck in the entrance-coaching hub. KotaÂ’s Additional District

Magistrate (Administration), Narendra Gupta said that by Friday evening,

“about 100 of the 252 buses from UP reached Kota”. “The buses will ferry

nearly 7,500 students back to their home districts in UP,” he said.

In UP, officials were tightlipped over the move, with one officer saying

that the government would comment only after the buses “return safely,

carrying all the students”. Each bus will accommodate 30 students, keeping

in mind social distancing norms,” said an official.

BiharÂ’s Building and Construction Minister Ashok Kumar Choudhary posted on

Twitter: “Sending back students to their respective states is an injustice

to the purpose of national lockdown. Any citizen stuck at any place is an

Indian first, itÂ’s the responsibility of the respective state to take care

of them, at any cost. Zero travel is the need of the hour…”

However, the stateÂ’s Leader of Opposition, RJDÂ’s Tejashwi Prasad Yadav,

welcomed the UP move. “Bringing back its students from Kota is a welcome

move by the UP government. But the Bihar government has been stopping its

students coming from Kota with special permission from district

administration. Whether they are migrants and students stuck up outside the

state, the Bihar government has deserted all of them,” he alleged.

Reacting to the latest decision, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav demanded that UP

show the same concern for stranded migrant workers. “It is a welcome step to

bring back students stuck in RajasthanÂ’s Kota. But it leads to the question

of why the mobile phones of so-called Nodal officials are silent on

labourers, belonging to the lower sections, facing starvation in other

states?” he posted on Twitter.

MHA ISSUES FRESH GUIDELINES ON LOCKDOWN EXEMPTION

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday announced new guidlines

covering additional activities which will remain exempted from the ongoing

lockdown.

In a bid to ease of the tribal and rural population the government issued an

order exempting work related to non-timber minor forest produce and

plantation and harvesting of Bamboo, Coconut and Spices.

Further to ease the flow of liquidity (money) in the rural market and also

to support small businesses the government has permitted the opening of

Non-Banking financial institutions (NBFCs) including Housing Finance

Companies and Micro Finance Institutions (NBFC-MFIs) with minimum staff.

Cooperative Credit Societies are also allowed to function, the order said.

Construction activities in rural areas, water supply, sanitation,

laying/erection of power transmission lines, laying of telecom optical fiber

and cable have also been exempted from the lockdown.

JOURNALISTS' UNIONS MOVE SC, AGAINST MEDIA HOUSES

Three unions of journalists have moved the Supreme Court seeking directions

to media houses not to sack journalists and non-journalists working with

them during the COVID19 lockdown.

"Journalist and non-journalist employees working in the print,

electronic and digital media sector are carrying out essential

services as per the order of the Ministry of Home Affairs, dated

March 24," the petition filed by National Alliance of Journalists, Delhi

Union of Journalists and Brihanmumbai Union of Journalists submitted.

They alleged that media houses were using COVID19 lockdown for layoffs and

salary cuts.

The petitioners also mentioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to

employers to show compassion and not to sack employees.

It stated that several newspapers, magazines, online media outlets, and

other employers in the media sector have reportedly taken steps

after the announcement of the nation-wide lockdown in March 2020 to

retrench workers and employees and to impose wage cuts.

TVS ACQUIRES BRITAIN'S MOST ICONIC SPORTING MOTORCYCLE BRAND 'NORTON'

TVS Motor Company on Friday announced the acquisition of the United

Kingdom’s most iconic sporting motorcycle ‘Norton’ in an all-cash deal, for

£16 million, by acquiring certain assets of Norton Motorcycles (UK) (in

administration), through one of TVS MotorÂ’s overseas arms. This would be

among the most interesting acquisitions of a storied motorcycle maker, and

reflects TVSÂ’ and IndiaÂ’s rapidly rising prominence in the global

two-wheeler market, said the company.

Founded by James Lansdowne Norton in Birmingham (in 1898), Norton

Motorcycles is among the most popular British motorcycle brands of all time.

Norton had some management issue, which TVS — with its global supply chain

capabilities and financial support — helped overcome. Though there will be

some concerns in the short term due to Covid-19, TVS Motor has enhanced its

cost-reduction measures, and cut down on capex. Given the nature of Norton,

which is not a capex-heavy business, there seems no immediate concern.

‘YOU THINK WE’RE INTERFERING? THEN SURRENDER OUR FACILITIES!’: SPORTS

MINISTRY

The Sports Ministry, it seems, has had enough. Angry at the insinuation by

the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and National Sports Federations (NSFs)

that the Sports Ministry wants to remote-control them, the Ministry has

called on the federations to surrender the facilities provided to them if

they believe there is government interference in their affairs.

A WhatsApp message from IOA president Narinder Batra had alleged that a

communication between Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPs) CEO Rajesh

Rajagopalan and Athletics Federation of India (AFI) High Performance

Director Volker Herrmann amounted to government interference.

Sports Secretary Julaniya dismissed the allegations. “Let me say that I had

a chat with IOA president Mr Batra and all the confusion that arose (due to

the message) has been resolved,” Julaniya told The Tribune. “The Ministry is

there to help sports and federations prosper... However, if any federations

still thinks that government is interfering in any way, then they are

welcome to surrender all the facilities that are being provided to them,” he

added.

Interestingly, in a late evening development, Batra clarified to “not give

credence to an alleged letter sent under my name to press by some

unhappy/disgruntled sports administrators/officials”.

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Reflect on your present blessings, of which every man has many; not on your

past misfortunes, of which all men have some. - Charles Dickens

OFF TRACK

The prosecutor was cross-examining the murderess on the witness stand.

"And so after you had poisoned the coffee and your husband sat at the

breakfast table partaking of the fatal dosage, didn't you feel any qualms?

Didn't you feel the slightest pity for him knowing that he was about to die

and was wholly unconscious of it?"

"Yes," she answered. "Come to think of it...there was just a moment when I

sort of felt sorry for him."

"And, when was that?"

"When he asked for the second cup."