The Owl Speaks

06/04/2020

The Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar has developed a design of a negative pressure room (NPR) to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 and low cost ventilators which will give oxygen to 2 patient at same time.
,
https://www.theowlspeaks.com/national/negative-pressure-room-npr-to-prevent-the-transmission-of-covid-19-is-been-designed-by-iit-ropar/

The Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar has developed a design of a negative pressure room (NPR) to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 through air at …

06/04/2020

India's coronavirus cases have reached 4,281 with 693 new cases in the last 24 hours. Out of the total cases, at least 1,445 are related to Islamist group Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi in mid-March.
, -19
https://www.theowlspeaks.com/national/coronalive-india-is-between-the-stage-2-and-3-of-coronavirus-pandemic/

06/04/2020

Actor Rakul Preet Singh has vowed to provide some 200 families with meals from a slum area near her home in the Gurugram district.
She said that in her apartment complex, meals are cooked and sent to the vulnerable families hit hard by the lockdown due to coronavirus outbreak.
In an interview, Rakul told The Times of India she will continue to supply the meals until the lockdown is in effect.
“My dad found this whole slum where people are out of their basics entirely right now.
For all those men, we’re organizing two meals a day and
we’ve agreed to do it before the lockdown is in effect.
If the lockdown gets pushed further, I will keep doing that. For now, I have committed till the month of April and then we will see depending on the situation. The food would be cooked at a place in my society and will be sent out to those people,” she said.
,

04/04/2020

647 COVID-19 cases found in the last two days are linked to Tablighi event: Govt

As many as 647 COVID-19 positive cases found in 14 states in the last two days are linked to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation, the Union health ministry said on Friday.

Out of the 12 deaths reported in the last 24 hours some are related to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation, Joint Secretary in the Health Ministry Lav Agarwal said in a daily media briefing.

The congregation took place early last month in the national capital’s West Nizamuddin area.

So far there have been 2,301 cases of COVID-19 in India and 56 deaths out of which 12 were reported since Thursday, he said, adding there has been a rise of 336 coronavirus cases since Thursday.

He said till now 157 patients have recovered.

The joint secretary said that “647 positive cases of the coronavirus have been found in the last two days that are linked to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation, and these were reported from 14 states (and union territories) Andaman and Nicobar, Delhi, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh”.

“If we see the rise in cases in the last few days, it has primarily been due to an increase at a particular level,” Agarwal said in an apparent reference to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation.

He said because of the lockdown and “our efforts to promote social distancing, cases were being reported but there was no sharp rise”.

There are 182 labs in the country for COVID-19 diagnosis, out of which 130 are government labs, an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) official said.

The official said about 8,000 samples were tested on Thursday for COVID-19.

Agarwal also said that 30 lakh have downloaded the government’s ‘AarogyaSetu’ mobile app to help people assess the risk of COVID-19.

04/04/2020

Here’s how Maharashtra prevented a Nizamuddin-like situation by cancelling a religious event that would see 50,000 people gathering in Vasai

The Maharashtra state home department prevented a congregation similar to the one held in Delhi’s Nizamuddin area, which has now become the hotspot for the novel coronavirus, COVID-19 spread in India

State home minister Anil Deshmukh said that the two-day religious event was initially approved by the state, but subsequently cancelled the event.

The outfit, Shamim Education and Welfare Society had formally sought permission from the department for organising a programme, Tablighi Ijtema, near Diwanman village in Vasai West on March 14 and March 15.

The society, while seeking permission, had conveyed to the department that around 50,000 devotees would attend the event in which the Quran was to be recited besides offering of namaz.

According to Deshmukh, permission was given on Feb 5, 2020, but as the number of COVID-19 people started testing positive, the home ministry swing into action and told the organisers to cancel the event on March 6, Deshmukh said.

Sources in the police department said the decision to cancel the permission was taken by Niket Kaushik, Inspector General of Police, Konkan Range along with Palghar superintendent of police Gaurav Singh on March 6.

“Cases of COVID-19 had started growing in the country, there was fear that the infection would spread more through such events, so we took this decision,” said Kaushik

Deshmukh further underlined how the Home Ministry in Delhi could have shown such farsightedness and quicker reflexes. “It would have helped avert both the spread of infection and its massive humanitarian fallout.”

“Tablighi Jamaat’s event held in Delhi’s Nizamuddin last month has caused fear among people across the country as some devotees who attended the programme in the national capital were infected by a coronavirus. The situation in Delhi could have been averted had the alertness as shown by the (Maharashtra) state home department was exhibited there,” Deshmukh said.

04/04/2020

COVID-19: Bharat Biotech to work with US firm, university to develop vaccine

Bharat Biotech Ltd has partnered with the University of Wisconsin–Madison and US-based company FluGen to develop a vaccine against COVID-19.

The vaccine called ‘CoroFlu’ will be built on the backbone of FluGen’s candidate — M2SR — wherein gene sequences from SARS-CoV2, the novel coronavirus, will be inserted into the vaccine candidate to provide additional immunity against COVID-19, apart from influenza, Bharat Biotech Biotech said in a release.

Bharat Biotech will then scale-up production in Hyderabad for safety and efficacy testing in humans, following which CoroFlu could be in human clinical trials by the fall of 2020, the release said.

“Bharat Biotech will manufacture the vaccine, conduct clinical trials, and prepare to produce almost 300 million doses of vaccine for global distribution. Under the collaboration agreement, FluGen will transfer its existing manufacturing processes to Bharat Biotech to enable the company to scale up production and produce the vaccine for clinical trials,” Raches Ella, head of business development at Bharat Biotech, was quoted as saying in the release.

The team will refine the concept of CoroFlu vaccine and testing on laboratory animal models is expected to take three to six months at the university.

CoroFlu, like M2SR, will be delivered intra-nasally. This route of administration mimics the natural route of infection by coronavirus and influenza and activates several modes of the immune system.

Currently, there are two vaccines which are undergoing clinical trials—one by US-based Moderna and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and another by Beijing Institute of Biotechnology and CanSino Biologics Inc. Apart from these two, there are 42 other candidates who are undergoing clinical evaluation.

Apart from Bharat Biotech, Serum Institute of India and Zydus Cadila have vaccine candidates which are in the pre-clinical trial stages.

04/04/2020

RBI announces change in market timings, trading hours now 10 am-2pm

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday announced that money markets will function from 10 am to 2 pm, effective 7 April, as the 21-day lockdown and social distancing norms have hit participation.

Domestic money markets used to function from 9 am to 5 pm. The new timings will in force until 17 April, the central bank said.

The timings stand revised for all markets including call money, market repo, tri-party repo, commercial paper and certificate of deposits, repo in corporate bonds, government securities, forex market and rupee interest rate derivatives.

“The resultant dislocations have adversely impacted the functioning of financial markets. Staff and IT resources have been severely affected, posing operational and logistic risks. The thinning out of activity is impacting market liquidity and increasing volatility of financial prices,” said the RBI in a press release.

The change in timings was necessitated by nearly zero deals in the bond market in the opening hours last week as traders stayed home and did the minimum required to cover their positions. This had led to a spike in yields amid thin volumes and a collapse in trading of government securities.

RBI also had to advance its ₹25,000 crore variable repo auction to 26 March from 30 March following a review of the financial condition. The central bank had announced two variable rate term repo auctions of ₹25,000 crores each to be conducted on 30 March and 31 March to address the demand for liquidity and to provide flexibility to the banking system.

04/04/2020

Airfare refund policy confuses passengers amid lockdown

Airlines in India are all set to resume flights post the lockdown period, however, the issue of refunds for flights cancelled between March 25 and April 14 remains unresolved.

while passengers are demanding cash refunds for cancelled bookings during the lockdown period, airlines have refused to meet such request owing to cash shortage. Fliers have been left in the lurch with some airlines not even offering clarity on refunds.

The government suspended all domestic flights starting on March 25 midnight to curb the spread of coronavirus but for the passengers of airlines who had booked tickets to fly during the lockdown period, it is has hit them hard.

First, they can’t travel to their hometowns or other destinations they had booked tickets to and second, the refund policies of airlines is resulting in heavy monetary losses.

Twitter is full of arguments between airlines and furious passengers as airlines are offering a reservation credit for the full amount which can be used to make another booking in future but the catch here is that a flier has to pay the fare difference for the future date ticket.

“I had to attend a conference this month in Goa. With the conference getting cancelled, my tickets are not going to be used now. I don’t want a credit voucher as it is not sure I would be flying in future or not”, said Sanjeet Kumar, a daily based businessman.

The confusion has multiplied with many fliers making bookings through travel agents or online travel portals. Fliers also complain about the call centre phone lines of airlines are constantly busy.

Indian carriers say there is little they can do on refunds as they are staring at a dark future and it is an existential crisis for the airlines.

The thumb rule generally is that if passengers cancel the bookings, they get back refunds, but airlines levy a cancellation charge, as high as 40-50 per cent, on the other hand, if an airline cancels the flight, the passengers get a full refund.

Airlines insist this particular rule can’t be applied during the lockdown period as it is beyond their control.

While the uncertainty over the status of scheduled flights due to the coronavirus outbreak looms large, most airlines seem helpless about the situation and are not waiving off the domestic flight cancellation charges.

“The cancellations of flights in this outbreak of COVID-19 is beyond the control of airlines as well as passengers. We have automatically extended the validity of bookings made before March 31, 2020, for travel up to April 30 to December 31, 2020. however, fare difference, if any, will apply”, said a Vistara spokesperson explaining their policy.

Meanwhile, the government says there is little it can do as the domestic aviation industry is de-regulated and such a lockdown situation hasn’t been witnessed before.

04/04/2020

Trump Organisation, hit by coronavirus, tries to delay loan payments
US President Donald Trump’s family company is asking creditors such as Deutsche Bank if it can delay loan payments as the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic deepens, The New York Times reported Thursday.

The Trump Organization — the conglomerate of companies created by Trump and now run by his sons — is, like many others, losing money as the restrictions put in place to lessen the spread of deadly COVID-19 bring the US to a grinding halt.

The New York Times said the Trump Organisation contacted Deutsche Bank, seen as the only major lender willing to do business with the company, at the end of March to ask about extending some repayment deadlines.

“These days, everybody is working together,” Trump’s son Eric, the Organization’s executive vice president, said in a statement sent to AFP.

“Tenants are working with landlords — landlords are working with banks. The whole world is working together as we fight through this pandemic,” the statement continued.

The Trump Organisation still owes Deutsche Bank several hundred million dollars, according to the Times.

The group, whose main business is real estate development, also contacted Palm Beach County to see if it could suspend rent payments on land occupied by the Trump International Golf Club, a 27-hole course and clubhouse on more than 120 hectares.

Negotiations have so far not led to any change in the financial conditions of the Trump Organization.

Eric Trump and his brother Donald Jr took over the organization after their father’s inauguration.

03/04/2020

Aurobindo Pharma, Sandoz Inc mutually call off $900 mn deal of generic oral solids, dermatology businesses

Aurobindo Pharma on Thursday said the $900 million deal to acquire Sandoz Inc’s US-based generic oral solids and dermatology businesses, has been mutually called off.

“The decision was taken as approval from the US Federal Trade Commission for the transaction was not obtained within anticipated timelines,” Aurobindo Pharma said in a regulatory filing.

In September 2018, Aurobindo Pharma had said its US subsidiary has entered into a pact to acquire commercial operations and three manufacturing facilities in America from Sandoz Inc, USA, for $900 million.

The acquisition was to be made through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Aurobindo Pharma USA Inc.

The transaction if completed would have positioned the Hyderabad-based firm as the second largest dermatology player and the second-largest generics company in the US by prescriptions.

03/04/2020

IOA raises Rs 71 lakh donation for India’s fight against coronavirus pandemic

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has helped raise Rs 71 lakh through donations from its state affiliates and National Sports Federations (NSF) as a contribution towards the country’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

“IOA is deeply grateful to its NSFs and state associations and other federation and bodies for extending their support and humble contributions towards the cause of our nation’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic,” the IOA said in a statement issued by its Secretary-General Rajeev Mehta.

“In these challenging times, the coming together of the Olympic family to support the nation’s need once again reinforces our belief that we shall always come out stronger to serve sports and make the nation proud.” The IOA will transfer the donations to Prime Minister Cares Fund, the statement added.

The coronavirus outbreak, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has claimed over 53,000 lives worldwide while infecting more than a million people.

In India, it has led to 56 deaths as per official estimates with over 2,000 people infected by the deadly virus.

Several sports personalities, including Indian cricket team skipper Virat Kohli, batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, shuttler PV Sindhu and athletes Neeraj Chopra and Hima Das, have also come forward to provide financial contributions to fight against the disease.

03/04/2020

Uber, BigBasket partner for essential service delivery

From Uber and BigBasket joining hands to deliver essentials, oil producers seeking relief from govt to venture capitalists warning start-ups, Business Standard brings you top headlines of the day.

Uber and BigBasket have partnered to deliver everyday essentials to people amid the ongoing nationwide COVID-19 lockdown.

A business-to-business partnership, Uber’s driver-partners will help BigBasket with last-mile delivery in four cities, to begin with- Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chandigarh and Noida. More cities will be added with time.

“We are looking at similar partnerships with other e-commerce players and supermarkets to help with last-mile delivery. Uber is not charging any commissions for these trips. The commission shared with the partners will be passed on fully to the driver-partner, helping them to have additional earnings during these hard times,” said Prabhjeet Singh, Director-Operations and Head of Cities, Uber India & South Asia, Uber India.

The front end or booking screen for this partnership will be with the e-commerce player or supermarket, which will be able to book vehicles across UberGo (hatchback), UberXL (SUV) and UberMoto (two-wheelers) for the entire day for delivery of the goods ordered.

Uber’s association with BigBasket will comply with all hygiene and traffic regulations, and driver-partners will be provided masks, gloves, sanitisers, and specialized safety training to ensure the highest possible safety and hygiene standards.

“The ongoing pan-India lockdown has led to a disruption in the supply of essential goods, primarily led by a shortage of personnel and delivery vehicles. We are very happy to partner with Uber India for this initiative and we will be utilizing a portion of their huge fleet of cars, bikes as well as personnel to help with our deliveries to fulfil customer orders. We are thankful to Uber India for helping us deliver essential goods to thousands of customers across the country and the opportunity to provide financial sustenance to many drivers and riders during this time. As a brand, we are committed to providing the best possible services to our customers and this partnership with Uber is another step towards that goal,” said Lalita Aggarwal, National Process Head-Last Mile, BigBasket.

The e-commerce or supermarket partner will work with the local administration to procure the relevant passes or permits for driver-partners to be able to deliver goods without any hassles.

A similar partnership was announced earlier in the day between Domino’s Pizza and ITC Foods, to deliver essential grocery through Domino’s app, beginning with six cities- Noida, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad.

As the nationwide lockdown progress and Internet-based businesses struggle because of people staying home, more such partnerships between sectors could be on their way.