Punjab CM extends lockdown till 31st May

Today is the last day of the third phase of the nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19. The dates of the fourth phase of lockdown are yet to be announced. During his address to the Nation on 12th of this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that the fourth phase of lockdown will have a completely different form, with new rules.
 
Mr Modi had said that based on the suggestions from the states, information related to Lockdown 4 will be given to the public before 18th May. The country is under lockdown since 25th March. It has been extended twice, first till 3rd May and then till today. Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has announced that the coronavirus lockdown in the state will continue till 31st of this month.

INS Jalashwa to reach Kochi this afternoon from Male
INS Jalashwa will reach Kochi today bringing back 588 Indian nationals on board from Maldives capital of Male. The ship had left Male yesterday and is expected to reach Kochi late afternoon.

The travelling passengers include 70 ladies, six of them pregnant and 21 children. The ship is making its second trip back home from Maldives as part of Samudra setu mission for evacuation of Indian nationals from foreign countries. It had brought back 698 people last Sunday while another Indian navy ship INS Magar had reached Kochi on Tuesday with 202 Indian nationals.

Today’s completion of journey will conclude the Samudrasetu mission from Maldives for the time being. Indian high commission in Male has said that Air India evacuation flights are being planned to cities of New Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai and Chennai for residents of other states. The high commission said that priority would be given to those facing deportation by Maldives government, medical emergency, pregnant women, elderly, stranded tourists and people affected by family emergencies like deaths.

3 flights from UAE to arrive in India under Vande Bharat Mission today
File PicThree flights have been scheduled from the UAE under the Vande Bharat Mission today. The second phase of the Vande Bharat Mission to bring back stranded Indian nationals began yesterday and will continue till the 22nd of this month. Two flights are scheduled from Dubai to Kochi and Kannur, while one flight is scheduled from Abu Dhabi to Kochi.

Priority is being given to distressed blue collared workers, medical emergency cases, pregnant women, stranded tourists and elderly people to go back on these special flights. All passengers are being screened with the help of the UAE health authorities and those found asymptomatic will be allowed to board the flight.

Yesterday, the first flight to Kochi from Dubai carried 75 pregnant women, a significant number of medical emergency cases and distressed workers. In the second week of the Vande Bharat Mission, 18 flights have been scheduled from the UAE to various destinations in India to take back stranded citizens abroad.

Himachal Pradesh: COVID-19 safety shield installed at entrance in Kullu

In order to fight COVID 19 pandemic effectively, the Kullu district administration in Himachal Pradesh has set up COVID 19 safety shield at district main entrance Bajaura to detect any possible corona infected person from outside. Despite heavy movement of people from other districts, no cases of corona infection have been reported in the district due to the safety shield.Kullu has become the first district in the state to establish such armor to combat Coronavirus. AIR correspondent reports that the district administration has established COVID19 safety shield at the main entrance Bajaura to Check any symptomatic person.

Two transparent cabins have been built under the protective shell, one is to record the entire family of each person coming from outside the district and going out of the district by the police and from the other cabin thermal screening of drivers and passengers with safety equipment is being carried out by the health department personnel.

People coming from outside are being sent on quarantine only after thermal screening and getting travel history details. Kullu District administration has successfully implemented all the directives of the state government as a result no cases of corona infection have been reported so far in the district.

UP: Ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for next of kin of people killed in Auraiya accident approved
AIRAn ex-gratia of 2 lakh rupees each for the next of kin of those who lost their lives due to the unfortunate accident in Auraiya, Uttar Pradesh has been approved from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund. 50 thousand rupees each for the injured has also been approved.