In TN, all polling stations will have VVPAT machines

The spike in COVID cases continues unabated in Bangladesh with highest ever new cases reported since Sunday. According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) latest figures released on Monday, 5181 new COVID cases were reported from the country which is the highest number since the first case was detected on March 8 last year. The country also recorded 45 deaths over the same period, taking the death toll to 8949. The positivity rate per hundred samples has also gone up to 18.38 per cent from a low of about 3 percent as on 28 February. The government announced a fresh set of health directives to control the sudden rise the COVID-19 cases. A notification was issued restricting all kinds of public gatherings. The public transport will not be allowed to carry more than 50 per cent passengers of their capacity. Inter-district transport to areas of high infection will be curtailed and suspended completely, if necessary. The government also announced a compulsory quarantine of 14 days in hotels for incoming passengers from abroad. All educational institutions will also remain closed. All government and private establishments and factories will operate with 50 per cent of their employee strength. Meetings, seminars and training must take place only through online media.Mask wearing in public places has been made mandatory. 

-Over six crore five lakh 30 thousand beneficiaries have been administered COVID-19 vaccine in the country till Monday. According to NITI Aayog member V.K. Paul said this programme will be further accelerated in near future.The Health Ministry said, in the last 24 hours 68,020 new COVID-19 cases have been reported and with this total cases have reached 1,20,39,644. Till now, one crore 13 lakh 55 thousand 9 hundred persons have recovered from COVID-19. The recovery rate is now at 94.32 per cent. In the last 24 hours, 32 thousand 231 people were discharged. The death toll in the country due to the pandemic has reached 1,61,843. The active cases in the country stand at 5,21,808. Meanwhile, Indian Council of Medical Research said total number of samples tested up to yesterday is 24,18,64,161.

-In Maharashtra, five Naxalites were killed in a clash with police in Pandongari forest in Khobramendha area of Kurkheda taluka Monday morning. All the five Naxals had a bounty of Rs 43 lakh. Among them are Bhaskar Hichami, Asmita, Amar, Sukhdev and Sujata, secretaries of the North Gadchiroli divisional committee of the Naxals. Deputy Inspector General of Police Sandeep Patil and Superintendent of Police Ankit Goyal told a press conference that the anti-Naxal operation has been underway since March 27 under the leadership of Additional Superintendent of Police Manish Kalwania. Jawans of C-60 squad of police were conducting special operations in Khobramendha area. There were also clashes that day. At that time, the police had seized a large quantity of Naxal material. This morning, a clash took place with the police in Pandongari forest in the same area. Naxalites Bhaskar Hichami, Asmita, Amar, Sukhdev and Sujata were killed.

-Tamilnadu Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo has said that VVPAT machines will be installed in all stations. Speaking to the media in Chennai, he said, 1,55,102 Electronic Voting Machines 1,14,205 Control Units and 1,20,807 VVPATS will be installed in the state. The CEO said that 89,195 government employees on poll duty will be exercising their franchise through postal ballots. He said that the flying squads had seized Rs. 319 crore worth cash, gold and silver without documents. Mr Sahoo told that ex servicemen and retired policemen will be employed on toll duty. Flying squads static surveillance team, IT department are operating in full measure.  A total amount of Rs 147 crore cash has been seized by the flying squads and the IT department. More than one lakh 89 thousand litres of liquor valued at two crores were seized by the state prohibition and excise department. Tobacco and Ganja worth more than one crore was seized by the Police authorities. Eight hundred kilograms of gold, silver and other metals worth more than Rs 150 crore was seized. More than 16 crore worth cookers, laptops and sarees which was to be given for distribution was also seized. 

-Union Shipping Minister Mansukh Mandaviya today said, the MV Ever Given has been refloated and is using it’s own engine in the Suez Canal. In a tweet, the Minister said he was informed that the traffic will get normalised in the next 4 to 5 days. Terming it as a great news for the world’s shipping and logistic industry, Mandaviya added that Indian ports are geared up to mitigate all the consequential effects.