India notices consistent decline in daily average COVID cases

Union Health Ministry has said that a consistent decline in daily average COVID -19 cases is being noticed in the country. Addressing media in New Delhi on Thursday, Joint Secretary in the Health Ministry Lav Agarwal said that overall active cases are around seven lakh 90 thousand. He said, in the last week, average number of daily cases has reduced to 96 thousand. Agarwal said, the country had reported a peak of over 3,47 lakh cases on January 21this year, which is less than the previous peak of over  4,14 lakh on May 7 last year.   Agarwal said, four states Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka have more than 50 thousand active cases of COVID-19. He said, eleven states have active cases between ten thousand to 50 thousand. However, 21 states have recorded less than ten thousand active cases. The Joint Secretary said the highest number of active case of Covid 19 in the country is from Kerala which reported over 2.58 lakh.  Lav Agarwal said, a consistent decrease in daily average cases is being noted across the world. There are more than seven crore 44 lakh active cases in the world. He said, over 26 lakh average daily cases are recorded globally since last one week.

-Delhi government has instructed all its departments, autonomous local bodies and to identify suitable locations and install public electric vehicle charging stations at their premises. A subsidy of six thousand rupees per charging point is admissible for empanelled vendors. Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said government employees will be able to charge their electric vehicles (EVs) during work hours. Gahlot said, in Delhi, electric vehicle charging stations are being built speedily and these stations will now be installed in all government offices. The minister said, the general public, in addition to government employees, will also be able to charge their vehicles here .

-Wrestler Dalip Singh Rana, popularly known as 'The Great Khali', joined the BJP in Delhi ahead of the assembly election in Punjab. Mr Khali was an assistant sub-inspector with Punjab Police before he switched to professional wrestling career. Khali, expressing happiness on joining BJP, said he was influenced by the party's policy. He said that he was impressed by  PM Modi's work for the nation so he thought to be a part of his governance for the nation's development. Punjab will go to the polls on February 20 and the counting of votes will take place on March 10.

-In Tripura, after decades of waiting, internally displaced Bru people in Tripura have started to live in their permanent houses constructed under the quadripartite Bru resettlement pact signed in the year 2020. Manas Dev, Officer on Special Duty for Tripura Bru rehabilitation and relief project  said that as per the official data, about 1,000 houses have been constructed and beneficiaries have already started residing there while the financial benefits like Rs 4 lakh fixed deposit, Rs 5,000 financial assistance have also started. He also informed that right now, both phase one and two of the resettlement process are running abreast and preparations for the third phase are afoot in a war footing. According to the final census conducted prior to the beginning of the resettlement process, the total number of families residing in the Bru camps stands at 6,959 which accounts for a total population of 37,136. It may be mentioned that the Brus fled away from Mizoram in the year 1997 fearing ethnic clashes that broke out in the Bru dominated regions. Since then they were sheltered in six Bru camps located under the North Tripura district. Ending the 23 years long imbroglio, the Government of India announced Rs 600 crore rehabilitation projects for them and the Tripura government extended its arms to give permanent settlement to the ill-fated Brus.

-In Tamil Nadu, nine fishermen released by the Srilankan Navy after 59 days in prison, reached Chennai Thursday. The fishermen belonging to Pudukottai, Nagapattinam and Rameswaram were arrested for trespassing Srilankan waters last December.They were part of the group of 54 fishermen who were released earlier. These fishermen had tested positive for Covid 19 and hence there was a delay in their release. Since they had no passport the Indian High Commission in Srilanka took efforts to send them home by giving an emergency proof certificate. The State Government had arranged transport for all the fishermen back to their homes.