EC extends ban on physical rallies, roadshows till Jan 31

Healthcare workers at the Commonwealth Games village isolation centre in New Delhi on Saturday. Pic/ANI

Amid a surge in Covid-19 cases, the Election Commission of India on Saturday extended the ban on physical rallies and roadshows till January 31. But the EC has enhanced the limit of persons for door-to-door campaign from five to 10 persons. Meanwhile, the commission has permitted video vans for publicity at designated open spaces with Covid-19 restrictions.

The decision came after the ECI held a meeting earlier in the day with the Union Health Secretary and the Chief Health Secretaries of the five poll-bound states to review the ban on holding physical roadshows and rallies by political parties ahead of Assembly elections.

In view of rising Covid-19 cases in the state, the Gujarat government has imposed a night curfew in 17 more towns and extended its implementation in eight metros and two cities till January 26, informed Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Friday.

All educational institutions in Uttar Pradesh will remain closed till January 30 to prevent further spread of Covid-19 in the state. However, online classes will continue as usual, informed Additional Chief Secretary, Uttar Pradesh Avnish Kumar Awasthi.

India on Saturday reported a dip in daily infections as the country logged 3,37,704 fresh cases with a daily positivity rate of 17.22 per cent. In the last 24 hours, 488 people succumbed to the virus. A total of 10,050 cases of the Omicron variant have been detected so far.

Postmen deliver medical kits in Bihar's Gaya

Amid the surge in cases, postmen of the Gaya Head Post Office in Bihar have been delivering medical kits to Covid-19 patients under home isolation. The administration provides all details with the addresses along with medical kits. As many as 28 postmen are involved in this work and they have been working on all days without leave, Vidhan Chandra Sharma, Head Postmaster, Gaya Post Office, said.

Mobile diagnostic lab at IIT-M campus

A mobile Covid-19 diagnostic facility that can travel to areas difficult to access for conducting tests was inspected by Tamil Nadu Minister Ma. Subramanian at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras on Saturday. "The unit ‘Parakh' has been housed in a van which can be deployed in remote locations for testing samples to detect Covid-19 infection. The facility would be useful to detect outbreak in rural areas where testing facilities are immediately not available," IIT Madras said.

3,89,03,731
Total number of cases in the country as of today

4,88,884
Total no. of deaths due to the virus in India

3,63,01,482
Patients Recovered and discharged in India as of today

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