Parle Biscuits, will donate one crore Parle G biscuit packest every week during the current lockdown. Parle, in this unprecedented time of national crisis, is ready to join hands with the Government of India and play a part in easing the difficulty of those who have lost their daily income, a statement issued by the biscuit and confectionary manufacturer said.

The Parle G biscuits will be released through state depots for free over a period of three weeks and company officials are working closely with the government on the most effective distribution channels, the statement said.

This initiative is a continuation of the rich legacy of Parle G in service of the nation, as an essential source of energy during wartime and natural calamities, earning it the moniker of Bharat Ka Apna Biscuit. Parle G biscuits were made widely available during floods in Kerala, Chennai and Maharashtra. Parle G biscuits for many decades have also been the go-to energy snack for the Indian armed forces be it while manning our borders or when engaged in combat situations such as Kargil War.

Mayank Shah, Sr. Category Head at Parle Biscuits, said, “‘In service of the nation” has been a part of our DNA and Parle G is a very special product that has provided comfort to generations of Indians at various times of national distress. In light of COVID-19 and its devastating economic impact on daily wagers, we have taken a call to provide Parle G packs pan-India through various state distribution channels. We see this as a natural response to the prevailing situation and in line with what Parle-G stands for in the hearts and minds of Indians all over the world.”

Since 1929, Parle has grown to become India’s leading manufacturer of biscuits and confectionery. As the makers of the world’s largest selling biscuit, Parle-G, and a host of other very popular brands, the Parle name symbolizes quality, nutrition, and superior taste.

To combat the Covid-19 pandemic, the World Health Organisation (WHO) insists that widescale “testing, testing, and testing” is the key as early diagnosis may help save lives. Aligning with the call of WHO, the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) is working overtime on the development of cost-effective and accurate diagnostic kits for wide distribution.

“We are helping our incubating companies; they have come out with ideas and we are supporting them. We are testing and validating the diagnostic kits proposed by them. We may come up with some good kits and it may take at least 2-3 weeks if everything goes well. The quality and accuracy of the kits are the most important things. If the kits give 100 percent results, then only they will be approved,” said Dr R K Mishra, Director, CCMB. 

The organization is also keeping in mind the cost. “Our estimate is that the test should be less than 1000 rupees. We are also thinking of kits which are as cheap as 400-500 rupees, but at present, we cannot assure that, as it is a different route and all this needs more standardisation” told Dr Mishra. 

Further, CCMB is also planning to culture the covid-19 virus. Dr Mishra said that the institution has facilities for this and they have got the approvals from the government too, they are yet to receive samples and kits to initiate the culture. “In the meantime, our facilities are set and we are actually training people who are going for the testing in other recognised places in the city” he said.  There are 5 government-designated testing centres in Telangana state. CCMB has trained 25 people so that they can go and do the testing in these centres.

Some of the labs where the COVID-19 testing will be done include Nizam’s Institute Of Medical Sciences (NIMS) Hyderabad, Gandhi Hospital, Osmania General Hospital, Sir Ronald Ross Institute of Tropical and Communicable Diseases or the Fever Hospital and the Warangal Hospital. The Centre for DNA Finger Printing and Diagnostics (CDFD) is also likely to be added to this group.

Vaccine and drug development are other aspects of fighting the virus. But as of now, CCMB is neither working on the vaccine nor on the drug development. “We have no expertise for working on this. However, when the virus is being cultured, we will try to set up a system as it can be used for screening” said Dr Mishra. He told that may be CCMB’s sister organization Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) is working for the repurposing of drugs as making a new drug is a long-term process. (India Science Wire)

A new modeling study conducted in a simulated Singapore setting has estimated that a combined approach of physical distancing interventions, comprising quarantine (for infected individuals and their families), school closure, and workplace distancing, is most effective at reducing the number of SARS-CoV-2 cases compared with other intervention scenarios included in the study.

While less effective than the combined approach, quarantine plus workplace measures presented the next best option for reducing SARS-CoV-2 cases, followed by quarantine plus school closure, and then quarantine only. All intervention scenarios were more effective at reducing cases than no intervention.

The study, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal, is the first of its kind to investigate using these options for early intervention in Singapore using simulation. Despite heightened surveillance and isolation of individuals suspected to have COVID-19 and confirmed cases, the risk is ongoing, with the number of cases continuing to increase in Singapore. Schools have not been closed, and workplace distancing is recommended, but it is not national policy [correct as of 23.03.2020].

The study found that the combined approach could prevent a national outbreak at relatively low levels of infectivity (basic reproductivity value (R0) = 1.5), but at higher infectivity scenarios (R0 = 2.0 (considered moderate and likely) and R0 = 2.5 (considered high)), outbreak prevention becomes considerably more challenging because although effective at reducing infections, transmission events still occur.

Dr. Alex R Cook, National University of Singapore, said: “Should local containment measures, such as preventing disease spread through contact tracing efforts and, more recently, not permitting short-term visitors, be unsuccessful, the results of this study provide policymakers in Singapore and other countries with evidence to begin the implementation of enhanced outbreak control measures that could mitigate or reduce local transmission rates if deployed effectively and in a timely manner.” [3]

To assess the potential impact of interventions on outbreak size, should local containment fail, authors developed an individual-based influenza epidemic simulation model, which accounted for demography, individual movement, and social contact rates in workplaces, schools, and homes, to estimate the likelihood of human-to-human transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Model parameters included how infectious an individual is over time, the proportion of the population assumed to be asymptomatic (7.5%), the cumulative distribution function for the mean incubation period (with the virus that causes SARS and the virus that causes COVID-19having the same mean incubation period of 5.3 days), and the duration of hospital stay after symptom onset (3.5 days).

Using this model, authors estimated the cumulative number of SARS-CoV-2 infections at 80 days, after detection of 100 cases of community transmission. Three values for the basic reproduction number (R0) were chosen for the infectiousness parameter, including relatively low (R0=1.5), moderate and likely (R0=2.0), and high transmissibility (R0=2.5). The basic reproduction numbers were selected based on analyses of data from people with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China [1].

In addition to a baseline scenario, which included no interventions, four intervention scenarios were proposed for implementation after failure of local containment: 1) isolation of infected individuals and quarantine of their family members (quarantine); 2) quarantine plus immediate school closure for 2 weeks; 3) quarantine plus immediate workplace distancing, in which 50% of the workforce is encouraged to work from home for 2 weeks; 4) a combination of quarantine, immediate school closure, and workplace distancing. These interventions follow some policy options currently being undertaken (quarantine and some workforce distancing) by the Singaporean Ministry of Health, as standard interventions for respiratory virus control.

For the baseline scenario, when R0 was 1.5, the median cumulative number of infections at day 80 [4] was 279,000, corresponding to 7.4% of the resident population of Singapore. The median number of infections increased with higher infectivity: 727,000 cases when R0 was 2.0, corresponding to 19.3% of the Singaporean population, and 1,207,000 cases when R0 was 2.5, corresponding to 32% of the Singaporean population.

Compared with the baseline scenario, the combined intervention was the most effective, reducing the estimated median number of infections by 99.3% when R0 was 1.5 (resulting in an estimated 1,800 cases). However, at higher infectivity scenarios, outbreak prevention becomes considerably more challenging. For the combined approach scenario, a median of 50,000 cases were estimated at R0 of 2.0 (a reduction of 93.0% compared to baseline) and 258,000 cases at R0 of 2.5 (a reduction of 78.2% compared to baseline).

Authors also explored the potential impact if the proportion of asymptomatic cases in the population was greater than 7.5% (the proportion of people who are able to transmit despite having no or mild symptoms). Even at a low infectivity (when the R0 was 1.5 or lower), a high asymptomatic proportion presents challenges. Assuming increasing asymptomatic proportions up to 50·0%, up to 277,000 infections were estimated to occur at day 80 with the combined intervention, relative to 1,800 for the baseline at R0 = 1.5.

Dr Alex R Cook added: “If the preventive effect of these interventions reduces considerably due to
higher asymptomatic proportions, more pressure will be placed on the quarantining and treatment of infected individuals, which could become unfeasible when the number of infected individuals exceeds the capacity of health-care facilities. At higher asymptomatic rates, public education and case management become increasingly important, with a need to develop vaccines and existing drug therapies.” [3]

The authors note several limitations in their study, including dated census population data, impact of migrant movement, the impact of seeding of imported cases (transmissions originating from outside of Singapore) the dynamics of contact patterns between individuals, and other unforeseen factors. Of note, epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 remain uncertain in terms of the transmission and infectivity profile of the virus; therefore, estimates of the time between symptom onset and admission to hospital, how infectious an individual is over time, and the asymptomatic rate were based on SARS-CoV.

Writing in a linked Comment, Joseph A Lewnard, University of California, Berkeley, USA, and Nathan C Lo, University of California, San Francisco, USA, say: “Although the scientific basis for these interventions  might be robust, ethical considerations are multifaceted. Importantly, political leaders must enact quarantine and social-distancing policies that do not bias against any population group. The legacies of social and economic injustices perpetrated in the name of public health have lasting repercussions. Interventions might pose risks of reduced income and even job loss, disproportionately affecting the most disadvantaged populations: policies to lessen such risks are urgently needed. Special attention should be given to protections for vulnerable populations, such as homeless, incarcerated, older, or disabled individuals, and undocumented migrants. Similarly, exceptions might be necessary for certain groups, including people who are reliant on ongoing medical treatment.”

COVID-19 virus can be transmitted in areas with hot and humid climates

From the evidence so far, the COVID-19 virus can be transmitted in ALL AREAS, including areas with hot and humid weather. Regardless of climate, adopt protective measures if you live in, or travel to an area reporting COVID-19. The best way to protect yourself against COVID-19 is by frequently cleaning your hands. By doing this you eliminate viruses that may be on your hands and avoid infection that could occur by then touching your eyes, mouth, and nose.

Cold weather and snow CANNOT kill the new coronavirus.

There is no reason to believe that cold weather can kill new coronavirus or other diseases. The normal human body temperature remains around 36.5°C to 37°C, regardless of the external temperature or weather. The most effective way to protect yourself against the new coronavirus is by frequently cleaning your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or washing them with soap and water.

Taking a hot bath does not prevent the new coronavirus disease

Taking a hot bath will not prevent you from catching COVID-19. Your normal body temperature remains around 36.5°C to 37°C, regardless of the temperature of your bath or shower. Actually, taking a hot bath with extremely hot water can be harmful, as it can burn you. The best way to protect yourself against COVID-19 is by frequently cleaning your hands. By doing this you eliminate viruses that may be on your hands and avoid infection that could occur by then touching your eyes, mouth, and nose.

The new coronavirus CANNOT be transmitted through mosquito bites.

To date there has been no information nor evidence to suggest that the new coronavirus could be transmitted by mosquitoes. The new coronavirus is a respiratory virus which spreads primarily through droplets generated when an infected person coughs or sneezes, or through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose. To protect yourself, clean your hands frequently with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Also, avoid close contact with anyone who is coughing and sneezing.

Are hand dryers effective in killing the new coronavirus?

No. Hand dryers are not effective in killing the 2019-nCoV. To protect yourself against the new coronavirus, you should frequently clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Once your hands are cleaned, you should dry them thoroughly by using paper towels or a warm air dryer.

Can an ultraviolet disinfection lamp kill the new coronavirus?

UV lamps should not be used to sterilize hands or other areas of skin as UV radiation can cause skin irritation.

How effective are thermal scanners in detecting people infected with the new coronavirus?

Thermal scanners are effective in detecting people who have developed a fever (i.e. have a higher than normal body temperature) because of infection with the new coronavirus.

However, they cannot detect people who are infected but are not yet sick with fever. This is because it takes between 2 and 10 days before people who are infected become sick and develop a fever.

Can spraying alcohol or chlorine all over your body kill the new coronavirus?

No. Spraying alcohol or chlorine all over your body will not kill viruses that have already entered your body. Spraying such substances can be harmful to clothes or mucous membranes (i.e. eyes, mouth). Be aware that both alcohol and chlorine can be useful to disinfect surfaces, but they need to be used under appropriate recommendations.

Do vaccines against pneumonia protect you against the new coronavirus?

No. Vaccines against pneumonia, such as pneumococcal vaccine and Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib) vaccine, do not provide protection against the new coronavirus.

The virus is so new and different that it needs its own vaccine. Researchers are trying to develop a vaccine against 2019-nCoV, and WHO is supporting their efforts.

Although these vaccines are not effective against 2019-nCoV, vaccination against respiratory illnesses is highly recommended to protect your health.

Can regularly rinsing your nose with saline help prevent infection with the new coronavirus?

No. There is no evidence that regularly rinsing the nose with saline has protected people from infection with the new coronavirus. 

There is some limited evidence that regularly rinsing nose with saline can help people recover more quickly from the common cold. However, regularly rinsing the nose has not been shown to prevent respiratory infections.

Can eating garlic help prevent infection with the new coronavirus?

Garlic is a healthy food that may have some antimicrobial properties. However, there is no evidence from the current outbreak that eating garlic has protected people from the new coronavirus.

Does the new coronavirus affect older people, or are younger people also susceptible?

People of all ages can be infected by the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Older people, and people with pre-existing medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease) appear to be more vulnerable to becoming severely ill with the virus. 

WHO advises people of all ages to take steps to protect themselves from the virus, for example by following good hand hygiene and good respiratory hygiene.

Are antibiotics effective in preventing and treating the new coronavirus?

No, antibiotics do not work against viruses, only bacteria.

The new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is a virus and, therefore, antibiotics should not be used as a means of prevention or treatment.

However, if you are hospitalized for the 2019-nCoV, you may receive antibiotics because bacterial co-infection is possible.

Are there any specific medicines to prevent or treat the new coronavirus?

To date, there is no specific medicine recommended to prevent or treat the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV).

However, those infected with the virus should receive appropriate care to relieve and treat symptoms, and those with severe illness should receive optimized supportive care. Some specific treatments are under investigation and will be tested through clinical trials. WHO is helping to accelerate research and development efforts with a range or partners.

Reference – https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/myth-busters

Coronavirus occurrence is proving to be harmful to the globe with international cases reaching 171,112 with price crossing six,526.

Continuous funds square measure being raised by the United Nations and United Nations agency to facilitate the analysis for vaccines against this novel virus.

The scientific communities across the globe have galvanized to search out an answer for this pandemic.

The unfolding of this virus is ever-changing by the day and even by the hour.

It’s a worldwide emergency and threatening lives moreover as a business all across the globe.

Following are the parts where technology is helping to fight this deadly disease:

“AI-powered systems square measure being developed for the detection of those diseases with a lot of accuracies. Alibaba has recently claimed to develop a replacement AI system that may find coronavirus in CT scans of patients with a ninety-six accuracy rate as compared to virus infection cases. It guarantees a lot of accuracy and cuts down the time needed for detection to solely twenty seconds. this is often a revolutionary improvement since different ways take around 15–20mins for analysis of CT scans.” – Oliver Smith, Editor, The Capital Mag.

Other than this regarding the state of Work-From-Home over the globe, this is the things were people in the SAAS industry can leverage:

“It’s great to see the growth graph of a startup used for remote work. That’s a nice curve, I thought. Then I realized the scale on the x-axis was days. People getting into a startup has a huge chance where they are been imposed on the beta phase of ultimate validation, If you can think of something new you can do that person need now, it may not only help you scrape by, but will also help all those people.” – Mahesh Jadhav, CEO, Brackets Infinity

“Social distancing isn’t too hard for me to do personally as I don’t mind being in the comfort of my own home but as a parent of a social five-year-old, I know the difficult time will arrive depending on how long we need to stay indoors. This got me thinking about how people interact socially. Before this pandemic, I would notice people constantly using their technology devices and not interact with people right in front of them. Now here we are in a state of emergency and people are craving the need to interact in person. Irony at its finest if you ask me.” – Melanie Braga, Editor, The Baby Spot

It may seem like an inconvenience and yes this will impact the economy but it will save lives. So let us stay calm, show compassion, be kind and we will get through this together.

To protect yourself from the Corvid-19 virus, there are steps that you can do and if we all do them we will be on the right path.

If clothing makes a statement, then Eli Zied’s line is all about encouraging people to be their role models. The founder and CEO of Habits 365, is busy these days, growing his business and speaking at engagements about how he turned his brand from a hobby to a full-time job. The whole idea, he said, is to show how exciting it is to start something new. “To give an idea. 

Habits 365 was created in August 2017 by Eli and Spencer Zied. Eli, now a 17-year old senior in high school, and Spencer, a 20-year old junior in college, wanted to create a brand that spoke to people on a personal level about how to achieve success. The name Habits 365 springs from the brand’s mission to encourage positive habits. The founders aim to encourage wearers to stick with the daily activities that will help them reach their goals.

While designing his clothing, Eli and his brother Spencer Zied focused on producing something with a positive message to help people realize their full potential. And Habits 365 was born. The brothers went into business by putting up a simple Wix website connected to Shopify to sell the shirts, posted flyers to advertise the business, and texted friends to let them know about it. Recently, they starting to use paid Facebook and Instagram ads to spread the word.

Habits mean an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed, you have to have positive thoughts and intentions. I wanted to create something that would help people be more positive and realize their full potential, go for what they want in life and dream big,” Eli said.

The product line has grown to include a wide line of clothing, from hoodies to shirts, sweaters, and jackets, as well as accessories like hats, the brand is geared towards encouraging people to do their best.

The inspiration, he said, comes from his own life experiences “No matter what your limitations, you can achieve anything you want if you believe in yourself.” Despite his success, he never expected to become an entrepreneur, even when Eli started selling his clothing line while studying.

Becoming a social media influencer, CEO, and global influence was a process for Marko Danial. It did not take just one Instagram account made on a whim. But it did take one man’s determination to make his passion become the fruits of his labor. 

This is the story of Marko Danial, aka Pharaoic. 

Marko Danial, also popularly known as Pharaoic by his large following and social media network, has become the emerging social media star that not many can say they saw coming. Danial is a man with a million ways to successful digital marketing. 

When we asked how it all started, Pharaoic simply said, “A while back, I decided to start a sports account so that I could become more knowledgeable about sports,” Pharaoic said. “One day, I made a video about Kobe Bryant, and it went viral. From there, I continued to grow, and I then decided to start my own company, Spzrts” Pharaoic continued.

From a viral video, Danial led onto having many more and building a loyal following that engages with his content. Danial interacts with his audience as they have become his network for a business that he utilized to help make his client’s social media catalog globally. 

Generally, people undermine the strength of social media when it comes to serious business development. Marko created his own path by developing connections within social media platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and, more broadly, Instagram. He would build relationships all over the globe that would allow his audience to reach to grow higher and enable his influence to reach more volumes. 

However, he took it another step further, “I eventually created my own website, started making clothing designs and later on expanded my company into marketing,” Pharaoic said. “I run a few accounts for many of my clients, which includes many athletes and sports companies.”

He refers to his company as “one that was built on nothing but determination, smart-planning, and hard work.” His company, Spzrts, is a sports-based company that assists with anything in relation to it, from helping athletes grow across the globe to making athletic gear for many to sport at an affordable price.

Danial had developed into being a fanatic about sports following his move to the United States. From a foreign youth, he would become a young man who engages in everything related to sports and social media influencing. Pharaoic has made a long road for himself seemingly shorter than usual because of his unique approach to obstacles and adversity. 

While giving a glimpse of how he propelled through the many difficulties that came his way, Danial said, “For me, time management was the big struggle. It is sometimes hard for me to keep up with social media and study. I end up losing followers when I become inactive. But after a while, I was able to find a level of consistency to remain up to speed on all of my accounts. Now that I am a college student, I keep up with my social media whenever I have the time.”

As time management became an issue for Pharaoic, he developed vital methods to overcome that obstacle and motivates his following not to avoid the difficulties but embrace them. 

More times than not, you will see many who struggle to grow authentically on many of these social media platforms. Marko Danial has not fully vested himself into that as his main goal was to become more knowledgeable and produce content he hoped many would enjoy.

While his social media sees daily growth and incline, he still has a life that overshadows and imposes difficulty on him. Primarily, it strains Pharaoic socially being a college student and having the obligation of socializing and building a network of people that look to him for assistance and leadership. But while they look to him for that, Danial looks for new ways to improve and depict his future.

“I want to inspire and motivate people and show that anything is possible. Since I’m currently majoring in engineering, the ultimate goal is to be able to expand Spzrts, later on, and to be able to come up with new inventions and methods to help athletes.” 

Marko is a prime example of determination overpowering fear. His desire to motivate and influence is one many can aspire to be similar to him when speaking on aspects of his characteristics. 

To close out, we asked what he would say to someone struggling and hoping to be on the same path as him, “Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something, you can achieve anything as long as you work hard for it and never give up.”

When he started working for himself in 2009, He didn’t consider himself an entrepreneur; he thought of himself as someone who wanted to pursue his passion in his terms.

Freelancing is a common occupation today as compared to back in days. It was a tough decision when you are dropping your studies at that small age to become a full-time remote worker.

Aman was a data entry specialist and web developer until 2014 when he met a music director Ramandeep Singh known as Sound Shikari on Facebook. Ramandeep shared music distribution challenges for an Indie artist in India and Aman came up with an idea of starting his own music distribution company called Trendy Beat Network.

It took him 6 months to understand the complexity and about the digital rights management system. He started working with major record labels in the Punjab region which gives him exposure to the round zero situation and challenges. Not only the distribution but content piracy is making a huge loss to the right owners, which leads him to add Anti-Piracy services.

In May 2017, Aman started a subsidiary FMD Media which allows indie users to upload content directly. It was an instant hit and become very popular in India but there was a con, it does not allow instant registration. In mid-2019, Easy Distro was introduced. It is the only distribution service that pays 96% revenue while no setup or per release cost. The company now serves over 4100 clients in 190+ countries, which raised the status of the company from a distributor to an aggregator.

For 2020, the plans are even bigger and Aman is working on a custom web application that is designed for sub-distributors and allows them to use the services as a white label.

Aman also worked as a producer in Yeh Zindagi (Single Audio) by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan & Sahir Ali Bagga. He limited his Anti-Piracy service to some selected clients including Diljit Dosanjh for El-Sueno, SK Films for movie Race 3.

Being nominated to numerous awards, Aman grabbed position on Top 100 in Asia (2017) by Red Herring Inc, Startup of the Year by Golden Globe Awards.

Going from freelancer to entrepreneur can be a natural shift if you are prepared and approach it thoughtfully. While it may be scary at first, the magic happens outside of your comfort zone.

Within hours of the World Health Organisation (WHO) declaring the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) a global pandemic, the Delhi government declared the closure of all schools, colleges and cinema halls in the Capital till March 31 as a measure to counter the coronavirus.
All existing visas (except diplomatic, official, UN/International Organizations, employment, project visas) stand suspended till 15th April 2020. This will come into effect from midnight of 13th March 2020 at the port of departure. Visa-free travel facility granted to OCI card holders is kept in abeyance till 15th April 2020. OCI card holders already in India can stay in India as long as they want.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that the Delhi government had shut the primary schools earlier this month, the secondary classes were left open in view of the exams. “All cinema halls to remain shut in Delhi till 31st March. Schools and colleges where exams are not being held will also remain closed,” he said.  Delhi has also declared coronavirus as an epidemic.
The Delhi government’s move came as the number of people affected by coronavirus in the country rose to 73, Kerala had the most cases — 17. Several states, including Kerala, have also shut educational institutions and crowded places like cinema halls.
In Maharashtra, where 10 cases have been reported, the government has banned ticket sales for the 2020 Indian Premier League opener between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings. The match was to be held on March 29.
With over 118,000 coronavirus cases sweeping across 114 countries of the world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is constantly monitoring and reviewing the situation with the top officials of the concerned Ministries/Departments and States/UTs.
An official spokesperson said India’s response was initiated on 8th January, much before WHO declared COVID-19 as a public health emergency on 30th Jan, 2020. States were directed for health sector preparedness on 17th Jan, 2020. Same day, point of entry surveillance was also initiated.
Various measures have been taken by the Central Ministries along with States/UTs in terms of strengthened community surveillance, quarantine facilities, isolation wards, adequate PPEs, trained manpower, rapid response teams for management of COVID-19. Screening at airports was started on 17th January at 3 airports (Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata) which was extended to 4 more airports (Chennai, Cochin, Bengaluru, Hyderabad) on 21st Jan, 2020 and subsequently extended to 30 airports. All incoming passengers are being universally screened at the 30 airports. Similarly, screening was initiated for vessels arriving at 12 major ports and 65 non-major ports, an official statement said.
So far, India has evacuated 900 Indian citizens along with 48 belonging to other nationalities like Maldives, Myanmar, Bangladesh, China, US, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Nepal, South Africa and Peru.
In addition, 83 evacuees from Italy who arrived yesterday have been housed at Manesar facility for quarantine. All patients in the hospitals are being treated and reported to be stable.
On the directions of the Prime Minister, a high-level Group of Ministers was constituted to continuously monitor the situation and evaluate preparedness and formulate measures regarding management of COVID-19 in the country. The GoM has met 6 times so far, guiding, reviewing and monitoring the situation.
In view of the rapidly evolving situation, two meetings of the GoM were held yesterday. The GoM deliberated on various precautionary measures which may be considered in the interest of the citizens of India. Based on the recommendations of the Committee of Secretaries chaired by Cabinet Secretary, the GoM made some important decisions last evening which are as follows:
Meanwhile, visas of all foreigners already in India remain valid and they may contact the nearest FRRO/FRO through e-FRRO module for extension/conversion etc. of their visa or grant of any consular service, if they choose to do so.
Any foreign national who intends to travel to India for compelling reason may contact the nearest Indian Mission.
In addition to Visa restrictions already in place, passengers traveling from /having visited Italy or Republic of Korea and desirous of entering India will need certificate of having tested negative for COVID-19 from the designated laboratories authorized by the health authorities of these countries.
All incoming travellers, including Indian nationals, arriving from or having visited China, Italy, Iran, Republic of Korea, France, Spain and Germany after 15th February, 2020 shall be quarantined for a minimum period of 14 days.
Incoming travellers, including Indian nationals, are advised to avoid non-essential travel and are informed that they can be quarantined for a minimum of 14 days on their arrival in India.
Indian nationals are further strongly advised to refrain from travelling to China, Italy, Iran, Republic of Korea, France, Spain and Germany.
All incoming international passengers returning to India should self- monitor their health and follow required do’s and don’ts as detailed by the Government.
International traffic through land borders will be restricted to designated check posts with robust screening facilities. These will be notified separately by M/o Home Affairs.
All international Passengers entering into India are required to furnish duly filled self-declaration form in duplicate (including personal particulars i.e. phone no. and address in India) to Health Officials and Immigration officials and undergo Universal Health Screening at the designated health counters at all Points of Entry.
As of now, 73 cases are confirmed for COVID-19. Three of these cases from Kerala have recovered and been discharged.

Mr. Anterleen Singh Vohra was just 17 years old when he started working with his father, Mr. Rajwant Singh Vohra (MD, Fateh TV) in his TV entertainment business. Today, 23-years-old, he is now the CEO of Fateh TV and is using all his knowledge and expertise to upgrade the experience of television entertainment, one step ahead!

During these years, he kept applying all his latest knowledge and understanding as an intern to the business. That is why, at a very early age, he started managing all his family business and is now grabbing eyeballs for the work he is doing through Fateh TV.

He did his schooling from Sacred Heart Convent School, Ludhiana, and pursued Bachelor of Commerce while helping his father in his business side by side. However, he felt that he needed more international exposure and expertise in the finance field to flourish his business. So he decided to continue his further studies from the Queen Mary University of London and he did Masters in Finance. This international experience broadened his vision for the channel.

After finishing his higher studies, Anterleen is all set to expand his dad’s business on a global level. He is now able to handle the diversified family business and deal with the requirements of sectors like Cable Network, Hotel industry, and Television industry. Since he believed in quality over quantity of content, Anterleen Singh was instrumental in launching young-centric concepts like Raag Rattan (Music competition), Gatka Competition, Gursikh Stars to the channel. These shows not only targeted the young audience but also helped to inculcate the Sikhi values and sense of pride for Sikhism in them.

In this year Anterleen Singh is all set to launch two new channels for the audience, details of which will be released soon., 

The kind of work this young man is doing in the world of television entertainment is sure to set Fateh TV on the right path for the future.