'We should not forget the core purpose of the lockdown -- to buy time to implement a strategy to tackle the virus, to prepare for the final lifting of the lockdown and to prepare for a 'new tomorrow',' notes Dr Sanjeeth Peter.
The Union home ministry has issued strict guidelines for the enforcement of the 21-day complete nationwide lockdown in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic, invoking the National Disaster Management Act which may result in imprisonment of up to two years for any violation. All government offices, the offices of state and Union territory governments, autonomous institutions, public corporations, commercial, private, industrial establishments shall remain closed, the guidelines issued by the ministry said.
The head of the World Health Organisation said on Saturday that the UN health agency would send an international mission to China as it received a response from Beijing.
Several hundred Indian firms that manufacture or assemble Rs 10,000 crore worth of aerospace components annually for manufacturers like Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed Martin and Bell Helicopters now face disruptions relating to covid-19.
Sourdough is not only a type of bread, but also a technique.
'"We have lost our jobs, we have lost our savings, we have been beaten up for being on the streets, we have walked for a thousand kilometres, we have seen our children starve or die because nobody came to help us".' 'For such people, the relationship with the government has gone,' notes Aakar Patel.
At this point, it is crucial to think of solutions that will help flatten the curve and also generate income, says Pratyush Banerjee.
However, metro services, schools, colleges, cinema halls and salons will remain closed, the chief minister said. Wearing masks and following social distancing norms are mandatory in the city, Kejriwal said, adding that no activity will be permitted in containment zones, except for essential services.
The Covid pandemic has left a question mark on how the central government manages its staff.
Nikita Puri lists ways to keep yourself entertained during the lockdown.
Japan is preparing to host the Tokyo Summer Olympics as planned, the government's top spokesman said on Wednesday, amid speculation the Games could be postponed because of the coronavirus threat.
'If today, I have to take up a nude role, I will, if I like the script and the director.'' 'It has to affect me as a script and be meaningful.' 'It should not be to titillate the audience.'
Terming the coronavirus pandemic as a "crisis of a magnitude that we have never faced before", Mahindra group chairman Anand Mahindra on Thursday asked employees of the conglomerate to use the lockdown period to relook at their personal and professional way of life to prepare for the future and to serve the "post corona world". In a letter to the over two lakh employees of the group, Mahindra reiterated what he had suggested during the last global recession on how to use the "down time to Reboot, Reinvent and Reignite" through introspection of the way things are currently done and then doing them better.
None of the Big Tech companies or tycoons appears to be playing a meaningful role in the testing, spread, cure, or eradication of the virus or even in contact tracing so far, says Prosenjit Datta.
Tamil star Suriya's 7aum Arivu was about a virus from China sent to Chennai to wreak havoc while Kaappan was about a locust attack the hero prevents in time -- both films in a sense foresaw what was to come, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
In a video message posted on social media, the British prime minister said that he will continue to lead the United Kingdom government's response to the deadly virus, which has claimed 578 lives.
What might be useful is targeted assistance to those sectors and individuals that are disproportionately affected, suggests Mihir S Sharma.
'It is time to give back to this city that has given me so much.'
'You need to polish your skills and be prepared to be an asset in the 'new normal' work environment.' 'Access MOOCs (massive open online courses) and keep your brain razor sharp, despite not having a job offer or having your job offer rescinded.'
Urban planners and real estate experts say bad town planning in Mumbai and rising deaths during the ongoing pandemic are a "sad reality". Dev Chatterjee and Raghavendra Kamath report.
Utilise this time to gain hands-on experience on newer skills or refine current ones.
States and Union Territories have been given the powers for delineation of Red, Green and Orange Zones as per COVID-19 situation, the MHA said. All shops, except those in containment zones and malls, will be allowed to open from Monday with staggered timings during lockdown 4.0, it said.
'Online teaching requires a new set of skills to be acquired by the teacher.' 'These skills are not like foot sizes or height which can't be improved, but are like muscles which can be developed with some practice.'
India's tennis players -- both current and former -- are not just counting financial losses as they cope with the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. The closure of the Pro Tour means that doubles exponent Purav Raja is set to lose at least $50,000 in this lockdown period, according to his own assessment. Prajnesh Gunneswaran, Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and Divij Sharan can't exactly tell how much they would lose but considering the fact that they are consistently in contention to be in Grand Slam main draws, the massive financial hit is not difficult to assess.
It is time to shrug off the ideological shackles about the way we work, play and live, says Ajit Balakrishnan.
'It's really about telling women to invest in themselves, finding more space for themselves.' 'Find space for their own dreams, do something about their own potential.'
'Both India and Japan can find themselves in a win-win situation if they draw some lessons from each other's strengths,' says Dr Rajaram Panda.
Making water available is always a serious challenge in the summer for all public authorities. This year, the challenge is higher when hand-washing at every opportunity has become a necessity. So keeping potable water lines running without a glitch has become most necessary.
Thanks to technological support provided by BlinkIN, a Bengaluru-based intelligent visual-assistance company, engineers in Wuhan were able to remotely install air ventilation systems in two hospitals in Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic, reports Peerzada Abrar.
Dr M Madan Kumar, 45, shares some tips to sail through these troubled times.
'The probability of this being a suckers' rally, where all kinds of beaten down stocks have begun to rally sharply, should be a time to be cautious and circumspect.'
'Our government's claim that there are no undetected cases of infection that happened within our bustling cities because of exposure to infected international travellers are not credible,' notes Rahul Jacob.
Millions of people worldwide are having to embrace life under lockdown -- confined to their own four walls or neighbourhoods for weeks on end as countries battle to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
'In difficult times as now, the call of the village is all that these migrants can hear,' observes Vijaya Pushkarna.
All international passengers will henceforth be screened at airports, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said at a press conference. Earlier, travellers from only 12 countries were screened at airports for the disease that has claimed over 3,000 lives and infected more than 90,000 worldwide.
On his arrival, Xi will be welcomed by traditional peformances including 'tappu' folk drum art display at the airport by about 500 artistes.
Earlier, this relaxation was given to only 'de-capacitated' employees or those who are travelling.
The first Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat may believe that the water crisis is a media creation, but the photographs below suggest otherwise.
'Game Over is a nifty piece of work that recognises the durability of meaningful entertainment,' says Sukanya Verma.
'My housemate lost his father just a day after he turned 22.' 'Because of the lockdown he couldn't do anything about it.'
