India lockdown diary Day 22: Assam liquor shops closed again, Gujarat CM under COVID-19 scanner, and more

Here is a curated list of striking stories that happened across the country on Day 22 of the coronavirus lockdown.




As India entered the 22nd day of the national lockdown, the Ministry of Home Affairs released a set of revised guidelines allowing activities like agriculture, Information Technology and movement of trucks from April 20 in order to “mitigate hardships to public”. This comes as the total coronavirus cases in India neared the 12,000-mark with 392 deaths.

Under the revised guidelines, the exemptions from the lockdown have also been granted to all health services, financial services, MNREGA works, public utilities, the supply of goods, e-commerce and cargo services. The government has also made face masks mandatory in public as well as work spaced and also emphasised on practising social distancing.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the country would witness a normal monsoon this year in its first long range forecast (LRF). The IMD said the onset of the southwest monsoon, which brings as much as 70 per cent of the country’s annual rainfall, over Kerala remains June 1. This comes as a relief for the agriculture sector which has taken a hit due to the nationwide lockdown.

Here is a curated list of striking stories that happened across the country on Day 22

Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani under scanner, no visitors allowed inside his official residence for one week

The Gujarat government Wednesday informed that Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was examined by two leading doctors who found him “completely healthy” with all his parameters normal. The state government, however, said that no visitor will be allowed to enter the CM’s official residence here for the next one week. CM Rupani’s health has come under scanner after he met three Congress MLAs at his official residence in person Tuesday and one of the MLAs – Imran Khedawala – tested positive later in the evening.

Woman tests positive, allegedly hangs self at Mumbai hospital

A 29-year-old woman who tested positive for Covid-19 allegedly committed suicide at Nair hospital in Mumbai on Wednesday. The police said the woman was admitted in ward number 25. She went to the washroom at around 3.45 am and hanged herself with the help of a dupatta. According to police officials, the woman is a resident of Worli and was suffering from asthma. A senior doctor from the hospital said they suspect she might have been suffering from depression.

Recovered, PGIMER nursing officer says: ‘Will treat COVID-19 patients again in a heartbeat’

A 31-year-old nursing officer from PGIMER, who contracted COVID-19 from a patient he was treating at the hospital’s emergency ward, was discharged from the hospital Wednesday after recovering from the disease. On coming out, the first thing he had to say was that he will accept a posting at the COVID-19 ward in a heartbeat after his quarantine period is over.

The nursing officer was posted at the emergency ward of PGIMER, treating a patient with symptoms of severe respiratory infection who tested positive for the disease after passing away. Since the patient was not isolated in a dedicated ward, most healthcare workers treating him including the officer were not wearing essential protective gear and at least 36 members of staff had to be quarantined due to the exposure to the infected patient.

Two Assamese children become social media stars after unique performance during lockdown

A video of two children from Assam performing a popular Assamese love song ‘Ei Hahi Bhal Lage‘ is being widely shared on social media and is winning hearts. While the girl sings the song, the boy performs on a makeshift drum kit.

The drum kit used by the boy is made up of cardboard boxes, packaging material, banana tree trunks, bamboo and a metal dish.

Lock down….ar majar Alap val laga samay….

Posted by Rupali Pranamita on Wednesday, April 8, 2020

The video starts with the girl saying, “Namaskar, we are going to do ‘timepass’ by singing”. She then begins to sing the popular song by singer and former All India Radio artiste Nasreen Halim from Dibrugarh. The lyrics were written by Hemanta Dutta.

Shah Rukh Khan to be part of global event honouring frontline healthcare workers

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan will join artistes from around the world for a virtual event to support healthcare workers who are battling it out against the coronavirus pandemic.

The actor took to Twitter on Tuesday to announce his participation in the ‘One World: Together At Home’, a virtual concert organised by the World Health Organization (WHO) and international advocacy organisation Global Citizen. Curated by pop star Lady Gaga, the concert will stream on April 18 on multiple global platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Alibaba, Amazon Prime Video, Apple.

Kerala women doctors dedicate dance performance to medical fraternity

With the total number of coronavirus cases crossing the 11,000-mark in India, healthcare workers, on the front lines of the COVID-19 battle, are working overtime to save lives. Amid the ongoing crisis, women doctors in Kerala have come up with a collaborative dance performance to stand in solidarity with the medical staff and spread a message of unity.

In a video, which has gone viral on social media, 24 women doctors of SK Hospital in Trivandrum perform at their homes on the cover version of the devotional song ‘Lokam muzhuvan sukham pakaran‘ to motivate the medical fraternity.

Two days after opening, liquor shops ordered to shut again in Assam

In view of the Consolidated Revised Guidelines and National Directives issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), all IMFL “OFF”/CS “OFF” shops, wholesale warehouses, bottling plants, distilleries and breweries in Assam are now directed to shut down, confirmed Excise Minister Parimal Suklabaidya. Since April 13, liquor shops have been open from 10 am to 5 pm, functioning with bare minimum staff. According to Suklabaidya, the shops, warehouses, factories, will now remain closed until further orders.

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