India

New Delhi, May 14 (PTI) Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said the Delhi government will extend financial help to families which have lost their earning members to the coronavirus and also bear the cost of education and upbringing of children orphaned by the pandemic.

He also said the number of fresh COVID-19 cases has come down to around 8,500 and the positivity rate has dipped to around 12 per cent.

But the fight against the coronavirus has not ended and there is no room for leniency, the chief minister said in an online press conference.

Lucknow, May 14 (PTI) People in Uttar Pradesh celebrated Eid-al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramzan, in a subdued manner on Friday, due to COVID-19 restrictions.

With mosques closed and large congregations prohibited, Muslim families celebrated the festival with simplicity, offering namaz at home and giving away zakat (charity) to the needy.

At Lucknow's Aishbagh Eidgah, five persons offered namaz. Other mosques in the city also witnessed a similar scene due to restrictions, preventing congregational prayers.

Amaravati, May 13 (PTI) The Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday floated a global tender for procurement of Covid-19 vaccine, from foreign producers, sufficient to inoculate one crore people.

Global firms have been given time till June 3 to submit their bids, according to Principal Secretary (Health) Anil Kumar Singhal.

"Some could be single dose and some double dose vaccine.

Based on the bids, we will make the purchase (of number of doses) accordingly," Anil said.

New Delhi, May 13 (PTI) Germany, Japan, South Korea, Finland and Greece on Thursday delivered to India a large number of medical supplies as the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic continued to ravage various parts of the country.

Two aircraft carrying 100 oxygen concentrators arrived from Japan while South Korea sent 10,000 rapid testing kits, officials said.

A consignment of 30 oxygen concentrators, two ventilators and other medical equipment came from Italy.

New Delhi, May 13 (PTI) Former JNU student Umar Khalid, who was arrested in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots, has recovered from COVID-19 in Tihar jail and returned to his cell, officials said on Thursday.

A senior official said Khalid, 33, was isolated within the Tihar jail premises after he showed symptoms of COVID-19.

Mumbai, May 13 (PTI) Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope on Thursday said the Centre should bring down the prices of medicines used to treat black fungus, a serious but rare fungal infection now affecting coronavirus patients, and increase their quota for the state.

Symptoms of Mucormycosis, also known as black fungus, include headache, fever, pain under the eyes, nasal or sinus congestion and partial loss of vision.

New Delhi, May 13 (PTI) Nine-month-old Krishu, the only child to his blind parents, succumbed to COVID-19 at a Delhi government-run hospital on Thursday, while his father, battled the deadly virus at another hospital.

On Thursday evening, Jitender Singh 'Shunty', a former MLA, buried Krishu in a corner of the Old Seemapuri cremation ground.

This was the second time in two days that Singh was burying a child so young.

New Delhi, May 14 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday greeted people on Eid-ul-Fitr, and expressed the wish that the nation overcomes the COVID-19 pandemic and work towards furthering human welfare with collective efforts.

Amid the shadow of the second wave of the disease, Eid is being observed across the country.

Modi tweeted, "Best wishes on the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr. Praying for everyone's good health and well-being. Powered by our collective efforts, may we overcome the global pandemic and work towards furthering human welfare.

Amethi (UP), May 14 (PTI) The body of a 12-year-old girl was found hanging from a tree after she was allegedly raped in a village in Uttar Pradesh's Amethi, police said on Friday.

According to the family members of the minor, she had gone to graze goats on Thursday evening and did not return home.

When they searched for the girl, they found her body hanging from a tree, the family members alleged in their police complaint.

Jamo SHO Angad Singh said the body has been sent for postmortem and the matter is being probed.

Shivpuri, May 14 (PTI) A 28-year-old woman was killed allegedly by her husband and in-laws for giving birth to four girls, last of which was born just three months ago, and also over dowry in Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri district, police said on Friday.

Savitri Baghel was strangled to death allegedly by her husband Ratan Singh, his father Kilold Singh and mother Benoo Bai at their home in village Dindoli, some 80km from the district headquarters, on Thursday, Police Inspector Ramraja Tiwari said.