Ambulance ferries liquor, belly dancers perform at govt medical college in Yogi's UP

New Delhi, May 8: After deadly styrene gas leak in Visakhapatnam, Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister D V Sadananda Gowda urged all public and private chemical makers to exercise caution and care while reopening their plants.

Union Environment Ministry and State Pollution Control Boards have also issued separate directives to all companies to take extreme precaution while restarting their units that remained suspended due to the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the country, he said.

There was a gas leak from LG Polymers plant at Visakhapatnam in the early hours on Thursday, causing 10 deaths and hundreds of people getting hospitalised.

"LG Polymers does not come under direct control of our ministry. However, we have asked all public and private chemicals manufacturers to exercise caution and care while reopening their plants," Gowda told PTI.

The minister said his officers are coordinating with the Andhra Pradesh government.

He further said LG Polymers, a multinational chemical company, had kept its unit ready for reopening after one and half month of lockdown. The unit started leaking at around 3.40 am on Thursday due to pressure.

"The toxic gas leak has affected both people and animals. Around 850 people have been hospitalised," Gowda said, adding that measures have been taken to control the situation at the plant site and final updates are awaited.

At present, Indian chemicals market size is about USD 163 billion, which is only three per cent of the global chemical industry of USD 5 trillion, as per the official data.

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 31: The Kerala government

on Tuesday rejected concerns of community spread of novel coronavirus in the state in the wake of the second death of a patient here who had no travel history or reported contact with any infected person.

Setting aside the concern, Health Minister K K Shylaja said the deceased man, a native of nearby Pothancode, was already suffering from several other health issues including high blood pressure.

The 68-yearold man died at the government medical college here, taking the total number of COVID-19 deaths in Kerala to two, the government said.

"We have got information that the deceased man had come in contact with some persons arrived from the Gulf. As he was very sick and was not in a position to speak, we could not collect details from him directly," she told reporters here.

"So we had to collect such details from his relatives now. As per preliminary assessment, it was a case of contact spread. So, as of now, there is no need to get panic about the community spread," she said

The possibility of death was high among patients, aged above 60 years and suffering from other diseases like heart ailments or diabetics, she said.

"That's why we are giving strict directions to the elderly people to remain in homes and avoid contact with infected persons, " the minister said.

However, the minister directed those came in contact with the deceased person to remain in self-quarantine and inform the authorities if they developed any infection symptoms.

In both the coronavirus deaths in the state, the deceased persons were aged and were suffering from other diseases, she added.

Bengaluru, Jun 6: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Saturday said hotels and restaurants would be allowed to re-open, but the precautionary measures laid down by the Centre against coronavirus were mandatory.

The Chief Minister on Friday held a meeting with the tourism and transport department, also stakeholders, regarding revival of tourism in the state.

Hotels associations and transport companies have said they would follow the guidelines issued by the government, an official press release said here.

The Karnataka government had said it would go by the Centre's direction on opening religious places of worship, shopping malls, hotels, restaurants and other hospitality services on June 8.

Buses, hotels and taxi owners association placed some demands at the meeting, the release said, adding that Yediyurappa informed them that he would examine their demands and take appropriate decisions.

The Chief Minister also released a handout regarding the guidelines that need to be followed as the tourism department is opening hotels, guest houses and tourist destinations.

Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi, Tourism Minister C T Ravi and senior officials of the department participated in the meeting.

The government had, on Thursday, said safaris, trekking, jungle lodges and resorts in areas that fall outside the COVID-19 containment zones can re-open provided they adhere to social distancing, hygiene as issued by the governments.