SC suspends triple talaq for 6 months, asks Parliament to make a law

Noida, May 6: Not having Aarogya Setu app on smartphone while out in public in Noida or Greater Noida will be considered a violaton of lockdown rules and the person will be punished.

Action will also be taken against people going outdoors without a face mask or spitting in public places, Gautam Buddh Nagar police said, news agency reported.

Aarogya Setu is a mobile application developed by the central government to connect essential health services with the people to fight Covid-19.

The app is aimed at augmenting the initiatives of the Centre, particularly the Department of Health, in proactively reaching out to and informing the users of the app regarding risks, best practices and relevant advisories pertaining to the containment of Covid-19.

"If smartphone users do not have the 'Aarogya Setu' app installed on their mobile phones, then that will be punishable and considered a violation of the lockdown directions," Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, Law and Order, Ashutosh Dwivedi said.

The district police had on Sunday announced extending the Criminal Procedure Code section 144, which bars assembly of four or more people, till May 17, as the central government extended the nationwide lockdown by another two weeks in a bid to check the spread of the virus.

"Spitting in public places will attract punishment along with a fine. Not wearing a face mask in public places or offices will also be a punishable offence.

During the lockdown period, political, social, religious, sports gatherings as well as protest marches and rallies will remain banned across Noida and Greater Noida, the official said in the order.

"The central government has extended the lockdown till May 17 in view of the coronavirus pandemic. Gautam Buddh Nagar has been identified as 'red zone' and hotspots have been identified here. During this duration, all guidelines of the lockdown are to be followed," he said.

Gautam Buddh Nagar, which falls in the 'Red Zone', has 34 containment zones and has recorded 179 positive cases of coronavirus so far, with 102 of these patients being cured and discharged from hospitals, according to official figures.

New Delhi, Mar 21: Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Minister B. Sriramulu on Saturday informed that one more person was tested positive for the coronavirus in the state.

He said that a total of 16 persons have been tested positive for COVID-19 in the state so far.

The victim had come from Mecca and was kept in quarantine facility by the state authorities.

"For a 32-year-old man, who had just returned from a trip to Mecca has found COVID-19 positive. The infection has been confirmed. He has already been treated at an isolated ward of the hospital. Citizens must not have any sort of anxiety," tweeted Sriramulu.

Also, the news and public relations department, the Indian Red Cross Society and the Karnataka State Labour Studies Institute have invited volunteers for the programme to provide real-time information to people to avoid spreading rumours and misinformation about coronavirus.

At least four volunteers will work in four shifts per day in each taluk of the state. There are about 120 volunteers in Bengaluru city and about 3,000 Corona Warriors are expected to register from across the state. Over 400 volunteers have registered via online application on the first day.

Mangaluru, Mar 14: Following the avian flu outbreak in neighboring Kerala, authorities at Pilikula Biological Park in Moodushedde, on the outskirts of the city, have taken all precautionary measures to prevent the death of birds in the park.

Park Director H J Jayaprakash Bhandari said that "the behaviour of the birds is being monitored near open water sources on the premises'.

Though no deaths were reported in the Zoo or on lake premises, the staff continue to maintain a strict vigil on open water sources like lakes. He said the Park was being sanitized.