Surgical strikes: Now this Parrikar gives credit to RSS

The rapid spread of COVID-19 across the globe has thrown movement of lakhs of travelers off gear. This has not only impacted pleasure trips of tourists but also business travel resulting in monetary losses worth millions.

In wake of numerous advisories against travel, the travel industry, particularly the aviation sector, has also get badly impacted. Not only traffic on their once popular routes have plummeted but several have to cancel flights to destinations in China and few other South and East Asian countries to prevent becoming carrier of the contagious virus.

According to MakeMyTrip flight bookings for Southeast Asian countries have been significantly impacted but sectors in But US and Europe are only seeing a marginal dip.

More than 95,000 people in 86 countries have been infected with the virus and more than 3,200 people have died. In India so far 31 persons have tested positive for the virus.

So the situation across the globe remains grim with only positives coming from China where fresh infections of COVID-19 has reduced. But does that make travel safer? And what if you still need to travel...are there enough flights available or whether the ticket you procured protects against any unforeseen cancellations?

Here is the situation as it exists :

International flights by domestic carriers:

*Air India and Indigo that run long haul flights have cancelled their flights to Hong Kong and Shanghai and the restrictions may well run into June

*SpicejJet has cancelled Delhi Hong Kong flights till March 28

*Vistara Airlines has cancelled around 54 flights to and from Bangkok and Singapore.

*GoAir suspends flight operations to Dammam, Saudi Arabia after an advisory issued by the Saudi government to not allow non-Saudi residents to enter. It has also suspended flights to Thailand

International flights by global airlines:

*Almost all major airlines operating out of India have suspended flights to China, Korea, Iran, Italy and some to Japan.

*European and American connections provide by airlines such as Lufthansa, KLM, United Airlines from India continues

*JAL is still operating its service to Japan from India

*United, Air Canada, JetBlue, Alaska, American Airlines, Delta, Brutus Airways have suspended flights to China and reduced operations in countries with high Coronavirus infections such as Italy

Domestic airlines:

There have been no restrictions on domestic travel, so far.

What advisories have been issued by authorities that can affect your travel plan :

*From March 9 midnight all air travellers having visited or arriving from Italy and South Korea will require to submit a certificate of having tested nagative from health authorities -designated lab in their countries for Coronavirus at the departure.

*India has also suspended most visas issued to nationals of Japan, South Korea, Italy, Iran and China, as well as suspending visas of any travellers who had been to those five countries since February.

*It has now been decided that all incoming international passengers must declare their travel history to health and immigrations officials at India's airports.

*Arrivals from DGCA list of 12 countries undergo thermal screening, passengers with high temperature taken to quantantine

*Screening to be carried out at 21 airports across the country

*Regular (sticker) visa/e-visa granted to nationals of People's Republic of China, issued on or before February 5, 2020 were suspended earlier. It shall remain in force.

*Those needing to travel to India under compelling circumstances may apply for fresh visa to the nearest Indian Embassy/Consulate," the advisory said.

*An advisory had also directed passengers arriving directly or indirectly from China, South Korea, Japan, Iran, Italy, Hong Kong, Macau, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Nepal, Thailand, Singapore and Taiwan to undergo medical screening at the port of entry

Travel Insurance :

*All Indian carriers are offering full refund or bookings to alternate destinations for flights that were booked earlier but are getting cancelled due Coronavirus scare.

*GoAir stated that people have the option of availing a full refund or utilising the booking amount for any future travel with the airline.

*In a travel advisory, Emirates has stated that those wishing to travel to Saudi Arabia will have to contact the Emirates office or their travel agent for refunds.

*Others travellers having expensive insurance cover may get full refunds by the insurance companies if they have included everything under coverage.

*But a larger number of insurers do not provide travel insurance against any pandemics outright. Moreover, any travel plan made now may not get covered for can cancellations due to Coronavirus.

Bengaluru, Jul 21: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Tuesday said that everyone has to fight COVID-19 while maintaining a stable economy and lockdown is not the solution.

While briefing the media after a meeting with Health Minister B Sriramulu and officials here, CM Yediyurappa said, "There will be no lockdown from tomorrow, people need to get back to work, the economy is also very important. We have to fight COVID-19 while maintaining a stable economy. Lockdown is not the solution, now restrictions will be placed only in containment zones."

"People who came from Maharastra and Tamil Nadu added to the COVID-19 cases in Karnataka. Experts have suggested a 5T strategy - Trace, Track, Test, Treat and Technology. Our COVID warriors are working day and night to safeguard the people of the state, we have to maintain social distance, wear a mask while going out," he added.

CM Yediyurappa further said that more than 80 per cent COVID-19 cases in the state are asymptomatic.

"Five five per cent need ICU or ventilators, 11,230 beds are kept ready for the use of people including private hospitals, medical colleges. The real-time dashboard is ready to serve the people. Now onwards, test report will be given within 24 hours. SSLC exams were conducted successfully. More than 8 lakh students wrote exams in such a situation," he said.

Commenting upon the allegations of COVID-19 mismanagement labelled by opposition leaders, CM Yediyurappa said, "I request all the opposition leaders not to make unnecessary comments. I request Siddaramaiah, D K Shivakumar and others to suggest us valuably to fight corona together."

"We will give all the details which are required to D K Shivakumar, Siddaramaih, H D Kumaraswamy. Not even one-rupee corruption is done in COVID-19 management. We will give you all details. No official misused any funds, being opposition leaders, you have all rights to check documents, we will provide them," he added.

Taking to Twitter, Health Minister B Sriramulu said that the decision to raise the salary of 2,000 AYUSH doctors to Rs 45,000 was taken in the meeting.

"The decision to raise the salary of 2000 AYUSH doctors to Rs 45,000 was taken at a meeting chaired by our Hon. Chief Minister Shri @BSYBJP. Assurance has been given that the demand of private AYUSH doctors too will be reviewed and a decision regarding the same will be taken at the earliest. All doctors who were protesting for the same have withdrawn their resignations and reported to work," he tweeted.

Nanded, May 24: In a sensational incident, a Lingayat seer from Karnataka was found murdered in his mutt in the Nanded district of Marathwada region of Maharashtra on Sunday.

The seer, who was strangled to death, has been identified as Shivacharya Nirvanarudra Pashupatinath Maharaj, the founder-spiritual head of Nirvanji Pashupatinath Mutt.

Addressing media persons, Nanded Superintendent of Police Vijaykumar Magar, the prime suspect, Sainath Langote first killed his accomplice Bhagwan Shinde and then went to the ashram late on Saturday.

He entered Shivaharya Maharaj's bedroom where he was resting and threw chilli powder in his eyes, blinding him.

Then he quickly grabbed cash of Rs 69,000, his laptop and other valuables in the bedroom worth approximately Rs.1.50 lakh, besides the seer's car keys.

As Shivacharya Maharaj attempted to grapple with him, Langote pinned him down and strangled him, then dragged his body to the sadhu's car parked outside and dumped it into the boot.

"He started the car and sped off towards the road outside, but the car crashed into the main gate of the ashram creating a noise, alerting the other sevaks sleeping inside the ashram," Magar said.

Around 8-10 other ashram sevaks rushed outside to check the ruckus and when they saw their seer's belongings and his body in the car trunck, they attempted to stop Langote, but he gave them the slip.

A short distance away, Langote managed to steal a motorbike and sped off into the darkness and hours later, the police found the body of his accomplice Shinde from a nearby school premises, Magar said.

In view of the sensitivity of the incident, Magar said around five crack teams were formed which fanned out into the district and managed to catch Langote this afternoon.

"The prima facie motive for the seer's murder was clearly robbery and the second killing could be due to rivalry or some differences among them. The absconder suspect has been caught by a police team. We will interrogate him and get further details of the crime," Magar said.

Nanded Congress strongman and PWD Minister Ashok Chavan appealed that the murder should not be politicized, since the police investigations are underway and the autopsy report is awaited.

He said the deceased sadhu belonged to the Lingayat caste, and both Shinde and Langote who belonged to the same community were his followers.

Shivacharya Maharaj had come to Nanded over a decade ago and set up the ashram which he ran along with a band of followers.