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Coronavirus India Updates – 30th March 2020

The lockdown brought a wave of relief from the spread of the virus; our economy has been adversely affected. Let's cover the
The lockdown brought a wave of relief from the spread of the virus; our economy has been adversely affected. Let’s cover the Coronavirus updates in India.

INDEX:

  1. No extension plan for the 21 days lockdown
  2. Alibaba donates medical supplies for the Corona aid
  3. PM Modi seeks forgiveness for the harsh step of lockdown
  4. Mother Dairy Seeks Aid from Big Basket and Milk Basket for the Deliveries
  5. Ola offers 500 cabs to the Government of Karnataka

Amid all the panic that Coronavirus has created with its lockdown extension once has not yet ended, when the rumored reports came in claiming that the ongoing lockdown might extend further till the end of April 2020 as the cases in India have exceeded the limit of 1000 as of today.

No extension plan for the 21 days lockdown

Rajiv Gauba Coronavirus

As per the recent reports – Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba stated that there would be no extension to the 21-day coronavirus lockdown amid the rumors that the shutdown is likely to be continued. Due to the closure of all forms of public transport, including the interstate buses and the railways, many have been making the long journey on foot. As per the reports, least 12 men reportedly walked more than 200 km for four days from Uttarakhand to their villages in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, surviving only on a few biscuits and one meal. Migrant workers from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have been seen walking along with their family members amid panic and confusion created by this lockdown. In Chennai, around 4,500 workers got stuck at the railway station in an attempt to return home.

On March 26, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had put forward an economic relief fund worth Rs 1.7 lakh crore for the migrant laborers and daily wagers. It includes the mix of food security measures as well as the direct cash transfers for the poor to tide over the next three months.

Alibaba donates medical supplies for the Corona aid

Alibaba Coronavirus

Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation on Sunday announced a donation of essential medical supplies, including face masks and COVID-19 test kits to India and six other nations, to help combat the spread of Coronavirus. The first batch of medical supplies for India arrived in Delhi on Saturday night and was received by the Indian Red Cross Society. Similar to the arrangement with the Italian Red Cross Society in Italy, the Indian charity will facilitate the distribution of these supplies in the country, the statement said, adding that the remainder of the donation is expected to reach the country in the coming days.

With this, the two foundations have now donated essential medical supplies to 23 Asian countries totaling 7.4 million masks, 4,85,000 test kits, 1,00,000 sets of protective clothing along with other medical equipment. Indian Red Cross Society Deputy Secretary Neel Kamal Singh took receipt of the deliveries from Vivek Sehgal, Manager, Alibaba Cloud India, acting on behalf of Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation in the presence of Ma Jia, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of China in India.

PM Modi seeks forgiveness for the harsh step of lockdown

PM Modi Coronavirus

PM Narendra Modi addressed the nation to seek forgiveness for imposing a monumental lockdown in the country but also said,

“We have to win … and we will win the battle”

against this unprecedented menace of Coronavirus that has claimed 29 lives in India so far. In the monthly Mann ki Baat radio address the nation, Modi also praised the front-line workers in this fight against the virus as well as countless workers in the essential services who are ensuring the country doesn’t come to a complete standstill in the 21-day lockdown announced on March 24.

Modi reminded people that all of us have to maintain social distance, not emotional and human distance,” as he urged people to utilize the time spent at home in re-engaging themselves in old hobbies and reconnecting with old friends.

Mother Dairy Seeks Aid from Big Basket and Milk Basket for the Deliveries

According to a TOI report, Mother Dairy has asked ecommerce players such as BigBasket, Milkbasket and Supr Daily to help the company increase its reach to the households. These grocery delivery startups can help Mother Dairy to reach those places that do not have milk booths. For this, Mother Dairy is also ready to increase milk production.

A Mother Dairy spokesperson said that the company is ready to operate at its full capacity. As of now, the company is producing an average of 35 Lakh liters of milk per day. “If ecommerce players are experiencing surged demand in some areas, we can increase our capacity by over 10%, with the backing of smooth distribution,” the spokesperson added. India’s largest milk producer Amul has already increased its production. Amul had said that the demand for milk has increased after the government announced a 21-day lockdown. The milk manufacturer also said that there is no imminent chance of short supply for consumers.

Besides dairy products, Mother Dairy also sells groceries through Safal branded stores. Amid the lockdown, the company has doubled the supply of fruits and vegetables and is currently supplying around 300 metric tons in Delhi-NCR. Mother Dairy said that the demand for all the milk category that it sells has been normal; however, ice cream sales have been impacted severely.

Ola offers 500 cabs to the Government of Karnataka

Ride-hailing unicorn Ola CEO and co-founder Bhavish Aggarwal have again come forward to lend a helping hand in the time of crisis, with an offer of 500 Ola cars to the Karnataka government for Covid-19 pandemic-related work.

As per an ET report, Aggarwal assured deputy CM CN Ashwathnarayan that the government is free to decide how many cars it requires in every city that Ola is present in the state. These regions include Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mangaluru, Hubli-Dharwad, and Belagavi.

The Deputy CM has also conveyed Ola’s offer to the district officials and has decided to make Ola taxis available for healthcare staffers, transportation of medicine, and other essential healthcare services for emergencies. The company said that the fund aims to support auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers through a collaborative crowdfunding effort made by the Ola group, investors, citizens, and other institutions. The fund will be used to support the welfare and upliftment of drivers and their families, who have been affected by the restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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