From The Newsroom: Prohibitory orders in Bengaluru extended, India's Covid-19 case fatality rate drops to 1.93%

In your evening news brief, From The Newsroom, Prohibitory orders in Bengaluru extended; India's Covid-19 case fatality rate drops to 1.93% and private Railways operators will have flexibility in fixing train fare.

Here are the top news of today, Sunday: August 16, 2020:

Prohibitory orders clamped in parts of the city after the violence last week led to police firing, killing three people, have been extended from Sunday to Tuesday. The order would be in force from the morning of August 16 to the morning of August 18. Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant, in his order, said there is a ban on more than two persons gathering at any place, carrying of any kinds of weapons and convening any public meetings. Violators would be prosecuted, he said. Three people were killed after police opened fire to quell a mob that went on a rampage in D J Halli and adjoining areas on Tuesday night over an inflammatory social media post allegedly put out by P Naveen, a relative of Pulakeshi Nagar MLA R Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy. The MLAs residence and a police station at D J Halli were torched by the rioters who also set many police and private vehicles afire, and looted the belongings of the legislator and those of his sister. About 200 people have been arrested so far in connection with the incident and many others have been detained.

Continuing the downward trend, India's COVID-19 case fatality rate on Sunday dropped to 1.93 per cent, which is one of the lowest globally, the Union health ministry said.

This is a result of coordinated efforts of the Centre and state and UT governments, it said.

"The USA crossed 50,000 deaths in 23 days, Brazil in 95 days and Mexico in 141 days. India took 156 days to reach this national figure," the ministry underscored as the number of fatalities due to coronavirus infection in the country reached 49,980.

Implementation of testing aggressively, tracking comprehensively and treating efficiently through a plethora of measures have contributed to the existing high level of recoveries as well, it said.

The total number of recoveries in the country rose to 18,62,258 on Sunday, according to official data.

Improved and effective clinical treatment in hospitals, supervised home isolation, use of non-invasive oxygen support, and improved services of the ambulances for ferrying patients for prompt and timely treatment have been the focus of the Centre and state and UT governments, the ministry said.

It said "tireless efforts" of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) have ensured effective surveillance and tracking progress of the patients in supervised home isolation.

Clinical management skills of doctors treating COVID-19 patients have been upgraded by active technical guidance through teleconsultation sessions by domain knowledge experts from AIIMS, New Delhi.

"These measures have collectively ensured seamless and efficient patient management from home to hospital for critical and severe patients. This has ensured that India's case fatality rate (CFR) is maintained below the global average," the ministry said.

From 3.33 per cent on June 18, the CFR has declined to 1.93 per cent, while India's recovery rate among COVID-19 patients has reached nearly 72 per cent.

A total of 53,322 patients recuperated and were discharged in a span of 24 hours.

"The steady rise in recoveries has ensured that the percentage caseload of the country is reducing," the ministry said highlighting there are 6,77,444 active cases of coronavirus infection which compose the actual caseload of the country and comprise 26.16 pc of the total cases as on date.

They are under active medical supervision, it said.

With efficient and aggressive testing, India is rapidly moving towards completing 3 crore COVID-19 tests, according to the ministry.

A total of 2,93,09,703 samples had been tested for detection of COVID-19 till August 15, with 7,46,608 samples being tested on Saturday alone, the ministry said.

A Biden administration would be an advocate for India to play a leading role in international institutions, including helping it get a seat on a reformed UN Security Council, a top campaign official has said, asserting that New Delhi has to be a key American partner in engaging China from a position of strength.

A Biden administration will also have no tolerance for terrorism in South Asia, according to former diplomat Tony Blinken, who is now a top foreign policy advisor to Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential candidate.

Participating in a panel discussion on "US-India Relations and Indian Americans in Joe Biden Administration'", Blinken said on Saturday that the former vice president, if elected in the November elections, will help India get a seat at the UN Security Council and strengthen US' defence ties with India.

"I think you'd see Joe Biden as president investing in ourselves, renewing our democracy, working with our close partners like India, asserting our values and engaging China from a position of strength. India has to be a key partner in that effort," Blinken said in response to a question from former US Ambassador to India Richard Verma.

The top campaign official was asked that the world has witnessed increasing Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific, including along the Indian border and India faces real threats from cross border terrorism, and how would the US in a Biden administration support India in these challenges.

With the government is planning to allow private players to operate passenger trains by March 2023, the private operators will have flexibility in fixing train fare.

Indian Railways has decided to give freedom to private firms to fix fare for their trains as per market dynamics. Though earlier the railways had planned to set up a regulatory authority to fix fare/ tariffs, now it has decided not to do so, said an official.

The Railways is in view that the regulatory body may kill the competition among private players to woo passengers with an attractive fare.

The Railways, which held a second pre-bid meeting with interest players recently, also clarified that the railways may not regulate the prices. However, the railways in the view that if private players made cartels in fixing fares, passengers can approach the Competition Commission of India, said an official in the Railways.

Officials also said that if required in future the Railways can set up the regulatory mechanism. However, at present, the Railways don't have a plan to set to a regulatory authority.

Since the Railways is the first time opening the doors to private players to operate passenger trains, imposing too much regulation would harm its growth. Moreover, where ever the private trains will run, Railways will also operate its own passenger trains. If private players fixed higher price, then the passengers will choose trains operated by Railways, said the official.

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