Daily News Dose: India to end Covid containment measures from March 31 | Mar 23, 2022

Hello listener, this is your daily dose of news from Onmanorama. I'm your host, Vishnu, and these are the major news stories of the day:

1) India to end Covid-19 containment measures from March 31; wearing of facemask to continue

2) SilverLine survey disrupted again in Chottanikkara 

3) Petrol, diesel prices hiked for the second consecutive day

4) Economic crisis in Sri Lanka triggers exodus to India

5) Covid rules for air travel relaxed

Let’s get into the details.

1) In view of the consistent decline in Covid-19 cases, the home ministry has decided to lift all Covid-19 containment measures from March 31, two years after its implementation. However, the wearing of facemasks and maintaining social distancing norms will continue,Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said in a communication to the chief secretaries of all states. “After taking into consideration the overall improvement in the situation and preparedness of the Government in dealing with the pandemic, the National Disaster Management Authority has taken a decision that there may not be any further need to invoke the provisions of the DM Act for Covid containment measures.” He, however, advised states and Union Territories to take prompt and proactive measures at the local level if a surge in cases is observed.

2) The outrage against the proposed SilverLine rail project continued in Chottanikkara in Ernakulam for the third straight day. Protesters uprooted three survey stones fixed by K-Rail officials and threw them on a nearby pond. “We will not allow them to lay a single stone,” said District Congress Committee president Muhammad Shiyas. Slamming the protesters for interrupting the officials' from carrying out their duty, CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said the government would not surrender to such pressure tactics. Meanwhile, local administration authorities in Thrissur have started denying Occupancy Certificates to new house owners who have built their property on land earmarked for surveying under the SilverLine project. The new restriction came to light when the Kolzhi grama panchayat secretary asked a house owner to submit a certificate stating that the SilverLine railway track didn't pass through the plot.

3) Petrol and diesel prices were increased by 80 paise a litre each for the second day in a row on Wednesday. In Delhi, Petrol will now cost Rs97.01 per litre, while diesel will be charged at Rs88.27, as per a price notification issued by state fuel retailers. A record 137-day hiatus in rate revision ended on March 22 with an 80 paise per litre hike in rates. According to CRISIL Research, a hike of Rs15 to 25 would be required to fully pass on the increase in international oil prices to retail consumers. Around 85% of India's oil needs are dependent on imports. Similarly, the price of LPG cylinders for domestic use has risen by Rs50, making it the biggest hike in the past one year. The revised price of one 14.5kg cylinder is now Rs 956.50.

4) The economic crisis in Sri Lanka has triggered an exodus of people to India, especially Tamil Nadu. Refugees have been pouring into Rameswaram, crossing Palk Strait, in search of a safe haven and food. On Tuesday, six people were rescued by the Coast Guard from Pamban Island. They managed to escape Sri Lanka and got on a boat after paying Rs50,000 to a human trafficking mafia. They were dropped by the crew at Arichal Munai, which is the tip of the Indian mainland just a few kilometres from Rameswaram. On reaching Rameswaram, they were shifted to the relief camp for Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in Mandapam. Meanwhile, the situation in Sri Lanka is worsening. There is an acute shortage of food and fuel, forcing people to leave the nation in desperate search of a safe haven.

5) The ministry of civil aviation has relaxed Covid-19-related regulations stating that cabin crew members need not wear PPE kits, airlines do not have to keep three seats vacant on international flights for medical emergencies, and security personnel at airports can resume pat-down search for passengers. The relaxation has been given to facilitate the smooth conduct of air operations, the ministry's order stated. However, it noted that airlines may carry a few additional PPE kits, sanitisers, and N-95 masks to handle any respiratory infections detected in passengers or crew.

Now, let’s check out the covid update:

6) India on Wednesday logged 1,778 new cases, pushing the overall tally to 4,30,12,749, while the active cases dipped to 23,087.

The death toll climbed to 5,16,605 with 62 more fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry.

While the daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.26%, the weekly positivity rate stood at 0.36%.

That brings us to the end of this episode. Be sure to come back tomorrow. As always, thanks for listening to Daily News Dose.