Latest Maharashtra Breaking News & Headlines
Unfazed Wedding Guests Keep Eating Food as Massive Fire Breaks Out in Maharashtra
News18 | 5 hours ago
News18
5 hours ago
he video shared by Twitter handle Mumbaikhabar9 shows Ansari Marriage Hall in Thane’s Bhiwandi catching fire on Sunday evening. Credits: Twitter/Mumbai NewsIndians love weddings. Indians love gatecrashing weddings, too. But most importantly, Indians love digging into the food served at weddings especially. Big fat Indian weddings are known for their lavish spreads and who doesn’t love a free sumptuous meal? As shaadi season is upon us, social media is filled with wedding festivities. But, a truly incredulous video from Mumbai has caught the attention of netizens. Guests at a wedding are seen enjoying dinner while a massive fire blazes in the background. The video shared by Twitter handle Mumbaikhabar9 shows Ansari Marriage Hall in Thane’s Bhiwandi catching fire on Sunday evening. The guests, even after noticing the huge fire, nonchalantly continue their conversations and enjoy the food. Surely, they had their priorities right. Viral | Even as fire ravaged Ansari Marriage ground in Bhiwandi last night, people seem to have enjoyed their dinner in a marriage reception held in the same compound. pic.twitter.com/mKDskHg9tV— MUMBAI NEWS (@Mumbaikhabar9) November 29, 2021 According to a Free Press Journal report, the fire broke out in a storeroom of the marriage hall in Maharashtra. At least six two-wheelers parked in the area were charred in the fire. However, no casualties were reported. The blaze was brought under control by 11 pm after three fire engines reached the spot upon receiving an alert about the incident at around 10 pm, Free Press Journal quoted a Bhiwandi municipal corporation official.UP Bride Calls Off Wedding After Groom Fails to Read Newspaper Without Glasses OnBride Ditches ‘Big Fat Wedding’ Celebration To Save Money For Four HoneymoonsThe room that caught fire was apparently storing the items used for decoration as well as chairs for events, which were gutted. Although the exact cause of the blaze remains unconfirmed, the official said that a plausible explanation could be the firecrackers burst during the marriage.In another bizarre incident, in Uttar Pradesh’s Auraiya, a wedding was called off at the last moment after the groom could not read the newspaper without his glasses on. A police case was also registered by the bride’s family against the groom and his relatives for hiding his weak eyesight.Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Telegram.
Maharashtra Old Age Home Becomes Containment Zone As 55 Vaccinated Inmates, 7 Others Test Positive
News18 | 13 hours ago
News18
13 hours ago
All of them have been admitted to the Thane Civil Hospital for treatment. (File photo: Shutterstock)Fifty-five fully vaccinated inmates of an old age home in Maharashtra’s Thane district and seven others have tested positive for coronavirus and all of them have been admitted to a civil hospital here, officials said on Sunday. Of the seven others, five are employees of the old age home and two others are their family members, including a one-and-a-half-year-old girl, they said.Following this, the district administration has declared Sorgaon village in Bhiwandi tehsil, where the facility is located, as a containment zone. “After complaints of ill-health by a couple of inmates, a team of doctors had on Saturday tested 109 persons at the ‘Matoshree’ old age home located at Khadavali," district health officer Dr Manish Renge told PTI.Out of them, the results of 61 came out positive, he said, adding that another inmate had tested positive for the viral infection on Friday.“All of them have been admitted to the Thane Civil Hospital for treatment," he said. The district administration said in a statement that out of the total 62 persons - 37 males and 25 females - who have tested positive, 55 are inmates of the old age home, all of them above 60 years of age, five are its staff members and two others are the family members of these employees.Will Maharashtra See Fresh Curbs as Omicron Looms? Cabinet Meet Today to Decide on Schools, Other StepsMaharashtra Witnesses 57% Drop in Nov Cases, 28% in Death Tally But Omicron Fears Keep State on Alert“The two infected family members of the employees are a one-and-a-half-year-old girl and a pregnant woman," it said. Out of all the patients, 41 are suffering from co-morbidities, it said, adding that of the total number of infected persons, 30 are asymptomatic. Five other suspected patients from the old age home have also been admitted to the hospital, the district administration said.“All the 55 inmates have already taken two jabs and four employees are also full vaccinated. Only one patient has not taken even a single dose so far," it said, adding that the samples of 15 patients have been sent for genome sequencing. Sorgaon village, which has a population of 1,130 with 343 houses, has been declared as a containment zone and other local residents are also being surveyed, it said. The district administration is keeping a tab on the health of the patients and taking due steps to check further spread of the infection, Dr Renge said.With inputs from PTI.Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Telegram.
- Maharashtra Old Age Home Becomes Covid Containment Zone As 55 Vaccinated Inmates, 7 Other Test Positive
All of them have been admitted to the Thane Civil Hospital for treatment. (File photo: Shutterstock)Fifty-five fully vaccinated inmates of an old age home in Maharashtra’s Thane district and seven others have tested positive for coronavirus and all of them have been admitted to a civil hospital here, officials said on Sunday. Of the seven others, five are employees of the old age home and two others are their family members, including a one-and-a-half-year-old girl, they said.Following this, the district administration has declared Sorgaon village in Bhiwandi tehsil, where the facility is located, as a containment zone. “After complaints of ill-health by a couple of inmates, a team of doctors had on Saturday tested 109 persons at the ‘Matoshree’ old age home located at Khadavali," district health officer Dr Manish Renge told PTI.Out of them, the results of 61 came out positive, he said, adding that another inmate had tested positive for the viral infection on Friday.“All of them have been admitted to the Thane Civil Hospital for treatment," he said. The district administration said in a statement that out of the total 62 persons - 37 males and 25 females - who have tested positive, 55 are inmates of the old age home, all of them above 60 years of age, five are its staff members and two others are the family members of these employees.Will Maharashtra See Fresh Curbs as Omicron Looms? Cabinet Meet Today to Decide on Schools, Other StepsMaharashtra Witnesses 57% Drop in Nov Cases, 28% in Death Tally But Omicron Fears Keep State on Alert“The two infected family members of the employees are a one-and-a-half-year-old girl and a pregnant woman," it said. Out of all the patients, 41 are suffering from co-morbidities, it said, adding that of the total number of infected persons, 30 are asymptomatic. Five other suspected patients from the old age home have also been admitted to the hospital, the district administration said.“All the 55 inmates have already taken two jabs and four employees are also full vaccinated. Only one patient has not taken even a single dose so far," it said, adding that the samples of 15 patients have been sent for genome sequencing. Sorgaon village, which has a population of 1,130 with 343 houses, has been declared as a containment zone and other local residents are also being surveyed, it said. The district administration is keeping a tab on the health of the patients and taking due steps to check further spread of the infection, Dr Renge said.With inputs from PTI.Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Telegram.
Will Maharashtra See Fresh Curbs as Omicron Looms? Cabinet Meet Today to Decide on Schools, Other Steps
News18 | 17 hours ago
News18
17 hours ago
Maharashtra cabinet to chair meeting to discuss new Covid-19 variant.(PTI)As the threat of new Covid-19 strain, Omicron looms large, the Maharashtra cabinet will discuss measures to be taken to tackle the new variant on Monday at 10 am. The cabinet in the meeting will also discuss the plan of reopening schools in the state and several important issues pertaining to Covid-19. This comes as Maharashtra in November witnessed a 57% drop in Covid-19 cases compared to October and 78% over September. Along with the number of positive infections, the number of deaths due to Covid-19 also fell by 28% in November over the last month and 56% compared to September. In the last 24 hours, Maharashtra recorded 832 new cases, the 11th day of seeing less than 1,000 new cases. And 33 deaths were reported, a marginal rise from 17 on Saturday, taking the toll to 1,40,941. Maharashtra’s overall Covid burden has now reached 66,34,444.Also Read: Maharashtra’s New Rules for Travellers, K’taka Tightens Borders as States Tread War Path Against OmicronRead all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Telegram.
Maharashtra Witnesses 57% Drop in Nov Cases, 28% in Death Tally But Omicron Fears Keep State on Alert
News18 | 18 hours ago
News18
18 hours ago
Those who are fully vaccinated will also be screened at the airport and allowed to proceed if they do not show any symptoms of the infection. (File photo: PTI)In Maharashtra, Covid-19 cases in November witnessed a 57% drop compared to October and 78% over September. This comes amid rising global concerns of the new Covid-19 variant Omicron, which is said to be 6 times more transmissible than Delta. Along with the number of positive infections, the number of deaths due to Covid-19 also fell by 28% in November over the last month and 56% compared to September. In terms of monthly tallies, November has been the lowest since last April when the pandemic had just begun. The state had recorded 10,201 cases and 779 deaths then, reported the Times of India. In the current month, Maharashtra reported 25,277 cases, after registering 59,599 in September and 1,06,041 in October. While the number of deaths declined from 1,654 in September to 1,013 in October to below 1,000 (725) in November.In the last 24 hours, Maharashtra recorded 832 new cases, the 11th day of seeing less than 1,000 new cases. And 33 deaths were reported, a marginal rise from 17 on Saturday, taking the toll to 1,40,941. Maharashtra’s overall Covid burden has now reached 66,34,444.Will Maharashtra See Fresh Curbs as Omicron Looms? Cabinet Meet Today to Decide on Schools, Other StepsSouth Africa Returnee Tests Covid-19 Positive in Maharashtra's ThaneAlso Read: South Africa Returnee Tests Covid-19 Positive in Maharashtra’s ThaneRead all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Telegram.
New Covid variant: Maharashtra govt issues fresh guidelines
Times of India | 1 day ago
Times of India
1 day ago
MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government on Saturday issued fresh restrictions and permissions in the state amid concern over the new Covid-19 variant â Omicron. The state government has made full vaccination mandatory for boarding any public transport and for being in most public places like malls, shops, events and gatherings. The fully vaccinated compulsion was earlier only restricted to train travel and in some public places like malls. To ensure that Covid appropriate behaviour is followed while travelling in public transport, the state government has also made a provision of fine on the driver and conductor of a taxi, auto or bus in which a passenger is found to violate Covid protocol, which includes wearing of a mask. The passenger too will be penalised. "This is being done to encourage vaccination and also ensure that Covid-19 appropriate behaviour is being followed. We want to remind people that the pandemic is not yet over and they should follow the set of rules," said a senior official. According to a notification that was issued on Saturday, the state government has allowed re-opening of open to sky spaces up to 25% of the space capacity. This will allow events, cricket matches and political rallies to be conducted in the state. Events in enclosed spaces like cinema halls and marriage halls will be restricted to 50% capacity. Meanwhile, in the backdrop of the new variant detected in South Africa, the state government said that the international travel guidelines will govern the rules here. For domestic travel, full vaccination will be mandatory or else a negative RT-PCR will be required 72 hours before boarding.
- Maharashtra Covid cases, deaths dip; Mumbais weekly rolling infection rate falls
- Covid deaths up to 50 in Maharashtra, max in 48 days
- In Maharashtra Covid deaths, high BP is most prevalent comorbidity
- Daily Covid tally drops to 249 in Pune Metropolitan Region; 150 recover
- Pune Metropolitan Region records 227 Covid cases & as many recoveries; 2 dead
MUMBAI: The state added less than 900 Covid-19 cases and reported a dip in fatalities on Friday. Maharashtra added 852 cases and 34 deaths compared with 50 on Thursday, taking the total cases to 66.3 lakh and deaths to 1,40,891. There was a dip of 1,234 cases in the cumulative tally due to reconciliation as duplicate entries were deleted. While cases in Mumbai increased from 174 on Thursday to 230 on Friday, the weekly rolling infection rate dropped another decimal point to 0.02%. The growth rate in the city, which has registered over 7.6 lakh cases and 16,322 deaths since March 2020, was 0.06% in September. A senior BMC official said the daily positivity rate for antigen tests is close to zero while the RT-PCR positivity rate is around 1%. As per the BMCâs update, the daily positivity rate on Friday was 0.66%, with 34,690 tests conducted. The number of sealed buildings is 15, with the number of people under home quarantine (37,110) back to August levels before restrictions on train travel were eased. State government officials said districts have been asked to ensure testing in accordance with World Health Organisation norms of 140 tests/million so that any surge in cases doesnât go undetected. Active cases in the state and the city dropped further to 8,106 in the state, of which 2,343 were in Mumbai. âMost of the new cases are being treated at home,â said an official.
MUMBAI: Even though daily Covid-19 detections continue to remain below 1,000, the state reported a surge in fatalities. On Thursday, the state reported 848 cases and 50 deathsâthe highest in 48 days. The last time the state had reported more than 50 deaths was on October 8 (59). With this, the total cases in the state stood at 66.3 lakh and deaths at 1,40,857. Mumbai registered 174 cases and four deaths on Thursday, taking the overall tally so far to 7.6 lakh and overall deaths to 16,319.tnn
MUMBAI: Hypertension or high blood pressure alone, or in combination with diabetes, was the commonest comorbidity found in patients who succumbed to Covid-19 in the state recently. The heavy burden of both these lifestyle diseases has often been underlined as one of the reasons why Maharashtra saw more than 1.4 lakh fatalities due to coronavirus. There have been 2,966 Covid deaths in Maharashtra between September and mid-November. Officials said more than 75% (2,224) of the deceased had some or the other comorbidity. An analysis of 632 deaths showed that hypertension alone was an underlying factor in 15%, while diabetes was a factor in 12%. Another 11% of the deceased had both diabetes and hypertension. âHypertension followed by diabetes have been the commonest comorbidities. Even in deaths among the younger population, some had these comorbidities,â said Dr Avinash Supe, who heads the Covid death committee. Majority of the deaths are among the unvaccinated now. âBut, in cases where patients get severe Covid despite vaccination, these comorbid conditions have been present in some,â he added. Lung diseases also emerged as some of the common comorbidities. At least 5% of the patients had chronic lung disease. In 3% cases, patients had heart disease, diabetes and high BP. Hypertension clubbed with kidney disease, HIV/Aids, liver disease have also been found among other underlying conditions. The National Family Health Survey-5 had found that a quarter of men in the state had elevated blood pressure or are taking medicines to control it. In urban areas, 26% of men have elevated BP, while in rural, itâs 23.5%. In comparison, 23% of women had elevated levels. Dr Shashank Joshi, a member of Covid task force, said that one in four people have hypertension in Maharashtra. âThat alone makes a person vulnerable to suffer from stroke, cardiac problems, among other complications,â he said. Covid itself has been known to play havoc with sugar levels. âOn top of that if the personâs levels are not under control, it can create complications,â said an intensivist from a BMC hospital. The doctor said he has seen blood sugar levels rising to staggering 700-800 (normal range being 140 mg/dL). Dr Sadhana Tayade, director of health services, said the state has intensified diagnosis of non-communicable diseases like hypertension. âDuring the pandemic, their diagnosis had dropped by 60-70%. We have restarted the programmes.â
PUNE: The number of people testing positive for Covid-19 came down to 249 in the Pune Metropolitan Region (PMR) on Thursday. The daily recovery tally in the region too dropped to 150. Among the new cases, the rural areas reported 100, while the Pune municipal limits added 90 new cases and the PCMC limits added 56. The PMC and rural pockets recorded fewer recoveries on Thursday as against new cases. As many as 37 patients were discharged in the rural parts, while 47 recoveries were recorded in the PMC limits. The PCMC areas recorded 61 discharges. A report by district health officer Bhagwan Pawar stated that four patients succumbed to the infection in the region on Friday. These included two deaths in the PMC limits, and one death each in the PCMC and rural parts. The region recorded testing of 14,131 samples for the infection on Thursday. The region has checked over 85.77 lakh samples so far. The active caseload recorded a slight rise to 2,077 owing to a drop in daily recoveries. Of these, as many as 1,362 patients were in home isolation.
PUNE: The Pune Metropolitan Region (PMR) recorded 227 Covid cases and 226 recoveries on Friday. Besides, two patients succumbed to the infection, one each from Pimpri Chichwad and rural parts, in the last 24 hours. A report released by district health officer Bhagwan Pawar stated that new cases remained below 100 in the municipal limits of Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad, as well as the rural parts. The PMC areas added 88 new cases and 95 discharges, while the rural and Cantonment limits together recorded 83 new patients and Pimpri Chinchwad added 56 new patients. The tally of positive patients has reached 11.56 lakh, while total discharges have increased above 11.35 lakh. The tally of active cases stood at 2,076 in the PMR on Friday.
South Africa Returnee Tests Covid-19 Positive in Maharashtra's Thane
News18 | 1 day ago
News18
1 day ago
The new coronavirus variant is known to carry 50 mutations overall, including more than 30 on the spike protein alone. (Reuters)A returnee from South Africa tested positive for Covid-19 in Dombivli area of Maharashtra’s Thane district on Sunday, triggering concerns. However, it was not immediately known if the returnee is positive with the new variant of Covid, Omicron, which was first detected in South Africa.Omicron has sparked concerns worldwide, with several nations closing borders on South Africa and its neighbouring nations to contain the spread of the variant having a “horrific" spike profile. The World Health Organization has declared Omicron as a ‘variant of concern’ and said it could take several weeks to know if there are considerable changes in transmissibility, severity or implications for Covid vaccines, tests, and treatments.So far, the new variant has been found in Australia, Israel, Botswana, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Britain and Hong Kong.India, meanwhile, on Sunday revised the norms for international fliers, mandating Covid test upon arrival. The rules are applicable for fliers from ‘at-risk’ nations.Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Telegram.
Bombay HC celebrates Constitution Day, reads the Preamble
Times of India | 1 day ago
Times of India
1 day ago
MUMBAI: The Bombay high court at its principal bench in the city and other benches at Aurangabad, Nagpur and Goa celebrated the Constitution Day on Friday with a reading out of the Preamble of the Constitution of India. At Principal Seat, it was presided over by Justices S S Shinde, P B Varale and S J Kathawalla with a homage to Dr B R Ambedkar. Judges, advocates, members of the Registry and Staff including presidents of Bombay Bar Association, Advocates Association of Western India and Bombay Incorporated Law Society, advocate general for Maharashtra, and the additional solicitor general attended. The significance of the Constitution Day is that it is the day when India adopted its Constitution. On November 26, 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India adopted the Constitution of India, which came into effect from 26th January 1950. The ministry of social justice and empowerment on November 19, 2015 notified the decision of government of India to celebrate the 26th day of November every year as 'Constitution Day' to promote Constitutional values among citizens. The Preamble of the Constitution says: âWe, the People of India, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic and to secure to all its citizens: Justice, social, economic and political; Liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; equality of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all fraternity assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation."
India vs New Zealand: Maharashtra govt allows only 25% capacity at Wankhede Stadium for second Test
Times of India | 1 day ago
Times of India
1 day ago
MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government on Saturday issued an order allowing for only 25% crowd capacity at the Wankhede Stadium for the second Test between India and New Zealand, which is scheduled to be held from December 3 to 7. Considering that the iconic stadium's capacity is around 33,000, it is now expected to accommodate not more than 8,500 spectators. The news is a major dampener to the cricket-starved fans of the city, which is hosting a Test match after five years. However, while the covid numbers have gone down drastically in the city and the state, the authorities are clearly being cautious, especially in the light of the emergence of the new Covid variant, Omicron, in South Africa. âKeeping in mind that the new covid variant from South Africa is spreading rapidly in other countries, the Maharashtra government is treading cautiously when it comes to crowded gatherings. I think that the chief minister, despite himself being hospitalised and the threat of covid still not over, has been gracious to allow the MCA 25% crowd capacity for this Test match in the interest of cricket lovers of Mumbai,â Milind Narvekar, PA to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, and the chairman of the Mumbai Cricket Associationâs T20 governing council, told TOI. On Saturday, the department of Revenue and Forest, Disaster Management, Relief and Rehabilitation of the Maharashtra government issued an order which said that in case of ârestriction on attendance in any program, event etc, âIn the case of open to sky spaces, for any events or gatherings, people upto 25% of space capacity will be allowed. Concerned DDMA shall have authority to decide the capacity in case of such locations of gatherings or events, if not declared formally (like stadiums).â As per the order, all those present at the venue-players, officials and the spectators will have to be fully vaccinated as well. The spectators need to wear masks at all times and also need to maintain social distancing, and spitting in public places. Earlier this month, the Mumbai Cricket Association had approached the state government asking for clarity on crowd capacity which will be allowed during the match. Post this order, the MCA can now begin its sale of tickets-though it remains how many tickets it can actually sell, and how many it can allot to its 330-odd members.
Maharashtra: Social worker stabbed to death by teens whom he wanted to reform
Times of India | 1 day ago
Times of India
1 day ago
NAGPUR: Sunil Jawade, 46, a social worker and activist of Samta Sainik Dal, was stabbed to death in front of his residence at Long March Chowk, Rambagh, in Imambada in the early hours of Thursday. Jawade was assaulted by a gang of armed minors, including a kin, whom he had earlier reprimanded in a bid to reform them. One of the minors, who is likely to be the mastermind, tried to corner police by injuring himself during questioning at Imambada police station. Police said he already has a case of assault against him. #SunilJawade , 46, a social worker was stabbed to death in front of his residence on Thursday early morning. Jawade⦠https://t.co/qNwLwD1ucm— TOI Nagpur (@TOI_Nagpur) 1637899132000The mastermind ans his three accomplices were rounded up by Imambada police for their alleged role in the murder. Except the mastermind, none of the other minors has any crime record. Sources stated that Jawade had earned the wrath of the teenagers, aged between 15 and 16 years, for advising them to mend ways and focus on careers. Police said Jawade had stepped out of the house at 5am for his vegetable brokerage office at Cotton Market. The minors sprinkled chilli powder on his face, pulled him down from the bike and started stabbing him, said cops. Itâs learnt the minors are addicted to contraband substances which they had consumed before the crime. They had allegedly procured the drugs from a peddler at Dhantoli. Sources stated the minors had also consumed some sedative pills which they claimed to have procured from Wardha. Jawade was also trying to keep addicts and loiterers away from a library in the vicinity. There is also a shrine in the nearby locality which is being often used for socio-religious programmes. âHe (Jawade) would always try to ensure the career-oriented youngsters visiting the library are not distracted or disturbed by the addicts and loiters on the adjacent ground. He used to shoo them away earning their wrath,â said a source from the locality. According to a kin, Jawade would rush to help any needy person and was known to be a do-gooder with a vision to reform youngsters. According to a source in the family, Jawade had reprimanded the murder mastermind a few days ago for repeatedly trying to barge into the house to attack his nephew. The mastermind and the nephew had been at loggerheads since long. âJawade had earlier told the mastermind to deal with his nephew outside and not come to their house,â said the source. The social worker had also approached cops over the issue in May this year. What action was taken is not known. Itâs learnt, some social organizations have submitted memorandum before the senior police officials demanding strict actions against the perpetrators. Watch Nagpur: Social worker killed by teens whom he wanted to reform
Maharashtra Council polls for 2 seats in Mumbai, 1 each in Kolhapur, Dhule-Nandurbar go unopposed
Times of India | 1 day ago
Times of India
1 day ago
MUMBAI: Candidates on four seats in the biennial elections to the Maharashtra Legislative Council from the local authorities constituencies have been elected unopposed, state Congress chief Nana Patole said on Friday. Kolhapur and Dhule-Nandurbar local bodies seats and two seats in Mumbai have been elected unopposed, he said. Friday was the last day of withdrawal of nominations for the December 10 Legislative Council polls. The counting of votes will be taken up on December 14. The BJP had withdrawn its candidate in Kolhapur, while the Congress has facilitated unopposed election of BJP nominee in Dhule-Nandurbar constituency, Patole told reporters in Nagpur. With the BJP withdrawing its candidate in Kolhapur, Maharashtra's Minister of State for Home Satej Patil of the Congress will be elected unopposed, while BJP's Amrish Patel will be elected unopposed in Dhule-Nandurbar constituency, he said. Nominees of the BJP and the Shiv Sena have been elected unopposed for each of the two seats in Mumbai, Patole said. He expressed confidence that Congress nominee Ravindra Bhoyar will win the Nagpur local bodies seat. He is pitted against BJP leader and former minister Chandrashekar Bawankule. "There was no proposal from the BJP's side for the Nagpur seat. The Congress will definitely win the seat,'' Patole said. The tenure of the sitting MLCs on these seats is ending on December 1. Akola-Washim-Buldhana local bodies seat will see fight between the BJP and the Shiv Sena.
NHM Maharashtra Group C written exam result declared, here's details
Times of India | 1 day ago
Times of India
1 day ago
Maharashtra: Primary classes to begin in phases with parents consent, hybrid mode
Times of India | 1 day ago
Times of India
1 day ago
PUNE: Schools in urban areas, especially private ones, plan to reopen for the primary section in a phased manner though the state government gave the approval to start from December 1. The schools have planned meetings with parents and show their preparedness for reopening and then announce the dates. Many schools will plan the in-person classes phase-wise with standards V to VII initially, followed by the primary section in the second phase. Principal of C P Goenka International School, Rashmi Gupta, said that they are awaiting an official notification from the state government regarding the reopening of schools. âWe will ask for parentsâ consent and provide hybrid classes. A few want to send their children and others want to wait till they are vaccinated,â she added. Gupta said the school had started offline classes for standard VIII onwards and Covid protocols and hybrid models were in place which will continue. Aruna Gulunjkar, principal of PDEA English Medium School in Kharadi, said that they had an in-person parent-teachers meeting on Friday where parents were interested in sending their children to school. âAlmost 70% of the parents attended the meeting. The campus sanitization work is going on. All parents before attending the school had a campus visit. They were happy when they saw the cleaning work. They appreciated the efforts of the school management and agreed to send their wards to school,â she added. There are over 1.3 crore students studying in classes 1 to VII in Maharashtra whereas 5.12 lakh teachers are teaching in this section. There had been a growing chorus from school teachers, educators and activists for reopening of primary schools to compensate for the learning loss incurred during the past 18 months of online teaching. Principal of the Orbis School, Nalini Samuel, said that since they were a centre for the CBSE Std X and XII board exams they will not hold any physical classes in school in December. Parents of some schools said they were concerned and would wait for their children to be vaccinated. Principal of Podar International School in Ambegaon, Anagha Gholap, said their school is prepared and has a meticulous process for all safety measures. âWe are planning a few bridge courses to enable students to tackle learning gaps and get acquainted with physical school once again. We are planning to reopen for all classes from Std I onwards,â she added. Orchids The International School in Kharadi was also planning to reopen. With studentsâ safety and security always a prime concern, schools are taking up precautionary measures ahead of the reopening. Principal Unnati Raut said there will be different dates for standards I to IV with students of Std III and IV coming in first followed by the rest. Principal of the Sanskriti School in Bhukum, Damini Joshi, said that they have been conducting hybrid classes for students from stds VIII to XII. âWe are excited to welcome back our younger children. To begin with, we will hold a meeting with PTA representatives and show them our preparedness. We will seek consent from parents who wish to send their children for physical classes. Depending on the outcome of the exercise with the parents, we will start conducting hybrid classes for our younger children as well,â she added.
Phase-II & III trials of mRNA Covid vaccine at city hospital
Times of India | 1 day ago
Times of India
1 day ago
NAGPUR: Meditrina Institute of Medical Sciences has again been selected as a site for clinical trials of another anti-Covid vaccine. After successful completion of Covaxin paediatric vaccine clinical trial, the institute is one of the sites for Indiaâs only messenger RNA (mRNA) Covid vaccineâs phase-II and III clinical trials. Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Limited, Pune, has developed a novel mRNA-based vaccine candidate â HGCO19 â and got DCGIâs go-ahead to conduct a multicentre, randomized, active-controlled, observer-blind phase-II study seamlessly followed by a phase-III study. The vaccines with the highest efficacy are mRNA vaccines manufactured by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna. The mRNA platform-based vaccines are a promising substitute to conventional vaccine approaches because of their high safety, potency and manufacturing ease. The study will be conducted at approximately 10-15 sites in phase-II. Phase-III will be held at 22-27 sites. Dr Ajay Bulle, consultant intensivist, is one of the principal investigators from Meditrina. He is assisted by Dr Tapan Bodele and instituteâs research, nursing and pharmacy staff under guidance of its director Dr Sameer Paltewar. The study will be conducted in two parts. Phase-II part will be conducted in 400 healthy subjects while phase-III part of the study will enrol 4,000 healthy subjects. Phase-II of the study will enrol subjects in 1:1 randomization scheme to receive either HGCO19 (10 µg) or Covishield while phase-III will enrol subjects in ratio 3:1 (HGCO19: Covishiedl). There are total seven follow up visits in the study including dose 1 on Day 0 and dose 2 at Day 29. Enrolment of the phase-II and Day 42 follow-up visit is completed. The institute enrolled 24 volunteers of which 23 are in follow up. The phase-III enrolment shall start in next 2-3 days. Dr Paltewar said citizens between age 18 and 80 years who have not taken any vaccine in their wait for Moderna/ Pfizer vaccine should come forward and become vaccine volunteer. After 56 days without any untoward episode, emergency use authorization of the vaccine would be sought.
Tests increases by 700 in region but new cases dip
Times of India | 1 day ago
Times of India
1 day ago
NAGPUR: Testing increased across the region including in districts where no new positive patient has been reported for some days but cases dipped on Thursday. More recoveries than new cases were also recorded in the day which saw a slight dip in active cases. All 11 districts of Vidarbha collectively recorded 10 new Covid cases on Thursday. Buldhana district hasnât reported a single new case for 28 days on a stretch. Over 7,500 tests were conducted, the highest from Nagpur at over 3,000. This was an increase over 700 especially when the contact tracing is not much while suspects with symptoms too are not seen anywhere in the region. The month of November has so far recorded 279 recoveries while 290 cases were detected. In Nagpur, two cases were reported from city and as many from outside district. It has 52 active cases of which 50 are in institutional quarantine. Washim: The district reported two new cases but no patient recovered on Wednesday. Active case tally rose to 4 now. New cases were detected from 317 tests in the day. No death took place. Gondia: The district is Covid free though it performed 313 tests. Bhandara: The district reported a new Covid case but no patient got discharged. Hence two cases are active now. Akola: The district didnât report any case but one recovered. The active cases dipped to 4. Gadchiroli: No new case were reported while three patients recovered. It has 5 active patients. Buldhana: The district didnât report any new Covid case but one recovered. This left 13 active cases. Chandrapur: District one case against two recoveries taking the Covid active figure down to 12 on Thursday. No death was reported during the day. Wardha: No new case, recovery or death was reported on Thursday while caseload, recoveries and toll remained unchanged at 49,426, 48,088 and 1,326 respectively. Currently, 8 positive cases are under treatment in district. Yavatmal: Yavatmal has one new positive patient during the last 24 hours though there was no death reported, keeping the death toll unchanged at 1,787. Currently there are 05 active positive patients under treatment. Amravati: One new case from the 240 samples tested took the districtâs caseload to 96,177 on Thursday. There were no recoveries and no deaths reported. This left 12 active cases under treatment.
Nation pays tribute to martyrs on anniversary
Times of India | 1 day ago
Times of India
1 day ago
MUMBAI: Political leaders, Bollywood personalities and citizens on Friday paid tributes to people who lost their lives in 26/11 terror attacks, which shook the countryâs financial capital 13 years ago, with banners carrying pictures of martyrs dotting locations in south Mumbai to remember their supreme sacrifice. Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the country in paying tributes and President Ram Nath Kovind said the nation will always be grateful to security personnel who laid down their lives in the line of duty. Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and state home minister Dilip Walse Patil paid respects at the memorial at the police headquarters. People paid tributes at Cama and Albless Hospital, CSMT and near Gateway of India, some places targeted by terrorists on November 26, 2008. Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, recuperating in a hospital after spine surgery, also remembered the martyrs.
Maharashtra: Parents may send special needs kids with medical issues to school after both jabs, says task force
Times of India | 1 day ago
Times of India
1 day ago
PUNE: Special needs schools should reopen with full precautions in place, the stateâs paediatric Covid-19 task force said on Friday. However, parents of children at high riskâthose with special needs having other underlying medical conditionsâmay decide on sending their wards to school only after full vaccination, the task force clarified. There are 1,600 special needs schools in Maharashtra, including grant and non-grant, with nearly 65,000 boarders and day scholars. âTeachers may face challenges because students may have difficulty understanding and following Covid-appropriate behaviour. Schools are advised to take extra precautions while overseeing their care,â said Dr Pramod Jog, member of the state paediatric Covid task force. Omprakash Deshmukh, commissioner for persons with disabilities in Maharashtra, said, âWe have sent a proposal to the government and sought orders on reopening of educational institutes. Our social justice department has sent the file to the public health department and a decision is expected from Mantralaya.â He said they hold online classes for the children. Mangal Wankhade, principal of a school for visually impaired girls in Alandi, said, âWe are awaiting government orders to reopen.â Sadhana Godbole of Prasanna Autism Centre, said they wonât open now.
Sex ratio at birth down in Maharashtra, urban areas a worry
Times of India | 1 day ago
Times of India
1 day ago
PUNE: The total sex ratio at birth dipped by 11 points â to 913 girls per 1,000 boys in 2019-20 from 924 newborn girls per 1,000 boys in 2015-16 â in Maharashtra , the latest report of the National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5) revealed. A demographic analysis revealed that the stateâs urban population showed appalling low numbers of newborn girls per 1,000 boys than their rural counterparts. According to the NFHS-5, the ratio of newborn girls per 1,000 boys was 878 in urban areas, a sharp drop by 42 points when compared with the NFHS-4 data of 2015-16, when there were 920 newborn girls per 1,000 boys. In the rural areas, the ratio of newborn girls per 1,000 boys was 941, up by 15 points when compared with the NFHS-4 data of 2015-16, when there were 926 newborn girls per 1,000 boys. The stateâ health departmentâs data based on the civil registration system (CRS), which tracks births and deaths, for 2019 showed that the sex ratio at birth was 919 girls per 1,000 boys and went down to 913 in 2020. Experts said both the reports (NFHS-5 and CRS) clearly indicated that the preference for a male child was still predominant in society and that sex-selective abortion might still be prevalent. âIf the number of girls born is less than 920, we can assume that there is discrimination against the girl child,â said senior gynaecologist Sanjay Gupte, former national president of Federation of Obstetric and Gynecological Societies of India. Health activist and medical practitioner Sanjeev Dabhade said, âThe report should be an eye-opener for the state government. Awareness drives, stringent enforcement of the law, initiation of technology like a mother and child tracking system, routine inspection and raids on sonography centres are keys to improving sex ratio at birth.â Child sex ratio is defined as the number of females per thousand males in the 0-6 age group. While child sex ratio was principally determined by the sex ratio at birth, it was also influenced by a number of other factors, such as under-registration of girls, differential infant, child mortality and age misreporting, stated the report, âGirls Missing At Birth in Indiaâ, published by the United Nations Population Fund-India. Social activist Sudha Kankaria said, âPrevailing social customs such as dowry and the excessively glorified notion of the male childâs role in many rituals, as well as in cremation, continue to have a lot of bearing on societyâs psyche. That needs to be changed through awareness and sensitization programmes.â Despite repeated attempts, Archana Patil, director, health services, could not be contacted for her comment.
Female sterilisation dips in Maharashtra, condom use up
Times of India | 1 day ago
Times of India
1 day ago
MUMBAI: While total fertility rate (TFR) average number of children born to a woman over her lifetime is dipping across the country, data from the National Family Health Survey-5 shows female sterilisation is the most common method of contraception. While female sterilisation increased in most states -- from 49.4% to 57.8% in Tamil Nadu and from 20.7% to 34.8% in Bihar â Maharashtra posted a slight drop from 50.7% to 49.1%. In Mumbai, the island city followed the national trend of more sterilisation (up from 36% to 47%) while the suburbs saw a drop (43.5% to 37.5%). BMC executive health officer Dr Mangala Gomare said male participation in family planning has always been a problem in India. âWith regards to Mumbai, a few men opted for sterilization, but their numbers are low,â she said. The traditionally low turnout for male sterilization has dropped further since the Centre stopped the cash incentive and started offering an account transfer. Dr Gomare said it is, however, clear from Mumbaiâs low birth rate that most couples have adopted contraception. The big development in NFHS-5 is a drop in India's TFR to 2% -- lower than replacement level (at which the population replaces itself from one generation to the next) of 2.1%. In Maharashtra, TFR is 1.7%. As per NFHS-5, 74% of couples practice contraception as against 59.6% (NFHS-4). Some of it is linked to condom use. Couples who adopted condoms rose from 5.6% (NFHS-4) in 2015 to 9.6% (NFHS-5). In Maharashtra too, it increased from 7.1% to 10.2%.But the heavy lifting is still done by women the percentage which underwent tubal ligation rose from 36% in 2015 to 37.9% in 2019. âWhile increase in use of modern contraceptive methods is heartening, an increase in female sterilisation coupled with continued stagnation in male sterilisation uptake shows the onus of family planning still lies with women,'' said Population Foundation of India's Poonam Muttreja. âWhile use of condoms has increased, its uptake continues to be low,â she added. NFHS is done by the Union health ministry using a representative sample of households. Deonar-based International Institute for Population Sciences serves as the nodal agency.
RT-PCR test before joining schools must for boarders in Maharashtra
Times of India | 1 day ago
Times of India
1 day ago
PUNE: Students studying in boarding schools in Maharashtra, both public and private, will have to undergo a mandatory RT-PCR test at the time of resuming physical attendance, the state paediatric Covid task force has said in its latest guidelines on Thursday. The state government has not issued any order on the reopening of residential schools as yet. Senior paediatrician Pramod Jog, a member of the task force, said, âResidential schools can be opened with all the precautions outlined in the previous guidelines for all schools. The only additional recommendation is to do an RT-PCR test at the time of entry to the residential school. Excursions outside the school should be avoided.â Pune, Lonavla, Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar host many private boarding schools. Besides, there are scores of ashram shalas and Navodaya Vidyalayas where students stay on the premises and get an education. Markus Deshmukh, advocate and spokesperson for The Bishopâs School in Pune Cantonment which has boarding facilities, said that the school is adopting a hybrid model of education for secondary classes and online classes for their primary section. âWe have a residential school with a capacity of 100 students, but only 25 students are boarders at present. All of these children are in secondary classes. The remaining are attending classes online and most probably will continue to do so. In case there are any students who take up the boarding facility, we will ask them to submit an RT-PCR negative report,â he added. Assistant project officer from Integrated Tribal Development Project that runs the residential ashram shalas that house 4.49 lakh students in the state, the highest among all managements, said that they have not yet reopened the schools but will do so in a phased manner. âHigher authorities at a recent meeting have decided that the schools will start in phases. All these students come from remote villages and their RT-PCR tests cannot be done from their home towns as it is not practically possible. However, whenever one class arrives, we can tie up with the local primary health centre and get their tests done at the school,â the official said. TOI had reported in October that tribal students were struggling to cope with online learning given the remoteness of their villages and needed to come back to the government hostels for proper education. Subhalakshmi, a volunteer who works with the tribal children in Ahmednagar, had said, âSchools have reopened for higher classes and in rural areas for Std V onwards, but the students who have registered in the hostel cannot take the benefit of this relaxation. They are very eager to go back to school. Many students do not have the necessary digital devices for online education and hence they should be the priority to send to schools with proper precautions.â Parents of students studying in these schools had said that the schools in rural parts were buzzing with students when theirs had to stay at home. âWe have enrolled them in hostels because we are either migrating or the schools are very far from our hamlets. The hostel facilities should be revived with appropriate care,â Kamal Sihore, a parent of a tribal student, had said.
- RT-PCR must for Maharashtra people flying to Indore
INDORE: The negative RT-PCR report should not be later than 48-hours of the scheduled arrival time at the airport," airport's officiating director Prabodh Chandra Sharma said. He said that the new quarantine guidelines have been enforced to ensure strict compliance of safety norms for domestic passengers flying from Maharashtra to Indore which includes the mandatory negative RT-PCR test report. "On the spot sampling and tests will be done on passengers arriving at Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport from Maharashtra without a negative RT-PCR report. Such passengers will have to bear the cost of the test and will be quarantined till the test report is released," said Sharma, adding, instructions have also been issued to make arrangements for on spot screening of all arriving passengers at the airport. Sharma added that both airlines as well as district health department authorities have been informed about the new travel guidelines and requested to make necessary arrangements. On an average, nearly ten flights from Maharashtra including cities like Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune and Gondia arrive at Indore airport daily, with an estimated footfall of up to 800 passengers. The restriction about the negative RT-PCR for domestic flyers was revoked in the month of August following decline in the number of cases of Covid-19. tnn
Active Covid caseload down to months lowest in Pune Metropolitan Region
Times of India | 1 day ago
Times of India
1 day ago
PUNE: The number of active Covid-19 cases in the Pune Metropolitan Region (PMR) dropped to a monthâs low of 1,974 on Tuesday and increased marginally to 1,982 a day later. PMRâs active caseload was around 2,300 during the festive period. Health officials said after the festive period, the cases have not recorded any spurt so far. Notably, the number of cases in the rural parts is lower than that in Pune municipal limits now. As per the data provided by the district health office, there were 823 active cases in the PMC limits on Wednesday, while the rural areas and Pimpri Chinchwad had 752 and 379 cases, respectively. An official from the PMCâs heath department said, âAround the festive time, the active case count in the municipal limits was around 760, which has increased slightly to 823. We are monitoring daily cases. Some increase was anticipated with relaxations and more people gathering during festivals. We have asked the teams to keep a close watch on the cases. The citizens are appealed to undergo testing in case of symptoms,â the official said. Another official from the PMCâs health department said the cases being recorded now are sporadic. âWe are ready with the required infrastructure and planning. If the cases go up, we will be able to handle it, but we hope to see a downward trend only,â the official said. The active case count had dropped below 2,000 on November 15. The tally, however, went up to around 2,200 within three days on November 18. Since then the cases are on the decline. An official from the district administration said the drop in active cases in the rural areas has continued for third consecutive week. âDaily count of positive patients has also dropped around 100 in the rural pockets. The hotspot areas have reduced because of drop in cases,â the official added.
