States prepare to bring migrants back, historic decline in energy demand: Covid-19 news today

Here is a preview of important Covid-19 news from India and the world today.

Authorities across states have begun gearing up to handle the rush of returnees, after the home ministry allowed stranded migrants and students, among others, to return home during the lockdown. Nodal authorities have been identified for coordination among states and officials are setting up quarantine centres for those with coronavirus disease (Covid-19) symptoms. Meanwhile, experts suggest the coronavirus lockdown across the globe will cause the biggest drop in energy demand in history -- the equivalent of the entire energy demand of India -- with only renewables managing to increase output through the crisis.

Here is a preview of important Covid-19 news from India and the world today.

States prepare to bring migrant workers home

A day after the ministry of home affairs (MHA) announced guidelines for states to bring back their residents — students, tourists, and migrant labourers; mostly the last — many states started work on Thursday on what promises to be perhaps the biggest such exercise seen in India, the return of over 10 million people to at least 25 states and Union Territories. Read more.

Talks on to bring back stranded Indians: Govt

India said on Thursday consultations were on to finalise plans for repatriating citizens stranded around the world even as missions in different countries were arranging essential supplies and looking after the needs of such people. Read more.

Covid-19: What you need to know today

Kerala gets a lot of good press for its response to Covid-19. I have a hypothesis on that, but it can wait — perhaps for another column, perhaps forever.There’s no denying Kerala has done well, but so have Tamil Nadu, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh. Read more.

PM discusses investment models to boost economy

In the backdrop of the contraction in the economy due to the coronavirus pandemic and the national lockdown, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday held a “comprehensive” meeting to discuss strategies to boost the economy, with an eye on enhancing investment. Read more.

Covid brings local shops to the forefront of e-tail sector

The Covid-19 crisis has spurred a new wave of online and phone commerce, powered by millions of kirana stores, or local mom-and-pop shops, small merchants, cycle-riding delivery men, distributors on scooters, even farmers. Read more.

The four quarantines of Praveen Burathi

A 25-year-old man took nearly two months to reach his home in the Champawat district of Uttarakhand from Tehran, capital of Iran amid the Covid-19 outbreak. In the process, he was quarantined once in Iran and twice in Rajasthan. And on Tuesday, when he reached Champawat, it was only to be quarantined again. Read more.

Indigenous tests kits to be ready by mid-May: Centre

Indigenous antibody-based rapid test (blood test) kits and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) swab-based kits for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) developed by laboratories running under the ministry of science and technology will be ready around the middle of May, said health miniser Dr Harsh Vardhan. Read more.

In video conversation with Rahul, Rajan suggests Rs 65k-crore aid for poor

Former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan has suggested that the government transfer cash directly to the poor and supply food through the public distribution system (PDS) to as many people as possible to help them tide over the impact of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak and the consequent 40-day lockdown,estimating the effort will cost Rs.,65,000 crore.Read more.

Humans provide the conditions for epidemics to flourish: Frank Snowden

In 2019, Frank Snowden, professor emeritus of history and medical history at Yale University, published a book that was a result of four decades of research. Called Epidemics and Society: From the Black Death to the Present, the book is a sweeping and exhaustive look at many centuries of humanities struggles with infectious diseases. And, as it turns out, it was well timed. Read more.

65% of Covid deaths in India are men, shows govt’s data

Fewer women are dying of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in India as compared to men, and at least half of those who died were over the age of 60, according to data from the union health ministry. Of the 1,074 Covid-19 deaths reported from across the country till April 30 afternoon, 65% are men, which is in line with the evidence so far that Covid-19 kills more men than women.Read more.

Unique coronavirus mutation in Bengal, experts say too early to know its impact

After Kerala and Gujarat, West Bengal has sequenced the SARS-CoV-2 genome and identified one unique mutation in the S2 domain of the spike protein of the virus in all samples sequenced from the state when compared to those sequenced in the other two states and Wuhan in China. Read more.

India’s international sporting stars flex their muscles on family farms

Poonam Rani Malik, 28, has played over 200 international matches for the Indian hockey team; she was the forward of choice at the Rio Olympics. Like most of her teammates—in fact, like most elite athletes in India—Malik comes from a farming family. Read more.

F1 looks to restart at ‘closed circuit’ if Covid-19 subsides

Formula One organisers offered a ray of hope to fans when they announced on Thursday that the delayed season will start in the first week of July with the Austrian GP in Spielberg. If held, it will be the first race of the season held up by the Covid-19 pandemic. Read more.

World may see unprecedented 8% fall in CO2 emissions: IEA

The coronavirus lockdown will cause the biggest drop in energy demand in history -the equivalent of the entire energy demand of India - with only renewables managing to increase output through the crisis. As people around the world consume less oil, gas and coal, electricity generated from the wind and sun will keep flowing, resulting in an unprecedented 8% decline in global carbon dioxide emissions this year, according to a report from the International Energy Agency (IEA).Read more.

Six key cities, different covid trajectories

3.8 million more in US apply for jobless aid

More than 3.8 million laid-off workers applied for unemployment benefits last week as the US economy slid further into a crisis that is becoming the most devastating since the 1930s.Roughly 30.3 million people have now filed for jobless aid in the six weeks since the coronavirus outbreak began forcing millions of employers to close their doors and slash their workforces.Read more.