Southern Indian states continue to battle Covid-19 like the rest of the country with Tamil Nadu registering the maximum number of cases (2,323 positive cases) down south.
Here are the top developments from the Southern part of India:
1. In Chennai, ‘robocop’ will soon keep an eye on all offenders and will also communicate with the residents where it has been deployed. The police are planning to deploy them in the containment zones across the metropolitan city. On Friday, it was deployed in Mylapore area.
2. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has stated that Bengaluru and large parts of southern Karnataka can expect heavy rains this weekend. These pre-monsoon showers are also known as the ‘Mango showers’ in the state.
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3. To enforce strict standards of cleanliness, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike has decided to impose fines of Rs 1000-2000 for the offences of spitting, public littering, not wearing a mask in public and urinating. This is in view of the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the state and concerns over spread of the virus.
4. The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Relief Fund has till date received Rs 306.42 crores from various entities in the state and from India and abroad, a government note read. These funds will be used to boost the state’s fight against COVID-19.
5. Tamil Nadu’s problems with the virus continue unabated. On Thursday, the state reported 161 fresh cases and with this the total number of cases in the state stands at 2323 and the number of deaths at 27.
6. The Andaman and Nicobar islands Administration has decided to transport those stranded in the Union Territory to Chennai. Individuals interested will have to register with the Assistant Director of Shipping Services in Chennai to avail these facilities. The administration has made it clear that those entering the UT will necessarily be quarantined for a period of 14 days.
7. Andhra Pradesh is limping back to normalcy with as many as 210 industrial units being given the permission to operate in Anantapur and door step deliveries being permitted in Vizag. In the latter case, the retailers are tying up with e-commerce delivery companies and reviving their business.
8. The Kerala Governor Mohammad Arif Khan has signed the ordinance reducing the salary of the state government employees for a period of six days in a month for the next five months. The Kerala High Court had issued a stay order on the matter earlier in the week.
9. The Telangana Congress Committee President N Uttam Kumar Reddy has sought Rs 10 lakhs for every victim of COVID-19. This demand was raised during an all-party meeting with the Telangana Chief Secretary.
10. Amidst the growing concerns over the rising number of cases in the Koyambedu market, the Chennai Police Commissioner visited the spot and said that a decision on its closure will be taken soon.