Kerala's single day new COVID-19 infections touch three digits--111; CM terms situation grim
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala's COVID-19 new positive cases on a single day touched three digits for the first time with the state recording 111 infections on Friday, prompting chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan to term the situation grim.
The surge in positive cases has pushed the infection count to 1,699 while 1.77 lakh people are under observation.
On May 8, Kerala had declared that it had flattened the coronavirus curve after reporting a solitary case and just 16 people under treatment.
However, with more people coming to the state from abroad and other states, the cases have seen a sudden spike.
Expressing concern at the increasing graph of the virus infections, Vijayan said it had nearly doubled since June 1 when 57 positive cases were detected in the state after which there has been a steady climb -- with 86 cases on June 2, 82 on June 3 and 94 on June 4.
He described the COVID-19 situation in the state as grim.
Twentytwo people have recovered from the infection and 973 people are presently under treatment, Vijayan told reporters here.
Three health workers were among those who tested positive, he said.
Of the positive cases, 50 had come from abroad and 48 from other states, including Maharashtra 25, Tamil Nadu 10, Karnataka three, and Delhi four.
Giving the break-up of cases, Vijayan said Palakkad reported the highest number of cases 40, followed by Malappuram 18, Pathanamthitta 11, Ernakulam 10, Thrissur eight, Thiruvananthapuram five, Alappuzhafive, Kozhikode four, Idukki three, Kollam two, Wayanad three, Kottayam and Kasaragod one each.
Of the 1.77 lakh under observation, 1,545 are in hospitals, including 247 admitted today and remaining in-home or institutional quarantine facilities.
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India, New Zealand ink free trade agreement
New Delhi (PTI): India and New Zealand on Monday inked a free trade agreement, aimed at boosting two-way commerce and investments.
The pact was signed by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and visiting New Zealand's Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay.
The FTA provides duty-free access for 100 per cent of India's exports to New Zealand, covering all tariff lines or produce categories, and is expected to significantly boost MSMEs and employment by enhancing competitiveness in labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, apparel, leather, footwear, gems and jewellery, engineering goods, and processed foods.
Earlier, New Zealand maintained peak tariffs of up to 10 per cent on key Indian exports, including ceramics, carpets, automobiles, and auto components.
With zero-duty market access from entry into force as New Zealand's other trade partners, Indian products will be fully competitive in that country, enjoying a level playing field.
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Significantly, India also secured duty-free inputs for its manufacturing sector, including wooden logs, coking coal, and waste and scraps of metals, lowering production costs and enhancing the global competitiveness of the Indian industry.
On the other hand, India has offered tariff liberalisation on 70.03 per cent of tariff lines covering 95 per cent of bilateral trade value, while keeping 29.97 per cent of tariff lines excluded to protect India's sensitive sectors.
The products that are kept in exclusion are mainly -- dairy (milk, cream, whey, yoghurt, cheese etc.), animal products (other than sheep meat), agricultural products (onions, chana, peas, corn, almonds), sugar, artificial honey, animal, vegetable or microbial fats and oils, arms and ammunition, gems and jewellery, copper and articles thereof (cathodes, cartridges, rods, bars, coils), aluminium and articles thereof (ingots, billets, wire bars) among others.
On 30 per cent of tariff lines of New Zealand, India will provide duty elimination on goods such as wood, wool, sheep meat, and leather-raw hides.
Similarly, 35.60 per cent of tariff lines are subject to phased elimination over 3, 5, 7, and 10 years, including petroleum oil, malt extract, vegetable oils, selected electrical and mechanical machinery, and peptones.
New Zealand products which enjoy tariff reductions include wine, pharmaceutical drugs, polymers, aluminum, iron and steel articles, and goods that only 0.06 per cent fall under tariff rate quotas, including Manuka honey, apples, kiwi fruit, and albumins, including milk albumin.
The FTA also includes a commitment to facilitate USD 20 billion in investment into India.
A rebalancing clause is incorporated into the Agreement to provide a framework for addressing any shortfall in investment delivery, thereby ensuring robust and tangible economic outcomes.
Total bilateral trade in goods and services reached USD 2.4 billion in 2024.
