Sad we didn't stop flights from affected nations: Kejriwal over Omicron detection in India
New Delhi, Dec 2: Following the detection of the first two cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus in India, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said it was sad that international flights were not stopped from affected countries.
He had on Sunday written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to stop flights from countries affected by the new variant of coronavirus with immediate effect.
Of the two cases of the Omicron variant detected in Karnataka, one is a 66-year old South African national who came to Bengaluru on November 20.
The other is a 46-year-old man who is said to be an anaesthetist at a hospital in Bengaluru. He has no travel history to South Africa or any other country. He tested positive on November 22.
According to a government official, both the patients had mild symptoms.
Tagging a news report about the detection of the Omicron variant in Karnataka, Kejriwal on Thursday tweeted, "It's sad that we did not stop flights from affected countries."
In his letter to Modi on Sunday, the Delhi chief minister had said, "Our country has fought a tough fight against corona for the last one and half years. With great difficulty and due to the selfless service of millions of our Covid warriors, our country has recovered from coronavirus."
In view of the new coronavirus variant, a number of countries, including those in the European Union, have suspended travel to the affected regions, he had said.
Amid concerns over a possible third wave, Kejriwal on Tuesday said his government is fully prepared to tackle the situation and has ramped up oxygen production and storage facilities and prepared an adequate number of oxygen-supported beds for patients.
Its sad that we did not stop flights from affected countries. https://t.co/UqXLkqxo6k
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) December 2, 2021
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
===================
The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
