Scores of Indian Americans tested positive with coronavirus, several died
Washington: Scores of Indian Americans have tested positive with the novel coronavirus and several of them have died, according to multiple news reports from community organisations and diaspora leaders from across the US, currently the global epicentre of the deadly disease.
While there is no official or unofficial count of Indian-Americans infected with the coronavirus, information available on various private social media groups indicate that a significant number of them are in New York and New Jersey.
The two States, which have the highest concentration of Indian-Americans in the US, are also the worst hit by the coronavirus.
By Monday, over 170,000 people tested positive in these two States and fatalities crossed 5,700.
Community leaders said that every day they have been receiving reports of their near and dear ones and other testing positive. Some of them, including a former president of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) admitted to the Intensive Care Unit.
Veteran Indian-American journalist Brahm Kuchibhotla, who was a former contributor to United News of India news agency breathed last at a New York hospital on Monday night.
Really shocking that this is happening to the community. Cannot believe that this is happening to us and the people we know," said Indian American Rajendra Dichpally.
Several community leaders both in the New York metropolitan area and Greater Washington Area of Maryland and Virginia have tested positive.
While the majority of them are in self-quarantine in their homes, many of them have been admitted to hospitals.
Sewa International, which has been running a help-line in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic said that they have been receiving several calls seeking help.
Indian-Americans have raised USD 204,000 in support of Houston-based IT professional Rohan Bavadekar who is battling for his life on ventilator support.
His wife and three children have also tested positive. A day earlier, Federation of Kerala Associations in North America said that it has lost four of its community members due to the coronavirus.
In Silicon Valley, an Indian American IT engineer has been tested positive along with his immediate family members. While the rest of his family members stayed inside their home during this ongoing lockdown. He was the only family member who came out and did grocery.
Dr Mukul S Chandra, medical director of the Cardiac Preventive Care and Research at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio is on a ventilator fighting COVID-19.
Community members in an appeal are seeking a plasma donor who tested positive for COVID-19 and then made a full recover.
According to estimates by the Johns Hopkins University, there are over 1.34 million confirmed coronavirus cases across the world and over 74,000 people have died of it. The US has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the world at 364,723, followed by Spain (136,675), Italy (132,547), Germany (102,453). More than 10,000 people have died in the US because of COVID-19.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
