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UK returnees at ESI stage protest over delayed genomic test results | Goa News – Times of India

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PANAJI: Frustrated over the delay in receiving the genomic test results from the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, and the poor facilities at the ESI hospital, the UK returnees staged a protest on Wednesday and threatened to leave and home isolate instead. Placed under pressure, authorities collected fresh swab samples of those who have been Covid positive for more than two weeks now and sent them to the GMC laboratory for fresh testing.
The inmates were assured by the head doctor and mamlatdar that those who test negative for Covid-19 would be sent for home quarantine.
“There is no transparency. Some of us are waiting for the results of swab samples taken on December 22,” one of the returnees told TOI.
After protests, contacts of the UK returnees were sent home earlier this week. “The SOPs keep changing. The government seems to be making them up as they go along,” the returnee said.
There are no serious patients among the 29 inmates — all UK returnees — in isolation at the hospital with the majority of them asymptomatic positive.
“Initially we were told that the genomic test results would take two days, but now it has been more than 10 days. Our beds are placed very near each other and we all use common toilets. There is no social distancing here. We are have a different level of the virus, but we are all breathing in the same air. We wouldn’t have had a problem if we had all tested positive for the new strain, but this is not the case. Now if one of us tests positive for it, it has surely spread to the rest of us, too,” a UK returnee told TOI.
Many have spent the festive season in the hospital and continue to be kept in the dark by the state government about when they will receive the results from NIV Pune.
“We have only received rude replies from the government when we try to inquire about the status of our reports and we being treated like prisoners. I understand that the situation cannot be controlled, but the government can control they way they are managing the situation. A little bit of communication with little patience and politeness from government servants would help us,” another inmate said.
Another returnee said he put his family at risk initially when he tested negative for the virus on the antigen test at the airport on arrival. “I spent Rs 2,000 on the antigen test at the airport, but it was useless. I didn’t isolate when I was with my family because I tested negative. I then tested positive on the RTPCR test,” he told TOI.
The inmates also highlighted the condition of the hospital stating that more cleaning and sanitation were needed.

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Broke Swiggy guy walks 3 km to deliver food, Social media helps him find better job. Heartwarming story is viral

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Social media can be a wondrous place at times. While on most days, its ugly face is on display, on days like today, it sets examples of the power of kindness. In a social media post, a LinkedIn user shared how a delivery executive, in need of money and a better job, bagged one after the users on the platform came together to help the person out.

Priyanshi Chandel, Marketing Manager at tech company Flash, shared an incident about a Swiggy delivery agent who had come to deliver food at her residence. When she asked the late and out-of-breath delivery person, identified by her as Sahil Singh, about what happened, he told her that he had no transport and had to walk 3 km to deliver the order.

He also said that he was out of money and had nothing left to pay his landlord too. Singh told her that he was not looking for money from her but requested her to help him bag a job. He said that he had a degree in Electrical and Communication Engineering, and had worked with Byju’s and Ninjacart before. He had to move back to Jammu during the pandemic.

“I have not eaten for a week, just drinking water and tea to get by. I am not asking for anything, please if you can find me a job, I used to make 25k before, I am 30 years old, my parents are getting old and I can’t keep asking for money from them (sic),” Chandel quoted saying.

She also shared his marksheets and contact number for people to help. His details shared show that he is a 2018 BTech graduate from Mewar University, and completed his schooling from the Jammu and Kashmir state board.

After she shared the details, the comments section was filled with people who stepped up to help. While someone recharged his Yulu account so that he did not have to walk around to deliver food, someone offered a place to stay. Many offered to help him with his applications, while some offered jobs too.

Chandel, later on put an update on the post, and said that he received a job.

However, so far it is unclear what job he has received.

2023 has so far been a year of job losses, an eventual outcome of the pandemic and increased hiring by tech companies. For instance, the SSC MTS 2023 recruitment exam that took place in Uttar Pradesh in May saw over 55 lakh applications for Group D jobs. Numerous candidates who applied for positions such as peon, watchman, gardener had educational backgrounds like BTech, MBA, and Master’s degrees.

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Goa CM, NRI Commissioner writes to MoEF for help in safe return of Goans from Ukraine

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Panaji: Goa chief minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Thursday urged Union Minister for External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar to help in safe return of Goans who are in the Ukraine.

Sawant tweeted “we are concerned about the Goans in Ukraine who are considering to return to India in the light of ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis. I request Union Minister for External Affairs @DrSJaishankar ji for help in the safe return of Goans. I am keeping track of the situation.”

The chief minister’s tweet comes hours after Goa’s NRI Commissioner Narendra Sawaikar wrote to the Union External Affairs ministry seeking help in return of Goans who are in the Ukraine.

“Many Goans are currently residing in Ukraine due to various purposes including higher studies and due to the ongoing tension between Russia and Ukraine, I have started receiving requests for help and assistance from them to return back to India,” Sawaikar wrote.

The Commissioner further wrote in the letter that advisories have already been issued by the Ministery of External Affairs to Indians currently in Ukraine and our Indian Mission in Kyiy is currently handling the matter.

“Striking note of urgency, the Government of India has recently asked the family members of Embassy officials in Ukraine as well as students and citizens whose stay is not vital , to leave the Eastern European nation amid it’s raising tensions with Russia,” the letter reads.

Sawaikar wrote that the Goans in Ukraine are in touch with this office as they are anxious to temporarily return till the situation normalizes.

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Election Commission announces polling dates and counting days for Vidhan Sabha elections in 5 states

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On Saturday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the dates for the Vidhan Sabha elections in 5 States, namely, Goa, Punjab, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

While briefing the media, Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra informed that the elections in the poll-bound States will commence from February 10, 2022, to March 7, 2022. Elections in the State of Uttar Pradesh will be conducted in 7 phases, followed by Manipur with 2 phases. Elections in Goa, Uttarkhand and Punjab will be conducted in a single phase.

According to the Election Commission of India, the votes will be counted on March 10, 2022. ECI informed that all physical campaigning will be ceased until January 15, 2022, in light of the rising cases of Coronavirus.

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