Here’s a list of good things that governments and people are doing.
The world has been brought together by a rather unlikely candidate – a virus.
Here’s a look at the good stuff that we should know about:
Mylab, an Indian company, has got approval for its testing kit. This means that India will now be able to produce its own testing kits. Germany’s Altona Diagnostics has also got the same approval.
Abbott Pharma, a US based company, also got approval for a testing kit that can be used anywhere, including a doctor’s office. This means that now there is no need to send the samples to a distant city for testing.
India will help its citizens and companies so that they don’t suffer because of the lockdown. India has already said that people don’t need to pay their EMIs for 3 months, including credit card bills. They can pay after 3 months.
In cities across India, people have reported that they now start their days with birdsong. Some cities have reported deer, Nilgai, and other animals. The most interesting sighting, however, was the Malabar civet. This dog-like carnivorous animal is in the critically endangered list. To see it roaming freely was quite a delight for conservationists (people interested in saving species of animals and plants for the planet).
Wuhan is the capital city of the Hubei province of China. This state has been in lockdown for almost 8 weeks now. Today, China started domestic (within China) flights at all airports except Wuhan. Wuhan also reported no new cases on Friday.
Many Indian industrialists and companies have offered financial and material help. Kerala has opened 4,603 relief camps (camp: a place where people live temporarily, or for a short time) for 1,44,000 workers who are from other states. Punjab has sent 20 trains full of food grains so that other states do not face a shortage.
The Prime Minister of India announced a PM-CARES fund. This fund will allow ordinary residents to contribute small amounts to a national fund that will be used for emergencies like this.