Ahmedabad lockdown news: Today's updates from your city

Amid prevalent chaos and uncertainty over access to the essential services and commodities during the lockdown, we bring you the latest updates from Ahmedabad.
*Update at 9.24pm: As 253 new coronavirus positive cases were reported in the last 24 hours, the number of such patients in Ahmedabad district of Gujarat climbed to 11,597, the state health department said on Friday.(PTI)
*Update at 8.32pm: Gujarat has 6355 (40%) active cases, 8609 (54%) discharged patients and 980 (6%) patients dead out of total 15,944 patients recorded so far
*Update at 8.02pm: Gujarat recorded 372 positive cases in 24 hours, taking the total to 15,944. The cases include 253 from Ahmedabad, 45 from Surat and 34 from Vadodara
*Update at 7.58pm: 20 Covid-19 deaths, 372 new cases recorded in Gujarat in last 24 hrs; total in the state reaches 15,944.
*Update at 7.31pm: Renowned astrologer, Bejan Daruwala, succumbs to Covid-19 at a private hospital in Ahmedabad. The 90-year-old tested positive for Covid-19 on May 22 according to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s list of patients.
*Update at 5.38pm: Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani on Friday asked people not to believe in rumours regarding the coronavirus-induced lockdown, the fourth phase of which is scheduled to end on May 31. (PTI)
*Update at 4.18pm: In a relief to private doctors and people, the Gujarat high court on Friday said that there was no need to take approval of the government for carrying out coronavirus tests if doctors recommend it.(PTI)
*Update at 3.37pm: Twin brother and sister from Mehsana district of Gujarat, who had tested positive for Covid-19 within few days of birth, have recovered from the deadly infection, an official said on Friday. The twins, who were the youngest Covid-19 patients in Gujarat, will be discharged from the hospital by Saturday, Mehsana district development officer Manoj Daxini said. (PTI)
* A committee of experts headed by former Union finance secretary Hasmukh Adhia submitted an interim report to the Gujarat government and suggested that the focus should be on reviving agriculture and small business activity in the state after the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown.
The expert advisory group (EAG) held a meeting with CM Vijay Rupani, deputy CM Nitin Patel and senior ministers and bureaucrats on Thursday, apprising them of the representations received by the committee on different aspects of reviving the state’s economy.
* After getting a rebuke from the Gujarat high court over its reluctance to pay train fares for migrant workers who are heading to their native states, the state government agreed to pay for train fares for those workers who are travelling from May 24.
In its reply to the HC query, the government stated that since the states of Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha are paying for the fares for their people, the state government has decided to pay for other workers. “On and from May 24, 2020, the government of Gujarat decided to pay the travelling charges for the workers of the rest of the states,” it said.
* A shopkeeper of Bapunagar booked for not wearing gloves, not keeping sanitizer and not ensuring social distancing while selling goods from his hardware shop located on Bapunagar Approach Road.
* Hotels and Restaurants Association (HRA) – Gujarat, on Thursday, made a representation before chief minister Vijay Rupani seeking his permission to allow permit liquor stores to resume business. HRA representatives said that as permit liquor stores primarily cater to health permit holders, they be allowed to resume operations from June 1, when the lockdown 4.0 gets over.
* A day after the list of 40-plus doctors from the city working at private clinics and hospitals who have tested positive for Covid-19 made the rounds on social media, the Ahmedabad Medical Association (AMA) and Indian Medical Association (IMA) started drawing up a list with authentic information and specialities.
*Update at 10.01am | I appeal to people suffering from serious ailments, pregnant women & those above 65 years & below 10 years of age to travel only when necessary in Shramik Trains: Railway minister Piyush Goyal

* In about 10 days, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) acquired 1,500 beds in 42 city-based private hospitals on 50-50 sharing basis for Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 patients. Data on Thursday by AMC revealed that about 450 patients have got admitted in these hospitals where expenses are borne by the civic authority.
* The state government on Thursday informed the Gujarat high court (HC) that it has acquired 62% of total beds in 45 private hospitals in Ahmedabad after these hospitals were designated Covid-19 care facilities.
In a reply to the HC directions, the government said that in 45 private hospitals, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has reserved 2,048 beds out of total 3,303 beds. This is approximately 62% of the total beds as against the HC’s directions to acquire 50% of total beds in these hospitals. It also said that since some hospitals volunteered to offer 100% of their facilities, the AMC could secure more beds.
* Ahmedabad sees least daily deaths in 13 days, fewest cases in a week
Thursday brought a sort of silver lining for the district worst affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in Gujarat, Ahmedabad, which reported its lowest number of daily cases in a week and least number of deaths in 13 days.
Ahmedabad, in the 24 hours ending 5pm on Thursday, recorded 247 new cases and 16 deaths. On May 21, had recorded 233 cases and on May 15 it had recorded 14 deaths.
With the new cases and deaths on Thursday, the district’s tally now stands at 11,344 cases and 780 deaths.
The district is the fourth in India after Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai in terms of cases and second in terms of deaths after Mumbai.
* Junior doctors in the line of Covid fire in Ahmedabad, over 100 infected
They are the real frontline Covid-19 warriors – and have borne the brunt of the disease the most. An anonymous list that made rounds in several doctors’ groups on Thursday indicated that the number of junior (resident and intern) doctors in government hospitals is more than 100 now and they make 73% of total affected doctors in government hospital set-ups.
In fact, the list being circulated indicated 62 junior doctors from Civil hospital, 22 from GCRI, 11 from LG hospital, 16 from NHL/ SVP hospital, five from Sola Civil hospital and one each from UN Mehta Heart Institute and IKDRC testing positive so far. In all, there are 116 junior doctors infected so far compared to 38 senior doctors/ faculties. The status of five doctors was not known. The list of 197 also identified 38 private doctors who have tested positive so far in the city.