கொரோனா நிவாரணம் ‛'டோக்கன்' வினியோகம்

Added : மார் 30, 2020 22:33

சென்னை:ரேஷன் கடைகளில், கொரோனா வைரஸ் பாதிப்பு நிவாரணம் வழங்குவதற்காக, கார்டுதாரர்களின் வீடுகளுக்கு சென்று, ரேஷன் ஊழியர்கள், 'டோக்கன்' வினியோகிக்கும் பணியை துவக்கியுள்ளனர்.
தமிழகத்தில், கொரோனா வைரஸ் பரவுவதை தடுக்க, ஊரடங்கு அமல்படுத்தப்பட்டு உள்ளதால், பலரின் தொழில்கள் பாதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன. 

இதனால், 2.01 கோடி அரிசி கார்டுதாரர்களுக்கு, தலா, 1,000 ரூபாய் ரொக்கத்துடன், ஏப்ரல் மாதத்திற்கு உரிய ரேஷன் பொருட்கள், இலவசமாக வழங்கப்பட உள்ளன. இவற்றின் வினியோகம், வரும், 2ம் தேதி முதல் துவங்குகிறது.ஒரு ரேஷன் கடையில், 1,200 -- 1,500 கார்டுதாரர்கள் உள்ளனர். ஊரடங்கு அமலில் உள்ள சூழலில், நிவாரண பொருட்கள் வழங்கும் போது, ஒரே சமயத்தில், கார்டுதாரர்கள் திரண்டால், பிரச்னை ஏற்பட வாய்ப்புள்ளது.இதனால், ஒரு கடையில், ஒரு நாளைக்கு, 100 கார்டுதாரர்களுக்கு மட்டும், நிவாரணம் வழங்கப்பட உள்ளது.

இதற்காக, எந்த தேதி, நேரத்திற்கு, கடைகளுக்கு வர வேண்டும் என்ற விபரங்கள் அடங்கிய, டோக்கன், கார்டுதாரர்களின் வீடுகளில் வழங்கப்படும் என, அரசு, அறிவித்தது.அதன்படி, ரேஷன் ஊழியர்கள், கார்டுதாரர்களின் வீடுகளுக்கு, டோக்கன் வினியோகிக்கும் பணியை, நேற்று முதல் துவக்கினர். வருவாய் கிராம உதவியாளர்களும், ஊராட்சி எழுத்தர்களும், டோக்கன் வழங்கும் பணியில் ஈடுபட்டுள்ளனர். நாளைக்குள், அந்த பணிகளை முடிக்க, அதிகாரிகள் திட்டமிட்டுள்ளனர்.

யாருக்கெல்லாம் வெளியூர் செல்ல அனுமதி?

Added : மார் 30, 2020 22:41

சென்னை:சென்னையில் வசிப்போர், வெளிமாநிலம், வெளிமாவட்டங்களுக்கு செல்லவும் மற்றும் சென்னை நகருக்கு உள்ளேயே, ஒரு இடத்தில் இருந்து, மற்றொரு இடத்திற்கு செல்லவும், அனுமதி சீட்டு வழங்கப்படுகிறது.

இது குறித்து, சென்னை போலீஸ் துணை கமிஷனர், எச்.ஜெயலட்சுமி கூறியதாவது: *அண்ணன், அக்கா, தம்பி, தங்கை, மகன், மகள் என, ரத்த சம்பந்தமானவர்களின் திருமணத்திற்கு மட்டுமே, அனுமதி சீட்டு வழங்கப்படும். மேற்கண்ட நபர்களின் இறப்பு தொடர்பாக, துக்கத்தில் பங்கேற்க வேண்டும் என்பதற்காக மட்டுமே, அனுமதி வழங்கப்படும். பெரியப்பா, சித்தப்பா, மாமா போன்ற உறவினர்கள் இறப்புக்கு, அனுமதி சீட்டு கிடையாது

*குடும்ப உறுப்பினர்களான, அண்ணன், அக்கா, தங்கை, மனைவி; நோய் வாய்ப்பட்டு தனியாக இருக்கும், தாத்தா, பாட்டி ஆகியோரின் மருத்துவம் தொடர்பாக செல்லவும், மனைவியின் பிரசவம்தொடர்பாக செல்லவும், அனுமதி சீட்டு வழங்கப்படும்.

*வெளியூர் மற்றும் வெளி மாநிலங்களில், துணை ஏதும் இல்லாமல் தனியாக வசிக்கும், ரத்த சம்பந்தமான முதியோர்களையும், நோய் வாய்ப்பட்ட பெற்றோரை அழைத்து வரவும், அனுமதி வழங்கப்படும்

*பெற்றோரை விட்டு, வெளியூர் மற்றும் வெளி மாநிலங்களில், உறவினர்களிடம் இருக்கும், இரண்டரை வயது மகன், மகளை அழைத்து வர, அனுமதி வழங்கப்படும்

*கோரிக்கை கடிதங்களை, சந்திக்க விரும்பும் நபர்களின், தேவையான அடையாள ஆவணங்களுடன், சென்னை, வேப்பேரியில் உள்ள, போலீஸ் கமிஷனர் அலுவலகத்தில் நேரில் சமர்ப்பிக்க வேண்டும்

*மேலும், 75300 01100 என்ற, மொபைல் போன் எண்ணுக்கு, குறுஞ்செய்தியாகவும், 'வாட்ஸ் ஆப்' செயலி வாயிலாக, கோரிக்கை கடிதம் மற்றும் அடையாள ஆவணங்களை சமர்ப்பித்தும், அனுமதி சீட்டு கோரலாம். gcpcorona2020@gmail.com என்ற, மின்னஞ்சலுக்கும் அனுப்பலாம்

*கோரிக்கை கடிதங்களில் உள்ள தகவல்களை ஆய்வு செய்து, உண்மையாக இருந்தால் மட்டுமே, அனுமதி சீட்டு வழங்கப்படும். அனுமதி வேண்டி, 9,000 பேர், கோரிக்கை கடிதம் அனுப்பி உள்ளனர். ஆய்வுக்கு பின், 164 பேருக்கு அனுமதி சீட்டு வழங்கப்பட்டு உள்ளது.இவ்வாறு, அவர் கூறினார்.

ஒரே நாளில், 17 பேருக்கு வைரஸ் பரவியது எப்படி?

Added : மார் 30, 2020 21:56

சென்னை:தமிழகத்தில், ஒரே நாளில், 17 பேருக்கு, கொரோனா பாதிப்பு உறுதி செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது. இவர்களில், 10 பேர், ஈரோட்டை சேர்ந்தவர்கள். மதுரை, கரூரில், தலா, ஒருவர்; சென்னையில், 5 பேருக்கு, கொரோனா தொற்று கண்டுபிடிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

சென்னையில் பாதிக்கப்பட்ட, ஐந்து பேரில், நான்கு பேர், ஒரே குடும்பத்தை சேர்ந்தவர்கள். இவர்களில், 76 வயது மூதாட்டி, 56 வயது பெண், 15 வயது சிறுமி, 20 வயது வாலிபர் உள்ளனர். இவர்கள், நான்கு பேரும், மேற்கு மாம்பலத்தை சேர்ந்தவர்கள். அமெரிக்காவில் இருந்து திரும்பிய, கொரோனாவால் பாதிக்கப்பட்ட, 25 வயது வாலிபரின் குடும்பத்தினரான, இந்த நான்கு பேரும், தற்போது, சென்னையில் உள்ள, தனியார் மருத்துவமனையில் சிகிச்சை பெற்று வருகின்றனர்.அதேபோல, பிராட்வேயை சேர்ந்த, 50 வயது பெண் ஒருவரும் பாதிக்கப்பட்டு உள்ளார். இவர், சென்னை ராஜிவ்காந்தி அரசு மருத்துவமனையில் சிகிச்சை பெற்று வருகிறார். இவருக்கு, தொற்று ஏற்பட்டது குறித்து, சுகாதார துறை அதிகாரிகள் விசாரித்து வருகின்றனர்.கரூரில் பாதிக்கப்பட்ட நபர், 42 வயது ஆண், குளித்தலையில் வசிக்கிறார்; டில்லி சென்று திரும்பிய, தாய்லாந்து குழுவினருடன் பயணித்துள்ளார். இவர், கரூர் அரசு மருத்துவமனையில் அனுமதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளார்.

அதே போல், ஈரோட்டை சேர்ந்த, 10 நபர்கள், தாய்லாந்தை சேர்ந்தவர்களுடன், தொடர்பில் இருந்துள்ளனர். இவர்கள், டில்லி சென்று திரும்பியவர்களுடன் பயணித்துள்ளனர். பெருந்துறை, ஐ.ஆர்.டி., மருத்துவமனையில் அனுமதிக்கப்பட்டு உள்ளனர்.மேலும், மதுரையில் கொரோனாவால் பாதிக்கப்பட்ட, 25 வயது நபர், ஏற்கனவே உயிரிழந்த, 54 வயது நபருடன் தொடர்பில் இருந்துள்ளார். அதன்படி, இதுவரை, 1,853 பேரிடம் பரிசோதனை செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது. அதில், 67 பேருக்கு உறுதி செய்யப்பட்ட நிலையில், 119 பேரின் முடிவுகள், ஓரிரு நாட்களில் வர வாய்ப்பு உள்ளது.

முதல்வர் நிவாரண நிதிக்கு சாமானியர்களும் உதவி

Added : மார் 30, 2020 21:57

சென்னை: முதல்வர் நிவாரண நிதிக்கு, கூலித் தொழிலாளர்கள் உட்பட, அனைத்து தரப்பினரும், ஆர்வமாக நிதி வழங்கி வருகின்றனர்.கொரோனா நோய் தடுப்பு பணிக்காகவும், ஏழை மக்களுக்கு உதவுவதற்காகவும், முதல்வர் பொது நிவாரண நிதிக்கு, பணம் வழங்கும்படி, பொது மக்களுக்கு, முதல்வர், இ.பி.எஸ்., வேண்டுகோள் விடுத்து உள்ளார்.அதை ஏற்று, ஏராளமானோர் நிதி வழங்கி உள்ளனர். கூலித் தொழிலாளர்கள் முதல், வசதி படைத்தவர்கள் வரை, அனைவரும் தங்களால் முடிந்த நிதியை வழங்கி வருகின்றனர். இவர்கள், 100, 200, 500, 1,000 என, ஒவ்வொருவரும் தங்களால் முடிந்த தொகையை, நிவாரண நிதிக்கு அனுப்பியுள்ளனர்; அதற்கான ரசீதை, முதல்வரின், 'டுவிட்டர்' பக்கத்தில் பதிவிட்டுள்ளனர்.

ஆன்லைன்' மூலம் மது விற்பனை 'ரூம்' போட்டு யோசிக்கும் கேரளா

Added : மார் 30, 2020 23:28

திருவனந்தபுரம்:ஊரடங்கு உத்தரவால், மது கிடைக்காமல், ஒன்பது பேர் தற்கொலை செய்து கொண்டுள்ள நிலையில், 'ஆன்லைன் மூலம் மது விற்பனை செய்வதற்கான சாத்தியம் குறித்து ஆலோசித்து வருகிறோம்' கேரள முதல்வர், பினராயி விஜயன் கூறியுள்ளார்.

கேரளாவில், முதல்வர் பினராயி விஜயன் தலைமை யிலான, இடது ஜனநாயக முன்னணி கூட்டணி அரசு அமைந்துள்ளது. கொரோனா வைரஸ் பாதிப்பால், நாடு முழுதும், 21 நாள்கள் ஊரடங்கு உத்தரவு அமல்படுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளது. அதையடுத்து, மதுக் கடைகள் உள்பட, அனைத்து கடைகளும் மூடப்பட்டுள்ளன.நாட்டிலேயே, அதிகம் அளவு மது விற்பனையாகும் மாநிலங்களில் ஒன்றான கேரளாவில், வைரஸ் தொற்று தீவிரமடைந்து வருகிறது. அதைவிட, மது கிடைக்காத விரக்தியில் தற்கொலை செய்வோர் எண்ணிக்கையும் உயர்ந்து வருகிறது. இதுவரை, ஒன்பது பேர், மது கிடைக்காததால், தற்கொலை செய்துள்ளதாக, செய்திகள் தெரிவிக்கின்றன.'மது கிடைக்காத விரக்தி யில் பலர் பாதிக்கப்பட்டு உள்ளனர்.

இது சமூகப் பிரச்னையாக மாறும் வாய்ப்பு உள்ளது. அதனால், ஆன்லைன் மூலம் மது விற்பனை செய்வது குறித்து ஆலோசித்து வருகிறோம்' என, முதல்வர், பினராயி விஜயன் கூறியுள்ளார்.மது கிடைக்காததால், மதுவில் இருந்து விடுபட்டு வருவோருக்கு தேவையான ஆலோசனைகள், சிகிச்சை அளிக்க, மாநில கலால் துறைக்கு, முதல்வர் உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளதாக, செய்திகள் தெரிவிக்கின்றன. மேலும், 'பிரிஸ்கிரிப்ஷன்' எனப்படும் டாக்டர்கள் பரிந்துரையுடன் வருவோருக்கு, மது அளிக்கும்படி கலால் துறைக்கு உத்தரவிடப்பட்டு உள்ளதாகவும் செய்தி வெளியாகி உள்ளது.

இந்த திட்டத்திற்கு, இந்திய மருத்துவ சங்கம் எதிர்ப்பு தெரிவித்துள்ளது. சங்கத்தின், திருவனந்தபுரம் கிளை வெளியிட்டுள்ள செய்தியில் கூறியுள்ளதாவது:மதுப் பழக்கத்தில் இருந்து விடுபடுவோருக்கு சிகிச்சை அளிக்கலாம். ஆனால், 'மதுவை வழங்க வேண்டும்' என, டாக்டர்கள் பரிந்துரைக்க முடியாது. மதுப் பழக்கத்தில் இருந்து விடுபடும் நிலையில் உள்ளவர்களுக்கு மது வழங்குவது, தீர்வாகாது.இவ்வாறு, அதில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது.

கொரோனா பாதிப்பை தவிர்க்க முதியோருக்கு மத்திய அரசு அறிவுரை

Added : மார் 30, 2020 23:03

புதுடில்லி:மத்திய சுகாதார அமைச்சகம், மூத்த குடிமக்கள், கொரோனா பாதிப்பில் இருந்து தற்காத்துக் கொள்வதற்கான அறிவுரைகளை வெளியிட்டுள்ளது.

முதியோர்கள், என்ன செய்யலாம், எதை தவிர்க்க வேண்டும் என்பது குறித்து, அந்த அறிக்கையில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளதாவது:செய்ய வேண்டியவை*அடிக்கடி முகம், கைகளை கழுவ வேண்டும்.* வீட்டிற்கு வரும் விருந்தினர்களை சந்திப்பதை தவிர்க்க வேண்டும்.* அப்படியே சந்தித்தாலும், குறைந்தது மூன்றடி இடைவெளி விட்டு பேச வேண்டும்.*வழக்கமாக எடுத்துக் கொள்ளும் மருந்து களை தொடர வேண்டும்.* தினமும் உடற்பயிற்சி செய்யலாம்.*வீட்டில் சமைத்த சூடான உணவுகள், பழரசம், போதிய அளவு தண்ணீர் குடிப்பது, நோய் எதிர்ப்பு சக்தியை அதிகரிக்க உதவும்*கண், மூட்டு அறுவை சிகிச்சை ஆகியவற்றை தள்ளி வைக்கலாம்.*அடிக்கடி பயன்படுத்தும் இடங்களில், கிருமி நாசினி தெளிக்கலாம்.* லேசான காய்ச்சல், இருமல், மூச்சு விடுவதில் சிரமம் இருந்தால், உடனே அருகில் உள்ள சுகாதார மையத்தை அணுக வேண்டும்* உடல் நலன் குறித்து, குடும்ப மருத்துவரை நேரில் சந்திப்பதற்குப் பதிலாக, தொலைபேசி மூலம் ஆலோசனை பெறலாம்.தவிர்க்க வேண்டியவை*காய்ச்சல், இருமல் இருந்தால், சுய மருத்துவம் பார்க்கக் கூடாது.*அதிக மக்கள் கூடும் காய்கறி சந்தைகள், மத வழிபாட்டு தலங்கள், பூங்காக்களுக்கு செல்வதை தவிர்க்கவும்.*இருமல், தும்மலின் போது, வெறும் கையால் தடுக்கக் கூடாது; கைக்குட்டை அல்லது துண்டை பயன்படுத்தலாம்.*காய்ச்சல் அல்லது இருமல் உள்ளோர் அருகில் செல்லக் கூடாது.இவ்வாறு அதில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது.வாசனை, உணவு ருசி இல்லாமல் இருப்பதும், கொரோனா பாதிப்புக்கான துவக்க அறிகுறி என, மருத்துவர்கள் தெரிவித்து உள்ளனர்.

SpiceJet pilot tests positive for COVID-19

DGCA suspends breathalyser checks as pilots’ body raises fears of infection spread

30/03/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,NEW
DELHI/CHENNAI

The airline has asked all staff who came into contact with the pilot to undertake self-quarantine for 14 days.V. V. Krishnan V. V. Krishnan

After a SpiceJet pilot tested positive for COVID-19, the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Sunday issued an order waiving the mandatory breathalyser test for aviation personnel to ensure that the use of the testing device does not cause the infection to spread.

According to SpiceJet, a junior pilot went under self-quarantine after his last flight on March 21 from Chennai to Delhi and tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday. The airline has now asked all staff who came into contact with the pilot to undertake self-quarantine for 14 days. The airline also said the pilot did not operate any international flight in March.

Following the SpiceJet announcement, a letter from the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) to the DGCA said “continuing BA Tests in these circumstances is extremely dangerous” as the machine for the test remains the same and droplets or aerosols of infected pilots may infect the healthy. Saturday’s letter is the second from the ICPA, which had made a similar request on March 20.

The DGCA in its order temporarily suspending the requirement of pilots, cabin crew, Air Traffic Controllers and other personnel from undergoing the test for alcohol consumption, said all such personnel will have to give an undertaking that they have not consumed alcohol in the 12 hours before duty time.

In operation

While all commercial flights, domestic and international, are grounded until April 14 following a nationwide lockdown, several flights ferrying evacuees from different parts of the world as well as medical supplies are in operation.

SpiceJet said the pilot had been admitted to a hospital in New Delhi. “All measures are being taken to provide appropriate medical care to him. As a precautionary measure, all crew and staff, who had been in direct contact with him, have been asked to self-quarantine by staying at home for the next 14 days,” an airline statement said.

“Safety of our passengers and employees is our topmost priority. We have been diligently following the guidelines issued by the WHO and the Government of India. All our aircraft are being disinfected thoroughly since the end of January and the disinfectants used are as per the WHO standards,” a Spicejet spokesperson said.

‘It was traumatic at first, I immersed myself in books’

Telangana’s first COVID-19 patient, who has now recovered, recalls his fight against the dreaded disease

30/03/2020, K. SHIVA SHANKER,HYDERABAD

Helping hands: Police personnel seen outside the isolated block of the Gandhi Hospital. Nagara Gopal

“How did I get it?” Throughout the 14 days of isolation at the Gandhi Hospital, this thought constantly played on the mind of the index (first) COVID-19 case of Telangana. The 24-year-old techie hailing from Hyderabad tried to piece together all details from the time he left Bengaluru, where he works for a startup, till he landed in Dubai. He racked his brains but could not figure out the answer.

Cooped up all alone in the isolation ward of the State-run hospital even as his treatment started, he was bogged down with the anxiety of having possibly passed on the contagious disease to his family members, friends and others he came in contact with. Desperate to break free from the restlessness and the constant news reports and discussions on the novel coronavirus, he turned to fiction books.

During the two weeks of treatment, he finished reading six novels. Now, he has recovered .

Having completed 28 days of isolation at the hospital and quarantine at home on Friday, he told The Hindu, in an exclusive interview, that he flew to Dubai in mid-February and returned to Bengaluru on February 20.

After attending office for a day and then staying back in his room the next day, he returned to Hyderabad in an air-conditioned bus on February 22.

When he developed fever, he consulted the family doctor. Four days later, he developed dry cough too and was diagnosed with pneumonia. A corporate hospital referred him to Gandhi Hospital where he tested positive for COVID-19 on March 1.

“At that point, I underwent a lot of psychological trauma. I was shocked to know the results. Then I started to worry about my parents, friends and others who had come in contact with me. Besides, I was anxious as pneumonia was at its peak in the first three days after testing positive. But Krishna Murthy, head of the Pulmonology department, was quite supportive. He said I will get well soon since I am young. The duty doctors and nurses constantly monitored my situation,” the techie recalled.

While he said conditions at the government hospital were “okay” with scope for improvement, the youngster said the doctors, nurses and other staff “did everything they could”. “Nurses covered in Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) would come into the ward to administer medicines. They would boost my morale every now and then and share tea with me. My family and friends called me up regularly. I kept away from social media and read books to transport myself to another world,” the youngster said.

Do not leave Delhi, Kejriwal appeals to migrant workers

Chief Minister says govt. has made necessary arrangements for food and shelter

30/03/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,NEW DELHI

Migrant workers on their way to board a bus during a complete lockdown against the spread of COVID-19 outbreak at Anand Vihar in the city, on Sunday. R.V. Moorthy

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday appealed to migrant workers trying to return to their villages to remain in Delhi and assured them that his government has made all necessary arrangements for their food and shelter.

“We have emptied classrooms and put mattresses on the floor and will even provide accommodation at stadiums if the need arises. But now, despite several appeals, these classrooms are lying empty,” he said, adding that “stay where you are” is the mantra of the lockdown and that we would fail as a county if we do not follow it.

Risking lives

He told migrant workers that so far, COVID-19 has not spread to the villages and warned them that if they head home, they would not only put their lives at risk but also of their family members.

“Yesterday [Saturday] there were large crowds at Anand Vihar Bus depot...even if one or two persons in that crowd had the virus, all those present there would be in danger. We asked people that there were three schools nearby where they could take shelter but they were adamant to leave the city,” Mr. Kejriwal added.

He said the government has made arrangements to provide free food to four lakh people daily as well as distribute 50% extra ration for free to ensure that nobody is hungry. He also appealed to people who are financially well-to-do to ensure that others do not stay hungry.

‘Rise above politics’

He requested landlordsnot to charge money from their tenants if they were unable to pay rent.

“This is the time for humanity. Our entire life we spend earning money and fame but none of this will matter when we die. What will matter is what we have done for others. We must all help each other,” Mr. Kejriwal said.

He added that it was not the time to indulge in politics but for all parties to work together for people before the country reaches a situation like the one in Italy or the U.S. where thousands of COVID-19 cases have been reported.

The Chief Minister concluded his press conference by saying that there are 18 chapters in Bhagvad Gita and there are 18 days of the lockdown left. He asked people to spend half an hour reading a chapter daily and said he was doing the same at home.

Migrants throng KMP Expressway looking for means to go home

Policemen on e-way, NH-48 flagging down vehicles to arrange for their travel

30/03/2020, ASHOK KUMAR,MANESAR

Migrant workers along with their family members walking down national highway.PTIManvender Vashist

Families of thousands of migrant workers, including women and children of all ages, who have been walking long distances along the Delhi-Jaipur Highway carrying suitcases, bags and sacks on their heads, thronged the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway at Pachgaon here on Sunday.

They have been desperately looking for means to return home in adjoining States after they were turned away by the police on Delhi-Gurugram border.

Stranded at Pachgaon, Chandra Bhan Yadav, a worker at a paints company in Gurugram’s Khandsa, said that he, along with his family members, including his wife and an eight-year-old girl, was walking towards Anand Vihar bus stand in Delhi to catch a bus to Kanpur, but the police turned him away at the Delhi-Gurugram border.

He said he had exhausted all his savings and did not have enough to afford even two square meals a day for his family. “I cannot afford to even pay the rent this month. I have no choice but to return home,” said Yadav, carrying his daughter on the back. He said he was prepared to walk all the way to Kanpur.

Dotting around a 60-km stretch from Delhi-Gurugram border to Pachgaon, the families of the workers, walking in hordes, had a similar stories to narrate. “We have no knowledge about the night shelters opened by the district administration. It is any way, better to go back home than to stay at night shelters,” said daily-wage worker Ashish Mishra. He was part of a group of nine, including a woman and a three-year-old child, which sat under a tree at Jharsa Chowk. He claimed that they too were turned away by the police at Delhi-Gurugram border.

Many workers also feared that the shutdown of non-essential services could be extended well beyond April 14 and it was, thus, “better to leave”.

The Gurugram district administration had pressed into service the buses of Gurugram Metropolitan City Bus Limited to drop the workers and their families at Pachgaon. Most of them walked to the KMP Expressway taking little breaks in between. The police too had been flagging down private vehicles at the barricades on the NH-48, pleading with the drivers to drop the stranded workers at the KMP Expressway. The workers had to queue up for screening with thermal scanners before they were allowed to cross over to the other side of the toll plaza on the KMP Expressway at Pachgaon.

Ajay, a resident of Kakrola, said the neighbouring villages had been running community kitchen for the families of stranded workers and also ferrying them to the toll plaza on the KMP Expressway, around 2 km away. “We provide them food, tea, milk and biscuits. The people have been thronging the KMP Expressway for the past two days,” said Mr. Ajay. The district administration teams were also involved in providing food to the workers.

Police teams on the KMP Expressway had been flagging down the trucks and personal vehicles to arrange for the travel of the workers till Palwal.

Meanwhile, the district administration converted 19 community centres across the city into “relief centres”, in addition to the night shelters, to prevent the exodus. As many as 23 volunteer teams were involved in providing food, water and medical support to the workers.

Cab driver finds it difficult to sustain family of five ‘Clampdown is nothing short of a ‘calamity’ for me’ It is a bad idea to leave city now: restaurant worker ‘We are borrowing money to manage a meal a day’

30/03/2020

Aruna Mandal,

At-home parlour service provider

With the country going into a lockdown to control the pandemic, city-dwellers, who depend on a daily source of income, are among the worst hit.

For Govindpuri resident Aruna Mandal (31), a beautician offering at-home parlour services, a three week clampdown was nothing short of a “calamity.”

The sole breadwinner of the family, Mandal said: “It has been a week since I stopped visiting my clients’ houses. For people like me, how can there be any work from home? Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the other day that the lockdown will be for 21 days and some are saying that it might get extended. The entire situation is very distressing. What do I do?”

The 31-year-old added: “I came to Delhi after my marriage and then I took up a beautician course so that I could earn myself and not depend on anyone. My husband has erratic work and so the income is not regular. I even took a loan and bought a flat recently and had plans to shift by April. Now all the plans are gone. The moneylenders are asking for their money back. I have no idea how I will arrange for the money if I am out of work for three weeks.”

Even though the income was “not fixed, it was at least regular and assured,” she rued.

“Usually, my days would start around 8 a.m. and I would come back home around 10 p.m. While there were days when I would earn around ₹3,000, at times it was only ₹1,000. At least there was a flow of income to the family. Now we are at a loss with no clue as to how to go forward,” the mother of a 12-year-old said.

Shinjini Ghosh

Mohammad Ahmed,

Driver with a cab-service provider

Apart from posing serious health threats, the COVID-19 outbreak also had adverse financial effects, specially after countrywide restrictions were announced.

Mohammad Ahmed, who is a driver with a leading cab service provider, now spends his days staring out of his balcony, in a bid to assess the financial impact caused in his life.

“Since the Prime Minister’s announcement, business is completely down and income zilch. The cab services have been discontinued till further orders. So at this point, we have no clarity on when it will be resumed and more importantly [we] have no idea how we will survive for the next three weeks,” said Ahmed.

With three children, Ahmed has a family of five to sustain.

“As of now we have bought basic grains and pulses. There is not really much that we can stock up. Where is the money for that?” he asked.

While adding that monthly instalments against loans he had taken are due, the 35-year-old said, “The worry of how to sustain is making me so anxious. I still have EMIs to pay for the loan I took to buy the car. The only thing happening these days is the steady depletion of the bank accounts. Even from the company we have not heard a word on whether we will get any compensation for this period.”

“I started driving the cab three years ago. Earlier I used to work in the construction industry. Currently, it simply looks like hassles are about to increase with no solution in the near future. We can’t step out; there is no way to earn anything and a constant threat to the health. Our miseries are simply unending it seems,” he said.

Shinjini Ghosh

Ramesh Kumar,

Runs tyre repair shop

Fifty seven-year-old Ramesh Kumar has been without work since the people’s curfew on March 22. “I only had ₹1,000 with me when the restrictions were announced...how am I supposed to get anything done with that?” asked Kumar, who lives with two children and his brother’s family.

With alcohol stores shut, Kumar, who runs a tyre repair shop near the Nehru Enclave metro station, said that he is saving some money. But ensuring that food and ration are available is a task. “We are making do with whatever we can, borrowing money from people here and there to eat a meal in a day,” he said, sitting outside his closed shop, along with a few others who has stores nearby.

Stating that no help in any form was received from authorities, Kumar said, “No one came to ask even about water.” Without a source of income he is not sure how long his family would be able to survive. But he wasn’t too concerned about the spread of the pandemic. “When I sleep at night, I hope I don’t wake up in the morning...I have lived a full life. I have seen a lot, done a lot...I never thought I would see such a time as well. But if it gets me, that’s also okay,” he said.

“I have been trying to spend time in some way or the other like feeding the birds and watching the television,” said Kumar who had also managed to procure cigarettes despite the lockdown. “We make some arrangements for this,” he said.

Sitting on the porch of his store, he said: “Day and night we see people walking with bags asking for directions to the bus terminal...it is really sad.” Kumar believes that more time should have been given to prepare for the lockdown.

Sidharth Ravi

Ram Pal,

Worker at a restaurant

Nineteen-year-old Ram Pal from Gonda in Uttar Pradesh has decided to stay put in Delhi at least for the time being. The owner of the restaurant he works at has suspended wages but is providing food to the workers.

“It [providing food] is better than nothing...what pay will we get when we are not working at all?” he said.

Many of his friends had left the city out of fear. Also, they were out of work and running out of money. But Ram thinks that it is a bad idea to leave the Capital. “Some people who left yesterday [Saturday] and that too on some expensive bus tickets have only reached Lucknow till now...that’s only half way home,” he explained. Besides this, the task of getting to Anand Vihar bus station itself is difficult, he said.

“They are all now in the middle of nowhere without food or water..at least here there is a roof over our heads and some food,” he said. “Now there is another friend who says he wants to go home but we are telling him to stay put,” he added.

Besides this, Ram is also concerned about transmitting the virus to the people in his village. “What if I take it [virus] to my village and give it to people there...if I fall sick here at least I can stay in the room, there might be some facility,” he added.

While he doesn’t mind staying on for a little while, he isn’t sure how long he would be able to sustain.” If this is just for twenty days or may be a month, I can stay on for sure...but if it goes beyond that I will have to leave,” he said, insisting that he had to be with his family who are already quite tensed.

“I don’t want to stay in Delhi for too long anyway,” said Ram, who was collecting money to eventually return home and fix up his house. However, he believes that the restaurant will start functioning soon.

Sidharth Ravi

Delhi reports 23 new COVID-19 cases

30/03/2020,NEW DELHI

The Capital on Sunday reported 23 fresh COVID-19 cases, the single largest jump since the outbreak started. There are now a total of 72 cases in the city out of which 64 are active. There have been two deaths due to the virus so far. “Of the 23 new cases, 13 have travel history from abroad and four have come into contact with people who were affected,” an official told The Hindu.

I apologise for tough steps: Modi

30/03/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,NEW DELHI

Five days into the 21-day lockdown, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday reached out to citizens with an “apology for tough decisions” in the fight against the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak. He also warned that those violating the lockdown were “playing with their own lives”.

In his latest monthly radio broadcast, Mann Ki Baat, Mr. Modi said: “I would like to apologise ... and my conscience tells me that you will forgive me..”

Migrant workers hold massive protest

Protesters in Kerala wanted to go to home States

30/03/2020, STAFF REPORTER,KOTTAYAM

Up in arms: Migrant workers staging a protest at Payippad junction, near Changanassery, in Kerala’s Kottayam district, on Sunday.Special Arrangement Special Arrangement

Hundreds of migrant workers staged a protest, defying the lockdown, at Payippad junction on the outskirts of Kottayam on Sunday.

The issue, which threatened to snowball into a law and order crisis, was settled a few hours later, following a swift intervention by the police and the district administration.

Eyewitness accounts suggested that the workers, camping in and around the village, poured into rural roads on Sunday morning in search of essential items, only to find all grocery stores closed. They assembled at the Payippad junction and blocked the Changanassery-Mallapally Road, demanding immediate arrangements for them to return home.

Officials negotiate

As attempts by the police and Payippad panchayat officials to pacify the protesters failed, Collector P.K. Sudheer Babu and District Police Chief G. Jaidev reached the spot and negotiated with them. The stalemate ended by 2 p.m., with a majority of the protesters dispersing. The police also resorted to a mild cane-charge to disperse the others.

While some local residents said a majority of the workers had been starving since Saturday evening and hence staged the protest, the Collector sought to dismiss this claim and said all arrangements were in place for them at the labour camps. “They do not want cooked food. They want to go home, but we cannot make arrangements for that in view of the lockdown. We briefed them of the situation and assured them of all essential items in the camps so that they can cook on their own,” the Collector said.

A meeting convened recently by the Payippad panchayat had directed the owners of the migrant labour camps to provide food to the residents during the lockdown. The meeting, attended by the Station House Officer, Thrikkodithanam, and the tahsildar, also asked the building owners not to evict any resident from the camps. According to some estimates, 10,000 migrant workers have been camping in the panchayat.

Migrant labourers converged on the road at Pattambi in Palakkad district on Sunday as news spread about the large gatherings in Delhi and Payippad. They came out of their quarters and converged on the road near Nila Hospital around 11 a.m., saying they were being denied food and water after curfew was imposed a few days ago.

They alleged that they were without work after the lockdown was announced and their former employers had ignored them.

Pattambi tahsildar K.R. Prasannakumar and the police held discussions with the workers and assured them that food would be made available to them at their quarters.

No let up in cases

COVID-19 cases continue to be reported in the State with 20 more persons testing positive for the disease on Sunday. Eight of the cases are from Kannur, seven from Kasaragod, while one case each was reported from Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad and Malappuram.

The total number of COVID-19 cases reported in the State so far stands at 202. The number of those currently under treatment is 181.

(With inputs

from Palakkad)

PSG Hospitals earmarks 200 beds

30/03/2020, STAFF REPORTER,COIMBATORE

PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research has earmarked 200 beds to be used for COVID-19 management. A release said that it volunteered to set aside a newly built block of one million square feet with general wards, critical care facilities and surgical theatres.

As many as 200 beds in the block were earmarked for treating COVID-19 suspects/patients with appropriate isolation facilities. Of these, 20 beds were for critical care and 10 of them have ventilator facilities.

An exclusive block ‘A’ was set aside for attending other emergencies, as per the Government Order, said the release.

Personal distancing takes a back seat as people throng markets, meat stalls

Collector urges the public not to venture out to busy places like market unnecessarily

30/03/2020, WILSON THOMAS ,COIMBATORE

People crowding in front of a fish stall at Ukkadam retail market in Coimbatore on the fifth day of the lockdown on Sunday. S. Siva SaravananS_SIVA SARAVANAN

The call for personal distancing and efforts to enforce the 21-day national lockdown to combat COVID-19 took a back seat on Sunday as people thronged in large numbers at vegetable, fish markets and meat stalls in the city.

Though policemen were posted at most of the markets, the rush in the morning was beyond control.

Uzhavar Santhais at R.S. Puram, Singanallur, Mettupalayam and Sulur, and the vegetable market at Somanur witnessed rush on Sunday morning.

The police used hand-held public addressing system to advise people to maintain queue and proper distance while purchasing vegetables at R.S Puram Uzhavar Santhai.

A vendor from the market said that people were reluctant in maintaining queue and one metre distance in the absence of the police.

Meat stalls also witnessed rush in the morning. The police and staff of the Coimbatore Corporation made announcements to maintain personal distancing.

While the wholesale fish market at Ukkadam witnessed moderate rush, limited space and shortage of arrival of fish led to crowding in front of fish stalls at the retail market on Ukkdam-Perur bypass.

Majority of the crowd found in markets and meat stalls were of two persons from the same household, like husband-wife duo, which could have been avoided in the time of a pandemic, according to the police.

“Many people seemed to have come out to get rid of boredom of being confined to their houses,” said a police officer at the temporary vegetable market at Gandhipuram town bus stand.

District Collector K. Rajamani urged the public not to venture out to busy places like market unnecessarily just to get kill boredom.

“District administration is taking all efforts to avoid crowding in markets. People are expected to come out only for essential services and commodities,” he said.

Temporary vegetable markets at Gandhipuram, Ukkadam and Mettupalayam road bus stands were started to increase availability of vegetables and reduce the crowd pull in shops.

The prices of vegetables had sky-rocketed on Sunday.

“The vendors were quoting any rate they could,” said Samy, who had gone to the Mettupalayam Road bus stand to purchase vegetables. The quality of many of the vegetables was also not good, he said.

It was not just vegetables, but prices of meat, chicken and eggs also shot up here on Sunday. While the retail price of chicken went up to ₹ 180 a kg, that of meat was nearly ₹ 800.

(With inputs from

M. Soundariya Preetha)

‘Tiruppur has 86 ventilators’

30/03/2020, STAFF REPORTER ,TIRUPPUR

Tiruppur district has 86 ventilators, including seven in the Tiruppur Government Hospital, Minister for Animal Husbandry Udumalai K. Radhakrishnan said on Saturday.

The Minister was at the hospital to review its preparedness to treat COVID-19 cases.

District Collector K. Vijayakarthikeyan, District Revenue Officer R. Sukumar, hospital Dean S. Valli and Health Department officials were present on the occasion.

Mr. Radhakrishnan told media persons that isolation wards for COVID-19 patients were available at the government hospitals in Avinashi and Udumalpet also. The isolation ward at Tiruppur GH has 15 beds, Mr. Radhakrishnan said.

SP distributes safety gadgets, groceries to families of personnel

30/03/2020, STAFF REPORTER

Superintendent of Police for Salem S. Deepa Ganiger on Sunday distributed groceries and safety equipment to police personnel and their families here.

Ms. Ganiger distributed 5 kg rice, 2 kg dhal and 1 litre oil each to the 380 families at Armed Reserve here. Ms. Ganiger also distributed hand sanitisers and masks for police personnel and their families.

20 check-posts

According to the police, for the 21-day lockdown, about 750 police personnel have been deployed in a shift and nearly 20 check-posts have been put up in the district borders to monitor movement of vehicles and advising public to stay indoors and avoid venturing out unnecessarily.

Personal distancing

Police said those deployed on duty have been asked to take necessary precautionary measures and have been asked to maintain personal distancing.

Officials said that policemen have been asked to use hand sanitisers and masks to prevent being infected by COVID-19.

Four more test positive for COVID-19 in Erode district

The number of positive cases in the district rises to 10

30/03/2020, STAFF REPORTER ,ERODE

Four more persons, who were in close contact with Thailand nationals and currently in the isolation ward at the Government IRT Perundurai Medical College and Hospital, tested positive for COVID-19 here on Sunday.

With this, the total number of positive cases in the district rose to 10.

All the four persons were in close contact with the Thai nationals who had stayed in the city for over a week and were involved in preaching at two dargahs.

The group also visited a few houses in Kollampalayam Housing Unit and Sultanpet areas.

So far, three Thai nationals and seven persons who were in close contact with them had tested positive in the district.

Collector C. Kathiravan said that currently 82 persons were in the isolation ward and were undergoing treatment.

Home quarantined

He said that 1,830 families comprising 5,140 families were home quarantined in the district and were continuously monitored by health officials.

Health staff collect details as part of containment plan

30/03/2020, STAFF REPORTER

Health staff engaged in door-to-door collection of details at Ammapet in Salem on Sunday.E. Lakshmi Narayanan E_LakshmiNarayanan

As announced by Health Secretary Beela Rajesh, officials and staff of health department went door-to-door and collected details regarding residents as part of containment measures here.

In Salem, six COVID-19 positive patients are undergoing treatment at Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital here and the patients include four Indonesian nationals, who were here for Islamic preaching, their guide from Chennai and one of their contacts from Salem.

According to officials, the group has visited five mosques here, Rahmath Nagar Masjid near Sooramangalam on March 12, Sevapet Paramarket masjid from March 13 to 15, Sheikh Umar masjid near Ammapet from March 16 to 18, March 19 at 21 at Sanyasikundu Buharia Masjid near Kichipalayam and Janadul Birdosh Masjid near Kitchipalayam on March 22.

J. Nirmalsen, Deputy Director, Health Services said that as part of the containment measures, over 470 health officials and staff have been deployed.

“Over 470 members, including doctors, urban and village health nurses, health inspectors and pharmacists are being utilised as part of the containment measures. A nurse would visit 50 houses within the zones and collect details regarding their health status and whether they are showing COVID-19 symptoms or undergoing treatment for any other diseases”, he said.

He added that five-km areas around the five mosques has been declared as containment zones and another two-km as buffer zone.

Mr. Nirmalsen said that the staff would be visiting around 25,000 houses and collecting the required details in these zones by Sunday.

28 meat, fish outlets in Salem sealed for rule violation

Corporation officials conduct surprise checks at shops within its limits

30/03/2020, STAFF REPORTER

Consumers standing close to each other at a fish market in Suramangalam on Sunday.E. Lakshmi Narayanan E_LakshmiNarayanan

Salem Corporation officials on Sunday sealed 28 meat and fish outlets here for not following personal distancing among consumers.

Being Sunday, more people ventured out despite lockdown here to purchase meat and other non-vegetarian items.

Though the civic body and health officials here have been stressing to prevent overcrowding while purchasing items and maintain personal distance, many meat and fish shops within Corporation limits functioned without ensuring personal distance of 2 metres among consumers here.

Salem Corporation officials conducted surprise checks at fish and meat outlets within its limits on Sunday morning and sealed 28 of them which did not ensure personal distance among consumers. Corporation officials said that necessary legal action would be taken against those shop owners.

Teams formed

The Salem Corporation has formed five teams in its four zones, Sooramangalam, Hasthampatti, Ammapet and Kondalampatti here to ensure that commercial places allowed to function during this lockdown maintain personal distancing among its customers.

Officials have already drawn lines, boxes and circles outside pharmacies and grocery stores here to ensure that public followed personal distancing while purchasing items.

Corporation officials warned those selling fish and meat through vehicles at residential places here that their vehicles would be seized and necessary legal action would be taken against them.

Despite warnings and necessary precautionary advice, public continued to turn up at large numbers in markets here.

Despite government ensuring that essential goods would be available all along the lockdown period, over 9,000 persons turned up to purchase vegetables at the temporary farmers’ market set up on the premises of the new bus stand here.

Officials advised public to avoid unnecessary trips out of their homes.

Looking beyond just diagnosis and quarantine

There is need in India for a rapid response research and development team to handle viral onslaughts

30/03/2020

Getty Images/iStockphotophotoman/Getty Images/iStockphoto

A pandemic is upon the world and coronavirus is not the last word. Ebola, Zika, Nipah, SARS, MERS, H1N1 and now COVID-19 — the viral onslaughts will continue. Mutations of known viruses will periodically cause havoc, whatever be the reasons. While the Zika virus is spread by Aedes mosquitoes, the main reason for these viral infections seems to be the proximity and contact with animals including wild animals, either as exotic food menu or the use of animal parts as aphrodisiacs. Bats seem to be another constant source of new viruses. Seafood has also been stated to be a cause for the Wuhan outbreak.

In India, given the population density and unsatisfactory hygiene conditions and awareness, citizens can face serious situation even though the disease may have originated elsewhere. Bacterial infections such as cholera, typhoid have drug and vaccine options. Some of the viruses listed above do not have a vaccine or drugs available as yet. In India the options are always limited to diagnosis as per World Health Organization protocols and seem to be the exclusive domain of the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune and its designated centres. I feel that it is important for India to be able to do much better in terms of therapeutic options, although prevention is the best option. But, there are always leakages as can be seen with COVID-19 cases in the developed countries. India does have the expertise to put a team together to respond much more than just diagnosis and quarantine.

On sequencing

What can be done? The first requirement is to sequence the genome of all the isolates from infected patients in India. COVID-19, for example, is an RNA virus. This would require conversion to DNA and then the sequence of the alphabets (ATGC) worked out. COVID-19 is less than 30kb (30,000) alphabets in size and can be sequenced in 24 hours in India. There was a suggestion in the article, “How is India containing COVID-19?” (‘FAQ’ page, The Hindu, March 8, 2020), that the virus in India is different from that in China on the basis of genome sequence made available by NIV, Pune.

The virus is evolving rapidly and the mutations seen in the virus isolates in the United States, for example, are different from those in China. There was also a hint that this could also be due to sequencing error. It needs to be realised that the copying mechanism of RNA to DNA can make errors.

In any case, it is important to sequence the virus isolates in at least three different institutions in India to ensure that sequencing errors are eliminated. A knowledge of genome sequence is essential to design drugs and vaccines.

In the short and long term

A quick response is to evaluate repurposed known drugs (a drug development strategy predicated on the reuse of existing licensed drugs for new medical indications) including natural products, for therapy. For example, in the case of COVID-19, anti-HIV drugs are being evaluated. Even hydroxy chloroquine, an antimalarial, is suggested as an adjunct drug option, since it can make the acidic endosome compartment in which the virus replicates alkaline to prevent the process. One other option is to try passive immunisation with plasma derived from convalescing patients, who have completely recovered. Yet another strategy is to clone B cells from such patients to make therapeutic antibodies. All these would require informed consent from patients and policy decisions.

A long-term approach could be to clone the genome, make recombinant antigens and then test for vaccine potential and new drug design. A phage library expressing all possible human antibodies (single chain) is available for screening. The virus, or its mimic, needs to be cultured for drug screening. All these approaches would eventually need clinical trials to be taken forward on fast-track with the cooperation of the office of the Drug Controller General of India.

Use the vast expertise

My estimate of a quick response is three months, and long term is 18 months. In my opinion the expert team should represent the following areas with institutions listed in parenthesis as examples:clinical virology (NIV, Pune; Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad, Haryana), molecular virology (Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad; the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru), scale-up of vaccine production (Serum Institute of India, Pune; Gennova, Pune; Bharat Biotech, Hyderabad), clinical trial and drugs (Sun Pharma, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra; Reddy Labs, Hyderabad; Drug Controller General of India), DNA/RNA sequencing expertise (National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, Kalyani; Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad; Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi).

I want to emphasise the point that the institutions listed in parenthesis are only examples and there are many others and with over-lapping expertise, that includes the private sector. Such an expert committee can be overseen by an independent expert committee comprising senior, experienced scientists and administrators. The committees should cut across the territorial integrity of government science and technology departments and include the private sector.

The bottom line is to make use of the expertise built in the country over the years to scientifically respond to such challenges in terms of therapeutic options that are at least as important as sending up satellites into space or landing a man on the moon.

Professor G. Padmanaban is a former Director of the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, President, the National Academy of Sciences, India, and Chancellor, Central University of Tamil Nadu

VIJAYAWADA

30/03/2020

Long wait: People purchasing vegetables at the newly set up Rythu Bazaar at Ayyappa Nagar in Vijayawada, on Sunday; tribals waiting for free vegetables being supplied by the Niligiris district administration in Tamil Nadu; porters receiving free grocery kits given by the Indian Railways at the Bengaluru City railway station; and volunteers distributing free vegetables at the Pochamma neighbourhood in Hyderabad. K.V.S. Giri, M. Sathyamoorthy, K. Murali Kumar & Nagara Gopal K.V.S. Giri, M. Sathyamoorthy, K. Murali Kumar & Nagara Gopal

Life convict’s gesture

30/03/2020,MADURAI

Life convict in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, Ravichandran, currently lodged in Madurai Central Prison, has contributed ₹5,000 from his prison wages to the Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund, towards providing treatment to patients of COVID-19.

He had earlier contributed a part of his prison wages towards the establishment of Tamil Chair in Harvard University and Cyclone Gaja relief measures.

Physical distancing goes for a toss in Madurai markets

It was just like any other Sunday as people thronged popular market places across the city to buy meat, fish and vegetables

30/03/2020, SANJANA GANESH ,MADURAI

Business as usual: People thronged Nelpettai and East Marret Street markets after parking their vehicles on East Veli Street in Madurai.

It was just like any another Sunday across markets in Madurai. Be it the vegetable market on East Marret Street, meat-and-fish market in Nelpettai, Goripalayam and K. Pudur, there was a huge rush of people everywhere.

S. Thirunavakarasu, a milk seller at Nelpettai market, said about 10,000 people used to visit it on a Sunday. “After the lockdown, many people did not buy meat. But this Sunday, right from early morning, people rushed in and bought fish, meat and vegetables,” he said. Police did try to disperse the crowd but could not, as the people in a buying spree were in no mood to listen. But the market was shut down by 9.30 a.m., he said.

M. Mohammed Najmudeen of Nelpettai said people mostly bought mutton and expensive fish. Because of bird flu in Kerala, not many bought chicken.

“The problem with the opening of meat shops is that the meat has to be weighed and chopped. This takes time and leads to crowding,” he said. The process of smoking the legs and the head of the goat also takes up space and so makes the area cramped.

K. Parveen, a resident, said the shopkeepers got rid of the mutton and fish waste on the street. “So it is all the more difficult to protect your health in such an unclean environment,” she said. Her husband said he did not open his fish stall because of the fear of COVID-19 pandemic.

‘Take it seriously’

M. Mohammed Sameer, who went to the Nelpettai market after visiting East Marret Street vegetable market, said people must begin taking COVID-19 seriously. “Physical distancing has become a joke today. People crowded together in cramped and unhygienic places, holding each other and brushing against each other. On East Marret Street, people were in a hurry to buy vegetables from the roadside shops, just for a slightly cheaper price than their neighbourhood shops. This is not a good sign,” he said.

Mr. Thirunavakarasu said while almost all shopkeepers wore masks, most of the shoppers did not. “We, the vendors, obviously become susceptible to the infection,” he said.

Collector T. G. Vinay, who visited Nelpettai, told The Hindu that wholesalers and retailers had opened shops without permission, resulting in crowding at markets. “As many as 15 FIRs have been registered against shopkeepers. We have planned to expand the door delivery facility to prevent people from coming out to buy groceries. Vegetable and fruit vendors can only sell in 10 mobile markets. We are also planning to streamline meat sales,” he said.

People throng markets; ignore COVID-19 alert

Authorities appeal to them to stay home

30/03/2020, L. SRIKRISHNA,TIRUNELVELI

Residents thronging a temporary market in Palayamkottai bus stand. A. SHAIKMOHIDEEN

Even as the district administrations of Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Thoothukudi and Kanniyakumari, ably supported by doctors, para-medical teams and health workers were working hard to save the people from the COVID-19 pandemic and appealed to them to stay in their homes, large movement of public on Sunday, shattered the officials and kept the police on toes.

Brushing aside all the precautionsair, residents thronged meat shops in Tirunelveli from as early as 7 a.m. As a result, a very few police personnel, who were on duty at that hour, remained helpless. Though some of the shopkeepers attempted to regulate the crowd, it appeared to have fallen on deaf ears, a policeman said.

If it was bad here, the situation looked worse in the neighbouring Thoothukudi district, where the residents surrounded fish markets.

All the circles and boxes, which were formed on the ground as part of personal distancing were neglected by the consumers.

When police personnel attempted to regulate, many consumers, not in a mood to obey, only tried to move forward and thronged the shops.

For at least, three hours, the residents were seen arriving in large numbers on two-wheelers and in their cars.

The consumers were heard telling the police personnel that they had come out only to purchase essentials and the curfew was lifted from 6.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., However, when police explained to them to maintain distance, they refused to do so.

Only at around noon, did the crowds disperse as the meat and fish were sold out.

Health workers were concerned about such a huge turnout and hoped the administration took a stern action. Expecting the public to adhere to self-discipline would not work.

The officials should deploy more policemen and impose fines on the shopkeepers for allowing such crowds in the markets.