Health Minister no longer in charge of COVID-19

25/03/2020

“While Mr. Sriramulu will tour the entire State, we want Dr. Sudhakar to focus on the city. There will be no clash between the two,” the Chief Minister said. However, sources said the decision was taken as Dr. Sudhakar, who is a doctor himself, had been handling COVID-19 situation “efficiently” in the State.

From day one, Dr. Sudhakar has taken over the responsibility of coordinating with hospitals, setting up quarantine centres, briefing the press while also updating the status of positive cases on social media. All this while Mr. Sriramulu was busy with his daughter’s wedding. Although Mr. Sriramulu tweeted a few times on new cases and attended a few press conferences related to COVID-19, he never took over the entire responsibility. Sources in the Health Department said this new arrangement would affect the smooth functioning of the department. “The entire official machinery of the Health Department, including top officials, are involved in tackling COVID-19. Now, if the Minister has to be kept out of this important issue, we are afraid there will be administrative issues,” said an official.

He said there was a possibility of further confusion in administrative matters, especially when several designated isolation facilities are in hospitals run by the Health Department.

States must facilitate media outlets to fight fake news: govt.

Ensure smooth supply and distribution chain, says directive

25/03/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,NEW DELHI

Proper functioning of the media network is essential, the Ministry said.AFPAFP

In a bid to fight “fake news”, rumours and speculation that have been doing the rounds on the social media in connection with the COVID-19 outbreak, the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry has issued directions to all State governments to facilitate functioning of all print and electronic media outlets.

In an order issued on Monday, the Ministry has said proper functioning of the media network is essential to create awareness among people, to disseminate important messages and also keep the nation updated on the latest status. “False and fake news need to be avoided and good practices need to be promoted and these networks play a pivotal role in ensuring the same,” the Ministry said in its directive.

The Ministry orders come in the backdrop of the lockdown across the country limiting the movement of people and shutting all institutions and offices. Issuing the six-point directive, the Ministry has said all operators and their intermediaries should be permitted to remain operational.

It has urged the State governments to facilitate “smooth supply and distribution chain”.

‘Permit provisions’

The media facilities should be permitted to be manned by the staff of the service providers.

“The movement of the accredited staff of service providers be permitted; the movement of vehicles carrying media persons and others including provisioning of fuel may kindly be facilitated,” the order says.

Case to be registered against those violating lockdown: CM

‘Those guilty could invite punishment of up to one-year imprisonment’

25/03/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,PUDUCHERRY

Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy during a high-level meeting to assess preparedness to deal with COVID-19 T. SingaravelouT. Singaravelou

Expressing anguish at people not taking lockdown seriously, Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy on Tuesday said the response of people has prompted the government to direct the police to register cases against those violating the prohibitory orders under relevant provisions of the Epidemic Act, 1897 and Disaster Management Act, 2005.

Briefing reporters after holding a meeting with Members of Parliament, MLAs and senior officials, the Chief Minister said he had directed the police to take stern action against those violating the order. “Cases will be registered against violators under the the provisions of the Epidemic and Disaster Management Acts. The guilty could invite punishment of up to one-year imprisonment,” he said.

The lockdown was announced as a precautionary measure to stem any outbreak of the novel coronavirus.

People should understand that the only “medicine,” available for coronavirus was social distancing, the Chief Minister said.

“Today morning, we saw people coming out in two-wheelers from rural areas. We got reports of people entering into arguments with the police. I appeal to the public to obey the orders and allow the police to implement the lockdown,” the Chief Minister said.

The police will allow only medical shops, grocery stores, milk parlours and vegetable markets to function. The government has instructed the police to close down all other business establishments, including tea shops till March 31, he said.

The government has also decided to create isolation wards at the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, he said. Before the meeting, the Chief Minister and Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao inspected the Government General Hospital to review their preparedness. Members of Parliament V. Vaithilingam, Minister for Public Works A. Namassivayam, Minister for Revenue M.O.H.F Shahjahan, Minister for Social Welfare M. Kandasamy, MLAs belonging to Congress, DMK, AIADMK and three nominated legislators of BJP attended the meeting.

IAS officer's tweet on boy washing hands goes viral

25/03/2020, ROHAN PREMKUMAR, UDHAGAMANDALAM

A tweet posted by the Director of Tamil Nadu Small Tea Growers’ Industrial Cooperative Tea Factories Federation, Coonoor, Supriya Sahu, of a young boy demonstrating correct handwashing technique to prevent the spread of COVID -19 has gone viral.

Retweeted by the Director General of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the 24-second clip has been watched more than 50,000 times over the last few days.

In the clip, the boy demonstrates how to wash hands thoroughly to prevent the spread of virus.

When contacted, Ms. Sahu, who is also the monitoring officer for the Nilgiris district, said that she saw the boy near Nanjanad. When she asked him the precautions he and his family were taking to prevent the spread of coronavirus, he had told her that they were washing hands regularly.

“What this shows is that the officers and medical staff working on the frontline have got their message across to people living in the interior villages. If children know how essential it is to keep their hands clean, then it is a sign that the entire community does too,” said Ms. Sahu.

Leader and PM come near to blows

25/03/2020

The Hindu

The Canadian Prime Minister, Mr. Pierre Trudeau, and a trade union leader almost came to blows in a corridor in the Parliament building last night [March 24, Ottawa]. A crowd in the corridor stepped between Mr. Trudeau and M. Michel Chartrand, of the Quebec-based Confederation of National Trade Unions, as they glared at each other and exchanged abuse. M. Chartrand called the Prime Minister “A Christ of a liar” and members of his Government “goons” and “prostitutes.” The pair came close to throwing punches as Mr. Trudeau moved away after a heated conversation and M. Chartrand shouted that he was leaving with his “goons.” Mr. Trudeau, angered by the jibe, wheeled round and said: “I don’t need anyone to protect myself from you.” Earlier the Quebec labour leaders and Government Ministers had an acid meeting in a room off the corridor. As the meeting ended and the participants left the room, M. Chartrand said a youth was imprisoned because he insulted Mr. Trudeau. He did not elaborate. Mr Trudeau denied this and said M. Chartrand was inventing things. M. Chartrand then shouted: “You are raping the population. You are a Christ of a liar.” Mr. Trudeau replied: “You are truly a fanatic.”

Special pay for doctors treating COVID-19 patients

25/03/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Tuesday announced one-month special pay for doctors, nurses, medical staff and sanitary workers who have been treating patients who had tested positive for COVID-19 and were under quarantine.

Led by the Chief Minister, the Ministers and MLAs of the ruling party clapped their hands as a token of appreciation for the doctors and medical staff.

Pointing out that the government was implementing measures on a war-footing, he said district borders would be sealed and people should co-operate with the government.

He said there were difficulties in tracing the infected persons among those who had come from foreign countries because they had taken medicine for fever.

“Some people landed in Bengaluru and reached Chennai by road. We are not able to trace them. They should subject themselves to testing,” he said.

The Chief Minister said the government had quarantined those who had come from abroad.

Delivering posts through pandemic

Postal employees put their lives at risk

25/03/2020, SANJANA GANESH,MADURAI

A postman on his way to deliver letters by wearing gloves and masks. G. Moorthy

Postmen from different parts of the city gathered at Gandhi Nagar post office on Tuesday morning for their daily briefing. Here, they were told by a superior officer, “Keep your masks on at all times and wear the gloves. We want to avoid any incidents. Remember that your health comes first,” he said.

The postmen mumbled “yes” and began dispersing to ensure that they collected their delivery for the day.

For postmen and other employees of the postal department, mail delivery has been as usual despite COVID-19. Postmen like S. Murugan* said that they continued to visit banks, houses and commercial establishments as usual on their cycles and bikes.

“The only thing that is different are the ink blue gloves on our hands and the masks on our face,” he said.

Mr. Murugan said that postmen cannot afford to take long leaves during this time because many people’s old age pensions and money orders continue to be delivered by post.

When asked if it is concerning to work on the frontlines and meet people day to day, Mr. Murugan said that all postmen were apprehensive and scared.

“We earn meagre incomes and support our small families. With COVID-19 looming over our head, we are scared of venturing into areas where there are reported cases. A colleague who covers around five km of area in Anna Nagar says that he is concerned whether there may have been some transmission of the virus to him. We can never know about these things and only take precautions,” he said.

Echoing Mr. Murugan's concern, South Zone Regional Secretary of the National Federation of Postal Employees, R. Krishnamoorthy, said that expecting mail to be delivered during these dire times and expecting postal offices to be filled up was a concerning move by the Centre.

“Considering that bus and train services have been stopped, very important mail is not coming to the department. Many other forms of communication have taken precedence. Why should we put the lives of our workers at risk and continue work now?” he asked.

He added that there were at least 600 postmen in the city and the rural areas were working and making themselves susceptible to the virus.

Even employees in the department did not have any major work.

“We can certainly attend to it in case of emergency and can make ourselves available at our offices,” he said.

At the moment, employees at Tallakulam, Arasaradi and West Veli Street have asked employees to place sanitisers on their tables, wear disposable gloves and masks on their face. In Tallakulakam, they even have tied neem leaves inside their offices to ensure they can prevent COVID-19. An official from the post office on Collector Office Road says that the Centre must swiftly take steps to ensure that no major local transmission takes place through postal employees as they are vulnerable.

“When the railways department has shut shop, they should think of us too,” he says.

(*Name has been changed on request)