Growth of +ve cases faster than in 2020, warns DPH

Growth of +ve cases faster than in 2020, warns DPH

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:03.04.2021

Warning that the growth rate of positive cases is higher than during the earlier surge in 2020, the directorate of public health advised district health officials to take effective control measures on Friday, when Tamil Nadu registered 3,290 fresh Covid -19 cases and12 deaths.

The case tally touched 8.92 lakh (8,92,780) and cumulative toll tally reached 12,750. After discharging 1,715 patients, there are18,606 people who are still undergoing treatment for the viral infection.

“The case count is rising exponentially on a week to week basis,” said director of public health Dr T S Selvavinayagam. On Friday, the weekly average number of fresh cases reported in the state was 2,513 compared to 462 cases reported on March 2. The last time the state saw a weekly average around 2,500 was in the first week of November 2020. The growth rate of average weekly cases was 5.7% in Tamil Nadu – the highest since July 2020. On March 2, it was on the decline at -0.3%. “The rate of growth of positive cases this time is higher than the earlier surge in 2020. Cases are not only increasing in urban areas but also in tier 2 cities and rural areas,” he said.

While hotspot Chennai reported 1,188 new cases, its neighbours Chengalpet (280), Tiruvallur (183) and Kancheepuram (119) together reported 582 cases. While Chennai reported seven deaths, Kancheepuram registered one more. Beside these districts four others reported cases in three digits – Coimbatore (277), Trichy (122), Thanjavur (120) and Madurai (105).

The number of people who took vaccination against Covid -19 declined to 60,726 on Friday. So far, 3175349 people have taken the vaccine in the state.

Private hospitals turn away patients as Covid cases surge

Private hospitals turn away patients as Covid cases surge

Not Enough Ventilators At Many Places

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:03.04..2021

Fresh cases of Covid-19 are rising and many private hospitals in the city have been turning away patients in the last two days.

With 7,161 active cases, hospitals in Chennai are chock-a-block. In some cases, patients are being turned away because there aren’t ventilators or facilities for high-flow nasal oxygen.

On Friday, the state website showed that all 130 oxygen beds at Billroth Hospitals in Shenoy Nagar were occupied as were 40 Covid beds at Kauvery Hospitals. More than 90% of beds in Gleneagles Hospital and Apollo Hospitals, Greams Road, were also occupied. “We redirected some patients to other hospitals this morning. They were symptomatic and could need high flow oxygen, but all our beds were taken,” said Dr Subramanian Swaminathan of Global Hospitals.

Smaller hospitals and nursing homes, which were admitting patients with moderate illnesses, have also begun turning patients away. Representatives from many private hospitals said they were increasing the number of shared accommodation within the hospital and advising home isolation for young and asymptomatic patients.

Government hospitals, which have recorded a spike in admissions, said oxygen and ventilators requirements have increased substantially over the last one week. At Omandurar Multispeciality Hospital, which has about 550 beds, nearly 350 patients are on oxygen therapy. “About a quarter of patients exhibiting severe symptoms also require ventilation,” said dean Dr R Jayanthi. At Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital, of the 100 in-patients, nearly 35 are on oxygen support, while others are senior citizens or patients with comorbid conditions requiring institutional care. “Our oxygen requirement has gone up compared to last year,” said dean Dr Vasanthamani P.

But over the last one year, almost all government hospitals in the city have increased their oxygen capacity by nearly five times. “While doctors and paramedical staff at hospitals are exhausted, they have the infrastructure to take more patients,” said director of medical education Dr R Narayanababu.

Walk-ins for vaccination four times no. of online registrations

Walk-ins for vaccination four times no. of online registrations

Of 7 Cr Regns Till Friday, Only 1 Cr Done Via Online

Sushmi.Dey@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:03.04.2021

Walk-in registrations for Covid-19 vaccination have exceeded those done online by a huge margin. Of the more than seven crore registrations till 9pm on Friday, just one crore were done online, while 3.75 crore people walked in to receive the jabs, official data reviewed by TOI showed.

The total also includes about 2.3 crore health and frontline workers whose details were pre-populated on the Co-Win software.

More than 22 lakh registrations were recorded on Friday till 9pm. The numbers under review relate almost completely to the third phase onwards when vaccination was opened to 60-plus citizens as well as those above 45 with co-morbidities. Phase I and II involved health and frontline workers and their details were supplied by states. A relatively small number of these recipients walked in to receive their shots.

States and hospitals were allowed walk-in registration almost from the start of the 60-plus vaccination stage and continued with the age bracket expanded to 45-plus.

India administered more than seven crore doses of Covid-19 vaccines till 9pm on Friday.

This included 4.3 crore people aged above 45. While around 6.1 crore people have been covered so far with the first dose, 92.6 lakh have been fully vaccinated.

7-day case average in TN same as peak

The seven-day average of daily new cases in TN touched 2,513 on Friday, a level that was on a par with the peak in November 2020 when the average was around 2,500. “The count is rising exponentially on a week to week basis,” said director of public health Dr T S Selvavinayagam. Cases are increasing in urban, tier-two cities and rural areas, he said. P 4

Daily cases in India near 90,000-mark

A day after crossing the 80,000 mark, India’s daily Covid-19 case count rose to just around 1,000 short of 90,000, with 88,988 fresh infections recorded in the past 24 hours, the highest since September 26. The daily tally had crossed 20,000 on March12 and hit 80,000 on April1. The highest daily tally of fresh cases recorded in India was 98,795 on September 17. P 12

‘Rapid vax will arrest growth of Covid-19’

Experts stressed on the urgent need to ramp up vaccination, particularly in the wake of rising number of Covid-19 cases across the country. A study by Tata Consultancy Services said that with no vaccination, the second wave would likely peak at 70,000 cases and the tail end would likely start in 140 days. On the other hand, with vaccination rate of 80,000 per day, the peak would be 20,000 cases and the tail end would likely start after 60 days.

“Rapid vaccination will not only reduce peak cases but will significantly arrest the growth of disease. Taking the simulated results into account, we believe that increase in the vaccination rate will help in arresting the second wave of Covid-19 in India as well as reduce the impact of the third wave,” the study said.

To promote online registration and ensure sessions are conducted in an organised way, the government has said walk-in vaccinations will be allowed only after 3pm from April 1. While both online and onsite registrations are allowed for vaccination, online registrations enable the government as well as hospitals to better manage sessions, an official said. “Online registrations not only help manage the crowd, data and stock availability but also help eliminate any pilferage or corruption,” the official said.

Now, travel by a germ-free SETC bus

Now, travel by a germ-free SETC bus

Air Quality Index Will Be Kept Below 50

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:03.04.2021

You can now travel to a destination in the state this summer in a germ-protected State Express Transport Corporation bus. The SETC has upgraded 20 airconditioned buses in Chennai, installing multi-stage air filters and disinfection systems using Ultraviolet Controlled (UVC) sterilization to prevent the entry of virus, bacteria and other microorganisms.

Official data shows of the 340 AC SETC buses, around 200 were operated now during the lockdown with an average occupancy of around 65%.

With summer approaching, demand for AC buses is expected to increase, but most passnegers, particularly senior citizens, still fear to travel in them because of the fear of being infected with Covid-19, said a senior SETC official. “So, we held talks with a private firm to launch a pilot project in 20 buses. Accordingly, UV-based air filters, each costing approximately ₹40,000, have been fitted to make them free from germs,” he added, requesting anonymity. The multi-stage filtration kits, attached to existing AC grills of buses, have ionisation combined UVC sterilizers, photocatalyst, filter mesh and fresh air device. The sterilization set-up generates UV rays (of appropriate wavelength), which destroy the molecular structure of DNA or RNA in the cells of microorganisms which try to enter the bus and make them unable to multiply. When a microorganism can’t multiply, it is considered dead and is no longer infectious.

While the photocatalyst and filter mesh ensure they absorb larger microorganisms, other components ensure that fresh air is recirculated. This not only reduces harmful gases and odour but also reduces travel fatigue, he added. Health experts suggest that the Air Quality Index (AQI) value should be less than 50 and anything more than 100 is considered unhealthy or hazardous.

During a trial run, the private firm claimed that the AQI was reduced from759 microorganisms per cubic metre to 33 microorganisms per cubic metre in standard operating conditions after 25 minutes of deep purification. An air quality monitor is fit in the driver’s cabin to monitor AQI, temperature and humidity levels.

New med college buildings must be within norms: HC

New med college buildings must be within norms: HC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:03.04.2021

The state government must construct buildings for upcoming new medical colleges in the state strictly in accordance with the applicable norms of medical commission, Madras high court has said.

The first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy also said it would be open to the commission to depute its personnel to inspect the nature of the construction periodically, if the commission so desired.

The court passed the order on a public interest writ petition filed by N Rajasekaran to direct the state to construct medical colleges as per norms fixed by National Medical Commission (NMC). When the plea came up for hearing on Friday, special government pleader G K Muthhukumar said the petitioner relied on the erstwhile norms of 2010 fixed by the then Medical Council of India (MCI) pertaining to construction of medical colleges.

“The norms were changed in 2018 and the constructions undertaken in the state recently conform to the 2018 norms. In 2020, the norms were somewhat altered by MCI and every attempt is being made to adhere to the latest norms,” the pleader said.

Recording the submission, the bench said: “There is no doubt that the NMC will oversee the construction work and the final permission for the medical colleges to operate has to be issued by the commission upon being satisfied that the construction is in accordance with the norms .”

Ola and Uber fares increase by up to 92%

Ola and Uber fares increase by up to 92%

Bengaluru:  02.04.2021 

Travelling by Ola and Uber cabs will burn a bigger hole in the pockets of commuters with the Karnataka transport department revising fares of app-based taxis by 35% to 92%. Commuters pay a minimum of Rs 75 for small cabs and Rs 150 on luxury taxis for the first 4km. Earlier, the rates were Rs 44 and Rs 80, respectively.

The new fares will come into effect immediately. The previous tariff revision was in 2018. The per-km tariff for journeys beyond 4km will have to be within the minimum and maximum fares prescribed for each class in the notification. The hike in per-km tariff is in the range of 35% to 75%. Ola and Uber were not immediately available for comment. TNN

Commuters to get free waiting time of 20 mins, dynamic pricing barred

The move comes close on the heels of a driver immolating himself over rising fuel costs and based on requests made by drivers.

Radio taxis, as defined in the Karnataka On-Demand Transportation Technology Aggregators Rules, will also be able to charge based on the price of vehicles categorised into four classes. The fare structure is classified into four categories as per the cost of vehicles, with A being highest (more than Rs 16 lakh) and D being the lowest (up to Rs 5 lakh).

“As fuel prices are increasing from time to time and the cost of maintenance and price of vehicles are considerable, the Centre regularly advises the state transport authority to regulate fares for different types of taxis operating under the aggregator rules,” said a transport department official.

The notification provides for a free waiting time of 20 minutes that will help commuters, with a charge of Rs 10 for every 15 minutes of waiting after this period will be allowed for operators. It bars fares based on journey time and dynamic pricing.

On Tuesday, a 34-year-old cab driver, Pratap, set himself ablaze in his cab. Pratap, attached to airport taxi service of Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation, sustained 70% burns and succumbed. The incident led to protests from cab drivers since their deceased colleague was struggling to pay EMIs with a thinning KSTDC client pool and losing business to Ola and Uber. In contrast to the Rs24 per km fixed government fare KSTDC charges, Ola and Uber operate at under Rs 10 per km.

In February, the government hiked fares of city taxis, which are not operated by aggregators such as Uber and Ola, from Rs 14.5 per km to Rs 18 per km for non-AC cabs and from Rs 19.5 per km to Rs 24 per km for AC cabs.

In the light of frequent increase in fuel rates, vehicle prices, rising bank interest rates, and increasing maintenance cost, many drivers hailed the decision to hike fares as a necessary one.

As 45+ line up for jabs, centres to work even on holidays in April

As 45+ line up for jabs, centres to work even on holidays in April

Sushmi.Dey@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: 02.04.2021 

As Covid-19 vaccination opened for all those above 45 years on Thursday, the Centre pressed states to ramp up inoculation in the wake of surge in infection that is posing a threat to gains of the previous downturn in cases and the nascent economic recovery.

Around 22.9 lakh doses were administered through 56,390 vaccination sessions across public and private hospitals on Thursday till about 10.30pm, according to the latest data reviewed by TOI. As per the earlier official statement, released by the health ministry, 17.47 lakh doses were administered till 8pm on Thursday. Of this, 15.28 lakh doses were given to those above 45.

Looking to exponentially expand coverage, the Centre has decided to operationalise both public and private sector Covid Vaccination Centres (CVCs) on all days of the month in April (from today till April 30), including gazetted holidays. In an effort to reduce vulnerability to the virus and control its spread, the Centre is aiming to administer at least 30 lakh doses daily with focus on achieving maximum coverage in high burden districts, official sources said.

Overall, India has administered 6.75 crore doses till 8pm on Thursday. Of this, around 4 crore doses have been given to those above 45 years of age.

FIRST OFF THE BLOCKS: The vaccine drive for 45+ recipients gets a thumbs up at KC General Hospital in Bengaluru. More than 50,000 persons across Karnataka in the 45-60 age group took Covid vaccine till 7.30pm on Thursday

Experts ask govt to speed up Covid-19 vaccination

States have been directed to optimally utilise all CVCs across public and private sectors to ensure rapid increase in the pace and coverage of vaccination.

Despite the Centre’s repeated advisories and liberalised policies to rope in all private facilities with required amenities in the vaccination drive, the sites organised in the private sector continue to be far less than those in the government hospitals. Of the total 56,390 sessions organised on Thursday, only 6,440 were in the private sector, rest in government hospitals.

Experts say there is an urgent need to quicken vaccination in the wake rising Covid-19 cases across the country. The average daily cases in the last week of March increased to around 56,200 —more than three folds of around 16,740 recorded in the first week of March. On Wednesday, daily cases increased to 72,330.

However, the pace of vaccinations is still moderate in most states with only 91.81 lakh people fully inoculated so far since the launch of the vaccination drive on January 16.