Online test for COVID

08/04/2020,CHENNAI

Neuberg Diagnostics Private Limited has launched a COVID-19 self-assessment test on its website - https://neubergdiagnostics.com /covid19-selfassessment/index.html. In this, a person needs to answer a few questions to know if he/she needs to get in touch with a doctor. The self-health assessment scan to help individuals assess their risk of contracting COVID-19 has been developed as per guidelines laid down by WHO and Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said Aishwarya Vasudevan, chief operating officer.

34 patients shifted to Vellore hospital

08/04/2020, STAFF REPORTER,VELLORE

Thirty four patients, who tested positive for COVID-19 from Ranipet and Tirupattur, were shifted to Government Vellore Medical College Hospital in Adukkamparai, on Monday.

In Vellore, six cases tested positive and five of them are being treated at GVMCH. The first case in Vellore district was from Katpadi and the patient has been admitted to Christian Medical College Hospital.

In Tirupattur district, 10 people tested positive till Sunday. One more tested positive on Monday. In Ranipet, 25 were admitted to the Government Hospital in Walajah. Twenty four of them were shifted to Vellore for better medical care and co-ordination..

Korean inmates at Tiruchi special camp approach HC

‘Physical distancing not followed’

08/04/2020, , MOHAMED IMRANULLAH S.,CHENNAI

Two Korean inmates of a special camp in Tiruchi have approached the Madras High Court alleging that norms for physical distancing were not being followed at the camp though some of the 80 inmates were suffering from symptoms such as cold and fever.

Justice S. Vaidyanathan heard the writ petitions filed by Choi Yong Suk (46) and Choe Jae Won (41) on Tuesday through videoconferencing and directed State Government Pleader V. Jayaprakash Narayanan to obtain detailed instructions from the authorities concerned by Thursday.

The petitioners’ counsel C. Arun Kumar told the judge that his clients were the Managing Director and General Manager respectively of Chowel India Private Limited, a company operating from Sriperumbudur Taluk and engaged in manufacture of cowl bars, bumpers and seat frames for motor vehicles.

Last year, the company was accused of not remitting Goods and Services Tax (GST) collected from its customers since 2017 and the total liability was assessed to be more than Rs. 40 crore. Hence, the authorities concerned initiated prosecution against the company and arrested its top brass.

Though an Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate in Egmore had granted bail to the petitioners on November 19 last year, the Superintendent of GST and Central Excise chose to detain them at the camp and such detention was challenged by way of habeas corpus petitions.

The HCPs were slated to be heard on March 26 but could not be taken up due to the nationwide lock down to fight COVID-19, the petitioners said in their affidavits and alleged that there was every chance of the pandemic spreading in the camp due to lack of preventive measures.

They claimed that the camp lacked medical facilities and that no disinfectant was sprayed till date.

NCC cadets join fight against COVID-19

08/04/2020

Chipping in: An NCC cadet on duty in Puducherry. M. Samraj

Over 3,000 men and women from the National Cadet Corps (NCC) across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have joined authorities in the fight against COVID-19. They assist officials in distribution of food and other relief material and ensure that people maintain social distancing in crowded areas.

Following approval from the Centre, the NCC has accepted requests from cadets, who have come forward to assist the authorities.

“Since NCC cadets are a trained force, it would be easy for them to assist officials,” a senior official said.

Though this was voluntary, parental consent was necessary.

“Some 3,000 cadets have come forward to assist the authorities. Presently, over 200 cadets in Tiruchi and 70 in Puducherry have reported for duty and about 50 would soon join in Kancheepuram,” Commodore Malay K. Kukreti, Deputy Director-General of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andaman & Nicobar Islands (TN, P & AN) NCC Directorate told The Hindu.

Only cadets in Senior Division (college boys) and Senior Wing (college girls) would be involved.

All Collectors are informed and they could be enlisted closer to their homes in assisting authorities in crowd management and ensuring social distancing, he said.

70 cadets

Over 70 cadets in Puducherry have been assigned to assist the district administration with various protective measures.

According to a senior police officer, 46 senior male cadets and 27 female cadets headed by two officers, five Associate NCC Officers and seven Permanent Instructor staff have been deployed on duty.

They have been provided with face masks, sanitisers and bottled drinking water.

Be alert, not anxious

08/04/2020

The COVID-19 pandemic is on everyone’s mind right now. A majority of those infected recover from the disease. Twenty per cent of the patients may require hospitalisation, especially when there are complaints of breathlessness.

If they have coexisting conditions like chronic renal disease, cardiac disease, respiratory disease, cerebrovascular diseases, uncontrolled diabetes or hypertension, they carry a higher risk of mortality. Mortality in COVID-19 positive cases ranges from 2% to 8% worldwide.

When we talk about COVID-19 infections and heart diseases, we face four scenarios — patients with known cardiac disease; cardiac patients developing COVID-19 infection; patients with COVID-19 infection developing cardiac complications and patients waiting for or have already had cardiac transplant

For cardiac patients: The most important thing to remember is to continue taking your medication if you have a known cardiac condition. You must also take the following precautions: Avoid physically visiting the hospital for your routine check-ups. Utilise their online consultation facility, if available. Stay at home to prevent contact with carriers. Practise social distancing in case you have to interact with others.

Consciously avoid touching your face. If it’s absolutely necessary, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use a hand sanitiser containing at least 70% alcohol.

Work on optimising your immune system. Getting adequate sleep, staying hydrated, eating a balanced diet and exercising every day are paramount.

Keep in touch with friends, colleagues, family and others remotely. Your mental health can affect your physical health, so don’t neglect that!

Even if you don't catch the infection, stressing about the situation can worsen your heart condition. So, it's important to be alert and not anxious.

For cardiac patients who develop an infection: Maybe you’ve come to the hospital with chest pain. You may not have COVID-19 but the hospital may have to test you for it. This is for everyone’s safety. If you test positive, you and anyone you have come in recent contact with you should be quarantined for two weeks.

There’s some evidence that shows a fever may actually be beneficial to your immune system in fighting the infection. So, for mild infections, fever can be treated with antipyretics. Antibiotics may be prescribed to you to treat secondary bacterial infections, if the symptoms are worse. Remember to consult your physician and do not self-medicate!

If you develop breathlessness or other serious respiratory symptoms, you may be admitted to the ICU. Any kind of infection may worsen cardiac failure or cardiac disease.

COVID-19 positive patients who develop cardiac complications are conservatively managed. For example, a patient with Triple Vessel Disease who is a candidate for coronary bypass surgery may instead be managed by angioplasty or medically managed with plaque stabilising drugs.

What about end-stage heart failure patients? End-stage heart failure patients are medically managed at present as the pandemic is making the logistics of transplantation difficult.

Patients who have already had heart transplantation are at a much higher risk for infection as they are on immunosuppressive drugs.

Our strategy is to prevent the infection among such patients by advising them to stay at home, use personal protective devices and maintain physical distancing. It’s normal to get worried about the pandemic. But worrying is not good for your health. Let the healthcare workers do their job and you focus on following the necessary precautions. Remember — stay alert, not anxious.

Tipplers in city feeling the pinch

After lockdown, psychiatrists see more persons with withdrawal symptoms

08/04/2020, SERENA JOSEPHINE M.,CHENNAI

Difficult times: The sudden closure of TASMAC outlets has prompted the District Mental Health Programme to issue guidelines for doctors to treat addicts. B. Jothi Ramalingam

Five days after Tamil Nadu declared a lockdown on March 24, psychiatrists started to see persons walking into hospitals and de-addiction centres, with alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

The sudden closure of TASMAC outlets across the State prompted the District Mental Health Programme to issue guidelines for doctors to assess and treat persons who are addicted to alcohol and who seek help for withdrawal symptoms. Now, there is a steady flow of persons with withdrawal symptoms.

At the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), the outpatient department has been seeing a minimum of three new patients with withdrawal symptoms every day.

“We usually get patients with withdrawal symptoms. Now, the number of patients is more despite lack of public transportation. They come in with complaints of tremors, headaches, restlessness, nausea and vomiting. Many of them have moderate and severe withdrawal symptoms,” a doctor said.

Lakshmi Vijayakumar, a psychiatrist who has been managing the de-addiction centre at Voluntary Health Services, said, “We are seeing quite a number of people with withdrawal issues. There are persons who have experienced seizures and psychological symptoms such as visual and auditory hallucinations. There are persons with underlying psychological disorders with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Co-morbidity is common in AUD. Some have mood disorders. We are seeing a high number of such patients too.” In addition, they were receiving cases of domestic violence associated with withdrawal symptoms, she said.

Most of the patients, she said, are from the low and lower-middle sections of the society.

“Initially, those with withdrawal symptoms require medical treatment. Some will experience tremors, difficulty in eating that could last for four to five days. They will also experience an inability to sleep and will feel the need to seek medical help. We need to provide hydration. They will need IV fluids and sedatives. Those absolutely addicted to alcohol — AUD — require detoxification for the first three to four days, which can be followed by counselling,” she said.

R. Thara, vice-chairman of Schizophrenia Research Foundation, said they have had family members of persons experiencing withdrawal symptoms approaching them with queries. “There are persons with symptoms ranging from mild to severe. In fact, there is an economic dimension too, as they are trying to buy alcohol sold at exorbitant prices in the black market. This has led to an economic drain in the families. In future, these aspects should be taken into account and closure should be in a staggered manner,” she said.

IMH doctors said many persons were unaware that treatment was available for withdrawal symptoms. “We are also informing their family members that care should be taken to ensure there is no alcohol relapse after the lockdown is lifted,” a doctor said.

Truck repair shops can function, says government

08/04/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday issued an order exempting shops on highways involved in repairing trucks, preferably at fuel pumps, from the lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus disease.

The decision is expected to remove glitches in the movement of trucks carrying essential supplies and the transport of fuel to various parts of the State.

In a Government Order, Chief Secretary K. Shanmugam said shops dealing in agricultural machinery, their spare parts (including the supply chain) and repairs can remain open as well.

The Government Order also allowed the tea industry, including plantations with a maximum of 50% of their workers, to function.

The heads of establishments must ensure physical distancing and proper hygiene.

T.N. to pool MLACDS funds to combat pandemic

08/04/2020

The government should have instead said that a majority of the funds should be spent on COVID-19-related expenses within our respective constituencies, he said.

The legislator recalled an incident last week, when his request to use his MLACDS funds for disinfectants and personal protective equipment for conservancy workers in his constituency was turned down by the district collector. "Instead of issuing an announcement making it mandatory to use the funds for COVID-19, this announcement by the CM shows how his plan is flawed and how this government is blindly following the PM without a clear plan,” the MLA said.

Every MLA is allotted ₹3 crore under MLACDS. According to the guidelines issued in June last year for the scheme, the funds are to be spent on tied and untied components. Funds to the tune of ₹1.5 crore in the tied components basket are to be spent on infrastructure, anganwadis, kitchens in schools and drinking water supply, among others.

Cases filed against 6 Thai nationals in Erode, 11 Indonesian citizens in Salem

08/04/2020, STAFF REPORTER ,ERODE/SALEM

Cases were registered against six Thai and 11 Indonesian nationals in Erode and Salem, respectively, on Tuesday.

The Erode South police registered a case against six Thai nationals for violating visa norms and having been involved in religious preaching that had eventually led to the spread of COVID-19 in the city. The accused foreigners are now in the isolation ward of the Government Erode Medical College and Hospital at Perundurai.

Seven persons from Thailand had arrived in the city in the second week of March and had been involved in preaching activities. They had visited two dargahs and a few houses in the city. Later, one of them developed fever and was admitted to the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital, but tested negative for COVID-19. However, he later died due to complications of diabetic nephropathy and septicaemia.

The other six were admitted to the ward. Three of them tested positive, while the other three tested negative. Some of those who had been in direct contact with them also tested positive, leading to the home quarantining of over 30,000 persons in the city. As many as 32 persons have tested positive in the district so far.

‘Knowingly spread virus’

In her complaint, Erode Tahsildar Parimaladevi said the six had arrived in the city on a tourist visa, but had violated their visa norms. Despite knowing that they were infected by the virus, they spread it to others, she added.

The police registered a case under Sections 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 278 (making atmosphere noxious to health) of the Indian Penal Code and Para 1-25 and 19.8 of The Visa Manual 2019 r/w Section 13(1), (2) and 14 of The Foreigner’s Act 1946 and 134, 135 of the Tamil Nadu Public Health Act, 1939.

In Salem, the city police registered a case against 18 persons, including 11 Indonesian nationals.

Based on the complaint of the Village Administrator Officer of Kitchipalayam, the police registered a case against 11 Indonesians, who had come here to preach Islam, their guide from Chennai and their local contacts.

They were booked for spreading epidemic disease and flouting visa rules, among other charges.

Traders, ryots don’t have to pay charges till Apr. 30

CM announces waiver of market cess, various other levies

08/04/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Tuesday announced a waiver of the market cess and various other charges payable by farmers and traders till April 30. The decision was taken to increase the movement of essential foodgrains, vegetables and fruits and to ensure the smooth supply of such commodities to the public during the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown.

In a statement, Mr. Palaniswami announced that the 1% market cess levied on traders who win bids for agricultural produce from farmers in as many as 272 markets across the State will be waived.

A senior government official explained that the waiver of the cess was aimed at encouraging more people to take part in the bidding process. The official added that even if the lockdown is lifted after April 14, the concessions would remain in place till April 30.

Cold storage facilities

Mr. Palaniswami also announced a waiver of the charges collected from farmers for storing their agricultural produce in cold storage facilities in various districts. Since many farmers were not getting a good price for their produce, they could avail themselves of these facilities for free, he said.

The Chief Minister said farmer producer organisations (FPOs) will be granted loans of up to ₹10 lakh so that they could get some working capital.

An additional 500 mobile units for selling vegetables and fruits will be introduced in urban areas, he added.

Farmers could call the State-wide helplines 044-22253884, 22253885, 22253496 and 9500091904 between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. for any assistance relating to agriculture and horticulture.

Kerala expert panel against full repeal of lockdown

17-member committee recommends continuation of curbs on people’s movement across international, State boundaries

08/04/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

Food service: Workers packing meals priced at ₹20 in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. S. MAHINSHA

The time is not yet ripe for the full withdrawal of the lockdown on April 14 and the withdrawal strategy should be gradual, phased and calibrated to ensure that the case load is kept below the capacity of the healthcare system to deal with it, an expert committee appointed by the Kerala government has said.

“Continuing to restrict large-scale movement of people across international and State boundaries is critical and should not be considered unless and until the situation is under control in every State,” the committee, comprising 17 eminent persons and headed by K.M. Abraham, said in its report to the government. The panel was specifically asked to look into the strategy to ease the lockdown restrictions.

However, it said it is cognizant that a prolonged and stringent lockdown will lead to economic hardships, famine, and law and order issues, which may undermine both the lockdown and health management objectives. The committee said a phased approach should be operationlised at the revenue district level while easing the restrictions.

The State should continue to ramp up preparatory work for the possible rapid rise of COVID-19 cases. As the cases may exceed the local capacity in some cities, a protocol for assistance should be prepared to avoid unnecessary divisions at the height of the crisis.

The panel also said that the effort to ramp up production and procurement of test kits, ventilators, PPEs for healthcare personnel and masks should not be relaxed. There should be a national effort and the Centre should release funds and create a mechanism to distribute them on a need basis.

Mutual assistance

As States are expected to pass through the peak infection at different timings, a national coordination mechanism is suggested so that the States could support one another with experience, expertise, equipment and finances.

The Centre should ensure effective coordination between the States as well as logistics operators. Supporting the agricultural sector, in production, marketing, storage and transport is essential for the country to tide over the crisis.

The COVID-19 crisis is taking the country into the online world at a rapid pace. Innovations and practices which would have needed years to achieve are being introduced in weeks in education, judiciary, local business and telemedicine, among others. “It should be ensured that such modern technological leaps are not lost after the lockdown as there are huge economic and efficiency gains,” it added.

T.N. to pool ₹1 crore each from MLACDS funds

Money to be spent to fight COVID-19

08/04/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

A day after the Centre promulgated an ordinance suspending MPLADS for two years, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Tuesday said he had ordered pooling of ₹1 crore each from the MLA Constituency Development Scheme (MLACDS) funds of all legislators towards precautionary and relief measures being taken against COVID-19.

In a statement, Mr. Palaniswami said ₹1 crore from each MLACDS fund would be used to meet the expenses incurred in the fight against COVID-19.

The Chief Minister’s statement came shortly after DMK president and Leader of the Opposition M.K. Stalin tweeted, alleging that funds allotted by DMK MLA V. Senthil Balaji were being turned down by the district administration.

The Chief Minister clarified that the funds were to be integrated at the district and State levels and spent on the fight against COVID-19.

Speaking to The Hindu, a DMK MLA said: “When the entire State is facing the threat of novel coronavirus, how can the government take away the already paltry funds allotted to us?”

Maintaining your car during the lockdown

Your safety comes first, and so attend to your car only if you can do so in a safe manner without exposing yourself

08/04/2020, SERGIUS BARRETTO

Point to remember Social distancing overrules everything elseSpecial Arrangement

The COVID-19 virus has everyone house-bound, and that means your car is too. While they will be fine over these three weeks, here are a few things that you can do to make sure they stay in better shape during the lockdown.

Before you read any further, remember social distancing overrules everything else. Your car will not reduce itself to junk over 21 days. Your safety comes first, and so attend to your car only if you can do so in a safe manner without exposing yourself to others.

Preserve the battery

The electrical systems in modern cars are very reliable, and if you have not faced any electrical trouble, like for example slow cranking, you can easily leave your car parked for a few days without worry. Starting it once a week and leaving it running for a few minutes will be more than sufficient to keep your battery charged. If your car starts easily, let it run for a few minutes; or if you can, just drive it around the compound and then shut it down. However, if you face any starting trouble, then once started, leave it switched on for a longer period of time (up to 15 minutes even) and rev the engine, now and then. As mentioned earlier, if you can, drive it around the compound too, and start it again in two-three days.

Give it a workout

Unlike us, our cars can sit around for a few days and not worry about physical fitness; however, it is a mechanical device and so it’s a good idea to run all its systems, now and then. During the 21-day lockdown, driving it twice or thrice will be good enough, even if it’s around the parking lot. And remember to use the AC too. Using your car will keep all the mechanical parts and other systems running, thus preventing some of them from getting jammed or tight, for instance, the brakes. If your tyres are correctly inflated and in good shape, there is little chance of them flat spotting (or, as is commonly said, going out of round). However, moving your car a few times during these 21 days can help keep them in better shape.

Do not use the parking brake

Avoid using the handbrake and leave your car in gear; or in an automatic, leave the selector in ‘park’. This is because over a few days, left engaged, the brake mechanism tends to get stuck. If your car’s brakes are stuck, driving it around a little and dabbing the brake pedal can help free them. In some cars, the parking brake uses the wheel brakes itself, however, in others, they use a separate brake. In this case, if you still feel like the parking brake is stuck, try engaging and releasing the hand brake lever rapidly and drive it around a little.

Leave it clean

Pretty common sense this one, do not leave junk like water bottles, food items and even stuff like wet wipes in the car. Over time, these will degrade and could release foul smells, especially if your car is parked out in the sun.

Protect the exterior

If you don’t have a covered parking area, try and find a shaded spot to park your car; or, if possible, use a car cover. If you can’t do any of this, do not fret, your car’s exterior will certainly survive this; but try and give it a wash if you see too much dirt accumulating. If you see bird droppings, wipe these away with a damp cloth, as bird droppings left sfor long can stain or ruin certain surfaces.

U.S. death toll crosses 11,000

Officials tell Americans to brace for one of the worst periods

08/04/2020, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE,WASHINGTON

Making it count: A man casting his ballot in a Democratic presidential primary poll in Wisconsin on Tuesday. AFPKAMIL KRZACZYNSKI

Americans were put on notice on Monday not to let up in the fight against COVID-19, as a grim milestone of 11,000 deaths cast a pall over the first signs of optimism about the outbreak’s trajectory.

The U.S. has emerged as one of the world’s worst-hit nations, with a steadily mounting number of fatalities and millions facing the possibility of economic ruin.

Authorities began the week by telling frightened communities to brace for one of the worst periods yet in an outbreak that has not yet reached its peak.

Johns Hopkins University, which has been keeping a running tally of coronavirus numbers, said more than 3,69,000 U.S. cases had been confirmed, with 10,986 deaths by late Monday.

New York State has recorded its highest number of COVID-19 deaths in 24 hours, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Tuesday, adding though that hospitalizations appeared to be “plateauing.”

Mr. Cuomo said 731 people succumbed to the new coronavirus on Monday, bringing the State's total death toll to 5,489. The previous single-day record was 630, set on Friday.

He said New York appeared be nearing the peak of its pandemic, with a three-day average of hospitalizations down.

“If the curve is turning, it’s because the rate of infection is going down. If the rate of infection is going down, it’s because physical distancing is working.”

Authorities have warned that between 1,00,000 and 2,40,000 people could die in the U.S., even in a best-case scenario.

Nine States — all controlled by Republican governors — have still not yet ordered total lockdowns, much to the frustration of public health experts.

SC nod for voting

The Wisconsin Supreme Court blocked a last-minute attempt by the Governor there to postpone the next day’s Democratic presidential primary and other elections because of the epidemic and ruled that the vote should go ahead.

In a 4-2 decision, the top State court overturned an executive order from the Democratic Governor Tony Evers, who had sought to delay the election until June due to the outbreak.

Meals made by Tihar inmates feed the hungry

Lunch and dinner for 500 people being served at government schools to daily wagers and the homeless

08/04/2020, HEMANI BHANDARI,NEW DELHI

Healthy fare: Rotis made by prisoners at Tihar jail being served to the needy in New Delhi on Tuesday. Shiv Kumar PushpakarShiv Kumar Pushpakar

On Tuesday afternoon at a government school in New Delhi, residents of JJ cluster in Khyala’s Raghubir Nagar stood in two separate queues waiting for meals. While this could have been mistaken for a common scene during the COVID-19 lockdown, what stood out was that the food was prepared by Tihar jail prisoners

Starting a couple of days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the nationwide lockdown, meals prepared by Tihar inmates was distributed within a 5 km radius of the jail based on requirements, said a senior officer at Tihar jail.

At the school, head warden Yogender Kumar with his team and 10 Civil Defence officials ensured that the residents maintained a safe distance from each other and received dal, chapatis, and rice.

Interestingly, the meals to be distributed are essentially leftovers after the inmates are served at the jail. “On most days, food for at least 40-50 people are left over after every meal. Therefore, it was decided that we must send this food for those who need it, especially the ones dependent on daily wages. Therefore, the food that is left from nine prisons in the Tihar jail premises is collected and sent,” the prison official said.

Lunch is served inside the prison at 11 a.m., and so by 11.45 a.m., the officials get an idea of how much will be surplus. Mr. Kumar then starts collecting from each prison and finally leaves for the various venues by 12.30 p.m. for lunch and by 6.30 p.m. for dinner — with food for about 500 people.

The head warden said the food is taken to places where the Delhi government has set up relief centres. Government officials share the requirement with Mr. Kumar, who is tasked with the transport of food from Tihar jail.

The official said when a superintendent-rank officer of one of the jails shared the idea of food distribution with the inmates, one had said, “Sir, we will eat one chapati less, if required.”

At the JJ cluster, people were unaware that the food was prepared by Tihar inmates. A 28-year-old woman, Devi, said, “It doesn’t matter who is cooking as long as we are getting food.” However, as Devi went an hour after the distribution began, she had to return empty-handed. Meanwhile, many others said the food tasted “okay”.

School principal R.B. Singh said people queued up at 8 a.m. on Tuesday in the hope of getting dry rations. However, these people were later informed that there was no such facility. “People kept a bag or one of their belongings to mark their place in the queue even if they don’t stand,” Mr. Singh said.

WhatsApp puts strict limit on forwards

Move to curb spread of misinformation

08/04/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT, NEW DELHI

Frequently forwarded messages can be sent only to one user at a time now.

To slow the spread of misinformation via its platform, WhatsApp on Tuesday announced a new stricter limit on forwarding messages. Now, frequently forwarded messages — those which have been previously forwarded five times or more, can only be forwarded to one chat at a time.

“With billions of people unable to see their friends and family in person due to COVID-19, people are relying on WhatsApp more than ever to communicate,” the Facebook-owned firm said in a blog.

It, however, added that, “...we’ve seen a significant increase in the amount of forwarding which users have told us can feel overwhelming and can contribute to the spread of misinformation. We believe it’s important to slow the spread of these messages to keep WhatsApp a place for personal conversation.”

WhatsApp said that its previous move to place limits led to a 25% decrease in message forwards globally at the time. The company had in 2018 started testing the forwarding limit of five chats at once in India, where people forward more messages, photos, and videos than any other country in the world. The limit was later introduced around the world in 2019.

The company had also started labelling messages that have been forwarded many times with double arrows to indicate they did not originate from close contact. “In effect, these messages are less personal compared to typical messages sent on WhatsApp. We are now introducing a limit so that these messages can only be forwarded to one chat at a time,” it said.

Goa announces salary hike for frontline workers

08/04/2020, ADITYA ANAND,MUMBAI

The Goa government has hiked salaries of staff working at COVID-19 facilities by 20% along with providing them a ₹50 lakh insurance cover.

Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant said that this was being done as a way of thanking and appreciating the work being undertaken by the frontline staff in the State.

“The insurance and 20% salary increase on their basic pay will continue till the COVID-19 fight is on. This will cover doctors, nurses and even sweepers, security and cleaning staff,” he said. The government will make this available to all contractual staff sourced through private vendors, who would be made to comply with the decision.

Rapid testing

Rapid testing with results available in an hour commenced from Tuesday. The State government has procured 2,000 Truenat rapid testing kits from Molbio Dx, a Goa-based company.

The test is a real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) test for the qualitative detection of nucleic acid from SARS-CoV-2 in upper and lower respiratory specimens (such as nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swabs) collected from individuals suspected of COVID-19.

Health Minister Viswajit Rane said the tests would be conducted at the Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim, Asilo Hospital in Mapusa and the Sub-District Hospital in Ponda.

IRCTC suspends ticket bookings of 3 trains

Passengers will be fully refunded

08/04/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,NEW DELHI

The Lucknow-New Delhi Tejas Express is one of the trains suspended.

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has cancelled booking for three “corporate trains” operated by it. Earlier, the bookings were suspended only till the period of the 21-day nationwide lockdown, that is, April 14.

The three trains are Kashi Mahakal Express (between Varanasi and Indore), the Lucknow-New Delhi Tejas Express and the Ahmedabad-Mumbai Tejas Express. An IRCTC official said that travellers who had already made their bookings on these trains will be fully refunded.

The move comes amid reports that the government is considering extending the 21-day lockdown to check the spread of coronavirus following requests from State governments.

The official added that bookings for other trains after the lockdown period is currently being undertaken, and any decision with regards to these trains will come from the Indian Railways.

Government mulls lockdown extension

08/04/2020

Government sources told The Hindu that “many State governments as well as experts have requested the Central government to extend the lockdown and the Centre is thinking in this direction.”The number of COVID-19 affected districts increased from 62 on March 20 to 284 on April 6 across 30 States and Union Territories.

On Tuesday, the Border Security Force (BSF) sent a message to all its formations that leaves of all those on leave be extended up to April 21. The personnel who went on leave before the lockdown came into force were to join work in the coming few days. It also issued similar instructions to its training centres where programmes are already running and due to terminate in the coming days. “No movement before April 21. Stay wherever you are,” the BSF said in a statement.

A Group of Ministers (GoM), led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met on Tuesday to review the situation. This was its fourth meeting since March 25. Inputs, suggestions and feedback from the discussions at the meetings are conveyed to the Prime Minister by Mr. Singh.

The GoM recommended steps to enhance testing facilities in laboratories and expressed satisfaction over the measures in place to provide shelter and food to migrant workers.

Mr. Singh tweeted that the GoM had an extensive discussion on the prevailing situation.

“The amount saved through these decisions would be utilised in strengthening India’s fight against COVID-19. The ministers also shared their insights on how we can overcome the situation and help the people stay motivated & vigilant in the battle against COVID-19,” he tweeted.

Three Manipal students win MIT’s COVID-19 hackathon

They teamed up with professionals from across the world

08/04/2020, GANESH PRABHU ,MANIPAL

Winners all: (From left) Adri Rajaraman, Akshatha Kamath and Shubham Rateria. Special Arrangement

A team of three students from Manipal Institute of Technology, which linked up with three professionals has won the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) COVID-19 Challenge event.

The team was declared as winner of its track — ‘Who to test and when?’ under ‘How to protect vulnerable populations from the effects of COVID-19?’ There were a total of ten tracks.

The ‘Beat the Pandemic’ was a 48-hour virtual event to help tackle the most critical needs caused by COVID-19. The hackathon started at 3.30 a.m. on April 4, where participants formed teams to shortlist the problems and find solutions.

The three students of Manipal Institute of Technology — Akshatha Kamath (third year CSE), Shubham Rateria (CCE Batch of 2019) and Adri Rajaraman (ECE Batch of 2019) — participated in the event.

They teamed up with Melia Watson, Washington DC (respiratory therapist, MBA), Hsiang Wei Hu, Taiwan (co-founder of Acusense Biomed), and Mariane Melo, U.K. (M.D.).

They narrowed down to the problem of overcrowded hospitals with inappropriate admissions, whereas less than 5% of the population under 50 years needs hospitalisation.

Tele-health platform

Their solution was to build a tele-health platform for non-contact monitoring of vital signs such as heart rate, respiratory rate and blood oxygen concentration using a phone camera or webcam at home.

“This cross-platform application avoids reliance on contact-based pulse oximeters,” Ms. Kamath told The Hindu. “This can be further developed into a telemedicine platform, wherein doctors can remotely identify the progress of the patients. This is useful in prevention of transfer of COVID-19 to healthcare professionals,” Mohammad Zuber, Assistant Director (Innovations), Manipal Institute of Technology, said.

With no takers, unsold flowers at Koyambedu market end up in trash

Shutdown of places of worship, cancellation of functions cited

08/04/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

Dip in demand: Of the 50 tonnes brought to the market in a day, about 10-15 tonnes are dumped as waste. M.Vedhan

With no takers during the lockdown, heaps of flowers are being dumped at the Koyambedu flower market.

With the sharp fall in demand due to the pandemic, over the past few days, several vendors have little choice but to dump the flowers, soon to perish, at the end of the day.

The wholesale market now functions till 1 p.m., every day.

On average, the market receives 8-10 lorries of flowers from across the State. It normally receives 30 truckloads of flowers.

Flower merchants noted that each lorry brings in five tonnes of flowers.

S. Mookiah, president of the Koyambedu Wholesale Flower Market Merchants’ Association, said transportation was a major issue in bringing flowers to the market and transporting them to other markets in the State.

“It may not be an essential commodity like vegetables and fruits, but we have sought permission to function to help the farmers,” he said.

A sharp fall

According to flower merchants, of the 50 tonnes brought to the market in a day, about 10-15 tonnes are being dumped as waste.

N. Shiva Peter, a flower merchant, said that small vendors from other markets such as Parrys’ Corner and Tambaram visit Koyambedu.

Now only 25-30% of the retail traders visit the market, he added.

The demand has dipped, as places of worship are shut, and functions are not being held.

CM renews appeal for donations to fight COVID-19

Precautionary measures will be strengthened in the coming days, says Palaniswami

08/04/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

Edappadi K. Palaniswami

Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Tuesday reiterated his appeal for donations to the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund (CMPRF) to aid the efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19.

“The precautionary measures will be strengthened in the coming days. The Tamil Nadu government needs the participation of industrialists, leading private companies, NGOs, donors and the people of Tamil Nadu to efficiently adopt these precautionary measures,” Mr. Palaniswami said in a statement.

Noting that many have already pitched in, he said, “Children and students have come forward to donate whatever amount they can.”

The CM had previously appealed for donations on March 27.

While the donations made from within the country would be 100% exempted for tax under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act, contributions from NRIs would be eligible for tax exemption under Section 50 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, an official press release said. Contributions could be made online using credit/debit card or through Electronic Clearing Service (ECS) or demand draft.

Those who wish to contribute through net banking or credit/debit card could do so by visiting https://ereceipt.tn.gov.in/cmprf/cmprf.html. For those who wish to use the ECS option, the details of the bank are as follows: Indian Overseas Bank, Secretariat Branch, Chennai 600009. The savings account number is 117201000000070, the IFSC is IOBA0001172 and the CMPRF’s PAN is AAAGC0038F.

Those who opt for ECS are requested to provide the following details: name, amount contributed, bank and branch, date of deposit, acknowledgement number, full postal address and e-mail ID.

NRIs wishing to donate could do so by using the SWIFT Code IOBAINBB0001 for the Indian Overseas Bank, Central Office, Chennai.

Those who do not wish to use any of the abovementioned options could send a demand draft to Deputy Secretary to Government and Treasurer, Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund, Finance Department, Tamil Nadu Government, Secretariat, Chennai 600009, Tamil Nadu, India.

Donors could e-mail the details of the transactions to dspaycell.findpt@tn.gov.in

The CMPRF has received funds to the tune of ₹79.74 crore so far. In the last four days alone, it has received ₹17.44 crore.

‘3 doctors have tested positive in Tamil Nadu’

08/04/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

Three doctors have tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Tamil Nadu so far, according to Health Secretary Beela Rajesh.

Addressing the media on Tuesday, she said all three, including a railway doctor, had come into contact with persons connected to the single source event (a conference at Nizamuddin in Delhi). While two of them were from Thoothukudi, the third was from Erode, she said later in the day.

Thai link

According to the Health Department, the 29-year-old railway doctor had come into contact with a 63-year-old person, a co-traveller of two Thailand nationals who later tested positive, at the Erode Railway Station.

When asked if any of the staff deployed at airports had tested positive for COVID-19, she said two or three persons who worked at the airport had tested positive.

One of them hailed from Kanniyakumari, she said.

Schools, colleges may remain closed till May 15

Nationwide COVID-19 toll touches 124

08/04/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,NEW DELHI

The Union Health Ministry on Tuesday said the country has registered 13 deaths and 508 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking the total death toll to 124 with 4,789 cases nationwide.

A total of 326 persons have recovered from the infection, Joint Secretary in the Union Health Ministry Lav Agrawal said at the daily press briefing.

Amid calls from the States on the need for a calibrated lifting of the lockdown, a meeting of the Group of Ministers on COVID-19, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, recommended that the closure of all educational institutions and restrictions on all religious activities having public participation be extended till May 15, irrespective of the government decision, official sources said.

The recommendation came as State Health Departments reported 20 more deaths, taking the nationwide toll to 165, with 5,126 confirmed cases.

Maharashtra reported 12 more deaths, taking the tally of the deceased so far to 64, with 1,018 confirmed cases.

Four more deaths were reported from Gujarat, while Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Jammu & Kashmir and Tamil Nadu reported one death since Monday.

In Rajasthan, which saw the number of active cases touching 283 with 24 new cases, Health Minister Raghu Sharma said the government had decided to step up screening in hotspots using rapid testing kits. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that one lakh random rapid anti-body tests would be conducted in the city’s hotspots.

(With PTI inputs)

Govt. mulls lockdown extension amid requests from the States

Many States have appealed for its continuation in the face of rise in COVID cases

08/04/2020, NISTULA HEBBAR , VIJAITA SINGH,NEW DELHI

The Union government on Tuesday indicated that it was actively considering an extension of the 21-day nationwide lockdown that began on March 25 and is due to end on April 14, as many States have openly appealed for its continuation as the number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise.

While Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhara Rao had requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to extend the lockdown on Monday, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan of Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday echoed the plea.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also called for a phased withdrawal of the lockdown, saying that saving lives was important.

In an interview to The Hindu, Chhattisgarh Health Minister T.S. Singh Deo said, “I feel people have got used to the lockdown. We should take advantage of that and deal conservatively with the question of lifting the lockdown. Certainly, borders of States should remain closed although activities within districts are on to some extent. A conservative estimate and looking at the expected spike in cases, we must go for another 14 days of lockdown at least.”

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh is understood to have conveyed to the Prime Minister during a videoconference last week that the lockdown should not be lifted all of a sudden and that it should be done in three to four phases. “There should be a partial lifting in a graded and calibrated manner. Allow farmers to harvest their crops but keep schools and colleges closed. Allow scooters and two-wheelers to ply first,” a senior Punjab government official said.

Delay in collecting fees: Unable to pay staff, say private schools in Tamil Nadu

TNN | Apr 6, 2020, 04.03 AM IST

CHENNAI: A majority of private schools claim they are not in a position to pay salaries to their teaching and non-teaching staff for March, following the state government’s order not to collect fees from parents due to the Covid-19 lockdown.

More than one lakh teachers and non-teaching staff work in more than 12,000 private schools in Tamil Nadu. While some schools collect fees term wise, many schools collect fees monthly based on the economic condition of their students’ parents. Such schools were caught unawares due to the sudden closure of educational institutions to contain the spread of Covid-19 last month.

“More than 50% of students are yet to pay term fees and monthly fees. The sudden closure announced by the state government came as a rude shock to them,” said N Vijayan, patron of Kancheepuram District Self-Financing Private Schools Association.

“We understand the situation and respect the government’s order to not collect fees. But naks are hesitating to give us soft loans for three months. Either the state government or Centre should direct banks to give short-time loans to schools,” he added.

K R Nandakumar, state secretary of Tamil Nadu Nursery, Primary and Matriculation Higher Secondary Schools Association, said financial stress on private schools would be eased if the state government released the reimbursement for RTE admissions immediately. “State government owes several hundred crores for RTE admissions made in 2018-19, 2019-20,” Nandakumar said.

Officials from the school education department said private schools have to keep a month’s salary for their staff in bank accounts and that it was a condition for affiliation. “The state government has released Rs 248 crore as reimbursement for RTE admissions for 2018-19 and it will reach schools shortly,” an official said.

BDU launches portal for students, staff

TNN | Apr 7, 2020, 04.09 AM IST

Trichy: Bharathidasan University (BDU) has launched an exclusive web page and portal for for its staff, students and stakeholders to keep them engaged with the help of digital activities during the lockdown period.

The web page has numerous digital resources for learning and teaching, providing links to many tools, books, mobile applications, video lectures and other audio-visual materials which will be available through digital library services on the university website.

Vice-chancellor P Manisankar has instructed all the faculty and students to make use of these online resources to teach and train students.

“Tools such as Zoom, Google Classroom, Hangout and Skype should be leveraged to implement online classes as some of the university departments such as bio-informatics and library sciences have been conducting such online classes,” he said.

“The university has custom tailored a mobile app called uLektz which is a learners’ management system through which students are being delivered video lectures, presentations and other learning materials. Professors are conducting online exams also through this mobile app,” said registrar G Gopinath. A short-term online course on Intellectual Property Rights and patent filing was also launched for the benefit of students and staff.