Lockdown violation cases won’t be quashed’

SC rejects petition filed by former DGP

06/05/2020, LEGAL CORRESPONDENT

There cannot be a super government, the SC remarked on a petition.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition filed by a former Director-General of Police of Uttar Pradesh to quash FIRs registered against ordinary citizens for violating the COVID-19 lockdown.

“There cannot be a super government. Everyone is going through difficult times,” a Bench led by Justice Ashok Bhushan remarked orally while rejecting the plea.

Vikram Singh, the former DGP of Uttar Pradesh, had cited data collected by a think-tank Centre for Accountability and Systemic Change (CASC) — of which he is the chairman — to show that 848 FIRs were filed between March 23 and April 13 under Section 188 of the IPC (disobedience of an order promulgated by a public servant) in 50 police stations in Delhi alone.

The petition cited the Uttar Pradesh government website to say that 15,378 FIRs were registered in Uttar Pradesh against 48,503 persons under Section 188 IPC. Mr. Singh had argued that there were several judgments of the Supreme Court itself that FIRs cannot be registered under Section 188 IPC.

“Police action on an individual who is perhaps suffering from distress and lack of information as a result of the circumstances has ramifications which can extend beyond the coronavirus lockdown, and cannot be good for a constitutional democracy,” the petition had said.

People in ‘own vehicles’ can enter State from today

06/05/2020, DENNIS S. JESUDASAN,CHENNAI

Natives of Tamil Nadu stranded in other States due to the COVID-19 lockdown would be allowed to return “in their own vehicles” from Wednesday. Those who have registered themselves on the government portal nonresidenttamil.org would be given passes and subjected to medical checks at the State’s borders.

“Those who are asymptomatic [for COVID-19] would be asked to remain under home quarantine,” a senior official told The Hindu.Meanwhile, the outflow of people in their ‘own vehicles’ from Tamil Nadu began on Tuesday. “The government has identified quarantine facilities in various districts for around 70,000 persons, who would be coming into Tamil Nadu,” the official added.

Those who arrive at the inter-State border with symptoms of the disease would be sent to the quarantine facilities. “Medical teams at the border points would decide who should be sent to institutional quarantine. They would check whether the person has Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) or Influenza-like Illnesses (ILL) and decide accordingly,” the official said. “As of now, we are planning to send all international passengers [who are likely to arrive later this week] to institutional quarantine,” he added. When asked about the possibility of special trains or government-arranged vehicles ferrying migrant workers, he said this would be sorted out soon.

Some people from Kota, including students, were allowed to enter Tamil Nadu on Tuesday.

Home isolation is now an option for pre-symptomatic, mild cases

Govt. move comes as hospitals shift asymptomatic patients to quarantine facilities

06/05/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,CHENNAI

Fire station personnel disinfecting a street in Chennai.

In accordance with the guidelines of the Indian Council of Medical Research, patients who have been clinically categorised as having a very mild or pre-symptomatic coronavirus disease (COVID-19) would have the option of home isolation, provided they have the necessary facilities at their residence. They would have to submit an undertaking that they will adhere to self-isolation norms.

Based on a proposal of the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, the government has issued an order, setting out guidelines for home isolation of very mild/pre-symptomatic COVID-19 cases. This comes at a time when hospitals across the city are shifting asymptomatic and stable patients to quarantine facilities to free up beds for those in need of treatment.

Eligibility criteria

People who are suspected to have symptoms of COVID-19 and are awaiting test results, as well as confirmed cases, are currently being isolated and managed in hospitals with the intention of breaking the chain of transmission. During the containment phase, patients should be clinically categorised as cases that are very mild/mild, moderate or severe, and treated accordingly in health facilities, the G.O. said.

The patients should be clinically categorised as very mild cases/pre-symptomatic cases by the treating medical officer. They should have requisite facilities at their residence for self-isolation and quarantining family members, and a well-ventilated single-room, preferably with an attached/separate toilet.

A caregiver should be available 24x7, and a communication link between the caregiver and the hospital is a prerequisite for the entire duration of home isolation. The caregiver and all close contacts should take hydroxychloroquine prophylaxis as per protocol and as prescribed by the treating medical officer. The patient and the caregiver should be given a course of zinc and vitamin C/multivitamin tablets for 10 days, apart from the herbal concoctions nilavembu kudineer and kabasura kudineer.

They should download the Aarogya Setu mobile app, which should remain active at all times through bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The patient should agree to monitor his/her health and inform the District Surveillance Officer/Deputy Director of Health Services about his/her condition for follow-up action, and give an undertaking on adherence to self-isolation and home quarantine guidelines.

Patients should self-monitor their health with daily temperature checks, and report promptly in case of any deterioration of symptoms. They should use a triple-layer medical mask at all times, and discard it after eight hours of use, or earlier if it becomes wet or visibly soiled. Masks should be discarded only after being disinfected.

Patients should stay in the identified rooms and away from others residing in their homes, especially the elderly and those with co-morbid conditions like hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and renal disease. They should follow respiratory etiquette and wash their hands often with soap and water. Their clothes and other linen should be washed and dried separately. Surfaces should be cleaned with disinfectants.

They should restrict their movement within their house, and should not attend any social/religious gatherings. The caregivers too should wear a triple-layer medical mask while in the same room as the patients, and use disposable gloves. They should follow hand hygiene and self-monitor their health.

Both the patient and the caregiver should seek immediate medical attention if they develop the following signs and symptoms — persistent cough/continuous fever of above 102°F/difficulty in breathing, persistent pain/pressure in the chest, mental confusion, inability to arouse the patient, somnolence and poor feeding in children, seizures, decreased urine output, persistent or worsening of initial symptoms beyond 72 hours, and developing bluish discolouration of lips/face.

The home isolation will come to an end once the symptoms are clinically resolved and a medical officer certifies that the patient is free of infection after laboratory testing.

‘Schedule for filling up of PG seats extended’

State tells HC that COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the move

06/05/2020, STAFF REPORTER ,MADURAI

The State government on Tuesday informed the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court that due to COVID-19 pandemic, the schedule for filling up postgraduate medical seats under its quota had been extended.

The court was hearing the petition filed by B. Abimathi, who completed her MBBS in 2018. She participated in the PG NEET 2020, and secured a seat in Obstetrics and Gynaecology under the all India quota.

However, she wanted to get admission under the State quota that included non-government institutions. As per a condition to participate in counselling, she had to forfeit the all India quota seat.

She said that the selection committee had not included management seats in private/non-government medical institutions in the notification issued for counselling under the State quota.

She sought a direction to the Directorate of Medical Education to conduct the counselling of PG medical seats in private/non-governmental medical institutions along with the State government quota seats for the academic year 2020-21.

The selection committee of the Directorate of Medical Education informed Justice P.D. Audikesavalu that a communication was sent to the Centre – The Director General of Health Services – to allow counselling for management seats in self-financing medical colleges.

The court was also informed that the communication also sought extension of the date of resignation from respective colleges for those candidates who had joined all India quota seats in Round 1 of the counselling from May 8 till May 13.

Taking into account the submission, the court directed the Centre to consider the same and pass orders on merits. The decision taken must be communicated and uploaded on the official website. The exercise must be completed by 4 P.M. on Wednesday and a compliance report sent to the Registrar (Judicial) within an hour. In the event of non-compliance, the case should be listed on May 7.

Indians returning on Navy ships may have to pay up

07/05/2020

“Yes, There will a charge [for passengers on the INS ships], as has been mentioned in the PIB press release,” an official said. “But it will be a reasonable amount.” Another official said the “exact amount has not yet been decided”, but was under discussion at present.

This is the first time such a charge will be levied for naval rescue operations that have in the past brought back thousands of Indians from the war zones in Yemen (2015), Libya (2011), Lebanon (2006) and Kuwait and Iraq during the Gulf War (1990).

“This is not an evacuation effort because this is not a government-sponsored operation,” an MEA official said on Tuesday. “However, this is coordinated by the MEA and our missions worldwide,” the official clarified, adding that returning passengers would also be charged for “mandatory institutional quarantine” facilities and any hospitalisation costs.

The naval operations for repatriation of Indians from the Maldives and the UAE have already begun, with INS Jalashwa and INS Magar headed to the Maldives, while INS Shardul and INS Airavat are heading to the UAE. Indian missions in Male and Dubai/Abu Dhabi have opened up booking counters and online registrations. The ships will ply in addition to 64 aircraft in the first week beginning May 7, which will accommodate 14,800 stranded Indians returning from 12 countries, including the UAE.

The UAE is likely to see the largest repatriation effort thus far, with about 2,00,000 Indians registering to return. Among them are tourists, business travellers, and thousands of expatriate workers and professionals who have been laid off or completed their contracts. The naval operation from the Maldives will see 700-1,000 Indians return in the first round, estimate officials, who said between 3,000-4,000 Indians working and travelling in various atolls have registered to return.

‘Institutions should adhere to govt.-fixed price cap’

07/05/2020, STAFF REPORTER,COIMBATORE

With messages about a private hospital in Coimbatore demanding exorbitant rates for COVID-19 tests doing the rounds on social media platforms, the district administration and the Health Department have clarified that all private hospitals and laboratories approved by the government for COVID-19 management and testing should follow the price cap fixed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The government had capped the price of tests at ₹4,500, which private facilities were supposed to comply with, District Collector K. Rajamani said.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had, in March, said that private facilities which charge higher amounts would face legal action. The price cap of ₹4,500 included ₹1,500 for a screening test for suspect cases and ₹3,000 for a confirmatory test.

Besides those with symptoms of the disease who seek treatment, the tests are carried out on patients who undergo non-emergency surgical procedures.

However, according to Mr. Rajamani, it would be difficult to check whether private hospitals were charging excess fees for the treatment of COVID-19 patients and those with suspected symptoms of the disease. Treatment-related expenses also differ among hospitals, he noted.

The Joint Director of Health Services was supposed to monitor the operations of private hospitals, he added.

While the cost of treatment is borne by the State in government hospitals, the patients have to foot the bill in private hospitals.

P. Krishna, Joint Director of Health Services, Coimbatore district, said the Department would check if any private facility was violating the price cap.

Tasmac outlet decorated for reopening ordered closed

07/05/2020, STAFF REPORTER

A Tasmac outlet, near Perur, which was spotted with traditional decorations to celebrate its reopening was ordered to shut down by revenue officials on the outskirts of the city on Wednesday.

According to sources in the Revenue Department, Perur Tahsildar K. Radhakrishnan was in his morning rounds on Wednesday when he spotted the outlet no. 1773 sporting banana trees and thoranam (string of mango leaves) at its entrance. The decorations were purportedly made to ‘celebrate’ the reopening of the outlet after a gap of over 40 days due to the lockdown.

Upon seeing the decorations, Mr. Radhakrishnan immediately ordered the village administrative officers of Thondamuthur and Kalikkanaicken Palayam to remove the decorations and to not allow the outlet to open on Thursday. The VAOs and revenue inspectors inspected the outlet in the afternoon, sources added. Meanwhile, images of the decorations went viral on social media platforms.

Although all Tasmac outlets were asked to clean and disinfect their premises as they remained closed for over 40 days, these kinds of celebratory decorations cannot be allowed, sources said. Disciplinary action will be initiated against the salesperson of the outlet, sources said.

Confusion over circulars, says survey

Respondents were not sure what was allowed as part of the graded lockdown exit

07/05/2020, NISTULA HEBBAR,NEW DELHI

Shutters down: Some liquor stores remained closed in New Delhi on Wednesday.R.V. MoorthyR.V. Moorthy

The lockdown has been extended till May 17, but with a graded exit for various zones. Surveys have indicated that very few people understood the government circulars on what is allowed and what is not.

Less than 25% of the over 16,358 responses polled from 12,410 people across 277 districts surveyed by Local Circles (a community platform) indicated understanding of the circulars — a fact borne out by the large number of clarifications issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs after the announcement of the lockdown extension.

Of the respondents, 66% were men and the rest women. 42% of the respondents hailed from Tier 1 cities, 36% from Tier 2, and 22% from Tier 3 and 4 and rural areas.

The survey also reveals that 74% of those polled wanted no relaxations to the lockdown in districts that showed a high virus load (out of the 277 districts polled, 27 had high virus load).

Another survey was taken just after alcohol was allowed to be sold from standalone stores. It showed that 52% of around 8,078 respondents across 250 districts were of the view that home delivery of alcoholic beverages should be attempted by State governments to prevent infection spread through crowding at stores.

Around 16% of the respondents said that the shop opening time should be extended, while 23% were in favour of heavy police presence to ensure social distancing. Several States have increased the prices of liquor with a “corona cess”, but the lines have remained long and the shops crowded.

While home delivery is not explicitly disallowed or allowed by State excise laws, Chattisgarh has allowed online booking and sale of liquor, for up to 5 litres of alcohol per customer and a delivery charge of ₹120.

Of the over 8,000 respondents, 69% were men and 31% women, with 45% of them from Tier 1 cities, 35% from Tier 2, and the rest from Tiers 3, 4 and rural areas.

Madurai Kamaraj University still awaits a Registrar

07/05/2020, STAFF REPORTER,MADURAI

Madurai Kamaraj University’s (MKU) Registrar in-charge N. Sankar resigned on May 1, but no decision regarding his replacement has so far been made by the administration.

Vice-Chancellor M. Krishnan had said that a decision would be made on Monday after a meeting with Syndicate members.

However, senior officials of Higher Education department had not permitted conduct of the meeting, said a source.

The last time the position was occupied by a full-time official was in June 2019. Then the administration held one round of interview for 16 candidates in January 2020 and deemed all the applicants unfit for the post. Although the administration should have called for applications again through advertisements, it has not yet done that.

A senior Syndicate member, who was part of the group which interviewed applicants for the post of Registrar, said that re-advertising did not take place because the administration was busy working on a self-study report to be submitted to the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).

“We had sought the conduct of an interview via videoconferencing with the VC and immediate re-advertising. However, we are yet to hear from him. We are likely to request Mr. Sankar to continue in the position until COVID-19 lockdown is lifted,” the Syndicate member said.

‘Colour-coded passes must for buying liquor’

People should avoid vehicles: police

07/05/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,MADURAI

Madurai City Police have made colour-coded movement passes issued by Madurai Corporation mandatory for buying liquor bottles from TASMAC outlets that are reopening on Thursday.

In a statement, Commissioner of Police S. Davidson Devasirvatham said the passes were valid for moving out to buy essential goods between 10 a.m. and 5 pm. two days a week.

While yellow passes were valid on Mondays and Thursdays, orange passes were valid on Tuesdays and Fridays, and Green passes on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

People who carried yellow passes alone would be allowed to buy liquor bottles from TASMAC shops on Thursdays.

Those who were found not wearing face masks and following social distancing norms could not buy liquor. Besides, those who violated these norms would be booked for violating the curfew order.

People should also avoid using motor vehicles during their visit to liquor outlets, the Commissioner of Police added.

Timings

People above 50 years of age could buy liquor between 10 a.m. and 1 pm. Those between 40 years to 50 years would be allowed to buy liquor from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and the others from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., the statement said.

Bus services may resume with guidelines: Gadkari

Officials say onus is on Home Ministry to frame the rules

07/05/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,NEW DELHI

Nitin Gadkari

Bus services may resume soon, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday.

Addressing a video-conference with members of the Bus and Car Confederation of India, he said: “We may soon start bus transport along with some guidelines. Airlines, railways and bus transport are required to be opened on a certain scale as there are many people stranded,” the Minister said.

Mr. Gadkari said the challenge staring at the Ministry was to strike a balance between ensuring social distancing and commercial viability for bus operations.

Ministry sources said there was no decision yet on reopening road transport and that the guidelines for it would be framed by the Union Home Ministry, followed by the State governments.

Many experts also shared their suggestions for resumption of operations. O.P. Aggarwal from World Resources Institute-India shared recommendations for dealing with reduced ridership and the need for more number of buses to ensure social distancing.

‘More buses required’

“In the beginning, there will be reduced ridership because of a drop in demand as people may continue to work from home as well as due to the need to maintain social distancing. We need to look how we can improve the finances of the operators and how we can have more buses to increase their number on the roads,” Mr. Aggarwal said.

“With one-third of the capacity, how do we improve finances and how do we increase the number of buses? We need to look at the number of idle buses such as tourist buses and inter-city services. Can we get out of contract and stage carriage limitation to use them for city or regional operations? As far as the financial viability aspect is concerned, some financial support will be required, but we also need to look at the tax structure of bus services versus the metro services. There is also a need to revive the national bus rejuvenation programme,” he said.

Flights from U.S., U.K. delayed

Crew have to undergo COVID-19 tests; services from West Asia not affected

07/05/2020, JAGRITI CHANDRA, SUHASINI HAIDAR ,NEW DELHI

Safe zone: A quarantine centre being readied for NRIs near the Calicut International Airport on Wednesday.PTI-

The wait to return home for thousands of Indians has become slightly longer after the government's plan to mount Air India flights to bring back Indians from around the world was deferred on Wednesday by 24 to 48 hours. Multiple government sources confirmed that the delay was because Air India crew are required to undergo COVID-19 tests.

However, passengers in West Asia will be unaffected as flights to the region will take off on schedule.

“Destination countries require the crew to be COVID negative. These are a significant number of pilots and cabin crew who are required to undergo the test on short notice,” a government official explained the reason for the delay in Air India flights..

By the original plan, flights from six countries were scheduled to land on Thursday, but will now arrive either on Friday or Saturday.

The first flight from the U.S. was scheduled to arrive in Mumbai from San Francisco at 4 a.m. on Thursday. It now stands delayed by 48 hours.

Similarly, a flight scheduled to arrive in Delhi from Washington DC at 1 p.m. on Thursday will now land on Saturday. The first one from London was scheduled to arrive in Mumbai at 1.30 a.m. on Thursday, but this will now bring back Indians two days later.

Seven-day exercise

However, a flight each to Abu Dhabi and Dubai to be operated by Air India Express will arrive on Thursday without delay, as crew members were able to undergo the mandatory medical test. This Air India subsidiary will operate 22 of the total 64 flights planned by the Government of India.

The delay will have a cascading effect on the seven-day plan chalked out by the government. It was scheduled to end on May 13 but has spilled over to May 17.

State, Centre differ on period of quarantine

Kerala says 7 days; MHA wants double

07/05/2020, STAFF REPORTER

The Union and State governments do not appear to be on the same page on the enforcement of quarantine norms for Non-Resident Indians (NRI) who are returning home from Thursday. A section of Health Department staff believe this could turn out to be problematic.

The Kerala government has declared that those returning from abroad would have to be on a mandatory seven-day quarantine at State-controlled facilities irrespective of their COVID-19 infection status or age. The Standard Operating Procedure released by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday night, however, says the returnees would have to give an undertaking that they are willing to undergo institutional quarantine for a minimum of two weeks at their own cost. They would also have to submit results of the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RC-PCR) test to the Indian missions where they have registered themselves.

Jipmer to resume limited OP services

07/05/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,PUDUCHERRY

Jipmer will selectively restart outpatient (OPD) services on Friday.

According to a press note, patients need to call and register on 0413-2298200. Jipmer will first send the appointment date and time for telephone and video consultation as text messages to the patient’s mobile. After the telephone consultation, selected patients will get a text message for personal visit to Jipmer.

Only patients with this message will be allowed to enter the hospital. After checking at screening OPD, patients will be directed to their respective OPDs. Only one attender is allowed with each patient, and both must wear masks.

Patients will need to follow travel restrictions imposed by the government, and Jipmer cannot make any exemptions, the press note read.

VIT entrance exam to be held from July 29

07/05/2020,VELLORE

VIT Engineering Entrance Examination (VITEEE) for admission to engineering programmes in the VIT group of Institutions is scheduled to be held from July 29 to August 2. The examination will be held in 119 cities. Government guidelines on social distancing would be strictly followed, a press note from the institution said.

Donation to medical college

07/05/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTCHENNAI

The Tamilnadu Foundation, a 45-year- old charitable trust set up by NRIs (Tamils) in the U.S., has donated funds to procure a polymarase chain reaction testing equipment to the Stanley Medical College Hospital.

An advance cheque for ₹16.17 lakh was handed over to the college dean P. Balaji. “We hope to collect more funds to help in fighting COVID-19 in other medical colleges, said S. Rajarethinam, chairman of the Foundation in a press release.

‘Elderly must take precautions even after lockdown’

Co-morbidities a major cause of fatality among geriatric population, say experts

07/05/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,CHENNAI

A senior citizen collecting relief material. Photograph used for representational purpose only.

Lower immunity levels and co-morbidities put the geriatric population at a higher risk for COVID-19. This is why doctors have been stressing the need to protect the elderly from the infection. More importantly, precautions should continue even after the lockdown is lifted, they add.

In Tamil Nadu, less than 10% of patients who tested positive for COVID-19 are above the age of 60. As of Tuesday, 336 such persons — 221 men and 115 women — have tested positive for COVID-19, accounting for 8.2% of the total number of positive patients in the State. A majority of the fatalities have occurred in the age group of above 50.

Senior geriatrician V.S. Natarajan said that elderly persons were more affected due to their lower immunity levels; the reasons being multiple diseases and intake of medications. “If you take the global census, 70% of persons affected are above 60 years. Eighty-three percent of persons who died had more than one ailment. A co-morbid condition is the most important factor in the elderly and is responsible for mortality. The common ailments are diabetes, asthma, renal disease and cancer,” he said.

G.S. Shanthi, head of department, Geriatric Medicine, Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, said with the lockdown in place, persons, including the elderly, were following certain precautions.

“Once the lockdown is lifted, elderly persons must still continue these precautions of self-isolation at home, wearing of masks, avoiding exposure to those who cough or sneeze, and regular washing of hands. They need to maintain physical distancing, especially with younger persons who will go out once the lockdown is lifted. These young persons may contract the virus and be asymptomatic, but they can be carriers,” she said.

In the last three days, the hospital has been seeing more asymptomatic patients in the 20-50 age group, she said, adding: “Only some have symptoms suggestive of COVID-19. We are isolating the younger patients from those who are above 50. They are in a different block as we need to protect the vulnerable population.”

Herd immunity

“As more people test positive without too many symptoms, we can expect herd immunity to develop. However, older persons have to be careful as their immunological response will be lower. They should avoid going out, not even for walks or to grocery stores. Their diet should include food items that can improve their immunity and seek medical care if needed,” Dr. Shanthi said. If they are on regular medication for conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, heart, kidney or liver ailments, they should continue the medicines without fail to avoid complications, she added.

Anxiety level

Dr. Natarajan said that there was an increase in anxiety levels among the elderly as they have not been able to get advice from doctors on time due to the lockdown. Many have not been able to go and get medicines from government hospitals, while others have been unable to check their sugar and creatinine levels as many laboratories are closed.

Tasmac outlets to open but restrictions will be in place to check crowding

Customers told to carry Aadhaar cards and wear masks

07/05/2020, SANGEETHA KANDAVEL,CHENNAI

A Tasmac outlet in Perur, on the outskirts of Coimbatore, is fully decked up and ready to open on Thursday.

After six weeks, despite severe opposition, the Tamil Nadu government on Thursday will throw open the doors of its 3,850 Tasmac outlets across the State, barring Chennai, with full police protection.

Only medically fit employees of Tasmac (below 55 years of age) have been called for work and tipplers walking in to purchase liquor should carry Aadhaar cards and wear masks. “Aadhaar card is a must and those walking in without a mask will not get liquor,” said a senior government official. The official added that the increase in liquor prices would fetch additional revenue of up to ₹4,000 crore for the State coffers. The Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation has ordered that there should not be any bulk sales at the outlets.

On Wednesday, with the help of district managers, Tasmac moved its stock from godowns and depots to shops through lorries. A few weeks ago, people broke open Tasmac shops to steal liquor, after which the State government had decided to shift stock to nearby godowns and deploy additional security. “Lorries and private vehicles were used to bring stocks to the shops,” said a manager at a shop near Coimbatore.

Precautions taken

Salesmen at a shop in Madurai said, “We were asked to check the dates on beer and wine bottles that came in. Before that, we were asked to wear gloves and masks. We have been told to give hand sanitisers to those walking into outlets. We have been instructed to keep two drums of water for people to wash their hands and legs,” he added.

Tasmac has told district managers that a token system must be followed. “Printed tokens will be given with date and time so that people don’t crowd near the shops. Tokens will not be given beyond 4 p.m.,” said a Tasmac district manager. He added, “Permission has also been given to temporarily hire additional staff to manage the crowd.”

By Wednesday, shops disinfected their premises and barricading was done with wooden sticks. Circles were drawn with a distance of six feet between each.

Only one bottle per person, says High Court

07/05/2020, MOHAMED IMRANULLAH S., CHENNAI

The Madras High Court on Wednesday refused to stay the State government’s decision to re-open liquor shops in the State from Thursday. It, however, ordered that only one bottle (750 ml) of any kind of liquor should be sold to a purchaser and that no customer should be permitted to purchase more than twice in a week with a minimum gap of three days.

Justices Vineet Kothari and Pushpa Sathyanarayana directed the government to encourage online booking of tokens (to be issued depending upon age group for collecting liquor from retail shops at different hours of the day) after making payments through digital mode and ordered that the online consumers alone could be allowed to purchase two bottles at a time.

They also directed Tasmac to discourage payment of cash for purchase of liquor since it leads to complaints of overpricing and use e-wallet payment system at the retail shops as far as possible. It was also made clear that sales bills should be issued to every customer with his/her name, address and Aadhaar number.

If any of the shops fails to issue bills, it shall be closed forthwith and not allowed to be open without further orders from the court, the judges said. They said that steps such as barricading and insisting upon masks.

The interim orders were passed on a batch of public interest litigation petitions filed against the government’s move to reopen the liquor shops despite the lockdown to fight COVID-19.

Private hospitals fix ‘high’ rates for treatment

Patients at the facilities are being charged as much as ₹70,000 a day for an isolation room

07/05/2020, SERENA JOSEPHINE M.,CHENNAI

The government must rein in private hospitals and fix the treatment cost for COVID-19, said an expert. PTI

With no cap on the cost of treatment, a few private hospitals in the city, designated as COVID-19 treatment facilities, have fixed ‘high’ rates for patients. One such hospital is charging patients ₹70,000 a day for an isolation room, while another is requiring them to pay for personal protective equipment (PPE) used by doctors and other staff every day.

Inquiries with a number of private hospitals in the city found that each of them were following their own pattern of charging patients under various heads. Most hospitals did not offer outpatient services for persons with symptoms of COVID-19, and were admitting patients for screening and testing.

At one such hospital in the heart of the city, patients are admitted to isolation rooms and their samples sent for testing. The cost per day is ₹70,000, and patients need to be admitted for a minimum of two days, until results of laboratory tests arrive, said the hospital staff.

The staff at another hospital in the southern part of the city said patients were being admitted based on their health condition. “If the patient needs to be admitted to the isolation Intensive Care Unit, the room charge per day is ₹10,000. The cost of COVID-19 testing is ₹6,000. The other heads are doctors’ fees and nursing charges. The patient has to pay for the PPE used by doctors every day — one set costs ₹4,000 to ₹5,000. So, till the laboratory test result arrives, a minimum of ₹60,000 will be charged a day,” a staff member said.

At a leading hospital, patients are being charged ₹70,000 on the first day of treatment, as they have to undergo screening, including a CT scan and a COVID-19 test. “The charges depend on the condition of the patient. The bill could be around ₹3 lakh-₹4 lakh or ₹12 lakh-₹14 lakh, or more, depending on their condition,” a hospital staff member said.

C.S. Rex Sargunam, president, Tamil Nadu Health Development Association, said, “The government should rein in private hospitals and fix the treatment cost for COVID-19. It is the duty of the government to intervene, and also take steps to reimburse patients.”

An office-bearer of the Indian Medical Association-Tamil Nadu said the body had requested the government to provide coverage under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme to poor people visiting the designated fever clinics in private hospitals.

UGC

```RGUHS gears up to establish its regional centre in Mangaluru

Jaideep Shenoy | TNN | Jan 15 , 2020, 14:27 IST

 

MANGALURU:

 Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) is all geared up to establish its regional centre in this coastal city. With the university acquiring 2-acres of land for this near Mary Hill here, the Bengaluru based health university plans to use it for academic and sports purposes. It will double up as a digital evaluation centre, a training centre for UG/PG students of medicines and teachers as well as a hub for cultural activities.

Dr S Sacchidanand, vice-chancellor, RGUHS said the regional centre in Mangaluru is in line with the university's vision to have such facilities in all revenue regions of the state. While the regional centre at Kalaburagi will be dedicated for public use in next two-months, the university has floated tender for its proposed regional centre in Davangere and will be finalised once certain technical issues pertaining to it are addressed, Dr Sacchidanand said.

The university is not happy with the land identified for its regional centre in Belagavi and is scouting for a land closer to Suvarna Vidhan Soudha there, he said. Each of the proposed regional centres will be headed by a senior officer at the rank of deputy registrar and assisted by assistant registrar, he said, adding these offices will help decentralise various functions pertaining to the university and expedite decision making process.

 The regional centres will become hub for digital evaluation that the university has ushered in, he said adding it will also act as training centre for teachers as well as under-graduate and post-graduate students of medicine. These centres can be utilised to hold continuing medical education  programmes as well as conferences that are vital to ensure continuous updation of knowledge as well as a centre for medical colleges to host cultural events.

For Mangaluru regional centre, Dr Sacchidanand said there is demand from the Syndicate and Senate members to set up a sports complex as part of the centre. This suggestion will be incorporated while planning the centre, he said, adding such a complex will be a value addition to the region that is home to several medical colleges. The 2-acre land that the revenue department has identified is close to Abhakari Bhavan, he noted.```

Court News

```Kerala HC refuses to stay salary ordinance

‘Court can’t question wisdom of govt.’

06/05/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,KOCHI

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday declined to stay the ordinance empowering the State government to defer payment of salary of government employees and other government institutions for six days for five months in view of the COVID-19 crisis.

Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas, while refusing the plea for a stay made by counsel for various service organisations, observed that the court could not question the wisdom of the government in bringing the ordinance which did not appropriate the salary but only deferred payment.

The court also found that the ordinance was enacted under the legislative competence of the government. It was promulgated as the State was reeling under a very difficult situation. The court could not interfere with the ordinance at this stage.

The court said the exclusion of health workers from the ordinance was a matter for the government to consider and take a decision. Merely because the health workers were not exempted from the ordinance was not a ground to issue a stay order.

According to the service organisations, including the Kerala NGO Association, the Kerala Disaster and Public Health Emergency (Special Provisions) Ordinance, which makes for deferment of pay of employees of the government and its institutions in part in the event of disaster and public health emergency in the State was illegal.

Advocate General C.P. Sudhakara Prasad argued that the government had the legislative competence to promulgate the ordinance. In fact, the government did not deduct or reduce the salary and it only deferred payment of salary.```

T’gana extends lockdown till May 29

Hyderabad:  06.05.2020

The Telangana government on Tuesday decided to extend the lockdown till May 29, saying it can’t take the risk by lifting it at a time when the state has made considerable progress in controlling the spread of Covid-19.

CM K Chandrashekhar Rao made the announcement at a news conference on Tuesday following a state cabinet meet. With this, Telangana became the first state in the country to extend the lockdown beyond May 17.

Rao also said while the guidelines issued by the Centre allowing economic activity in orange and green zones will be followed, no activity will be allowed in Hyderabad and other red zone districts except the construction activity. IANS

Visas of those stranded in India extended

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:06.05.2020

The government of India on Tuesday announced extension of grant of consular services to all foreign nationals stranded in India due to Covid-19 lockdown, for a period up to 30daysfrom thedate of lifting of prohibition on outbound international air travel of passengers.

It also decided that all existing visas granted to foreigners except to those belonging to diplomatic, official, UN/international organisations, employment and project categories shall remain suspended till prohibition on international air travel of passengers from/to India is lifted by the Government of India. The MHA, in an office memorandum issued on Tuesday, said in the light of extension of the lockdown until May 17, it had been decided to extend the period of providing the consular services by the office of Foreigners Regional Registration Officers/Foreigners Registration Officers to foreign nationals who have been stranded in India because of spread of Covid-19and also due to travel restrictions imposed by Indian authorities.

“Regular visa, e-visa or stay stipulation, of such foreign nationals whose visas have expired or would be expiring during the period from 01.02.2020 (midnight)tillthedateon which prohibition on international air travel of passengers from India is lifted by the Government of India, would be extended on ‘GRATIS’ basis on submission of online application by the foreigners. Such extensions would be granted for a period up to 30 days from the date of lifting of prohibition on international air travel of passengers from India without levy of overstay penalty. Exit to such foreign nationals, if so requested by them, will also be granted on the same lines,” the ministry directed. Bureau of Immigration was advised to convey the above instructions to all FRROs/ FROs/ Immigration Check Post.

FIRST ROUND OF ADMISSION

362 PG medical, 118 dental seats vacant

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  96.05.2020

Ahmedabad: After first round of admission for colleges offering postgraduate (PG) medical courses, 362 seats remain vacant for MD, MS and PG diploma courses while 118 lie vacant in PG dental surgery. This has necessitated another round of admission.

The first round was done for 1,371 seats for MD, MS and PG diploma courses and 362 PG dental courses by the Admission Committee for Professional Postgraduate Medical Courses (ACPPGMC).

Given the prevailing situation where a nationwide lockdown has been imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19 pandemic, the admission committee had made certain changes in the admission procedure. For form filling process, the selected candidates were required to pay only a part of the admission fees.

Keeping in view the lockdown situation, the committee took permission from the government to allow the candidates to travel with one guardian and a driver to the college allocated to them.

‘It’s safe inside’: Court denies bail to prisoners

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad  6.05.2020

: A local court has denied bail to some prisoners with observation that the prison is a safer place to be than roaming around free in the open during this Covid-19 pandemic, for prisoners are under direct supervision of authorities. Any movement “back and forth” from jail is imprudent.

Mohammed Aziz Shaikh, imprisoned for alleged drug peddling, had urged the court to release him from jail for few days so that ‘his presence in the family will amount to psychological solace to his family’ in the troubled time of pandemic.

Additional sessions judge S D Dave refused him bail but not without a reason that the prisoner is safer in jail. The judge said that the beginning of this century was free from any major international turmoil until Covid-19 gripped the world.

“India is into a lockdown and the human created world is into an impasse. Amidst the standstill of the endless human interaction that envelope the human life, it appears from the application that the applicant presents no extraordinary reason for this court to set him at large on temporary bail with all movements being chilled until the larger human issues resolve,” the court said.

The court further said, “The tenancy of prison will be with a direct supervision of authorities giving a reasonable anticipation for it to be a safer place. Any movement of prisoner back and forth the outside world is imprudent. The difficulties of human life are unending and can find a resolution after the prevailing situation mitigates.”

Besides, the court also took into the consideration the type of offence the prisoner was charged with. Similarly, the same court denied temporary bail to another alleged drug peddlers Abdul Imran Shaikh and Amit Shah, and POCSO accused Shailesh Dholi and Karan Chauhan. They all had put forth Covid-19 pandemic as a ground to go out to help their families.

The applications for temporary bail are heard after the Supreme Court asked the state governments to reduce burden on jails by releasing prisoners in lighter offences during Covid-19 pandemic and nationwide lockdown.

Accordingly, a high power committee recommended a category but offences of only falling under the Indian Penal Code, and not for any special laws.

The tenancy of prison will be with direct supervision of the authorities giving a reasonable anticipation for it to be a safer place, the judge ruled

Crowds throng liquor shops, Andhra ups prices by 50%

New Delhi: 06.05.2020

Undeterred by steep price hikes or the urgent need to maintain distance, impatient crowds were back outside liquor vends on Tuesday, pushing and jostling in many places as they sought to lay their hands on a bottle of their favourite tipple.

A day after lockdown curbs were eased and liquor shops opened across large parts of India, triggering near riot situations, lakhs of people lined up or gathered outside from early morning, counting the hours for the shutters to go up and then more hours till they reached the counter.

The scenes played out in towns and rural centres in states such as Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Delhi, just as they did on Monday, the fear of Covid-19 eclipsed by the eagerness to access alcohol after more than 40 dry days.

On Tuesday, the Andhra Pradesh government enhanced prices by 50%, over the 25% hike it had imposed the day before. Late on Monday, the Delhi government announced a 70% ‘special corona fee’ on alcohol.

But it clearly didn’t matter much, not to casual drinkers who wanted to stock up their bars and not to the more serious tipplers and addicts reduced to despair without any alcohol. AGENCIES


CAN’T WAIT ANY LONGER

TN to resume liquor sales from tomorrow

The price, whether of premium scotch or wine or of humbler spirits, was of no consequence it seemed.

“It’s not the cost. It’s the availability that matters right now. See the crowd even though the shop has not opened yet,” said Prateek Singh, a student, pointing to the crowds outside a liquor shop in east Delhi’s Shakarpur locality early in the morning.

From the hill town of Nainital came videos on social media of people standing under umbrellas in the hail waiting a suitable distance from each other to get to the liquor shop.

Serpentine lines going round the corner and beyond formed in many parts of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal and Maharashtra among other places.

Andhra Pradesh special chief secretary (revenue) Rajat Bhargava said the increase in liquor rates was to “discourage” people from consumption and safeguard health.

And in Kolkata, long queues were seen outside standalone liquor shops with either police or local administration ensuring that tipplers maintain social distancing. In the Karnataka capital Bengaluru, as if proving right the naysayers, drunken brawls claimed two lives.

A man in his mid-thirties was stabbed to death by his friend after an altercation at a party organised to celebrate the resumption of alcohol sale on Monday as part of the easing of lockdown restrictions. In the second incident, a youth was beaten to death by his friend in an inebriated state.

In a bid to reduce the crowds, the Chhattisgarh government launched a web portal for home delivery of liquor in green zones of the state. Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government announced resumption of liquor sales from May 7.

No community transmission of Covid-19: Harsh Vardhan

Behavioural Changes May Be New ‘Healthy’ Normal, Says Union Min

New Delhi:06.05.2020

India has so far been able to stave off community transmission of Covid-19, says Union mealth minister Harsh Vardhan, expressing the hope that “behavioural changes“ brought about by the infection could become the “new normal” for a healthy society after the pandemic abates.

The nation in a post-coronavirus future could well look back on the pandemic period as a “blessing in disguise” if Indians imbibe hand, respiratory and environmental hygiene and practise it in their everyday lives, the minister said.

Underlining the importance of the lockdown, which has been extended till May 17, the minister said health should be on the radar just as much as the economy.

“The government has to do a balancing act,” Vardhan said.

On Tuesday, the number of Covid-19 cases shot up to 46,433 from the 42,836 the day before, a sharp rise of 3,597 cases, according to Union health ministry data. The death toll has risen to 1,568 from 1,389. “Once the havoc caused by the virus subsides and the crisis blows over, people may remember it as a blessing in disguise,” Vardhan said. He added that India has so far been able to keep itself from “slipping into the stage of community transmission of the novel coronavirus”.

“By now we know that fighting coronavirus is no rocket science. If behavioural changes such as hand, environmental and respiratory hygiene, which are being practiced more rigorously during this period, get imbibed in society it will become the new normal,” Vardhan said. Such practices will bring down the instances of communicable diseases and society will evolve for the better, he stressed.

Other than small pox and polio, no other viral infection has been completely eradicated from this country. Other diseases keep recurring, the minister said, indicating that Covid-19 might be here for the long haul. “But every cloud has a silver lining,” he said.

The situation posed by the Covid-19 pandemic can be seen as an opportunity to shore up health infrastructure and indigenous production of medical equipment and protective gear under the 'Make in India' initiative, the minister explained. AGENCIES

DISTANCE IS THE NORM: A health worker announces names of people who tested positive at a slum in Ahmedabad on Tuesday

Beware, snakes don’t have any lockdown

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Kannur: 06.05.2020

A few days ago when a jewellery shop in Payyannur was opened for cleaning, after relaxation in Covid-19 lockdown, the owner spotted a python in a corner. Wildlife rescuers were called in to catch the snake, and they found that it had laid eggs and was hatching it.

“The python was hatching 27 eggs, so we rescued it and shifted to a safe place where it could continue hatching,” said rescuer Pavithran Annukkaran. It had entered via the tiled roof, he said.

In the last one month, he caught around 37 snakes from different parts of the district, and most of them were cobras, he said. “The lockdown has brought down people’s movements and so the presence of snakes is visible even in urban areas,” he said.

“Snakes come out in search of cool places during summer. This year, people are frequently spotting them near their houses, mainly because they are at home. Besides, the environment around is calm and so the reptiles come out,” said Nisheesh Chalode, another snake rescuer. He rescued around 100 snakes in the last one month or so. In a single day he got calls to rescue 16 snakes, he added.

“Ensure that you do not stock unwanted things and gunny bags outside your houses. Also, snakes prefer to enter toilets due to the dampness,” Chalode added.

However, there doesn’t seem to be an increase in snake population. According to Chandran Kuttikkol, another wildlife rescuer, the sighting of snakes has come down in recent times. “I got very few calls recently and I don’t think that more snakes are coming out because of the calm in the lockdown,” he said. He advises people not to release the snakes in faraway places because they are territorial creatures. “Normally snakes live within a 3km surrounding. If you catch and release them in faraway places they would not be able to survive,” he added.

Though we cannot assertively say more snakes are being spotted in human habitats now, the lockdown has provided them the freedom of movement, said Riyaz Mangad, an expert associated with Parassinikkadavu Snake Park. At least 300 snakes have been rescued in the recent days in the district, he said.

This means the humansnake encounter rate has increased, said Roshnath Ramesh, a wildlife biologist and researcher. “I feel the sightings have increased since people are at home and they observe the surroundings more closely. Since the surroundings are calm, there is possibility of natural foraging going high. However, it does not mean their population has gone up,” he said. We should study the environmental impact on the living organism during lockdown, he added.

A python hatching 27 eggs was rescued from a jewellery shop in an old building in Payyannur

Isaac: HC order on expected lines

Thiruvananthapuram:06.05.2020

Finance minister T M Thomas Isaac on Tuesday expressed contentment over the high court order that ratified the legal validity of the ordinance notified by the state government that allows it to defer a portion of government employees’ salary for five months.

Opposition service organisations had challenged the legal validity of the ordinance in the high court. “We never expected the court order to be anything different than what has now been pronounced,” Isaac told media here.

Meanwhile, State Employees and Teachers Organisation (SETO) leaders said they were still hopeful about a favourable decision from the court. “We are not against contributing a portion of our salary to the government. The protest is against the arbitrary ways of the government. What the court announced today is an interim order. Let the court pronounce the final order in the second week of June. We would not shy away from the fight for justice,” said SETO state chairman Chavara Jayakumar. SETO general convenor M Salahudeen also expressed similar views.

“We have no reasons to get unsettled by the interim order passed by the court. We do sincerely believe that the final order would vindicate our stand. The ordinance is against the Indian Constitution and orders by the Supreme Court,” said NGO Association general secretary S Mathew. TNN

High court declines to stay salary deferment ordinance

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Kochi:6.5.2020

The high court on Tuesday declined to stay an ordinance brought in by the state government to defer payment of salaries of government employees.

Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas said the constitutional provisions granting powers to the state government should be liberally and widely interpreted. When the government submits that the ordinance is issued under the powers issued under such constitutional provisions, it is not justifiable on the part of the court at this stage to hold otherwise that there is no authority on the government to enact a law, the court held.

“I find that there is legislative competence for the State. I find, prima facie, that there is legislative competence on the part of the Legislature to enact the ordinance,” the court’s order stated. The government was represented by advocate general CP Sudhakara Prasad and special government pleader N Manoj Kumar.

The court further said in the order, “As was mentioned by the learned advocate general, the state is reeling through a very difficult situation… and extraordinary measures are required… to overcome the situation, and this legislation is intended to overcome the present position the state has fallen into. This court cannot question the wisdom of the legislature in bringing out an ordinance, especially when the ordinance does not partake of character of appropriating the salary but deferring it for the time being, that too under authority of law. Article 300A, which grants authority to the State to deprive a person, has a condition that the same must be in accordance with law. The law has now been promulgated. This Court cannot find that the law now promulgated is unjustified at the moment.”

During the admission hearing on Tuesday, the court considered petitions filed by various government employees’ and teachers’ unions.

Under challenge was the Kerala Disaster and Public Health Emergency (Special Provisions) Ordinance 2020. The ordinance was issued on April 30 after the high court had on April 28 issued a stay on the government’s order of April 23 to defer payment of six days’ salary for five months. It gave the government the power to defer payment of salaries in the event of disaster and public health emergency.

The petitioners alleged that the ordinance allows the government to defer their pay in part or in full and it is vitiated with mala fides and is aimed at circumventing the HC order.

They also argued that the deferment of salary can only be done through an amendment of the Kerala Service Rules.

The period of deferment is not specified and the decision was taken without their consent and without giving them an opportunity to raise their objections.

The ordinance amounts to oppression and dictation and such a power cannot be exercised by the government, particularly against the employees, the petitions said.

The union representing government nurses contented that the ordinance is “clearly thanklessness” to the health workers who are the frontline soldiers in the fight against Covid-19.

I find, prima facie, that there is legislative competence on the part of the Legislature to enact the ordinance, said the high court in its order

JEE to be conducted from July 18-23, NEET to be held on July 26

Manash.Gohain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:6.5.2020

Engineering entrance examination, JEE (Main), will be conducted from July 18-23 and the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) for admission to medical colleges will be held on July 26, HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal announced on Tuesday. The two crucial exams were postponedduetothe nationwide lockdown to combat Covid-19.

Responding to queries during a webinar with students, Pokhriyal said: “JEE (Main) will be held on July 18, 20, 21, 22 and 23 and NEET will be held on July 26.” The minister said JEE (Advanced) may be held in August and dates for UGC NET –2020 and pending CBSE Board examinations will be announced soon.

A senior HRD official said CBSE is finalising the schedule for pending Class X and XII Board exams and dates are likely to be announced on Thursday. “The exams are likely to be conducted in the first and second week of July, ahead of the JEE and NEET-UG,” he said.

More than 15 lakh students across the country have registered for NEET this year, whereas more than nine lakh have registeredfor JEE(Main)whichis a qualifying exam for JEE (Advanced) for admission to IITs.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has also given students an option to change their opted centres for the two tests as many of them have moved to different places since the lockdown.

During the one-hour interaction, Pokhriyal responded to the various concerns and queries of the students relating to school examinations, entrance tests, academic calendar, online education, fees and mental health issues among other things.

To a query relating to fee hike for NITs, IITs and IIITs for academic year 2020-21,the minister reiterated the decision announced last week that there would be no increase in fees during the next session.

He alsoinformedthat migration of students of Navodaya Vidyalayas to their respective states is being pursued and it has got momentum with a communication from the ministry to the state chief secretaries. He informedthatoutof 173 Schools, more than 62 schools have initiated the process and all schools which have migrated students are being monitored.

It’s not safe to run centralised ACs in offices, I-T dept told

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:6.5.2020

On a query from income tax authorities whether it is safe to open its offices with centralised air-conditioning, the Indian Medical Association has suggested that the available evidence indicates that a closed space, especially a centrally airconditioned building is unsafe in the current stage of the coronavirus epidemic.

“Working in such buildings may be avoided until suitable alternative evidence emerges. The other option will be to modify them for suitable adequate ventilation,” the IMA advisory said. However, it further adds that the risk can be minimised with higher ventilation rate (opening the windows), superior filtration, UV treatment of air and using a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) purifier.

Asking the department to avoid offices with centralised ACs, the advisory cited two examples: one from Guangzhou in China where the outbreak in an air-conditioned restaurant involved three family clusters, and in the second case the airconditioning system in the Diamond Princess cruise ship spread Covid particles and infected almost half of the 3,700 passengers on board the ship.

The size of coronavirus is about 120 nanometres in diameter and even if one infected person releases the virus in the air through sneezing, the air conditioning system would carry the virus to every cabin, the note said.

However, individual AC units in offices and homes are safe if inside occupants are non-infected. It is recommended to keep windows slightly open or introduce a fresh air source to ensure dilution of pollutants, the IMA advisory said.

The Indian Medical Association has suggested the available evidence indicates that a closed space, especially a centrally air-conditioned building is unsafe in the current stage of the coronavirus epidemic