FIGHTING COVID-19

Soon, private labs to be allowed to test samples

Pushpa.Narayan@timesgroup.com

22.03.2020

In an effort to ensure maximum testing facilities, private labs in Tamil Nadu will soon be allowed to draw samples and test for Covid-19, health minster C Vijayabaskar told the assembly on Saturday. Permission to each of these labs will be given by the Union government.

To address the issue of cost, senior health officials said the state will fix a cap on the amount these labs can charge every patient, similar to the price cap for testing of H1N1 for all labs.

The five government labs including the King Institute for Preventive Medicine and the virology lab in Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital will continue testing free of cost for all patients.

Now, all 24 government medical college hospitals in the state are allowed to draw samples from patients suspected to have Covid-19. In the past one week the state has rapidly increased the number of samples it sends to the labs for testing. Between Friday and Saturday afternoon Tamil Nadu took at least 70 more samples taking the total number of samples drawn from 333 to 412. “The strategy for testing is dynamic as the disease is new. We are now drawing more samples,” said a senior public health official.

The revised testing strategy of Covid-19, released by the ICMR on March 20, says people who show symptoms of the disease – cough, fever and breathlessness – within 14 days of international travel must be tested. Family living with patients tested positive should be tested if they show contacts. Besides this healthcare workers who are showing symptoms of the disease, all patients showing severe acute respiratory illness and asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts of confirmed case (those who live in the same household as a positive patient and healthcare worker who examined a patient without adequate precaution) should be tested between day five and 14.

Beaches shut down; corpn sets up hand wash facilities

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

22.03.2020

All beaches in Greater Chennai Corporation limits have been closed to the public until further instruction. The civic body implemented the restriction from 3pm on Saturday.

The move is expected to help prevent crowds or revellers from gathering in the city as the state government has asked people to stay indoors and practice social distancing amid the Covid-19 scare.

Corporation commissioner G Prakash said that the Marina, Elliot’s Beach in Besant Nagar, Palavakkam and other beaches would stay shut. The beaches have also been barricaded to dissuade anyone from getting in. Beaches were the only place for people to gather in the city or take a walk or jog after parks were closed from Wednesday.

The civic body has also launched hand-washing facilities across the city from Saturday. Wash basins with tap water have been introduced in areas like Besant Nagar and Shollinganallur, said regional deputy commissioner (south) Alby John.

Liquid soap is given to people and they have been encouraged to follow the guidelines on washing hands regularly to avoid the spread of Covid-19 infection.

Awareness campaigns have also started in public places, bus stands and railway stations. Major public gathering places are being disinfected with the help of tractor-mounted cleaning machines as well as jet-rodding machines from Metrowater.

These machines have a capacity of around 9,000 litres and apart from disinfectants like Lysol, bleaching powder is also being used, a senior corporation official said.

Prakash also said that all Amma canteens, urban community health centres (UCHC) and maternity homes run by the civic body would keep functioning as usual on Sunday when a ‘janata curfew’ has been called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Conservancy operations would also continue as usual since it is an essential service, Prakash said.

It means the urban poor would get two square meals a day from Amma canteens, while garbage would also be collected from dustbins on roads and streets. Residents need not worry about garbage lying uncleared in the bins.

The corporation also announced a new helpline number for anyone residing in the civic body limits. They may call the number at any time for clarifications regarding Covid-19 and measures to be taken to prevent it. The toll free number 044-25384520 was launched on Saturday. The civic body is also running round-the-clock medical helpdesks at Dr MGR Central and Egmore railway stations.

OFF LIMITS: Marina Beach was deserted on Saturday as people stayed away to safeguard against Covid-19 infection

HC: Prolonged suspension of govt employees unfair

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:22.03.2020

The Madras high court has observed that the government should avoid ordering prolonged suspension of its employees, even in cases of corruption. Such suspensions would constitute a grave prejudice to the right of the citizens to have speedy trial and justice, the court said.

Unless the administration feels that an exceptionally hard and incorrigible case wherein reinstatement pending criminal/disciplinary proceeding would put the public interest completely at peril and would shake the confidence and faith of the society in public administration prolonged suspension must be avoided, Justice V Parthiban said.

The judge passed the order while allowing a plea moved by N Annapurani, who was working as an overseer with the Morappur block development office, Dharmapuri. She was placed under suspicion since November 9, 2012 in view of a pending corruption case against her.

Claiming that her suspension from service for over seven years is unjustifiable, she contended that though the complaint against her was filed in 2012 the trial commenced only in 2014, but still, it has not come to an end. Therefore, she wanted the court to direct the authorities concerned to reinstate her to service.

Allowing her plea, the court said: "When the period of suspension is more than seven years, enormous and severe anguish is experienced by the delinquent impinging upon the right of the delinquent to live with dignity and earn her livelihood."

The prolonged suspension even in matters of corruption like the present one, by itself, constitutes a grave prejudice to the right of the citizens to have speedy trial and justice, the judge said.

Justice Parthiban added that such prolonged suspension would by itself cast stigma on the delinquent concerned and the stigma would prolong as long as the suspension order operates without any finality to the allegation being enquired into against the delinquent concerned.

Such delay in judicial proceedings casts a shadow on the government servants' character and integrity on one hand and on the other, the subsistence allowance which is required under law to be paid to the suspended employee would be a loss to the public exchequer, as the suspended government servants draw their subsistence allowance without any corresponding duty to work and earn their livelihood, the court concluded.

The prolonged suspension even in matters of corruption constitutes a grave prejudice to the right of the citizens to have speedy trial and justice, the judge observed

HC judge donates month’s salary for unorganised sector

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:22.03.2020

In a bid to help the government take care of the marginalised sections of society, particularly those in unorganised sectors who would lose income due to Covid-19 outbreak, Justice S M Subramaniam of the Madras high court has donated one month’s salary to the government.

On Saturday, Justice Subramaniam met the chief secretary of Tamil Nadu at the secretariat and handed over the cheque for Rs 2.25 lakh in person.

Speaking to TOI, Justice Subramaniam said: "People in unorganised sector would be affected more if the lockdowns to contain Covid-19 is prolonged. We don't know for how many days or months the situation will be dragged. In such circumstances, only the government must feed the marginalised. I don't think government alone could do this. Therefore, people who are employed in organised sectors, who draw monthly salary and rich should contribute to help the poor."

The judge said,"Since, so far, no one has come forward to begin the initiative, I decided to take the first step and donate my one-month salary. I thought this would be a message to encourage people like actors, politicians and rich to contribute," Justice Subramaniam added.

Though his take home salary would be lesser after deductions, Justice Subramaniam has decided to donate his gross monthly salary.

SOCIAL DISTANCING, virtual togetherness

From Virtual Birthday Parties To Online Multiplayer Games — During The Pandemic, Technology Is Helping People To Remain Together Even When They Are Apart

Priya.Menon@timesgroup.com  22.03.2020

On Friday night, Ramya Cotah got ready to meet friends. But instead of heading to the nearest pub, she logged on to Zoom to join an ‘Online Covid-19 quarantine party’, where she and 15 of her former schoolmates partied the night away.

“My friend Sathya Xavier had just become a doctor, and another, Adithya Gopi, had released a music album.we wanted to celebrate it,” says Ramya, adding that all of them were dressed for a night out and had their food and drinks with them. After days of being cooped up at home, I had a really good evening.”

With social distancing being seen as the biggest factor, which can help prevent the spread of Covid-19, many people in the city have ceased to have a social life. Eating out, shopping, and having a drink with friends — things which people took for granted, are no longer the norm, which in turn is creating a sense of social isolation. But with technology available at fingertips, people are coming up with ways to remain together, though they are apart.

The party to celebrate self-isolation, for instance, was the idea of Denmarkbased Karan Rajan. “He is a professional shuttle player but can’t step out of his house. So he decided to organise an online party for schoolmates, who are all confined to home in different places?” says Mishal Ahamed, 24, who helped Karan organise it. “We had a quiz about embarrassing things that had happened in school and played games like Taboo.”

In another part of Chennai, Akhila Krishnamurthy’s son Aryan Varadvangal turned six a few days ago. Unlike the previous birthdays, this time there were no elaborate decorations, or friends milling around. But the day was still full of cheer, as friends sent audio and video messages, and relatives joined in the celebrations virtually.

“We had planned to have a party but I called it off 10 days ago,” says Akhila. “Usually, on the birthday eve we start celebrations, but this time even my father, who wasn’t keeping too well, chose to dial in.” She also baked a cake for her son for the first time. “My husband got balloons and my son pumped them up a day before so he woke up to a room filled with them. And we realised it takes so little to make a child happy.”

Assistant director Richard Anthony and his friends have been catching up on music, making and sharing playlists with each other as they can’t gather for a show or meet in clubs. “My friend Pranathi has made a playlist ‘Love in the time of corona’,” says Richard, who is working on his playlist, ‘We are in this together ’. Richard, who was not really into making video calls, has been using it more now to stay connected with his former schoolmates and to jam with his cinematographer friend. “We use each other as sounding boards whenever we come up with a story we want to work on. Usually we meet for a drink but this time we discussed it over a video chat and it was as engaging.”

With schools closed and parents restricting outdoor activity, online multiplayer games are the answer for bored teens. “I like badminton but now, I use the PS4 to play with friends. If it’s three or four of us, we play ‘Fortnite’, which is a shooting game, but instead of playing individually I prefer to play the ‘Creative’ version of the game where all my friends join in. Then we are in a virtual world together, playing the same game,” says 14-year-old Tanveer Singh Sethi.

In these difficult times, it’s good to spread cheer, and Sakthivel Pannerselvam, who runs surprise planning company the6.in has come up with a way to do that, virtually. “We are now offering virtual surprises,” he says. For instance, many of his clients want to surprise the women in their lives by getting a guitarist and a singer to show up at her door and perform just for her. “We are still offering the same service but now, the musicians perform virtually,” says Sakthivel.

FAR BUT NEAR:

Aryan’s friends sent video messages on his birthday

I LIKE BADMINTON BUT NOW, I USE THE PS4 TO PLAY WITH MY FRIENDS. IF IT’S THREE OR FOUR OF US, WE PLAY ‘FORTNITE’, AN ONLINE GAME – Tanveer Singh Sethi | TEENAGER

Flyers to be sent home in minibuses

Those To Be Quarantined At Home Will Be Stamped

Sivakumar.B@timesgroup.com

Chennai:22.03.2020

Passengers landing at Chennai airport henceforth will not be allowed to hire a taxi or board metro rail trains. Instead, they will have to board minibuses stationed at the airport to reach their destinations. Those who need to be home-quarantined will be stamped as is being done at other airports.

This is part of the state government’s measures to prevent spread of Covid-19 and track and monitor air passengers arriving from other cities in the country.

Health minister C Vijayabaskar said in the assembly that passengers having personal vehicles can use them to leave the airport. “When a passenger uses a taxi, we are unable to track where all he has gone and who all he or she has met. To make tracking of passengers possible, hereafter, they will have to use the mini buses stationed at the airport to go to their destinations,” he said.

“We have started stamping at Madurai airport and the same will be done at all other airports in the state," he added while detailing the preventive measures to be taken to fight the spread of Covid-19.

Chennai airport records around 16,000 passengers per day at the domestic terminal. There will be no international flights at the airport from Sunday.

Around five minibuses will be arranged to ferry passengers to hotels or their residences. Passenger arrivals have dropped considerably in the last few days. Usually, around 10% of the domestic arrival travel by cabs, the rest go by private cars and metro rail trains, said an official.

However, airport officials said implementing this will be chaotic because no one would want to travel by mini buses to their houses.

The minister said screening of passengers at railway stations was tough as the crowd is huge. “We have seven testing centres at Chennai Central. Similar facilities are available at Egmore and Tambaram stations also. But it is difficult to screen and track each and every passenger,” said Vijayabaskar.

He was replying to the leader of opposition, M K Stalin, who wanted to know the steps taken by the government to prevent spread of the virus.

CHECKING THE SPREAD: Around five minibuses will be arranged to ferry passengers to hotels or their residences. Passenger arrivals have dropped considerably over the past few days

Metro rail to curtail services between March 23 and 31

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:22.03.2020

Chennai Metro Rail will curtail services between March 23 and 31 to discourage commuters from undertaking non-essential travel and to protect themselves from Covid-19. CMRL will operate only 25 trains instead of 35 between 6am and 10am and from 4pm to 8pm. Services will not be available for the rest of the day.

A metro rail official said trains will operate from 6am to 10am and from 4pm to 8pm only for people on essential services. Trains will operate with a seven-minute frequency on both the corridors from Washermenpet to Airport and from Chennai Central to St Thomas Mount. Trains operating between Chennai Central and Airport via Koyambedu will be available every 14 minutes. Trains will not operate from 4.30am to 6am, 10am to 4pm and from 8pm to 11pm. The change in train timings was made following instructions from the ministry of housing and urban affairs.

“We want to suspend services completely for a week. But we want to facilitate the use of our servicesby those in the essential services sector like corporation workers, doctors and policemen,” the official said. “As the change in the services was based on the instruction from the Ministry, all metros across the country may curtail services,” he added.

Earlier, metro rail decided to reduce peak hour frequency from five minutes to seven minutes and cut down on the number of trains on operations to 25 from 35, as footfalls dropped by 50% and they needed time to clean and sanitize the trains at the end of every trip. The daily average patronage was at 1.2 lakhs and officials said it has dropped since last week after schools and colleges were shut and office-goers started to work from home.

CMRL has started cleaning and disinfecting its trains on operations at Chennai Central and Airport metro stations, as they are the originating and terminating stations. “We need three to four minutes to disinfect trains with the approved chemicals effective against Covid-19,” the official said.

Stations are also disinfected periodically, while staff are provided protective gear like hand gloves and face masks and are instructed to screen passengers for body temperature with a thermometer gun before they board trains.