Menu for those under observation

31/03/2020, WILSON THOMAS,COIMBATORE

Keerai rasam and steaming sathunavu kanji are among traditional preparations that supplement the menu for those under observation at the COVID-19 special ward at Government Medical College and ESI Hospital, Coimbatore.

The hospital administration is offering a vegetarian menu, excluding boiled egg given along with breakfast, for those tested positive for the disease and those having symptoms.

According to hospital Dean A. Nirmala, the menu for the day starts with a glass of milk given at 6 a.m. which is followed by breakfast at 8 a.m., mostly idli, pongal, upma or kichadi.

“Around 10 a.m., we provide sathumavu kanji. Hot kanji is provided to whoever wanted it anytime,” she said. For the lunch, the hospital provides variety meals such as sambar rice, curd and rasam rice along with poriyal.

At 4 p.m., varieties of sundal with ginger-lemon juice or soups made of tomato, spinach, daal, etc., are given. The dinner provided at 8 p.m. constitutes light items such as chapathi and upma. Hospital’s medical superintendent Ravikumar said that coffee or tea were not provided to those in the special ward while nilavembu kashayam was given to those wanted.

The hospital was welcoming volunteers or organisations who wish to sponsor seasonal fruits for those in the special ward.

Over 16,000 families home quarantined in Erode district

Essential items being supplied to the families: Minister

31/03/2020, STAFF REPORTER

Residents of Saanthankadu Street in Veerappanchatram erected barricade and placed a board asking outsiders not to enter their area in Erode on Monday. M. GOVARTHAN M_GOVARTHAN

With a total of 20 persons tested positive for COVID-19 in the district, 16,456 families comprising 57,734 members were home quarantined in the district as on Monday.

A total of 82 persons were in the isolation ward at the Government IRT Perundurai Medical College and Hospital of which 20 tested positive. Of this, three were Thailand nationals while three were in close contact with them.

The other 14 persons had travelled to attend a conference in New Delhi and had returned to Erode. Positive cases were reported from Kollampalayam Housing Unit, Sultanpet area, Cauvery Road and Railway Colony area where families were kept in quarantine. Also, persons who had returned from foreign nations and from other States were also in home quarantine across the district.

Officials of Health and Family Welfare Department said that till Sunday when only six positive cases were reported, a total of 1,830 families comprising 5,140 members were home quarantined. But, after 14 more persons tested positive, the number of families in home quarantine rose to 16,456, they added.

On Monday, Minister for School Education, Youth Welfare and Sports Development, K.A. Sengottaiyan, and Minister for Environment, K.C. Karuppannan, along with MLAs, held discussions with Collector C. Kathiravan and officials at the Collectorate.

Mr. Sengottaiyan said that essential commodities were supplied to the quarantined families in their areas and disinfectants were sprayed on the streets, both in morning and evening. Mobile ATM and 108 ambulance are stationed in their areas, he added. The Minister said that 300 beds are available at the isolation ward at Perundurai while another 63 beds are kept ready in other hospitals in the district. “Only personal distancing could prevent spread of the disease”, he said and asked the people to cooperate with the district administration.

Stopping the spread, caring for lives

Karnataka’s approach to fighting the coronavirus pandemic is on a war-footing

31/03/2020

Getty Images/iStockphotophototechno/Getty Images/iStockphoto

When the World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Director, WHO Health Emergencies Programme, Dr. Michael Ryan, said, “India has a tremendous capacity to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic”, we must prove the assessment right before the international community at all cost. Dr. Ryan also said, “There are no easy answers. It is exceptionally important that countries like India show the way to the world as they have done before.”

As India enters the seventh day of a lockdown, 37 deaths and 1,284 COVID-19 positive cases have been reported in India; there are 88 cases in Karnataka (as on March 30, 9.45 pm).

Currently, we have two main challenges at hand. First of all, to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus and second, to care for people’s lives during the 21-day lockdown. I can say, confidently, that we are addressing both the challenges effectively. The Central Government, under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is overseeing every step. We extend unflinching support to the Prime Minister.

Friends, we must strictly quarantine ourselves for 21 days until April 14 to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The lockdown, unprecedented in our lifetime, may cause inconvenience to our social life, but the decision is a bold move. We must realise that the lockdown is for our well-being, for our safety.

My government has devised a multi-pronged strategy to win the battle against the scourge of the coronavirus. Technical strategy, humanitarian approach, economic/financial assistance and medical support are in place to handle the crisis.

Technical strategy

We have, in the first of its kind in India, high-tech war rooms to monitor, exchange information, and to keep a tab on the spread of the coronavirus. Officials are engaged in the management of the crisis at Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Labour Department and Information Department war rooms.

BBMP war room: The BBMP has surveillance data of people in an eight-kilometre radius around a confirmed patient, where he was first found to reside. The BBMP tracks the mobile phones of quarantined people through their GPS location.

If they are going beyond the containment zone, we will call them and ask them to go back home. The police will send the BBMP their names and tracking details. The general control room numbers and WhatsApp numbers are working for COVID-19 too. Also, Karnataka has developed ‘Corona Watch App’ mobile applications for monitoring people under quarantine and inform their contacts about the same to check the spread of the coronavirus.

Information Department: Friends, being anxious is not a solution to the problem. To clarify your doubts, please join the largest Telegram group in India on the coronavirus – ‘COVID-19 Karnataka: Sahaya Group’, a team of doctors from the ESI Directorate are working 24x7 in responding to queries from citizens. In a week, about 21,000 people have joined and got answers for every query on COVID-19.

After the coronavirus outbreak, the Janasnehi team of the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) began getting a huge number of queries from the public on the disease. There was panic, rumours and fake news spreading rapidly. The DIPR realised we needed to kill the fake news and give out the right information so that people will not panic.

The DIPR Janasnehi team started operating like a COVID Awareness and Response centre for the general public giving the right information and spreading awareness to people apart from debunking fake news through its Twitter handle. A team of 3,000 volunteers has been set up, with four volunteers in each taluk on field, monitored by the DIPR and the Red Cross, to stop fake news from the field.

I am in touch with District Collectors through a video conferencing facility, and the highlights of the meetings are updated on my Twitter account @CMofKarnataka for your convenience.

Labour Department: The Labour Department is already running a 24x7 helpline, called the ‘Dasoha line’ (155214) and a war room, in association with the DIPR which receives the demand for food (both dry ration and cooked food) from all over the State and then channelises that into the other departments, BBMP, etc in real time.

The helpline receives about 3,000 calls per day and is increasing. The calls are attended and the citizens are either directed to the nearest food centre or ration/cooked food is being arranged to reach near them.

Eager to stall migration, Karnataka has launched the hunger helpline. A coordinated ‘Dasoha’ scheme will ensure that everybody is covered under the scheme and nobody in Karnataka goes to bed without food. Also, the government has directed Deputy Commissioners to take over one convention centre or wedding hall in every ward within municipal corporation limits to house construction labourers and migrant workers.

On Instagram: Of late, the Department of Medical Education and the Government of Karnataka are active on Instagram — ‘Karnataka Kills Corona’ —to spread awareness on the coronavirus.

Medical support

The State Health Minister B. Sriramulu, Medical Education Minister Dr. K. Sudhakar, and Information Department of the State government are working with exceptional co-ordination throughout the State to fight the menace.

I appeal to you all to cooperate in following the measures announced by the Centre and State governments.

In Bengaluru, several hospitals have been listed as ‘designated first response hospitals’ for COVID-19. For instance, in Victoria Hospital alone, around 1,700 beds have been set up.

I sincerely request you all to please not to pay heed to fake news doing the rounds on social media platforms. The government will be updating the relevant numbers, measures, and instructions every day about the issue.

Also, new COVID-19 helpline numbers (080-46848600 and 080-66692000) are now functional apart from the existing helpline number 104. In both these helpline numbers, a senior doctor and two post-graduate medical students are available throughout the day to assist volunteers in answering the queries of citizens more knowledgeably. I have appealed to people not to rush to hospitals; call the helpline if symptoms aggravate. The best medical care and isolation facilities are just one call away.

It is at this moment that only sick and patients requiring emergency care might visit hospitals for treatment at medical college hospitals/district hospitals/super-speciality hospitals and autonomous institutions. To avoid overcrowding and halt the spread of COVID-19, private hospitals have been instructed to take similar steps.

Economic assistance

During the crisis, it is the utmost duty of the government to take care of the vulnerable sections of society. In this direction, the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, have made a timely intervention to address the problems of the livelihood of labourers. The rolling out of the Garib Kalyan Yojana scheme, of ₹1.7-lakh crore, when the country is struggling hard to fight the coronavirus menace has brought relief in this hour of crisis. The most striking feature of the Garib Kalyan Yojana is a supply of five kilogram rice or wheat and one kilogram pulses to 80 crore people. People living below the poverty line will not be hungry when they remain indoors during the lockdown period.

Likewise, the Karnataka government will release social security pension of two months in advance for the poor, additional working days amount will be released in advance under the Mahatma Gandhi Employment Guarantee Act scheme and two months ration will be supplied immediately. Also, 21 lakh construction workers will be paid ₹1,000 per person. Under the Badavara Bandhu (interest-free loan to roadside vendors) scheme, we have decided to waive ₹13.20 crore loans. This includes ₹9.10 crore in 2018-19 benefiting 15,120 people, and ₹5.16 crore in 2019-20, benefiting 6,500 people. Also, my Cabinet has already earmarked a corpus fund of ₹200 crore as “immediate expenses” to fight the outbreak.

Humanitarian approach

As a part of the humane approach, the State-run Indira Canteens will provide food packets free of cost to the poor and needy in the wake of the lockdown. The canteens will operate in three schedules: from 7.30 a.m. to 10 a.m., 12.30 p.m. to 3 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Streetside vendors, labourers and poor will get food free of cost.

I have directed officials to popularise “vicinity marketing” and make the people purchase essential items from shops, vendors and hawkers in their area and surroundings.

I hope you are convinced that our approach to fighting the coronavirus pandemic is on a war-footing. I request the ever generous people of the State to contribute to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund Covid-19. Or you can send your cheque or DD to Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, Vidhana Soudha.

Leaders across the political spectrum are with the people of Karnataka in these testing times. I acknowledge and appreciate the relentless service of the ‘health warriors’ who are attending the call of duty round the clock. I am overwhelmed by your messages on social media expressing gratitude to our health warriors. Similarly, please do cooperate with police personnel in your area. Our ‘Khaki warriors’ are discharging their duty in every corner of the State to ensure a stringent lockdown.

Friends, your patience and cooperation are crucial to fight the COVID-19 menace. With concerted efforts, we will overcome the challenge.

B.S. Yediyurappa is the Chief Minister of Karnataka

Five bridges across the Vaigai off limits

Four others have been reserved for emergency situations

31/03/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,MADURAI

Madurai City police have temporarily closed down five bridges across Vaigai river for effective implementation of curfew.

A statement said that Kuruvikkaran Salai bridge, a road laid on the riverbed parallel to it, Obulapadithurai causeway, MGR Bridge, Amma Bridge and Raja Mill Bridge would be closed.

The police have also reserved Albert Victor Bridge, Yanaikkal New Bridge, PTR Bridge and Kamarajar Bridge for emergency situations such as medical emergencies and movement of essential commodities.

200 cases booked

Meanwhile, Madurai City Police and Rural District Police have intensified action against violators of the prohibitory order. The city police booked over 200 cases on Monday. The rural police booked 225 cases and arrested 294 on Sunday. Also, 196 vehicles were seized.

Commissioner of Police S. Davidson Devasirvatham said the crowd was relatively less on the streets on Monday compared to the previous day. Shutting down Thayir Market and halting retail sales at Central Vegetable Market at Mattuthavani and, instead, opening vegetable shops at vantage locations helped prevent crowding.

10 passes issued

Out of 500 or more applications seeking passes for movement, only around 10 had been issued. “I am personally clearing the applications and most of the reasons cited were not of emergency nature,” he said.

Only applications citing medical grounds, marriage and funeral were being accepted, he added.

The district police have so far booked 609 cases for violation of the curfew order, arrested 761 persons and seized 487 vehicles

In a statement, Superintendent of Police N. Manivannan said the district police was creating awareness of the importance to remain indoors and maintain social distancing through the public address system in various places.

Adequate security had been provided to implement the curfew in the district. As a measure to make people keep indoors, the district police had tie-up with 66 shops for home delivery of essential goods.

All for your morning brew

31/03/2020, SANJANA GANESH,MADURAI

P. Arumugam, a milk man, making the delivery in Madurai, wearing a mask and gloves. R. Ashok

“What's the point in sitting at home?” says P. Arumugam, a supplier of cow’s milk in the city.

It is Sunday and Aarumugam has delivered milk in several areas, including Melamadai, Gomathipuram and Anna Nagar, by 9 a.m. He will soon be heading to K. Pudur and Lake area, his final stop for the morning. “I also make deliveries in the evening. My day usually ends at 7 p.m.,” he says.

And in the wake of COVID-19, there has been a spike in demand. “People who go to work usually buy milk in small quantities, as they have cofee or tea at their workplace or stalls nearby. Now that they are confined to their homes, their consumption has doubled,” he points out.

Arumugam wakes up at 3 a.m. to milk his cows. It been his practice for the last 23 years. In the present situation, milkmen like him must take safety precautions voluntarily to prevent any local transmission, he feels. “We do not want to be carriers. Since the lockdown on March 22, our group has been wearing gloves and masks.”

Hence, in between trips, he makes a minimum of three stops to wash his hands and face. “We have families and cannot risk the spread of infection. As soon as I reach home, I shower and wash my clothes to ensure that we are all safe.”

Ask him about any problem in procuring masks and he rues that a number of milkmen do have an issue. But, thanks to doctors and paramedics to whom they supply milk, they got some masks.

“We too were prepared in advance and stocked some.”

Arumugam says that though the job is risky, he will do his duty because it is his only means of livelihood. Add to that his joy in milking the cows and caring for them.

“But this is mostly for all of you. How will you do without your coffee and tea?” he says.

Mask, the prized possession now

31/03/2020, STAFF REPORTER,MADURAI

People stand on designated areas to maintain social distancing outside a medical shop at Goripalayam in Madurai on Monday. S. James

“Most medical shops in the city are closed and I am unable to buy sanitisers or masks for my family,” says S. Namrita, a software engineer and resident of Anna Nagar. “Even shops that are open have long lines and close down early.”

So, when she drives her bike to pick up essential goods for home, she has no choice but to cover herself with a dupatta.

A Public Health official says only around 40% of the pharmacies in the city are open and most of them belong to big players. “You will observe that most of them are either part of a large chain of hospitals or big establishments. Small pharmacies face a lot of problem in enforcing physical distancing and there is a lot of rush. Hence, police ask them to down shutters,” he contends.

A pharmacist at Apollo Pharmacy in K.K. Nagar says they are yet to receive the regular stock of masks and sanitisers. “When it arrives, it sells in a matter of hours. It is close to impossible to find N95 masks now.”

He attributes it to hoarding and panic buying, which may not be useful.

K. S. Sheik Mudhisir at Bawa Medicals in Goripalayam says the shop has a limited stock of hand sanitiser, masks and gloves. “Half a litre of sanitiser costs ₹495 and masks are priced at ₹16. Customers wait in long lines and so we have provided chairs placed at intervals. Since many shops near their areas are closed, people are forced to travel long distances to buy protective gear.”

A pharmacist from Velu Medicals in Anna Nagar says the shop has put up a sign saying ‘No masks, no sanitisers.’ There is global need for the two items at the moment and increasing production is the only answer.

A Public Health official requesting anonymity says masks are not a necessity unless one is in a crowded area. “We have made efforts to ensure social distancing in all shops. However, we are not discouraging people from wearing masks. They can do so if they deem it necessary.”

Prohibition of slaughter (Third Editorial)

31/03/2020

The Government of India, in reply to the appeal submitted by Mr. M.D. Layangia to H.E. the Viceroy, asking for the prohibition of the slaughter and export of the milch cows and agricultural animals, stated that the matter would be duly considered by the Government. The Hon’ble Mr. Khaparde in response to the request made to him to take interest in the matter has expressed his willingness to move the resolution, that steps be taken by legislation and otherwise to discourage, and wherever practicable prevent, in the interest of economy and the increase of agricultural produce generally, the slaughter of milch cows and agricultural animals and their export out of India, at the next meeting of the Imperial Legislative Council. Mr. Lavangia has also requested the President of the Madras Provincial Congress Committee asking them to give their support to this cause by passing resolutions at public meetings in all towns and cities.