Kerala Cabinet nod for ‘salary challenge’ for govt. employees

Initiative to collect a month’s pay to fight COVID-19

02/04/2020, SPECIAL
CORRESPONDENT,THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

Cleaning drive: Fire service personnel spraying disinfectant at the Thiruvananthapuram Sub Treasury.S. MAHINSHA

The Kerala Cabinet has given the go ahead to the ‘salary challenge’ for State government employees.

The Cabinet on Tuesday decided to collect one month’s salary from government employees compulsorily to meet the financial burden incurred by the spread of COVID-19. The funds would be routed to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund. Ministers would contribute ₹1 lakh each to the fund.

A final decision on the mode of implementing the ‘salary challenge’ would be made after eliciting the response of the employees, sources said.

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) flayed the “unilateral” decision of the Cabinet. “The Chief Minister counsels people to be spartan during the lockdown,” said leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala. “He wants to confiscate the salary of government staff but he has no qualms in sanctioning ₹2 crore at this juncture to hire a helicopter for VIP travel. There is a dichotomy between what this government sermonises and what it practices.”

TMB donates ₹5 crore

02/04/2020,TIRUNELVELI

Thoothukudi-based Tamilnad Mercantile Bank has contributed ₹5 crore to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund (PM-CARES) towards COVID-19 mitigation measures. In a statement, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of TMB K.V. Rama Moorthy has said to fight against the spread of deadly virus, doctors, nurses, sanitary workers and police personnel were working round-the-clock risking their life. India needed lot of medical equipment to help the affected. Hence, the bank was donating ₹5 crore, as a supportive measure to wage the war against COVID-19

It’s too early to detect lock down impact

As incubation period is 14 days, the cases emerging now are older and they have to be discounted

02/04/2020, JACOB KOSHY,NEW DELHI

Empty spaces: A deserted highway near the Akshardham temple in New Delhi on Wednesday. R.V. Moorthy R.V. Moorthy

The impact of the lockdown on arresting the spread of COVID-19 can be gauged only after two weeks, government and independent experts suggest.

On the evening of March 24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nationwide 21-day lockdown to arrest “community transmission” of the novel coronavirus, or SAR-CoV-2. Between March 24 and April 1, the number of COVID-19 positive cases has more than doubled — from 606 on March 25 to 1,637 on April 1. This, however, was slower — about half the rate of growth from the week before when only 151 cases were confirmed on March 18.

The growth in number of positive cases in India is slower than in many countries that are dealing with the worst of the pandemic. On March 8, the U.S. recorded 541 cases in two days, and the figure nearly doubled to 994 cases. In the last week, however, it has risen by 75%.

Indonesia, which as on March 31 had 1,528 cases and therefore roughly in the league of India, is also recording a similar growth rate. It had 686 cases on March 24 or a little fewer than half the cases from today. Though it has laws restricting movement, there is no lockdown.

Government experts and independent researchers concur that it is early to estimate the impact of the lockdown on slowing down the spread of the virus. “The incubation period of the virus is 14 days. Therefore, the cases we are seeing are older cases (from before March 24). So only once these old cases are discounted can we judge the impact of the lockdown. Whatever models and statisticians say, nobody can really predict the outcome of the epidemic,” Raman Gangakhedkar, Chief Scientist, Indian Council of Medical Research, and spokesperson for COVID-19 communication, said at a press briefing.

Sujatha Rao, former Secretary of the Health Ministry, tweeted on Tuesday: “Impact of lockdown can only be known after April 5. Today’s infections are of the situation two weeks ago.” However, both of these reflect the extreme outer limit of the incubation period — defined as the time taken to contract the virus and an infected person manifesting symptoms. The World Health Organization says incubation is commonly five days.

For more testing

Giridhar Babu, an epidemiologist and physician associated with the Public Health Foundation of India, said it would take a minimum of three weeks and a lockdown would be useful only with heightened testing, particularly to catch those who might be carrying the virus but were not yet manifesting symptoms. “Lockdown alone, without an increase in finding the new cases either through a syndromic approach or increased rate of testing, is not enough to break the chain. Also reviewing of the States with silent areas [where very few cases are reported] is important,” he said in an e-mail.

India welcomes foreign donations to PM-CARES

02/04/2020

The issue of the short supply of essential items made the headlines after nurses and doctors sent video messages to Mr. Modi, urging for lifesaving devices. However, at the last weekend, Serbia purchased medical items from India, prompting a debate.

The official, however, clarified that the supplies to the Serbian government did not include the prohibited items.

Along with the other countries of the SAARC region, India has set up the SAARC-COVID-19 Emergency Fund for helping the front-line health workers with the personal protective equipment. Mr. Modi took up similar issues and urged for a global approach at a videoconference with G20 leaders.

The official indicated that India would be open to having the issue discussed at the United Nations Security Council. “However, it is a matter to be taken up by the members of the Security Council,” he said.

The Ministry of External Affairs has set up a dedicated wing for communications with the Indians abroad, many of whom are eager to return home. The wing has so far received 3,300 phone calls and 2,500 emails.

Felicitated at home

02/04/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

Senior MTC officials gave colleagues who retired on March 31 a pleasant surprise by visiting their homes and and presenting them pension certificates, work appreciation certificates and sweets.

The corporation said that it usually organises a meeting to felicitate retirees at Pallavan House. But due to the lockdown, officials were asked by the MD to visit the homes of 71 retired employees.

Why do people step out of their homes? Police collate reasons

Stern action on the cards, based on the data collected

02/04/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

Lockdown farce The checks led to a jam on Padi flyover on Wednesday morning. M. Vedhan.

It looked like rush hour on Padi flyover on Wednesday morning as close to a hundred vehicles clogged the roads after the police conducted a surprise check on motorists flouting the lockdown.

The men and women in uniform stopped every vehicle and noted down registration numbers. “We wanted to find out how many people step out of their houses for essentials and medical emergencies and how many just to roam the streets. We are also checking to find out how many are going around the city with curfew passes,” said a senior officer.

Further action will be taken based on the data collected. “We will decide if we have to reduce the number of curfew passes or take measures to prevent people from leaving their locality,” the officer added.

The checking led to a jam on the flyover, a junction for vehicles coming from Villivakkam, Thirumangalam, Korattur and Retteri. “There were too many people. Since we checked each vehicle, there was a pile-up,” said an officer.

M. Balaji, a motorist who was on the way to a hospital with his mother, said: “They checked our papers and took down details. The police did their duty as people are roaming the streets without realising the seriousness of the pandemic.”

Donations pour into CM’s relief fund

Corporates, other organisations and the public contribute ₹36.34 crore

02/04/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

As of March 31, the Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund has received contributions to the tune of ₹36.34 crore from corporates, other organisations and the public to aid the battle against COVID-19.

TVS Motor Company and Sakthi Masala have contributed ₹5 crore each; Asian Paints and Simpsons ₹2 crore each; DMK Foundation, Tamil Nadu Governor’s Office and Tamil Nadu News Print and Papers Ltd ₹1 crore each; and GRT Jewellers and DLF Foundation ₹50 lakh each, among others.

Former Union Minister M.K. Alagiri, Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham and Madras Talkies, among others, have contributed ₹10 lakh each, according to a press release.

IT major HCL will donate 500 ventilators worth ₹37.5 crore to the Tamil Nadu government to help treat those affected by COVID-19, another press release said.

Kanimozhi’s gesture

DMK MP Kanimozhi on Wednesday released ₹50 lakh from her MPLADS fund for setting up a lift in the government hospital in Thoothukudi.

“When I visited the hospital, the doctors told me that a lift was necessary for the ward for treating patients who tested positive for COVID-19. I met the district collectors and handed over the money to them,” said Ms. Kanimozhi, who was elected from the Thoothukudi Lok Sabha constituency.

She has already contributed ₹1 crore for combating the disease.

Earlier, Ms. Kanimozhi gave personal protective equipment and sanitisers to doctors, nurses and other medical staff.