Don’t believe rumours, we have not decided to reimpose lockdown: CM

Don’t believe rumours, we have not decided to reimpose lockdown: CM

AMID SOCIAL MEDIA BUZZ:

Uddhav Thackeray clarifies, urges citizens to follow lockdown norms to help curb spread

13/06/2020

Health workers screen residents of Motilal Nagar at Goregaon on Friday. Satyabrata Tripathy/HT Photo

HT Correspondent

htmetro@hindustantimes.com

Mumbai : With rumours circulating on social media that the state government was planning to impose lockdown restrictions in the state once again, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray clarified on Friday that no such decision has been taken. While Mission Begin Again has relaxed some restrictions on movement, Thackeray appealed to citizens to follow lockdown norms to help curb the spread of Covid-19.

On Friday, messages started making rounds on social media about the state government in Maharashtra re-imposing the lockdown from next week. In response to these rumours, the chief minister’s office issued a statement on Friday morning, dispelling these speculations.

“There are rumours being spread on social media and reports on some [news] channels that the state government has taken a decision to impose lockdown by shutting down all shops and commercial establishments. We have not taken any such decision. Such reports create confusion among people. Spreading such false news is a violation of the law and should not be transmitted without confirmation,” read the statement.

On Wednesday, Thackeray had said the state may be forced to impose the lockdown again if people did not follow lockdown norms. “The threat of Covid-19 has not passed, it still persists. As we continue to battle pandemic, we cannot put brakes on the wheels of the economy. We were shocked looking at the crowd on the first day. Outdoor physical activities are permitted for your good health and not to spoil it. People will have to keep physical distance. The government is evaluating the situation. If we feel that the lifting of lockdown is life-threatening, then we will be forced to impose the lockdown again,” he had said.

In the statement released on Friday, Thackeray said that relaxation of restrictions should not be taken as leave to ignore distancing norms and other preventive measures. “Lifting of the lockdown norms does not mean people are allowed to step out, leading to crowding at public places and which could prove hazardous for health. Maintaining social distancing, masking the face and sanitisation at regular intervals should be adopted now as part of one’s lifestyle. Everybody should self-discipline for their own health and that of their close ones,” he said.

Man brings live snake to hospital after being bitten

REGION DIGEST

Man brings live snake to hospital after being bitten

A 48-year-old drunk house painter caused a flutter at the casualty ward of the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital on Thursday night by a carrying a live cobra in a bag that bit him while consuming alcohol with his friend. Soundarajan, 48, was bitten by a snake while drinking liquor and smoking marijuana with a friend at Kallimadai, Singanallur. Since it was dark and anticipating that the doctor would ask him about the snake that bit him, Soundarajan caught the snake and put it in a bag. Soundarajan and his friend reached the casualty ward of CMCH immediately.

While narrating the incident to a duty doctor, the reptile slipped out of the bag. Staff members and doctors were shocked when they saw the snake slithering slowly in the ward.

As it was too late in the night to call a snake catcher, the staff members killed the snake.

Rumours trigger a bout of panic buying in a few areas

Rumours trigger a bout of panic buying in a few areas

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:13.06.2020

Few pockets in the city witnessed panic buying for essential commodities before noon on Friday, after rumours over an impending lockdown spread wild on social media. People rushed to their neighbourhood supermarkets to stock up for the coming week.

A supermarket at Saidapet which had noticed a drop in customers following relaxation of lockdown restrictions, saw a sharp jump in customers on Friday. An anxious customer was seen inquiring with his family members on the phone about products probably left off his shopping list. “There were messages of an impending lockdown in Chennai soon. So I rushed to buy all necessities today (on Friday) itself,” Hari, the customer, said.

The supermarket usually sees 60-70 billings from morning to noon but saw almost double the business on Friday. Similarly, a vegetable shop in Saidapet also had a busy Friday morning.

Meanwhile, owner of a snack outlet at KK Nagar said it saw only a marginal rise in customers. “We had more customers than in the past few days. Must have been because of the rumours about another lockdown”

We had more customers than in the past few days. Must have been because of the rumours about another lockdown

Owner | SNACK SHOP IN KK NAGAR

NIRF ranks Amrita varsity fourth best

NIRF ranks Amrita varsity fourth best

13/06/2020

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham has emerged as the fourth best university in the country in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) Ranking 2020. Vellore Institute of Technology and Amrita are the only two private engineering institutes to be ranked in top 20 in the engineering category.

The university was also ranked seventh among medical colleges in India after All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, Christian Medical College, Vellore, NIMHANS, Bangalore, Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, and BHU, Varanasi. “Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham and its medical college again finding a place in the top 10 in the NIRF Ranking 2020 is testimony to the vision of the institution—goals of education for life and compassion-driven research. The recognition would not have been possible but for the efforts put in by the students and staff,” said Dr P. Venkat Rangan, Vice Chancellor, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham.

Attended by over 20,000 students, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham has collaborations with 500 world-ranked universities. It also has secured research grants of over $100m from governmental and private funding agencies including World Bank, UNESCO, UNDP, Gates Foundation,

New special trains see meagre occupancy

New special trains see meagre occupancy

13/06/2020

Passengers who alighted from Arakkonam - Coimbatore Superfast Intercity Special train at the Coimbatore Railway Station on Friday.

M. Periasamy

The new passenger special trains between Coimbatore and Arakkonam saw meagre occupancy on its inaugural run on Friday.

Train No. 02676 Coimbatore – Arakkonam Intercity Superfast Special train had occupancy of only around 6%, while Train No. 02675 Arakkonam – Coimbatore train saw around 20% occupancy, according to sources in the Salem Division of Southern Railway.

Only around 58 passengers boarded Train No. 02676 at Coimbatore Junction, which left at 3.15 p.m. Train No. 02675, which arrived at Coimbatore Junction from Arakkonam Junction at 2.05 p.m., ferried only around 140 passengers, the sources said.

As the train services were announced only three days ago on June 9, the short period might have caused the low occupancy, sources said, adding that the number of passengers might increase for the daily train service in the coming days.

This is the third passenger special train service from Coimbatore Junction. Operation of Train No. 02083 Coimbatore –Mayiladuturai Jan Shatabdi special train and Train No. 02680 Coimbatore- Katpadi Intercity Superfast Special train began on June 1. The swab samples of all passengers coming to Coimbatore from Arakkonam and Katpadi are being lifted by Health Department staff at Coimbatore Railway Station.

Just one devotee for ‘Corona Devi’ in Kerala ‘temple’

Just one devotee for ‘Corona Devi’ in Kerala ‘temple’

Anilan has installed the idol at a shrine, says worshipping a virus is not alien custom

13/06/2020

Anilan has installed an idol of ‘goddess COVID-19’ at a shrine attached to his home.

While the controversy over the reopening of temples continues to rage, Anilan, a resident of Kadakkal, has installed an idol of ‘goddess COVID-19’ at a shrine attached to his home.

Christened Corona Devi, the deity is a replica of SARS-CoV-2 with its red spiky tentacles, and he calls her “a new addition to the pantheon of 33 crore Hindu gods”.

“I will conduct pujas in front of the goddess for the safety and well-being of all engaged in the battle against the pandemic. There will be no darshan as it is also a protest against the political propaganda behind the reopening of temples. People are now using gods for political gains, but this is not the time for temple visits. Survival is all that matters now,” he says.

Made of thermocol and sitting on a ‘pallival,’ Corona Devi is a goddess without any ‘moolamantra’. “In Kerala, you have a deity for smallpox, another contagious disease, who finds a place in some temples. It is no attempt to mock anyone and all pujas will be done with utmost dedication. According to Hindu mythology, God is omnipresent, and even exists in the virus. Worshipping a virus as devi is not an alien custom for us,” he says.

Though there is no darshan, Corona Devi’s prasadam will be available to devotees via mail.

Mr. Anilan says the shrine is dedicated to corona warriors, including health workers, scientists, and Fire and Rescue Services personnel. “Pujas will be held in the names of all those helping others. Those who want the prasadam can get in touch with me. I will not charge any money for the pujas and offerings,” he says.

Temperature checks at doorstep soon

Temperature checks at doorstep soon

13/06/2020

The Greater Chennai Corporation will start distribution of thermal scanners to civic workers in order to check temperature of residents in the city.

The number of city residents has been estimated to be 87 lakh. At least 150 households would be thermally scanned for fever per day by each civic worker, officials said.

For the past few months, over 12,000 civic workers have been collecting information from residents on fever cases to contain the spread of COVID-19.

A senior official of the Corporation said workers would visit homes, check body temperature and share information with the civic body.

Doctors in mobile units would reach neighbourhoods where a large number of fever cases were reported on a particular day. The information compiled by workers would be used to prioritise stationing of mobile hospital units in various localities.

At a meeting in Ripon Buildings with doctors from other districts on Friday, senior officials of the Corporation directed doctors with PPE kits to visit households for treating home isolated patients who tested positive for COVID-19.