Now, Mamata’s picture on vaccine certificates

Now, Mamata’s picture on vaccine certificates

They were issued by the Bengal govt.

05/06/2021

Mamata Banerjee

Special correspondent Kolkata

As the vaccination drive picks up in West Bengal, now certificates of COVID-19 vaccination issued by West Bengal Health Department have a photograph of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The certificates issued by State government’s vaccination on wheels initiative, where a bus has been converted into a mobile vaccination centre, have Ms. Banerjee's photograph.

Along with the picture, the certificate has slogan “Be Alert, Be Safe” in both Bengali and English.

Vaccination certificates have carried photographs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which in the past was criticised by Trinamool Congress.

Minister and chairperson of Board of Administrators Kolkata Municipal Corporation Firhad Hakim defended the move saying that there is nothing wrong in having photograph of the head of State on certificate.

Bhatariya Janata Party (BJP) State spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said that the Trinamool Congress wants to project that the place that our Prime Minister holds in our parliamentary democracy can be replaced by the Chief Minister. The Trinamool Congress and the BJP leadership also sparred over the GST (Goods and Service Tax) on vaccines by the Centre

Meetings to decide on board exams

Meetings to decide on board exams

05/06/2021

Staff Reporter CHENNAI

The Hindu 

A meeting with representatives from all legislative parties will be held on Saturday via video-conferencing to listen to their views about conducting Class 12 exams for State board students in Tamil Nadu, said School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi.

“The meeting will be held via video-conferencing from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., following which a meeting has been scheduled with health experts, including psychologists and psychiatrists. This is to understand what the mental state of students in Tamil Nadu are with regard to the exams,” the Minister said.

“Chief Minister M.K. Stalin is very clear that students should not be at a disadvantage because of the decision, which is why we are seeking views from all sides before a final decision is made,” he said.

Based on the meetings, a report will be given to the Chief Minister and a final decision will be made by him. “For many years now, Class 12 board exam marks have been the basis for students pursuing higher studies and we do not want any of them to face a roadblock because of this. We are also following the decisions being taken by other Sates with regard to the conduct of board exams,” Mr. Poyyamozhi said.

On Friday, he chaired a meeting with Chief Educational Officers and District Educational Officers and spoke to them about feedback from schools, parents, teachers and students in their jurisdictions. “We have got varying reports from different districts,” he said, when asked what the consensus was on conducting board exams.

HC surprised with Centre counsel’s reply

HC surprised with Centre counsel’s reply

05/06/2021

Press Trust of India New Delhi

The Hindu

The Delhi High Court on Friday was surprised with the submission of Centre’s counsel that Amphotericin B, one of the medicines used for treating black fungus was readily available in the market.

When the court said if the medicine was available in abundance there should not have been so many deaths, Central government standing counsel Kirtiman Singh said people were not dying because of lack of medicines but the disease black fungus itself is dangerous.

Petition in HC challenges MUHS exam on June 10

Petition in HC challenges MUHS exam on June 10

Nagpur Bench to pass order today

05/06/2021

Special CorrespondentMumbai

The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court on Friday said it will pass an order on Saturday in a plea challenging the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences’ (MUHS) decision to conduct physical exams for medical students on June 10.

A single judge Bench of Justice Avinash Gharote was hearing a plea filed by the NGO Herd Foundation and Nitesh Tantarpale, a student, challenging the decision and the direction to sign an undertaking that the State would not be held responsible if students contract COVID-19 while appearing for the exam.

Defending MUHS’s stand, advocate Abhijit Deshpande said, “Two phases of Winter 2020 have been conducted and the third one will begin on June 10. All question papers have been dispatched.”

Advocate Rahul Bhangde, appearing for the petitioners, said that those who had appeared for exams in the first two phases were fully vaccinated, but the 45,000 students who will appear for the exam on June 10 must be vaccinated.

The court said, “So should everything in the country stop till everyone is vaccinated? Let the student get tested before he gets out of the house. Today, even those who are 45 years and above are not getting vaccines, how can students be bypassed? Getting infected is a risk all of us carry.”

Covaxin seekers make beeline for Trichy camps

Covaxin seekers make beeline for Trichy camps

Deepak.Karthik@timesgroup.com

Trichy:  05.06.2021

The growing awareness and surge in demand for vaccine against Covid-19 saw people assembling at vaccination camps in Trichy as early as 6.30 am on Friday. Though the two venues in the city administered only Covaxin for 18-44 age category, there was a big rush evoking fears of vaccination camps turning into hotspots. Several people said the short wait time for the second dose of Covaxin compared to Covishield prompted them to get their jab at the earliest. After vaccinating 1,971 people in the city on Thursday and exhausting its Covishield stock, Trichy corporation had announced that only the first dose of Covaxin will be administered on Friday. Instead of organising the camps as usual at six locations, the civic body preferred to conduct the camps only at two places, Kalaiarangam and Thevar hall. The serpentine queues saw men who were already vaccinated too standing in queue for their spouse or family members so as to protect them from the crowd. People assembled at the centres early in the morning and took the jab after waiting for hours.

“My preference was Covaxin since the waiting period between two doses is only a month. Also, those who were vaccinated already and doctors opined that Covaxin has only mild side effects,” V Visodhan, 24, a resident of Puthur said. While those who have plans to go abroad prefer Covishield, locals and women were seen to be interested in Covaxin dose. The growing crowds saw the city police intervening to regulate them forcibly. Although only 1,307 people were vaccinated on Friday against 1,971 on Thursday, the lack of adequate vaccine stocks saw many youngsters returning disappointed. Youths who waited for over 3 hours demanded more vaccine stocks saying people are desperate to get vaccinated.

Lioness dies of suspected coronavirus in city

Lioness dies of suspected coronavirus in city

Nine Lions At Vandalur Zoo Test Positive

Oppili.P@timesgroup.com

Chennai:05.06.2021

A nine-year-old lioness died of suspected coronavirus infection on Thursday evening at the Arignar Anna Zoological Park (AAZP) in Vandalur near Chennai. Nine more lions at the zoo have tested positive for SARS CoV-2.

Specimens collected from the animals were sent to National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Bhopal, on 24th and 29th May after some animals showed infection symptoms, including nasal discharge. The institute confirmed the virus infection on Thursday morning. As per protocol, any suspected death due to coronavirus in zoos must be reconfirmed by Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, and Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad. Samples have been sent to these institutes for confirmation. Results are awaited.

According to a statement from the zoo authorities, the CCMB, which is the approved virus sequencing centre of the Central Zoo Authority, will carry out genome sequencing of the virus strain for better understanding of zoonotic transmission to prevent further infection spread. A veterinarian from the state animal husbandry department said the virus could have been transmitted from humans (animal keepers/workers).

Virus can reach up to 2 metres, survive for three days

The virus can reach up to two meters and can be alive for three days. Animals carry many viruses, but they are not as fatal as coronavirus, a source said. Prophylactic measures for mammals, reptiles, birds and primates in consultation with an expert team from Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (Tanuvas), veterinarians from Hyderabad zoo and Bronx Zoo in the US, have been adopted at the Vandalur zoo.

All the lions that tested positive are under observation and are being cared for in line with the prescribed treatment regimen by inhouse veterinary team in coordination with Tanuvas experts.

Vandalur zoo authorities are getting information about the treatment protocol for coronavirus-infected animals from the Hyderabad zoo and the Jaipur zoo, where similar incidents took place sometime ago. At present, Vandalur zoo houses six lions and seven lionesses, but no cubs.

All animal-keepers and helpers in the zoo have been inoculated. A separate team of animal-keepers has been engaged for each group of lions. PPE kits are mandatory for animal-keepers, veterinarians and field staff.

The Vandulur zoo was closed on April 24 after the state government announced a lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19. Subsequently, precautionary measures were implemented in the zoo to avoid the spread of the virus. It’s not known how the lions were infected, a source said.

All the lions that tested positive are under observation and are being cared for in line with the prescribed treatment regimen

Government in favour of phased relaxation of curbs

Government in favour of phased relaxation of curbs

Julie.Mariappan@timesgroup.com

Chennai: 05.06.2021 

After a two-week long intense lockdown in the state to bring the surge in Covid-19 cases under control, the Tamil Nadu government is mulling over phased unlocking, with measured relaxations. The state is considering the suggestions of health experts that relaxations could be introduced in the districts that have brought the pandemic under control.

Chief minister M K Stalin on Friday held a meeting with bureaucrats to take stock of the prevailing situation. As of now, only those shops selling essential commodities are allowed to function.

“District-wise analysis was done on the total positivity rate and the availability of health infrastructure to handle the situation. Health and revenue departments are jointly working on the relaxations and a call will be taken on Friday night and an announcement will be made on Saturday morning,” said a top official.

The government also took note of Chennai's sharp declining trend from 7,564 daily cases on May 12 to 1,971 on June 4 after a series of intense interventions by the administrative machinery, including adequate supply of oxygen. The availability of oxygen beds also increased considerably across the state.

While the active cases have fallen to 2.68 lakh as of Friday, the high number of cases in Coimbatore, Chennai, Tiruppur, Erode, Madurai, Trichy, and Salem remain a cause of concern. “Most of the districts have reached a peak and have started to decline while some have reached the peak only in the recent days and the declining rate is not as fast as we expected. Each district or region behaves in a certain way. Not all are uniform. We are looking at various factors before taking a call,” a senior official said, hinting at the possibility of grouping of districts that behave in a similar pattern. The state witnessed its highest number of active cases (3.13 lakh) on May 27, keeping the administration on toes resulting in intense lockdown being extended for a week ending June 7.

Tamil Nadu is mulling relaxations in districts that have brought the pandemic under control