Omicron-hit had sore throat, body ache

Omicron-hit had sore throat, body ache

Sumitra.DebRoy@timesgroup.com

Mumbai:  17.12.2021

Slightly itchy throat, fatigue, body ache and mild fever were some of the main symptoms experienced by the patients treated at the SevenHills Hospital for the Omicron variant. The Andheri hospital, dedicated to cases of the new variant, has handled 14 patients till now. Thirteen have been discharged.

Of the 14 cases, eight were asymptomatic. “Among those with symptoms, most complained of sore throat, tiredness and body ache,” said one of the treating doctors, adding there was no disease progression in any. The HRCT scans of all the patients remained practically unchanged, meaning there was no lung involvement. Most could be treated with basic fever and pain medication such as paracetamol, while asymptomatic patients were given multivitamins.

Full report on www.toi.in

14 new Omicron cases take India tally to 87

India reported 14 fresh Omicron cases on Thursday, taking the tally of patients contracting the highly infections variant in the country to 87. While Karnataka reported five new cases, Delhi and Telangana recorded four each and Gujarat one.

The tally in Karnataka rose to eight with five new cases. While three of them have international travel history, the other two returned from Delhi, leading to concerns of community spread of the variant in India. TNN

As app-based auto rides get costlier, bike taxis in demand

As app-based auto rides get costlier, bike taxis in demand

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai: 17.12.2021

With app-based auto rides getting expensive in Chennai from next month, demand for bike taxis is likely to shoot up.

Experts said the state government has been largely unsuccessful in regulating auto rickshaw fares in the city. The transport department in 2013 announced that GPS-based fare metres will be made mandatory for auto-rickshaws here.

Apart from trial runs, not much progress has been made in this aspect. When cab-aggregators Ola and Uber introduced auto booking services in 2016, there was some form of transparency in fares. But now the estimated base fare will rise because the Union government has introduced a five percent Goods and Services Tax (GST) for auto rides booked through mobile apps. The new regime is expected to come into effect from January

1. Cab-aggregators like Uber have requested the Centre to repeal this announcement as it might affect the earnings of the auto drivers and the government's digitisation attempts.

Transportation activists have termed the move “regressive”. Rama Rao from the Traffic and Transportation Forum, Chennai said, "The move to impose five percent GST will greatly affect the office-goers and middle class section of the commuters as cab-aggregators will definitely pass on the financial burden onto the public".

Auto drivers in the city were among the worst-affected during the pandemic. This move will cause more financial problems to them, he said.

Experts predict that more people might opt for bike taxis instead. They are at least 30% cheaper compared to autos. Currently, there are more than 6,000 bike taxis. It was less than 500 during the launch two years ago. The state is yet to clear legalities associated with bike taxis.

HC to examine if exception for marital rape violates wife’s right to sexual autonomy

HC to examine if exception for marital rape violates wife’s right to sexual autonomy

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad: 16.12.2021

The constitutionality of categorising marital rape as an exception to a law that criminalises sexual assault needs to be re-examined by a court in terms of whether this is “manifestly arbitrary and makes a woman’s fundamental right to sexual autonomy subject to the whims of her husband”, the Gujarat HC has said. Hearing a petition demanding that marital rape be made a punishable offence, which it currently isn’t under Section 375 of the IPC, the bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Niral Mehta on Tuesday issued notices to Centre and the state government. In its notices, it referred to a 2018 order that said sexual assault by a husband on his wife amounts to outrage of modesty under Section 354, irrespective of whether this was with or without the woman’s consent, or in absence of a third party. Stating that the PIL moved by Vadodara resident Jaideep Verma had raised an important issue, the bench informed the petitioner’s counsel that it intends to pass an order on how the court proposes to deal with the contentious subject of exception 2 to Section 375.

This exception provides immunity to a husband who from punishment under Section 376 for sexual assault on his wife as long as she is above 15 years of age.

Eye on Omicron, states told to be ready with O2

Eye on Omicron, states told to be ready with O2

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:  16.12.2021

Amid concerns about a possible surge in Covid-19 cases due to the new Omicron variant, the Centre on Wednesday reviewed the status of oxygen supply, equipment, ventilators and concentrators among other things with states and UTs, urging them to monitor their availability on a daily basis to ensure that there is absolute preparedness to tackle any rise in the number of infections.

In a review meeting with states and UTs, Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan advised states to ensure the gap between equipment and systems delivered to the districts and installed at the healthcare facilities is reduced to zero.

States have also been asked to conduct mock drills of all installed and commissioned PSA plants to ensure that they are fully operational so that oxygen of required quantity, pressure and purity reaches the intended patients at their bedside. These drills are to be completed by the end of December, the health ministry said.

Uninterrupted supply of medical oxygen in sufficient quantity is of critical importance to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic, the Centre said.

While equipment and systems have been sanctioned and delivered, in many states these have not been sent to district health facilities and when delivered, some have not been made functional, Bhushan said.

State nodal officers were requested to streamline coordination with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), HLL Infra Tech Services Limited (HITES) and Central Medical Services Society (CMSS) for resolution of electricityrelated and site- related issues for ensuring quick operationalisation of the entire medical oxygen supply infrastructure supplied to them.

So far, a total of 3,236 PSA plants have been installed in the country from various sources with a total commissioned oxygen capacity of 3,783 MT.

Moreover, 1,14,000 oxygen concentrators are being provided to states under PM-CARES (1 lakh) and 14,000 from Emergency Covid Relief Package (ECRP-II), the government said.

It was also pointed out that ECRP-II funds have been sanctioned to them for installation of 958 LMO storage tanks and medical gas pipeline systems in 1,374 hospitals.

Govt may take call on booster, kids’ vax after Dec-end review

Govt may take call on booster, kids’ vax after Dec-end review

Will Evaluate Omicron Data For A Decision

Sushmi.Dey@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:  16.12.2021

The Centre will review its Covid vaccination plan at the end of December by when it aims to have fully vaccinated 65% of the adult population. The discussion will include booster or third dose for high-risk people as well as vaccination for children, a senior official source said.

“We will review the programme in December end. The picture will be clearer then in terms of Omicron. At present our priority is to maximise coverage of second dose among adults, which includes people who are at risk also,” the official said.

Till Wednesday, over 135 crore doses were administered across the country. While 87.5% of the adult population have received at least first dose, around 56% are fully covered with two doses.

The deliberation in the month end will also include evaluation of data of Omicron cases detected through genome sequencing, breakthrough infection and hospitalisation.

“Once majority of the adult population are protected with two doses, we can evaluate if there is a need to give booster to those who are at high risk or high exposure. Any such decision has to be based on scientific evidence,” the official said.

The scientific advisory groups of the government including the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) and the Indian Council of Medical Research are actively considering evidence to start booster or third dose for high-risk people including those who are immunocompromised, elderly and healthcare workers.

Officials say vaccinations for children may have to wait given that there is limited availability of vaccines and if it is a choice to be made between booster and child immunisation, third dose for those who are at high risk is likely to be given a priority. Also, at present, booster shots are being considered only for select population and not all adults.

The World Health Organisation in its recent technical update on Omicron said there is some preliminary evidence that the incidence of reinfection has increased in South Africa, which may be associated with humoral (antibody-mediated) immune evasion. However, there is still uncertainty.

Besides, evidence suggests unvaccinated people have at least 10 times higher risk of death from Covid-19 than someone who has been vaccinated.

Court notice to Russia for returning man’s body

Court notice to Russia for returning man’s body

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Jodhpur/Udaipur:  16.12.2021

The Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday issued a notice to the Russian embassy seeking a reply on the issue of mortal remains of an Indian citizen stuck in the European nation since July. Notices have also been to the Centre and the Indian embassy.

While issuing the notice to the Russian embassy, the court observed, “This court is not oblivious to its limitations in issuing a writ to the embassy of Russia in India or the Government of Russian Federation. However, with a view to deal with a rather unprecedented situation and to coordinate the steps to be taken, this court deems it expedient to issue notice to the Russian embassy”.

“With this, the court feels that the government of Russian Federation must be requested to expedite the process in this regard,” the court said.

Justice Dinesh Mehta gave these directions while hearing a petition by Asha Devi and her wards, who have been waiting to receive the mortal remains of her husband Hitendra Garasia from Russia. She has been running from pillar to post to get her husband’s remains back but in vain.

Social activist Charmesh Sharma, who has taken up the matter to help the bereaved family, said Hitendra from Godwa village in Kherwara tehsil in Udaipur had gone to Russia on one year’s work visa in April but was reportedly found dead in a park in Moscow.

Moscow police closed the case as an accidental death and information was received by the family through local police on August 28, 2021.

SC to govt: Pay ex gratia to all who lost loved ones

SC to govt: Pay ex gratia to all who lost loved ones

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: 16.12.2021

As the number of applications seeking Covid death compensation has exceeded the official toll due to the disease in some states, the Centre on Wednesday clarified before the Supreme Court that this is not due to under-reporting of deaths but because the criteria for the classification of such fatalities have been widened by the court.

At the outset of the hearing, additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati raised the issue of alleged media misreporting, but a bench of Justices M R Shah and B V Nagarathna asked the Centre not to pay much attention to media reports and focus on ensuring that the Rs 50,000 ex-gratia is disbursed to all those who lost their loved ones to Covid.

“There may or may not be under-reporting of deaths. We are not here to say that. But 10,000 deaths, but a much larger number of applications submitted, so a common man may think so... But our anxiety is that people should get relief and government should work in that direction,” the bench said.

The court said that as a welfare state it would be better if more and more people approached the government to claim the relief. The court directed all states to give wide publicity through print and electronic media, particularly in vernacular newspapers, to make people aware on how and where to approach to make a Covid ex-gratia claim. It expressed satisfaction at the Gujarat government’s decision to publish advertisements in newspaper and said that other states also should also use same format. The Gujarat government in its fresh affidavit told the court that it has received a total of 40,467 applications so far, of which 26,836 applications have been approved and 23,848 families have been paid compensation.

The court, however, pulled up Maharashtra government for not being prompt in disbursing the amount after the court was informed that only 1,000-odd families had been granted relief.