NURSING STUDENTS GET VACCINATED

NURSING STUDENTS GET VACCINATED

SAFETY FIRST: Nursing students working at the Covid-19 ward of Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai wait for their Covid vaccine doses at the Elango Corporation School on Monday

‘Be transparent about Covid toll; can’t blame the new government’

TWO MADRAS HC RULINGS GO GOVT’s WAY

18.05.2021 

‘Be transparent about Covid toll; can’t blame the new government’

Chennai: Amidst allegations of under-reporting of Covid-19 deaths in Tamil Nadu, Madras high court emphasised the need for accurate reporting of such deaths to ensure adequate supply of drugs and oxygen proportionate to the severity of the spread in the state.

“No one can blame this particular government for this (since it took charge only 10 days ago). So, therefore, this government should be particularly keen in ensuring reporting of every Covid death so that the allocation (of vaccines, drugs and oxygen) is adequate and appropriate,” the first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy said on Monday. “We are one of the leading states in the country, we are pretty educated and our health care facilities are among the best in the country, so this would be an ideal place for a case study,” the court asserted.

“We are not saying that the government is inducing it (under-reporting), maybe at the local level people feel if they under-report it would be better. Government should take steps and encourage that the reporting is accurate,” the judges said. TNN

‘Cannot interfere with the state’s lockdown decision on industries’

Chennai: In a setback to employees of automobile manufacturing and allied industries in Tamil Nadu, Madras high court has refused to interfere in the exemption granted to such units to function despite the complete lockdown implemented in the state.

“It is a decision which appears to have been taken after deliberate consideration of the present situation. It is the matter for the particular industry to look after the welfare of its employees and also to consider the prospects of the industry,” the first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy said on Monday.

“We can only make an appeal to the industries to ensure that the best Covid protocol is maintained, please have as little staff as possible during this period to live up to the spirit of the lock down,” the bench said.

The bench made the observations on PILs moved by employee unions of Renault Nissan and Wipro Infrastructure challenging the exemption granted to the units during the lockdown. TNN

Shanthimalar is new dean of KMC

Shanthimalar is new dean of KMC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:18.05.2021

State health department has appointed Dr R Shanthimalar as the new dean of Kilpauk Medical College after transferring Dr Vasanthamani P as the section committee secretary.

Dr Shanthimalar was working as secretary and additional director of medical education before taking over administration of the Kilpauk Medical College, one of the five state run Covid-19 hospitals. Dr Vasanthamani, one of the senior-most doctors in the state, will be incharge of medical, dental, nursing and other paramedical courses in the state.

Meanwhile, Dr J Sangumani, dean of Madurai Medical College, and Dr A Rathinavel, dean of Sivaganga Medical College, have swapped positions. Similar swaps have happened between Dr R Murugesan, dean of Government Salem Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital and Dr Valli Sathiyamoorthy, deancum special officer, Government Medical College in Tiruppur; and between Dr R Suganthy Rajakumari, dean, government Kanyakumari Medical College, Asaripallam, and Dr B Tiruvasagamani, dean cum special officer, Government Medical College, Virudhunagar.

Brief spells of rain are likely in the city towards weekend, say weather bloggers

Brief spells of rain are likely in the city towards weekend, say weather bloggers

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:18.05.2021

The city may not have received rain from Cyclone Tauktae, but its strength and intensity may continue to bring in strong seabreeze to the land, resulting in a slight dip in temperatures at least for the next two days. While weathermen have forecast slightly below normal temperature, weather bloggers said the city may have chances of rainfall towards the end of the week before another system may form closer to Andaman island.

For the next 48 hours, IMD has forecast Chennai city and suburbs to have maximum and minimum temperatures around 36 deg C and 28 deg C, with partly cloudy skies.

Strong seabreeze or easterlies had been keeping day temperatures below normal for much of May, considered peak summer season. Since the weather system intensified over Arabian Sea last week, it has been pulling winds from Bay of Bengal over the land. This has helped keep a check on day temperatures.

On Monday, Nungambakkam and Meenambakkam recorded 35.8 deg C and 37.5 deg C, which are 1.7 deg C and 0.9 deg C below normal. The average temperature for the month of May is 37.1 deg C.

“Easterlies may continue to be present through the day keeping day temperatures near normal or slightly below normal,” a meteorologist said.

“There are chances of rainfall in the city between May 20 and 22,” weather blogger Pradeep John said.

MIRROR IMAGE: A mirage seen on Kamarajar Salai along the Marina beach on Monday

COVID-19 Restrictions FAQS

COVID-19 Restrictions FAQS

18.05.2021 

While using a car within Chennai for an emergency, how many people are allowed in the vehicle? - Dr D Arul Samraj

Driver plus three passengers are allowed in a car during the lockdown. Please carry documents to prove the urgent need for stepping out.

My son has to travel from Bengaluru to Chennai. Can he use his bike to get here? We couldn’t find bike travel listed among options on the e-registration portal – Kannan S

He has to get an e-pass to travel by road to Chennai during the lockdown. There is a provision to apply for a pass for two-wheelers for individual travellers. It can be applied here: https://eregister.tnega.org/#/user/pass

I work for an e-commerce company that offers same day delivery of groceries, food, other essentials. We have been provided with a soft copy ID card by the company. Can we use that as proof to show law enforcers? - Vignesh

It is preferable to have a hard copy of the identity card issued by the company. Please request for one from your employer if the soft copy is not accepted by law enforcers.

My brother’s son is getting married on Sunday and there are other domestic functions on Saturday. I stay at a different location. Can we show the invitation and travel on Friday itself? – K Balasubramanian

You can travel to the venue if the domestic functions scheduled on Saturday are mentioned on the wedding invitation. You cannot travel without a document that can prove the purpose of travel.

The yearly rituals for my father’s death anniversary are scheduled on Sunday. Can I get three pundits from within Chennai to come to my home on the day? – Venkat K

It will be difficult to travel on Sundays without a valid proof. Please arrange a document detailing the ceremony so they can use it as proof.

I run a pharmaceutical distribution company. Can I supply medicines to hospitals within city limits? - Rajeev

This comes under the essential category. You can deliver goods by using your company identity card or a letter from the hospitals.

Within how many kilometre radius are we allowed to go on a two-wheeler to buy groceries during this lockdown? - Nidhiya

The government has allowed people to travel only for essential purposes and people are not allowed to ride around. It is better to buy groceries from the nearest shop than to go looking for a particular outlet.

FOR COVID-19 RELATED QUERIES & EMERGENCIES

Helpline: 108/ 104 or 044-4612 2300/ 044 2538 4520 For hospital bed availability, visit: https://stopcorona.tn.gov.in/beds.php

DAY 1 CRACK DOWN: Police check two-wheeler riders for e-pass at Perungalathur on Monday. E-registration is mandatory for inter-district and inter-state travel

Days after 24th birthday, Covid kills techie twins

Days after 24th birthday, Covid kills techie twins

Piyush.Rai@timesgroup.com

Meerut:18.05.2021 

Gregory Raymond Raphael remembers the day clearly. April 23, 1997. The delivery, doctors said, had been successful and his wife Soja was fine. Heart beating with joy, he had rushed to the hospital. The babies, twins, looked alike. The young parents named them Joefred Varghese Gregory and Ralfred George Gregory. Having lived a life where they did almost everything together — both chose computer engineering, both had jobs in Hyderabad — they caught the deadly fever the same day, on April 24. Last week, after struggling with Covid-19, they died hours apart on May13 and May14.

Raphael said he almost knew that if his sons had to make it, they would come home together. Or they wouldn’t. “Whatever happened to one, it happened to the other,” he said.

ONE IN LIFE AND DEATH:

Ralfred George Gregory (L) and Joefred Varghese Gregory

‘Twins wanted to give us a better life’

“That’s how it was since their birth. I had told my wife after we got news that Jeofred had died that Ralfred won’t return home alone either. They died on May 13 and May 14, hours apart.”

He said, “The twins had a lot of plans for us. They wanted to give us a better life. As teachers we have struggled much to bring up the children well and they wanted to give us back, everything from money to happiness. Before they died, they were planning to leave for Korea and then perhaps Germany for work. I don’t know why god punished us like this.” The Raphaels have a third son, the eldest one, Nelfred.

Residents of Meerut’s Cantonment area, the family initially treated the brothers at home, thinking the fever would subside. But it didn’t.

Full report on www.toi-.in

WhatsApp to HC: New privacy policy not put off

WhatsApp to HC: New privacy policy not put off

Abhinav.Garg@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:18.05.2021

Instant messaging platform WhatsApp on Monday told Delhi high court that the new privacy policy has not been deferred and came into affect from May 15th. It clarified before a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and justice Jyoti Singh that the deadline for the policy to come into effect has not been extended, but accounts won’t be deleted immediately.

“We are still trying to persuade consumers but if they don’t accept slowly, slowly these accounts will be deleted. There is no universal deadline for this,” senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the company, said.In response, the Centre maintained that the new privacy policy of WhatsApp violates the IT law and rules, and sought directions to the social media platform to keep status quo intact.

Appearing for Centre ASG Chetan Sharma, said that India has the largest number of users of WhatsApp in the world and there is an imminent need to maintain the status quo.

Govt awaiting reply from Facebook CEO

ASG Chetan Sharma said the government has written to Facebook CEO on the issue and a reply is awaited.

However both WhatsApp and its parent company Facebook opposed any stay. It stressed that the policy doesn’t violate Indian law saying that any move to delete accounts will be on a case to case basis but there is no time limit for the same.

The HC then posted the matter for detailed hearing on June 03. It is hearing a batch of petitions challenging the new privacy policy. It also issued notice to the Centre, Facebook and WhatsApp and sought their stand on one of the petitions by a lawyer who has claimed that the new policy violates users’ right to privacy under the Constitution.