India records first COVID-19 death: 76-year-old who died in Karnataka's Kalaburagi

Coronavirus

The 76-year-old man had returned from Saudi Arabia on February 29 and had landed in Hyderabad.

Theja Ram

Representative image

India has recorded its first death due to coronavirus after a 76-year-old man who passed away on Tuesday was tested positive for the coronavirus. The Karnataka health department confirmed the same on Thursday evening.  "The 76-year-old man from Kalaburagi who passed away and was a suspected COVID-19 patient has been confirmed for COVID 19. The necessary contact tracing, isolation and other measures as per protocol are being carried out. Telangana government has also been informed since he went to a private hospital there,” the Karnataka health department stated.  The 76-year-old man had returned from Saudi Arabia on February 29. He had arrived in Hyderabad and then travelled to Kalaburagi. On March 5, he was admitted to the out-patient department of a private hospital in Kalaburagi. The following day he was moved to the Gulbarga Institute of Medical Sciences. Officials said that the patient's family wanted to take him to a private hospital and moved him to another city. He was then shifted to in Hyderabad's Care Hospital, over 200 kilometres away, as his condition worsened. His condition deteriorated and his family brought him back to Kalaburagi on March 9. He was declared brought dead at the Gulbarga Institute of Medical Sciences. His samples were collected for testing in Kalaburagi on March 10 and sent to Bengaluru’s lab for testing via courier. The samples reached Bengaluru on Thursday morning and late on Thursday evening the Health Department confirmed that he had tested positive for coronavirus infection. Health officials had stated that he had other conditions like asthma and blood pressure as well.  The Karnataka government has till now confirmed five other cases in the state. A Bengaluru Dell employee who returned from Austin in America via New York and Texas was the first person to be confirmed in the state. Later, his wife and 13-year-old daughter too were tested positive. Another techie who had travelled from US to Bengaluru via London, was tested positive next. On Thursday, Karnataka announced its fifth case. A 26-year old who had returned from Greece via Dubai to Mumbai. He had been to Greece on a holiday and returned to Mumbai in the first week of March. Later, he came to Bengaluru and worked for a day out of his office. The government is trying to trace all the people who came in contact with him. With the Kalaburagi native testing positive, the number of cases in India have risen to 79. Earlier on Thursday evening, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced two new cases in Kerala and a new case was reported from Maharashtra’s Pune as well. On Wednesday evening, World Health Organisation had termed coronavirus as a ‘pandemic.’

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Trump speech sets off new alarms among public health experts

The Oval Office address only seemed to confirm their worst fears about U.S. readiness to fight coronavirus.

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Centre notifies reduction of Bannerghatta buffer zone in Bengaluru, activists irked

Environment

CM Yediyurappa on Feb 1 had written to the Union Environment Minister to do the same.

Alithea Stephanie Mounika

Soumya Chatterjee

To the disappointment of environmentalists in Bengaluru, the Centre has notified the reduction of the eco sensitive zone (ESZ), commonly known as a buffer zone, for the Bannerghatta National Park, by 100 sq km. With this, many parts of the land surrounding the national park will be open to activities such as mining, large scale felling of trees and all sorts of commercial activities which environmental activists believe are detrimental to wildlife and green cover. The gazette notification was published on Wednesday after Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on February 1 had written to the Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar to do the same, citing that the status quo was hurting developmental activities. Incidentally, apart from known environmentalists, three BJP MPs (Member of Parliaments) -- PC Mohan, Tejasvi Surya and Rajeev Chandrasekhar -- had also publicly objected to this reduction. In fact, Rajeev Chandrasekhar had written to the CM to change his mind on the issue in a letter dated February 29. Reacting to this, Bhanu Prakash, co-ordinator of Bannerghatta Eco Conservation Trust, said they will contest the notification in the Supreme Court. Incidentally, he had moved the Karnataka High Court in 2018 to stop illegal mining activities in contravention to the ecological norms. The case is still undertrial and will be heard again in April. Read: Despite outrage, K’taka CM asks Centre to reduce buffer zone of Bannerghatta Park Vijay Nishanth, an urban conservationist based in Bengaluru criticised the BJP for this move. An online petition started by him calling for the status quo got more than 38,000 signatures. He said, “This exposes the moral bankruptcy of the BJP government which is in power at both the Centre and the state. They are hypocrites and have double standards when they are in power. Why should they bring this notification within three days of issuing the draft notification? How come the government is suddenly so efficient? It is nothing but abuse of power to make money, whether it is for real estate or for illegal mining." “This reduction will affect the biodiversity and turn Bengaluru into a heat island and turn it into ruins. Where will the rural people, tribals, and all the creatures living in the forest go?” he asked. At least three detailed studies have advocated for the conservation of the buffer zone in the interest of conserving wildlife, water sources, and reducing man-animal conflicts.  Read: B’luru activists demand retention of eco-sensitive zone for Bannerghatta National Park

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Schools in Bengaluru told to suspend classes, finish exams from class 7 to 9 by March 23

The government had already cancelled exams for classes 1 to 6.

TNM Staff

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Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar directed schools in Bengaluru to suspend classes immediately as a measure to contain the spread of coronavirus. Schools have also been asked to complete examinations from class 7 to class 9 by March 23. The board exams for class 10 will be held as usual. Suresh Kumar stated that schools in Bengaluru Rural and Bengaluru Urban should declare study leave for students of classes seven to ten and only ask them to come to schools for examinations.   The government had already cancelled exams for classes 1 to 6. These students will be promoted based on their scores in formative assessment.   The minister stated that the summer vacation for students of classes one to six will begin on Friday.   Meanwhile, a fifth person has tested positive for coronavirus in Bengaluru. The 26-year-old who is from Mumbai had glown from Greece to Mumbai. Later, he travelled from Mumbai to Bengaluru on March 8. On March 9, he went to his office. Though there are 154 employees in the office, he was in close contact with only 4 people in office. His brother, who he was living with in Bengaluru, is also under observation. 

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The coronavirus screening process in Bengaluru: A first person account

Coronavirus

This journalist contacted health officials in Bengaluru after she had some symptoms – this is the process followed before she was told she did not need a test.

Dr Nimeshika Jayachandran

After falling ill with a mild fever, cough and cold last week, this reporter turned to the Karnataka state’s helpline number (104) to determine whether testing would be required. It had been two weeks since I had met a friend who had recently returned to India after traveling abroad. Neither she nor anyone else she was in touch with had reported any illness. However, as a precautionary measure, I decided to turn to the helpline to figure out what I needed to do next. After collecting some basic information like my name, age etc, they proceeded to ask me if I had a general query or a specific health-related concern. My call was then transferred to another individual who took note of my symptoms and asked about relevant history (contact, travel etc). The helpline official took note of the fact that I had a fever and cough, both concerning symptoms, and asked me to visit a doctor who would then be able to determine, based on an examination, whether testing is required. Moments later, I received a message directing me to a government hospital along with a registration number. Doctors at the hospital examined those with symptoms and determined based on their history and examination, whether it is required for them to be tested. Any patient with severe acute respiratory infection, without any other known cause, who has a history of travel, or is a health worker, or has been in contact with a COVID-19 patient, is immediately considered as someone who could have the virus, and is given a test. At the far end of the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD) campus, a small area has been cordoned off and marked solely to cater to those coming to get themselves tested for coronavirus disease. At the entrance to this area is a security guard armed with masks for visitors and a spray bottle of sanitizer. Doctors seated at a clinical area setup speak to the different people who have come with the fear of having been infected with the coronavirus. Most of the people have flocked there in fear, with a handful at risk of having been exposed to the virus following travelling abroad. If someone meets the criteria, they are tested, while others are sent back to the general clinic (Outpatient Department) and made to undergo tests there. While testing can only be done at the National Institute of Virology’s field unit in Bengaluru or at the lab facility at Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI), examination of individuals is happening in government hospitals across the state. Importantly, not everyone can demand to get tested. Though some individuals may show relevant symptoms, they may not necessarily need to be tested. In my case, the doctors stated that my symptoms may not be indicative of the coronavirus infection. I was asked to do some basic tests, including a chest x-ray, and was prescribed some medication for fever and cold. I was also advised to come back if the fever persisted. If the doctors have reason to believe that an individual has likely contracted COVID-19, they will require you to be admitted for further observation to the isolation ward. “At this point we have no reason to test and screen every individual. All the cases reported in India have either had travel or contact history, and this seems to be the group that is at risk the most. Therefore contact tracing is the most effective method,” said an ICMR source. Read: K’taka passes rules to forcibly admit anyone who refuses COVID-19 treatment

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‘Journey of reclaiming our bodies’: Bengaluru women’s play on child abuse invited to US

Theatre

‘Positively Shameless’, a play that was first performed in 2016, combines performance and therapy.

Geetika Mantri

In 2016, seven women in Bengaluru came together for a daunting, yet therapeutic project. Positively Shameless, a play on child sexual abuse performed by survivors, came into being then. At the core of this play were seven women, who wove personal narrative and social commentary into a performance. And now, four years later, the fourth iteration of Positively Shameless is set to go to the United States. The team will perform in Rotterdam at the International Community Arts Festival (ICAF), and then in New York University (NYU) under its Artists-in-Residence initiative. While they will be performing in Rotterdam on March 27 and 28, the NYU performance is scheduled on all days from April 9 to 12. Shabari Rao, who co-directed the play along with Maitri Gopalakrishna, tells TNM about their journey so far. The most significant aspect has been the therapeutic journey that performing Positively Shameless has facilitated. “A key aspect is the relationship with the body. During abuse, it is the site of violence. But when you perform, it becomes a means of expression. And in doing so, we reclaim the body… we take ownership of it again, we feel confident and good,” Shabari says. The play itself has gone through changes, too. To begin with, the core group of seven women has now reduced to five - Sharanya Iyer, Shilpa Waghmare, Sathyam AP – including Shabari and Maitri. “In 2017, a year into performing the play, the five women actors wanted to discontinue. They felt that their therapeutic journey with this iteration of the play was over, and did not think it made sense for them to continue telling their stories in the same way after a point. So, we discontinued the play,” Shabari says. “But every time we think we are done with the play, it springs back to life,” she laughs. In 2018, the group was invited to the US by the North American Association of Drama Therapists for their annual conference. At that time, some of the group came together again. A reshuffle was done to make Positively Shameless a four-person play, and to change the roles. “Although the stories were initially autobiographical, in this version, they played each other’s stories. The result was a great sense of shared empathy, a sense of connection with the other stories as well,” Shabari says. The lines between roles of director and performer were also erased as Maitri too took part in the performance while Shabari directed it. Now, when they go to the US, Shabari will be performing along with the three others and Maitri will be directing the play. “This sort of remixing of roles worked very well for us because it was done in a collaborative manner. We had to figure out how to make it work for the actors – some performances were uncomfortable for some actors, some volunteered to play some parts. So it’s been a dynamic reworking of the play,” Shabari says. It was on their 2018 stint at the US that an NYU faculty invited them to perform at the university this year. The women have also worked to make the play more relevant to the times. For instance, Shabari describes a scene where one performer asks what they (the audience) are thinking. Another actor responds saying, they are thinking that the perpetrators be taken out and shot. Another says that there should be a fast and fair trial, and they should be hanged. And the fourth person asks if the perpetrators are the only ones responsible. These references to the Disha gangrape and murder in Hyderabad, and Nirbhaya gangrape in Delhi are subtle, yet hard to miss. Ultimately, the play also looks at the complicity of the society in child sexual abuse, looking at it from a social standpoint. While the women are excited to go to the US, there is some uncertainty given the coronavirus outbreak. So far, however, cancellations have not been made by the organisers. If you are in Bengaluru, Positively Shameless will also be performed on March 14 and 15 at the Shoonya Centre for Performing Arts in the city at 6 pm and 4 pm respectively. Tickets can be bought on Instamojo or BookMyShow.

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Bengaluru cop accused of acting as informer to don Ravi Pujari, police launch probe

Crime

Upon his interrogation, Ravi Pujari allegedly revealed that the Inspector, attached to the CCB, acted as an informer for him in exchange for money.

TNM Staff

The Central Crime Branch in Bengaluru on Thursday launched a probe into one of its inspectors for allegedly aiding dreaded underworld don Ravi Pujari, who was arrested and brought to Bengaluru on February 24. The inspector in question has been transferred.  Upon his interrogation, Ravi Pujari allegedly revealed that the Inspector, who was attached to the Central Crime Branch, acted as an informer for him in exchange for money.  Investigators say that Ravi Pujari told them that the Inspector was passing on crucial information regarding the state police’s probe against him. “Ravi Pujari claims that the Inspector acted as the informer, who tipped him off about whether the police were closing in on him or not. Pujari also said that the inspector helped another don Bannanje Raja several years ago. He has also submitted some evidence. We are in the process of verifying his claims and the veracity of the alleged evidence,” a senior police official said.  Speaking to the media, Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao said, “An underworld don was arrested and brought back from Senegal last month. Investigation into Ravi Pujari has revealed information into one of our officers as well. We have transferred him in order to conduct a fair inquiry and ensure he does not interfere in the investigation.”  Commissioner Bhaskar Rao further stated that a report regarding his alleged involvement with Ravi Pujari has been submitted to the Director General and Inspector General of Police Praveen Sood. “We have asked his permission to continue the probe into the Inspector. He has been transferred out of the Central Crime Branch until Ravi Pujari’s statement about his involvement is probed properly. Action will be taken if it is found that any one was working against the interests of the nation,” Bhaskar Rao added.  The Inspector has currently been transferred to the VVIP security department.  Ravi Pujari has been named in around 100 cases in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat. Once a close associate of underworld don in Mumbai -- Chhota Rajan, Pujari operated out of Mumbai during the ‘90s. After he was arrested in Senegal in January 2019, he claimed that his name is Anthony Gonsalves and had also produced a fake Senegalese passport to the court. However, the police, who had Pujari’s DNA samples were able to extradite him. He was brought back to India on February 24 and the police have been interrogating him ever since.   

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