Five more COVID-19 patients in Karnataka take state count up to 38

Coronavirus

The police said that 50 squads have been formed to monitor persons under home quarantine and so far 3 cases of people violating home quarantine have been reported.

TNM Staff

Representation photo

Five news cases of COVID-19 were reported in Karnataka taking the state’s tally of positive cases to 38. According to the Karnataka Health Department three of the cases in Karnataka were of people who were travelling from Dubai to Kerala via Karnataka. A 32-year-old resident of Kasaragod in Kerala was tested positive. He had a travel history to Dubai and arrived in Mangaluru on March 20. He was quarantined at the Mangaluru International Airport and is currently under isolation at a hospital in the city. A 40-year man and a resident of Uttara Kannada district was tested positive on Tuesday. He too had travelled to Dubai and arrived in India on March 21. He has been isolated and is being treated in Uttara Kannada district. Another traveller to return from Dubai is a 65-years-old man who arrived in Mumbai on March 18 and travelled to Uttara Kannada via train. He has been isolated at a hospital in the district.  A 56-year-old woman and resident of Chikkaballapura, also tested positive. She is the co-passenger of patient number 19 and 22. These were passengers who travelled from Mecca in Saudi Arabia and later to Chikkaballapura. The 56-year-old woman travelled from Saudi Arabia to Hyderabad on march 14. She has been isolated at the district hospital in Chikkaballapura.  In Bengaluru, another 56-year-old woman who came into contact with patient number 13 -- the 25-year-old woman who travelled from Spain to Bengaluru -- was also found to be positive for the virus.  The Health Department has also set up 50 home quarantine surveillance squads in Bangalore Urban, Bengaluru Rural and within Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike limits to monitor those under home quarantine.  The squad will comprise a driver with a private vehicle, one Ayush Doctor, and a police officer with wireless phone, and will be stationed at the local police stations. The members of the squads have been given personal protection equipment, and will be managed by Deputy Commissioner of Police Isha Pant.  The squad’s phones will be linked to the health helpline and police helpline numbers. As and when they receive complaints of individuals in home quarantine stepping out, they will be intimated. The squad will then pick up violators and send them to a government quarantine centre. The Ayush Doctor will file a complaint and an FIR will be registered against the violator.  “So far 3 persons, who violated the home quarantine advice have been apprehended and isolated. The details are a woman found roaming around in Lakshmidevamma Block, two people who returned from Australia and were living in Ulsoor. They have been escorted to the designated home quarantine facility,” the health department said in a release.  The Chief Secretary of Karnataka, Vijay Bhaskar on Monday announced a lockdown of the entire state. Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) has been imposed in Bengaluru. Grocery shops and those establishments selling essential commodities can remain open, while the rest have been ordered to shut down.  Take away from restaurants has been banned. However, online food orders via food delivery apps can be accepted by restaurants.   

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COVID-19: Ensure hygiene, ration and financial security for us, sanitation workers write to PM

Coronavirus

In a letter to the PM, the Alliance of Indian Wastepickers (AIW) have asked him to ensure their safety as they are the first lines of defence against the spread of the disease.

Soumya Chatterjee

In an appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a coalition of organisations of waste pickers and sanitation workers has reiterated their demand for guarantee of basic hygiene facilities and income in wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The letter, by the Alliance of Indian Wastepickers (AIW) asks the PM to ensure their safety as they are the first lines of defence against the spread of the disease, and presents a list of 7 demands made by the workers.  This includes a basic emergency monthly income of Rs 10,000 for every household, rations, and compensation to their families, such as that given to victims of rail accidents, in case of fatality related to COVID-19. AIW is a coalition of organisations that represent waste pickers and sanitation workers from 10 states across the country, and has more than 45,000 members. They said, “We the members of the Alliance of Indian Wastepickers, welcome your address to the nation given on 19th March 2020, where you called sanitation workers defenders of the nation. For earning our livelihood, we waste-pickers and informal waste collectors have been keeping our cities and towns clean. In the times of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are working diligently. Even though the prices of the commodities i.e. waste paper, plastic, cardboard, junk and metal have gone down significantly, we have not left our work.” “As defenders, we are equally vulnerable to contracting the disease ourselves. Due to the nature of the work, many of our colleagues -- waste-pickers and informal waste collectors -- have low immunity. We earn our livelihood on a day to day basis, this does not leave us with the luxury of working from home. In the times of pandemic, when we must wash our hands with soaps but we do not have access to regular and clean water,” they demanded.  The seven demands of the associations have been reproduced below: 1. Provisioning occupational safety gears - good quality masks, gloves, towels, shoes to all the waste-pickers and informal waste collectors. All urban and rural local bodies, resident and apartment welfare associations should be directed to make them available at all times.  2. All urban and rural local bodies, as well as resident and apartment welfare associations, should be asked to make necessary arrangements for waste-pickers and informal waste collectors to wash their hands. The provision of sanitisers for workers where washing of hands is not possible must be made mandatory.  3. With the waste material markets collapsing across the country, there has been a loss of income. We request that all waste-pickers and informal waste collectors be given emergency basic income of INR 10,000 per month per household.  4. Similarly, ration (including grains, soap/hand sanitizer, oil, sugar and salt) which can sustain the waste-pickers and informal waste collectors and their families and all residents of the slums and other informal settlements, for the next three months should be given immediately, without the requirement of biometrics via the Public Distribution System. The government must take action against the price rise of essential commodities, food items and medicines. 5. The settlements of waste-pickers and informal waste collectors are densely populated and the residents highly vulnerable to the spread of COVID-19, we strongly recommend that the government should arrange regular health camps for screening and medication purposes in all the slums and other informal settlements.  6. There must be an immediate suspension of all eviction, demolitions and urgent regularisation of all our settlements. Measures should be taken for providing clean water, electricity and sanitation in our settlements. Charges for using public toilets and urinals should be removed and the toilets and urinals are cleaned regularly. They should be equipped with soaps, refilled every day by the local bodies, or resident/apartment complexes.  7. In case of fatality related to COVID-19, the compensation similar to the one is given for rail accident casualties or for the onsite death of a construction worker or INR 10,00,000 should be given to next of kin as demanded by many informal (unorganised) workers unions.

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In many Bengaluru areas, police force grocery stores, water supply units to shut

Coronavirus

Residents say that the police were also beating them up after being seen at grocery stores.

Theja Ram

Representation photo

Several residents of Bengaluru city have complained that police personnel, deployed to enforce the lockdown, have been shutting down grocery stores and drinking water units. This, despite the Karnataka Chief Secretary Vijay Bhaskar issuing an order that clearly said that grocery stores are essential services that will be allowed to operate. Speaking to TNM, a grocer who owns Tiny Super Store in Jeevan Bhima Nagar, said that he decided to shut down the entire store as supplies were not coming in. He also said that the police had shut down the local water-filling units in the area, due to which water cans were unavailable.  Manju, owner of the Manju Mineral Water Supply unit near HAL said that the police had asked him to shut down due to the lockdown. “When I told him that essential services could be open, he said more than five people come to my outlet for filling water and hence we should shut down. They threatened to arrest us,” Manju said.  Water supply units including Bisleri filling stations in Bengaluru say that in many areas, the police shut down the outlets at around 11 am on Tuesday, stating that all commercial establishments were to be shut. Pooja Rustum, a program manager and resident of Indiranagar, told TNM that she ordered for a can of water from her local grocer on Monday evening. She waited for two hours and called him back only to find that the grocer refused delivery. “When I asked him why, he told me that the police had chased the delivery man away. He went back to the store. He also said they were closed for home deliveries and that the Swiggy and Dunzo persons could come and pick up the items,” Pooja said.  If you are performing Essential Duties as per Government Order then: 1 travel in company vehicle with Logo 2.wear company Uniform 3 Carry ID — Bhaskar Rao IPS (@deepolice12) March 24, 2020 Though the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary said that residents can step out to buy essentials, there have been reports of police misbehaving with people on the roads. A resident of New Thippasandra, Harishekar, a 27-year-old techie, went out to buy water as he had run out. The grocery stores near his house have been shut down.  “I went all the way past BEML Gate to buy a water can. When I was coming back, the police near Suranjan Das Road stopped me and asked why I was outside. I showed them the water can and said I had run out of water and none of the shops were within walking distance. He just started hitting my Honda Activa with the lathi and chased me away,” Harishekar said.  Police shut down grocery stores A resident of Varthur, Manohar Samuel Krishnan, who went out to buy groceries with his wife on Monday, travelled from his father’s residence in Whitefield to Varthur to buy vegetables as most of the grocery stores were shut in Whitefield. When he stopped by New Frosty’s in Thubarahalli, the store was shut and the manager told him that the police had asked them to shut down as they were not allowed to sell meat.  He went to the Frosty’s outlet in Mahadevapura, which was open. “Two policemen on a bike came in and asked me what I was doing. I told them I was buying meat. The policeman told me that I am not supposed to be buying meat. They shut down the store. We just went home,” Manohar said.  Residents of Domlur, said that the grocers and vegetable vendors near the Venkateshwara Temple in the area were forcibly shut down by the police on Tuesday morning. Police personnel allegedly started beating up people, who went to buy groceries outside the shops located near New Shathi Sagar Hotel.  “They took the lathi and just started hitting near the shop counters and forcing them to shut down. When I asked them why they were doing that they hit my legs with the lathi and started chasing me. The government is asking us not to hoard groceries and when we go to buy it, they beat us up. What are we supposed to do?” a resident of Domlur questioned.  A resident of Whitefield said that the police also shut down Unique Hyper Market in Balagere Main Road in Varthur. Police turning away supply trucks? With Bengaluru’s borders closed off, the state government on Monday issued an order that only goods and vehicles supplying essential commodities can enter the city’s limits. However, the police have allegedly been turning away supply trucks.  According to Sumeet Kaur, Founder of Spudnik Farms, which delivers groceries to people’s homes in the city, the police sent back their supply trucks on Tuesday morning. One of the company’s trucks was allegedly stopped in Kaggalipura on Kanakapura Road at around 7 am.  “This took place between 7-8 am in the morning. The government notification mentions that vehicles transporting essentials are exempted from the restrictions. But our trucks were going to pick up produce from farmers. One of the trucks was stopped in Kagalipura on Kanakapura Road. I spoke to the police officer in Kagalipura but they refused to allow our vehicles to pass. The police did not engage with us about it,” Sumeet said.  Another one of the company’s trucks was halted in Narasapura in Kolar. The truck was sent back to Hoskote, she said.  According to the police, only  those supply vehicles that have obtained traansit permissions from the Superintendent of Police in the said districts will be allowed to cross district borders.  What the police say An Assistant Commissioner of Police, on condition of anonymity told TNM that they were instructed to shut down all shops and use lathis if any of them were open. “We were just following orders,” he said.  Speaking to TNM, Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao however claims that he had instructed all Assistant Commissioners of Police in all subdivisions, to allow grocers and water suppliers to remain open. “I don’t know why they are shutting it down. I have clearly informed them not to shut down grocery stores. Based on complaints, I have instructed them to not enforce closure of grocery stores and water supply delivery as well. We will ensure this doesn’t happen,” he said.     

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Assembly session and meetings: No social distancing for some Karnataka politicians

Politics

Janata Curfew and lockdown of districts have forced public representatives to opt for limited social distancing but the Assembly session is ongoing on Tuesday too.

Naheed Ataulla

In the last couple of days, rush for selfies, handshakes and supporters thronging to meet Karnataka Congress leaders DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah had their personal staff worried as both reportedly brushed aside concerns expressed over observing social distancing in the backdrop of the COVID-19 cases tally rising. It required a Janata Curfew on Sunday and the Karnataka government’s decision to lockdown all 30 districts, suspend public transport and restrict movement for Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, who have been receiving public in huge numbers after they were assigned responsibilities by the Congress high command, to reflect on cutting down their interactions. “It’s very difficult to self-quarantine and maintain social distance. However, I have decided to have only small meetings from Tuesday and have asked people not to meet me till March 31. I will also be maintaining a distance while meeting people and go in for a one-on-one interaction,” Shivakumar said. He cancelled some meetings on Monday and held discussions with the state Congress unit’s media cell. Siddaramaiah, who in his inimitable style had given the go-by to precautionary measures of maintaining social distance and toured districts last week, is said to have realised the enormity of the situation. “He has started wearing a mask to the legislature session while his aides carry sanitiser. On Sunday he asked all of us to stay at home, but said it has become boring,” sources close to him said. The ongoing budget session of the Karnataka legislature has been witnessing thin attendance in both the Houses and on Monday the strength of members in the Assembly was 75 of the total 225 members. Though there have been suggestions from some members to curtail the session, which is scheduled to go on till March 31, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa turned it down saying “legislators cannot shy away from responsibilities”. Thermal screening for visitors has been set up at Vidhana Soudha and Yediyurappa’s residence. However, former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, who was known as the ‘Janata CM’ for setting aside protocol and mingling freely with the common man and gets a large number of people visiting his house before he sets out for the day, has chosen to self-quarantine himself. “I am not seeing any people and communication is only through correspondence, I’m not attending the session also. This is on the advice of my doctors as I have undergone two heart surgeries, I’m diabetic and don’t want to take any risk,” he said. For a person, who as Chief Minister popularised the Grama Vastavya (village stays), Kumaraswamy said his self-imposed quarantine was difficult in the beginning. “I am spending time reading books on pre-Independence struggle, which helped me to quote few lines from one of the books in the legislature session before I stopped attending. There is no significance in continuing the legislature session as the legislators, secretariat staff and others are being exposed to risk by sitting in the air-conditioned hall for hours together,” he maintained. The Assembly session is ongoing on Tuesday too. For now, the personal staff of Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah are a relieved lot with their leaders realising the seriousness of the situation. “Last week there were delegations of foreigners and others who had returned from overseas and came to meet Shivakumar. He had to socialise with them with hugs and photographs, and dismissed our concerns,” sources said. However, the reports of COVID-19 cases increasing everyday seem to have compelled him take some safety measures. A close aide of Shivakumar, who accompanies him everywhere, has now been asked to stay indoors and not risk exposure to the virus. “He has asked me not to accompany him for a fortnight as I’m more than 60,” he said. Naheed Ataulla is a journalist who has covered Karnataka politics for over two decades, and is a former Political Editor of The Times of India. Views expressed are the author’s own.

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Karnataka Minority Welfare Dept calls for prayers in mosques to be suspended till March 31

Coronavirus

People were urged to pray inside their homes.

TNM Staff

Modi Masjid, Bengaluru

The Minority Welfare Haj and Wakf Department in Karnataka called for a suspension of daily prayers including Jummah (Friday) prayer in mosques in the state until March 31. \ A note issued by AB Ibrahim, Secretary, Minority Welfare Haj and Wakf Department, read, "In the larger interest of public safety and to maintain health, we hereby recommend for suspension of all daily prayers including Jummah (Friday) prayers in mosques upto 31 March 2020, with immediate effect. Also to make announcements in this regard in the Masjid and surrounding areas." People were urged to pray inside their homes. "In order to avoid the spread of COVID-19 and to protect public health, congregational prayers including those offered on Friday have been suspended across all mosques in UAE, Saudi Arabia and most of the Islamic countries," added the note. Earlier on March 18, mosques were urged to cut down the prayer time to 15 minutes and avoid large congregations in the state. But now, the complete suspension of religious activities has been recommended by the Minority Welfare Department. The recommendation came after a meeting of Islamic scholars and community leaders along with officials from the Minority Welfare Department. 33 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Karnataka as of Tuesday morning. This includes the first COVID-19 linked death in India reported in Kalaburagi district of Karnataka on March 10. The Karnataka Chief Minister announced on Monday night that a lockdown will be in effect in the entire state and urged people to stop all religious activities. The lockdown, initially announced in 9 districts where COVID-19 cases were reported, was extended to the entire state. Gatherings of more than five people is restricted while public transport will be unavailable. Stores selling essential items will remain open. In Bengaluru, and other districts of Karnataka, prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) will be in place. Under these orders, gathering of more than 5 people is prohibited. 

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Fake video claims to show coronavirus patient at Mangaluru hospital

Coronavirus

Officials at Wenlock District Hospital in Mangaluru filed a complaint seeking action against those circulating the video on social media.

Prajwal Bhat

Officials at Wenlock District Hospital in Mangaluru filed a complaint with the city police seeking action against people circulating videos claiming to show a man infected with coronavirus at their hospital. In two videos, a man wearing a white shirt and pink trousers can be seen struggling to catch his breath while lying on a bed. A message along with the video claimed that the video was from the isolation ward at Wenlock District Hospital, the hospital handling cases related to COVID-19 in Mangaluru.  The video surfaced on social media on Sunday when the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Mangaluru. However, Dr Rajeshwari, Medical Superintendent of Wenlock District Hospital, refuted the claims made in the video. A doctor who works at the same hospital told TNM that the hospital does not have blue beds and that they have not treated the patient who appears in the videos. A complaint was launched at the Mangaluru South police station seeking action against those circulating the video. Mangaluru Police Commissioner PS Harsha said that a case would be registered in connection with the video. "Lot of rumour mongering is going on in connection with COVID-19. In one such case allegedly misinformation is being spread about Wenlock Hospital. Based on complaint of medical authorities a case would be registered and strict legal action will follow. Desist rumours," Harsha said in a tweet. The hospital further clarified it had eight separate rooms to treat cases of COVID-19 in the hospital. "One person is kept isolated in one room and their throat swab is collected for testing. If the tests run on him come back negative twice, they are sent home after the 14-day quarantine period is over," said a statement from a hospital official. The official clarified that the hospital was equipped to deal with cases of COVID-19, as per World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines. So far the hospital has reported one case of COVID-19, a man from Bhatkal in Uttara Kannada who landed at the Mangaluru International Airport and was isolated at the Wenlock District Hospital.      

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Trump touts New York coronavirus trials as progress against pandemic

Two clinical trials are set to begin in the state as early as this week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday morning ahead of the president's briefing.

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