The president and vice president offered vague assurances after Democrats ripped Trump's refusal to reopen Obamacare enrollment.
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Chinese county goes into coronavirus lockdown amid fear of second wave
Authorities order residents of Jia county to stay home after reports of cases linked to the area’s hospital.
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Wednesday, April 1, 2020
'Walk to grocery shops, do not go everyday', Bengaluru Police Commissioner
Over 6800 seized vehicles will be released only after 14 April, Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao said.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao reiterated that two-wheeler and four-wheeler vehicles that ply on the city's roads will be seized during the lockdown period imposed following the outbreak of coronavirus in the country. "I am telling citizens to walk to grocery stores or limit your needs. There is no need for(them) to roam around in vehicles," Bhaskar Rao said on Wednesday after an announcement was made about restrictions on the use of vehicles even to buy grocery. "This is not the time to do grocery shopping. We have given enough time for you to use vehicles and go to shops and buy. Do not go everyday to your shop for groceries. I have commanded the police under my control to impound two- wheelers and four-wheelers moving around aimlessly and which are proving to be a hindrance in enforcing lockdown," Bhaskar Rao added. According to the Commissioner, 6852 vehicles were seized in Bengaluru until Wednesday night. This includes 6321 two-wheelers, 227 three-wheelers and 304 four-wheelers. The vehicles will be released only after 14 April. "We are planning to issue 200 medical emergency passes per police station which can be collected and returned on a daily basis," added Bhaskar Rao. Earlier in the day, Praveen Sood, Director General & inspector general of police of Karnataka, posted on Twitter that the state police will stop vehicles found roaming outside for flimsy reasons. "This is not an April Fool's prank. Two/ four wheelers are banned from use till the 14th of April. We will SEIZE your vehicle if you CEASE to ignore this lockdown regulation," said a tweet by the DGP. This is not an April Fool's prank. Two/ four wheelers are banned from use till the 14th of April. We will SEIZE your vehicle if you CEASE to ignore this lockdown regulation. — DGP KARNATAKA (@DgpKarnataka) April 1, 2020 In Bengaluru, groceries are allowed to be open through out the day but police officials are restricting people from using their vehicles. However, vehicles will be allowed to ply for emergencies.
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COVID-19: K’taka Edu Dept reiterates schools can’t ask for advance fees
Private school managements say that they depend on the monthly fees to pay their staff.
In wake of complaints that some private schools in Bengaluru are demanding fees for the next academic year in advance, amidst the COVID-19 lakdown, the Education Department in Karnataka has issued a strict warning. This circular comes even though the state government had already asked schools to wait till the current crisis is over through a circular issued last week. The circular issued on March 30 by the Department of Public Instruction reiterated, “All Government/Aided/Unaided institutions were instructed to postpone the admission process of students for the academic year 2020-21 until further orders through this office circular even number dated 24.03.2020.” The circular said that despite the earlier order, it had come to the department’s notice that some private institutions are sending letters, emails and SMSes to parents, insisting on payment for the months of April and May. The department warned that the it will initiate criminal cases against erring school managements as per the provision of section (3) of Epidemic Disease Act 1897 Disaster Management Act, Section 188 of the IPC and stringent action will be initiated for the withdrawal of recognition of the concerned school as per the provision of Karnataka Education Act. In response to this directive, school managements have said not all schools have enough resources to pay their staff without the school fees. To this effect, they have also written a letter to the Chief Secretary. “Most schools, especially ‘budget schools’ are dependent on monthly fees collection,” said Shashi Kumar, principal of Blossoms School and General Secretary of Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka. “As it is, 15-20% of parents fail to pay the fees. Usually, there are some parents who would pay these arrears before the final exams, which is a bad practice, but it exists. Apart from this the government owes the schools Rs 1,200-1,300 crore in RTE (Right to Education) fee reimbursements. Mostly 90% of the schools charge Rs 30,000-40,000 maximum and these schools are mostly state boards and these schools have all types of staff from teachers, drivers, attenders – so how are we supposed to pay their salaries?” he asked. He added, “When you (government) already owe us Rs 1,200 crore plus, why are you administering us when you are the regulator? Yes there are some bad sheep in the fraternity, but why are you punishing us all? And we have not been given any comforts with regards to our bills or loans. At least people who can pay, let them pay, and if people have difficulty let them ask us.” Other than the issue of fees, there have also been reports of some school managements curtailing non-essential staff from their payrolls. While there have been cases of schools terminating bus drivers and allied staff, some teaching staff have also been asked to leave. This is also a violation of the government's order asking employers not to terminate or delay/curtail wages of employees during the ongoing crisis.
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‘Wish we got paid leave’: Without work, Bengaluru’s domestic workers are struggling
Several women who work as domestic workers in Bengaluru are struggling to buy ration and do not have the privilege of maintaining social distancing in times of a pandemic.
Representation photo
Renuka Devi, who lives in Bengaluru, is staring at an uncertain future. For the next two weeks of the lockdown, the 32-year-old, who works as domestic help, is not going to get her monthly salary. Renuka works in multiple households to earn enough to run and manage her household. With the lockdown, several of her employers have refused to pay her and she is struggling to sustain her livelihood. Just like many women across India, who work as domestic helps, Renuka too is struggling to buy ration and does not have the privilege of social distancing in times of a pandemic. “I work in six homes and of them, one of my employers is paying me during leave and the others have stopped paying me because I am not working. I have only Rs 4,000 to manage for the whole month as my employers have paid me only for the first week of March, after which they asked me to stay at home,” says Renuka Devi, who is also a resident of Bengaluru’s Murgeshpalya. Speaking to TNM, Geeta Menon, who is a member of Stree Jagruthi Samiti, an organization that helps domestic workers, says she has received many calls from concerned domestic helps. “In many areas, these women have been asked to come to work. When they refused, they were terminated from employment. Many of them have concerns about whether they can go to work if certain safety measures are taken. Domestic workers are not legally recognized as a labour force. Hence, even governments can’t implement mandatory paid leave,” she adds. Geeta also received calls from concerned workers whose employers had come back from countries abroad and still asked them to come to work. “Some of them have had to tell their employers that it is unsafe. They are aware but those employing them have no qualms about putting them at risk. A paid leave is something they need the most,” she says. Struggle to pay rent Renuka says that her employers are mostly men who work in IT companies and live in the GM Palya and Thippasandra. “When they told me to stop coming to work, they said I won’t be paid because I will be on leave. I could not say anything because I know I can’t ask for payment when I am not working. But I am struggling to arrange for funds to pay my rent this month (April),” Renuka adds. Jayalakshmi, a 42-year-old resident of a GM Palya, works in seven households in Indiranagar and New Thippasandra. Jayalakshmi had taken a loan of Rs 1 lakh when her daughter became pregnant. Jayalakshmi had borrowed money from a local money lender. In addition, she began taking on more work to pay off the loans and also sustain a livelihood. Jayalakshmi’s husband abandoned her 21 years ago and now, she says she has no one to turn to. “Now I am getting only Rs 2,000 from one of my employers. The other households are not paying me for the days I was not working because of the lockdown. I live in a small room and the rent is Rs 3,000. I have to pay the rent and also pay the interest on the loan I took. I don’t know how I’m going to without a job or pay,” Jayalakshmi adds. "How to manage housing, ration?" Meenakshiamma, a resident of Kalyan Nagar, says her employers pay her at the beginning of the month. Due to this payment cycle, she does not have money for ration and rent for April. Now, she has been asked to vacate the 20ftx20ft room that she lives in along with her mother, as the owner of the house wants to demolish the structure. “Because of the disease that’s been spreading, the owner told us that the small rooms were unhygienic. We keep our homes clean but we can’t help it if the drain is right next to our house. Now I have to look for a place to stay in one week because the owner thinks we are unhygienic and can spread the infection. Without any salary, how can I pay the deposit for a new house, let along pay rent and buy ration?” she asks. Meenakshiamma and her mother have been depending on the food packets from Indira Canteens. However, she says that losing her house during the lockdown would be difficult. “I have asked the landowner to consider evicting us after the lockdown is lifted since he can’t demolish the structure until all services are open. We are hoping he will consider our request,” she adds. Like Meenakshiamma, Shifa, a 36-year-old domestic help, whose employers live in Frazer Town, says that many of her employers told her to stop coming to work altogether even after the lockdown period is over. “I charge Rs 3,000 to 4,000 per household depending on how big it is. I lived Shivajinagar earlier but a week before the lockdown, we moved to RT Nagar. I told them about the shift. Initially, all of them said they would pay me but on Sunday three of my employers told me to stop coming to work even after the lockdown,” Shifa says. Shifa lives with her three daughters as her husband passed away three years ago. Without the guarantee of the income, she is now facing the risk of getting evicted from the new home she moved into. “I don’t know how I am going to buy ration. My oldest daughter has asthma. She is also prone to falling sick. I don’t have much savings since my husband died and we depend on my income for ration. I am worried about this all day. I wish my employers were more considerate and gave me paid leave,” she added. “What social distancing?” Meenakshiamma and Jayalakshmi scoff at the term social distancing. Both women say they have heard it so many times and know that they cannot afford it, that it seems like an insult when asked to maintain social distancing. "We live in houses that are smaller than our employers' bedrooms. We have our family members living with us. Some of us have children. So many people in my area live in crowded houses. What is this social distancing? How can these people be so insensitive towards us? Are we not human beings? How can we buy detergent, soap, handwash and some new liquid to clean hands (hand sanitiser) without money?" Meenakshiamma questioned. Jayalakshmi too says that unless her employers are willing to let her live in their homes, there is no way she could maintain social distancing. "Let the government provide us with facilities where we don't have to live in a cramped space. Then we can maintain social distancing. By constantly talking about it, it is only reinforced that I cannot even afford to protect myself. What should I do?" she asks. What can employers do? Speaking to TNM, Harini Raghavan, co-founder of Multiversal Advisory, says that paying domestic helps during the lockdown is of utmost importance and their employers must also take on the responsibility of ensuring the same. It has been mentioned time and again that people from low-income backgrounds do not have the privilege of social distancing and deducting their pay or terminating their employment during a lockdown is doubly cruel. "In fact, we are asking people to pay their domestic workers in a lump sum so that they can access better facilities related to hygiene. Social distancing is a challenge but by creating awareness, our house helps can also understand what to do and what not to do. This is very crucial," she said. Harini says that although, many residents have given their domestic helps paid leave, there are still a lot of them who don't, which is why she decided to start an awareness campaign. “Multiversal Advisory set up this campaign to help household help to gain access a few basic rights in the time of a lockdown, like social distancing, job security and remuneration. We are appealing to the corporate fraternity since this demographic has the highest impact and would best relate to this initiative, to take it back home, to friends, etc,” Harini adds. “This is a social conditioning exercise. Unfortunately, there is no law in the country that makes any of this compulsory. So, talking about it and creating awareness becomes primordial. Working with the corporation and issuing an advisory would be next on the agenda,” she says. She has started a petition on change.org and plans to create awareness campaigns targeting employees in the corporate sector. “Employers should tell their domestic helps and create awareness about how they can keep themselves safe during the lockdown. They should not cut their pay or reduce it. It’s a basic necessity,” she concludes. Demand for government intervention Geeta Menon says that on behalf of the organisation Stree Jagruthi Samiti, she has sent a petition to the Labour Department asking them to issue an advisory to the employers of domestic workers. “We sent the petition two weeks ago. We want the government to issue an advisory or a directive asking employers to pay domestic helps. So many of them are worried about whether they will have jobs after the lockdown too. There are concerns about safety and security, which is why many of them want to go back to their home towns. The labour department is also busy with organizing aide for migrant workers but this should also be prioritized,” she adds. Karnataka helpline numbers: 9745697456, 080-46848600, 080-66692000 & 104 Arogya Sahayavani Tamil Nadu helpline number: 04429510500, email: ncov2019@gmail.com Telangana and Andhra Pradesh helplines: 104 for health, 108 for ambulance and 100 for police Kerala helplines: 0471-2309250 0471-2309251 0471-2309252 * Name changed
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200 people from Karnataka who attended Jamaat meeting, traced and quarantined
The Karnataka government has called upon those who attended the Jamaat conference to report to the government as they are at risk of infection.
200 of the 342 people from Karnataka who attended the Tablighi Jamaat conference in New Delhi have been traced, state Health Minister B Sriramulu said on Wednesday. They have since been quarantined. The Minister added that the remaining 142 people who had attended the meeting would be traced in short order. The Minister said that of the 200 identified, four were from Bengaluru, five were from Belgaum and two from Ballari. The rest hail from other districts in Karnataka. ದೆಹಲಿಯ ಬಾಂಗ್ಲಾವಲಿಯ ನಿಜಾಮುದ್ದೀನ್ ಜಮಾತ್ ಮಸೀದಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆದ ಪ್ರಾರ್ಥನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾಗವಹಿಸಿದ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಮೂಲದ 342 ಜನರಲ್ಲಿ, ಈಗ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿಂದ 4 ಹಾಗೂ ಬೆಳಗಾವಿ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಯಿಂದ 5 ಜನರನ್ನು ಸೇರಿ ಒಟ್ಟು 200 ಜನರನ್ನು Quarantine ಮಾಡಲಾಗಿದೆ. ಉಳಿದವರನ್ನು ಶೀಘ್ರವೇ ಗುರುತಿಸುವ ಕಾರ್ಯ ನಡೆದಿದೆ — B Sriramulu (@sriramulubjp) April 1, 2020 Pankaj Pandey, Commissioner of Health and Food Safety, called upon those who had attended the conference to report to the government as they are at risk of infection. They have been asked to contact 080-29711171. A Kind Appeal to Tablighi Jamaat Brothers! Anyone who has attended Nizamuddin Tablighi Markaz at Delhi between 8th-20th March 2020 might be at the risk of COVID19 Infection. You are requested to contact us on 080-29711171@CMofKarnataka @PIBBengaluru @ITBTGoK @KarnatakaVarthe pic.twitter.com/WK87zBYfyk — Pankaj Pandey (@PankajPande_IAS) March 31, 2020 People who travelled in trains that were used by two conference participants who later tested positive for the virus from Ballari district have also been asked to contact the Health Department helpline. These are the Jan Shatabdi Express— train number 12080— from the Davangere railway station to Bengaluru City railway station on March 16 (Coach D3 Seat 39 and 40) and the Hospet passenger— train number 56909— from Bengaluru City railway station to Hosapete railway station on March 18 (Coach S1, Seat No 70 and 72). The numbers to contact are: 104 or 080-46848600 or 080-66692000. Immediate Attention! Travel History of COVID19 positive cases of Bellary District (P89 & P90). Anybody who were their co-passengers in the below mentioned trains immediately contact Health Dept. Helpline 104/ 080- 46848600 or 08066692000@CMofKarnataka @KarnatakaVarthe pic.twitter.com/u0nSWx63wW — Pankaj Pandey (@PankajPande_IAS) March 31, 2020 On Monday, it emerged that a conference of Islamic preachers in New Delhi between March 8 and 10 had been the common link to many of the COVID-19 cases reported in Telangana and Tamil Nadu, including those of foreign nationals from Thailand. The conference by the Tablighi Jamaat was held at a mosque in Nizamuddin, New Delhi. As of April 1, there have been 105 cases of the coronavirus in Karnataka. So far, there have been three deaths reported in the state. Meanwhile, nine people who had previously tested positive for coronavirus have been discharged after they recovered, and their tests came back twice as negative. A new cluster of cases have been reported in Mysuru district's Nanjangud. A man working in the Quality Assessment department of a pharmaceutical company tested positive, and shortly afterwards, several of his colleagues also tested positive for COVID-19. The government is yet to find the source of infection. Those who are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 are instructed to contact their respective state government helplines, set up specifically for the coronavirus pandemic. They can take further assistance from there. Karnataka helpline numbers: 9745697456, 080-46848600, 080-66692000 & 104 Arogya Sahayavani Tamil Nadu helpline number: 04429510500, email: ncov2019@gmail.com Telangana and Andhra Pradesh helplines: 104 for health, 108 for ambulance and 100 for police Kerala helplines: 0471-2309250 0471-2309251 0471-2309252
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‘Confident that we’ll come out of this crisis’: Uttara Kannada DC Harish Kumar to TNM
The DC speaks to TNM after the eighth case of coronavirus was confirmed in the district on Tuesday.
Uttara Kannada DC Harish Kumar (pictured right)
On Tuesday, a fresh case of COVID-19 was reported in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, taking the total number of cases in the district to 8. Karnataka has reported over 100 cases in total till date, including the three deaths. The first signs of trouble in Uttara Kannada district emerged on March 19, when a 22-year-old man from Bhatkal, arriving from Dubai, landed at the Mangaluru International Airport. After he was screened at the airport, a decision was taken to isolate him at the Wenlock District Hospital in Mangaluru. “In a discussion with the Dakshina Kannada district administration, I informed them to isolate the man in a government hospital,” Uttara Kannada Deputy Commissioner (DC) Harish Kumar tells TNM. He tested positive for coronavirus three days later on March 22. By then, protocols had been initiated in Uttara Kannada district to take precautions against the possible spread of the virus. “Even though the first case in Uttara Kannada never set foot in the district after contracting the virus, we decided to initiate the protocols on the day the case emerged,” says Harish Kumar. Since then, eight people from Uttara Kannada have tested positive for COVID-19 including the family of a man who returned from Dubai via Mumbai. While seven patients are isolated in a hospital in Uttara Kannada, one patient is currently isolated in a hospital in Bhatkal. In a conversation with TNM, the DC talks about the challenges facing the district and its preparedness against the spread of coronavirus. Since Uttara Kannada district has many areas frequented by foreign tourists, what were the precautionary measures taken in the district? Since the first few cases of coronavirus in India were known in February itself, we decided to survey the foreign citizens staying in the district. We found that there are more than 500 foreign citizens staying here and this is due to popular tourist spots like Gokarna and Mundgod, and the proximity of the district to Goa. We conducted door to door surveys to collect information about foreign citizens starting March 7 itself. In Gokarna, even though there is a significant number of foreign citizens, they are not recent travellers and were here for the last 2-3 months. Even in Mundgod, the population of Tibetan refugees had travelled within the country up to Dharamshala and not to Tibet. What about Indian residents who had recently returned from abroad? We enlisted ASHA workers and anganwadi teachers to collect information about residents in the district who had returned from a foreign country. We were able to find as many as 1,500 people through this method and we asked each of them to strictly be at home. What about providing protective equipment fr ASHA workers? They were provided with masks but it has run out and we need to replace them. Since ASHA workers are collecting information, they have been asked to maintain sufficient distance while speaking to people. An ASHA worker collects information from a resident in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. What was the reaction after the first case emerged on March 22? It was not a surprise to us. We had informed the Dakshina Kannada DC to isolate this person when he arrived on March 19 at the Mangaluru International Airport. Even though the first positive case in Uttara Kannada never set foot in the district after contracting the virus, we decided to initiate the protocols on the day the case emerged Has any area been identified as a containment zone? We have identified a cluster in Bhatkal. The population density here is high and there are many foreign-returned residents. In this place, everything is seen with the lens of a communal angle, but so far we are managing the situation. We have imposed a health emergency in Bhatkal and imposed stringent lockdown measures. We have initiated doorstep delivery of essentials and healthcare facilities and we have also set up helpline members for the public to call the control room. The helpline numbers are - 1077 and 08382-229857. Helpline numbers for towns in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. What about the migrant workforce in the district? We have managed to convince employers to shelter their workforce for now. There were issues when migrant workers from north Karnataka working in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada tried to travel through our district. We have managed to stop and shelter most of them in Udupi itself while a few are staying in government hostels in our district. There were reports of people crowding at the Goa border since it was sealed. Uttara Kannada has many workers, especially fishermen, who work in Goa. Did this cause an issue? Yes, there was an issue of workers in Goa returning to their homes in our district. At this time, they wanted to stay at home and did not make use of the facilities provided by the Goa government. We are in constant touch with the administration in Goa to ensure that there is no further movement of people. You are not only fighting the spread of coronavirus but also fighting against the spread of fake news and rumours reported about the disease. There was a report which falsely claimed Muslim youths in Karnataka refuse coronavirus testing for “religious reasons.” How are you managing this situation? We immediately clarified that there was no such incident of people refusing to be tested for religious reasons in the district as reported by Public TV on March 14. It was the anchor who made the mistake in this case. There was another news item reported that a person who was quarantined in a government hospital had escaped. This is false and the person came with a complaint of sore throat but he was checked and the doctor had decided that it was not related to coronavirus. District officials in Uttara Kannada conducting a meeting. Are there any more steps planned? District administrations are worried about arranging basic infrastructure and facilities to people because they are distressed. But we should keep in mind that this is a public health issue. We need to monitor people with fever symptoms and carry out drives to periodically keep a check on people who have returned to the district from abroad. Anyone reporting symptoms will be checked at fever clinics set up in the district. What about the lockdown measures implemented in the district? Over the next two weeks, we will be able to ascertain whether the lockdown needs to continue. In Bhatkal, we will continue to maintain strict vigil. We are confident that we will come out of this crisis.
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