The lawmakers ask why safety net providers that primarily care for the poorest and most vulnerable Americans have yet to receive targeted federal aid.
from Health Care https://ift.tt/2Mt3qKe
via IFTTT
Body 2:
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
Karnataka COVID-19 cases cross 4,000-mark, 59% linked to Maharashtra
With 111 more patients returning home following their recovery, the number of active cases in the state stands at 2,494.
Representational image
In continuation with the recent steep rise in COVID-19 cases in Karnataka, the state reported an additional 267 new cases on Wednesday which meant the state now has a total tally of 4063 cases. Among the 267 new cases reported on Wednesday, 250 travelled to Karnataka from outside the state. And among those 250, an overwhelming majority of 232 patients are returnees from Maharashtra as has been the trend for the past two weeks. With this, among the 4,063 total cases in the state, Maharashtra returnees form 59% of the cases, with a total of 2,411 persons returning from the neighbouring state testing positive. With 111 patients returning home following their recovery, the number of active cases in the state stands at 2,494. A new COVID-19-related fatality was also confirmed as an 80-year-old woman in Davangere who died tested positive. The bulletin mentioned she was brought dead into a COVID-19 hospital on May 28 and she tested positive post her death. This takes the COVID-19 death toll in the state to 53. Among the remaining interstate cases barring those returning from Maharashtra, four had returned from Bihar, eight had returned from Delhi, three returned from Tamil Nadu, one from Gujarat and two from Rajasthan. 15 of Wednesday’s new positive cases are either contacts of already-infected patients or are residents of containment zones and the remaining two are patients suffering from severe acute respiratory infection (SARI). District-wise breakup of new cases Among the 267 new cases reported on Wednesday, Kalaburagi had the lion share of cases with 105, followed by Udupi which saw an increase of 62 cases. Raichur and Bengaluru saw 35 and 20 cases, respectively. Other than Mandya, no other district saw an increase of more than 10 cases. At the end of the day, Udupi was the worst-hit district at present, with the highest number of active cases at 408, followed by Kalaburagi at 375 and Yadgir at 271. State capital Bengaluru city has 149 active cases. Mandya (221) and Raichur (230) are the only two other districts having more than 200 active cases.
from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2Xu8zs3
via IFTTT
Bengaluru's ‘bicycle mayor’ hopes to make city cycle-friendly post lockdown
On World Bicycling Day (June 3), a fresh campaign called upon Bengaluru’s citizens to ditch their cars and bikes and buy bicycles.
On March 29, during the early stages of the COVID-19 lockdown, a group of 75 volunteer cyclists came together in Bengaluru to deliver essentials to elderly persons living in different areas of the city. The volunteer group 'Relief Riders' responded to calls made to a helpline number publicised in the city and delivered grocery items and medicines. "The riders clocked around 1,400 km helping people in the city get access to various items whether it was vegetables from the nearby grocery store or essential medicines they needed to procure," Sathya Sankaran, a sustainable transport activist and Bengaluru's 'Bicycle Mayor' tells TNM. According to these relief riders, bicycles could be the solution for the fears of commuting in the city during the pandemic. "There is less occupancy in public transport now and people will naturally turn to private vehicles and bicycles could be a very effective tool in a pandemic," Sathya adds. The people behind the relief riders' initiative are connected to BYCS, an Amsterdam-based network of international cycle mayors which work with businesses, governments and nonprofits to promote cycling in cities. On World Bicycling Day (June 3), a fresh campaign was started to make Bengaluru 'cycling-friendly' by BYCS and Jhatkaa, a campaigning organisation. The petition sought steps from the government and from citizens to make Bengaluru a haven for cyclists. These steps included declaring bicycle shops an essential service, shopping streets as walking or cycling only to provide space for physical distancing and to allow bicycles to move freely without passes even during a lockdown. And officials are listening. For example, Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao surveyed a 17 km area along the Outer Ring Road in Bengaluru and decided to declare it as a cycle lane this week. "As Commissioner, I’m passing a Magisterial order declaring these 17 kilometres as cycle lanes. And anyone who enters this inadvertently is likely to be prosecuted by law. We want to have some legal muscle with regard to the cycle lanes," Bhaskar Rao said during a webinar by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) India. The police commissioner also said that officials intended to put bollards and signages along the 17 km stretch, and white markers at junctions. The campaign also asks citizens to ditch their cars and bikes and buy bicycles. "The first plan is to get people to buy bicycles. The act of spending on a bicycle is the first step in taking to cycling and it gets people over a big barrier. After people have bicycles, they are open to the possibilities of where they can cycle within the city and people won't just be showing up like tourists at events like World Bicycling Day. Instead, they will actually have bicycles with them," says Sathya. The campaigners have also roped in nine bicycle retailers in Bengaluru for the same. Sathya's words are echoed by citizens and cycling enthusiasts in Bengaluru. "We need to prepare ourselves to live with the virus for the next year or longer. I don’t see any better mode of transport than a cycle; affordable, sustainable, offers physical distancing naturally," activist Srinivas Alavilli says. He also adds that more people taking to cycling will push the civic administration in Bengaluru to provide better infrastructure for cyclists. In addition to the health benefits of cycling, there is also the advantage of reducing Bengaluru's pre-lockdown traffic congestion and deteriorating air quality. "Consequent to the lockdown, Bengaluru’s air pollution rate has dropped by over 40% just with vehicles off the road. We know it's impractical to continue this way, but with over 40 of the world’s major cities planning to go cycle and pedestrian-friendly, it is time our city show the same intelligence and pro-environment action. We must not miss this window of opportunity to rethink our roads which will be difficult if things go back to old normal,” states the petition. Last year, the campaigners provided bicycles to police officials at the Cubbon Park police station. The move was aimed at reducing the use of vehicles in a green space like Cubbon Park and also to make it easier for pedestrians to approach police officials. With a renewed campaign this year, the campaigners hope to add more bicycles on Bengaluru's roads and improve conditions in Bengaluru for those who take to cycling
Body 2:
from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2zObVgw
via IFTTT
BBMP says flat numbers of home quarantined can be publicised within apartments
The meeting touched upon many issues that the RWAs and apartment federations have to follow.
PTI-Bengaluru
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) led by Commissioner BH Anil Kumar on Wednesday held a virtual meeting with members of resident welfare association (RWAs) and Bangalore Apartment Federation (BAF) over relaxations during COVID-19 Unlock 1.0. The meeting stressed on precautionary measures as more people are coming back to the state, from abroad and other states. In the meeting, the RWAs and apartment residents were told about certain protocols to follow to ensure the check of the spread of the disease especially with regards to quarantine procedures for returning travellers. Apartment associations and the RWA were given permission to publicise within their community the flat numbers of people in quarantine along with when the quarantine period will end. However, they cannot reveal the name or telephone number of the quarantined persons in order to protect their identities. The attendees were reminded that all interstate (except from Maharashtra) and international returnees will have to be put in home quarantine for two weeks. All Maharashtra returnees have to be in institutional quarantine for a week. Apartment residents were also told that if one or more persons test positive, all flats on the floors above and below that particular apartment, will be marked as containment zone. For non-apartment buildings, a 100 metre radius will be demarcated as a containment zone. For a densely populated area with multiple infected people, a larger area (a cluster) is a containment zone. Residents in all these containment zones will not allowed to step out of their homes. On Tuesday, Karnataka saw the highest spike in cases with 388 COVID-19 cases reported from across the state, of which 12 were from Bengaluru. In the recent days, cases in Bengaluru have risen steadily, though not in an alarming manner and has forced the BBMP to draw containment zones in more than 30 wards. Standard precautionary measures The associations were also encouraged to carry on with thermal screening at gates to keep a tab on symptomatic patients. Social gatherings are still not allowed while masks and physical distancing will remain compulsory. The associations were also told to keep a note of the nearest fever clinic or health centre.
Body 2:
from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2U4iEto
via IFTTT
Aarogya Setu app mandatory, regulated entry: What malls in Bengaluru are planning
Malls in Karnataka will reopen on June 8 for the first time since mid-March.
Malls in Karnataka will open for business from Monday, June 8 as announced by the Karnataka government for the first time since March 15, barring those in containment zones. But with the growth of COVID-19 infections still continuing, mall operators will be strictly enforcing certain standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure that adequate physical distancing and sanitisation protocols are maintained. Mall operators told TNM that the shopping experience post-lockdown will be quite different from the existing norms. Operators of Prestige Forum Malls, Garuda and Pheonix Malls said that they will only allow customers who have a green status on their Arogya Setu app. Most of the SOPs that the malls are following are the same as those formulated by the Shopping Centre Association of India, which was submitted to the Karnataka government ahead of the state government’s nod to open the malls. Safety and hygiene TNM spoke to multiple mall operators and it is clear that masks, the Arogya Setu app, thermal screening and frequent hand sanitisation facilities inside the premises will be a common feature. Speaking in favour of the government’s decision to green-light the opening of malls, Mohammed Ali, who is the chief executive officer of Prestige Forum Malls, said, “Malls are mostly a controlled environment and from our side we will maintain hygiene and safety as it has always been our top priority. We have increased the periodicity of the cleaning processes that use to do. Further we have purchased some automated machinery so that best practices followed across the world can be maintained.” The company operates six such malls across Karnataka—- four in Bengaluru and one each in Mysuru and Mangaluru. Ali further said for Forum Malls, there will be disinfection tunnels that all customers and vendors have to go through on their way into the mall. Chickpet MLA Uday B Garudachar, who owns multiple malls in Karnataka, including Garuda Mall in Bengaluru, said that if a customer is not wearing a mask, the mall will give them masks for free and educate them on precautions. Apart from masks, thermal screening and other standard measures, Gajendra Singh Rathore, senior centre director for Phoenix Marketcity Bengaluru, says that digital transactions will be preferred over cash transactions. He added, “The trend of people walking into malls or sitting around in the malls as part of their social activities will largely reduce at least for the time till we get a vaccine for the disease.” Restricted access Garudachar said that prior to this pandemic, malls would see massive footfalls and even more than a lakh visitors on a single day during the festive season. To ensure physical distancing, malls will be forced to regulate the entry of visitors. On this, Ali said, “Entry will be restricted to one-third capacity of the mall accounting 150 sq ft for each person.” Koramangala Forum Mall, for example, will not allow entry of more than 2,500 persons at a time. Same mechanism will be followed by the shops themselves, depending on the size of the store. The mall will also soon launch a booking mechanism for customers. “Only five persons, as opposed to the full capacity of 15, will be allowed in lifts. On escalators, people will be allowed to stand on alternate steps. Similarly, for toilets, every alternative urinals will be sealed,” Ali added. Phoenix Marketcity will have an app-based registration process to enter the malls and customers registered in the app will be preferred over others. Once the entry capacity is reached, further entry will be closed. Change in mall experience Ali says that for food courts in Forum Mall, including UB City, there will be a mobile app through which customers can order and pay for food from different kitchens while sitting at their table to ensure minimum contact. Phoenix Marketcity’s Rathore says cinema and food, beverage businesses will also be forced to reinvent their business models to reassure customer safety. For instance, cinemas may be allowed to book 50% of their seats, whereas eateries will operate at 30% capacity, with two at a table to ensure no person sits in close proximity to the other. Movie theaters will not be allowed to reopen in June. Some stores may do away with trial room facilities. For exchange of purchased items too, there might be restrictions. Returned clothes will be put back on the shelves only after they are disinfected. Effect on business and livelihoods In its memorandum to the Karnataka government, the SCAI had said that the shopping mall industry provides livelihoods to one lakh persons through direct and indirect means in the state. The three mall operators TNM spoke to claimed that despite loss of business, there have been no major job losses. Rathore said, “In our business, the only revenue is rent and due to the lockdown, it has come to zero. There is a threshold limit on which we can run without business and so far, the limit has not been exceeded. We have neither laid off any of our employees nor have we reduced their pay. Only thing is that the salary has been delayed for some.” Garuda Mall’s Uday said that they also have not fired anybody. Staff members who earn more than a lakh are being given only half of their normal salary. Expressing hope that business will bounce back to normalcy, the operators said global trends, especially in southeast Asian countries, suggest that the overall consumption won’t go down more than 20-30% from the status quo. Rathore noted that certain categories will do better than others. “Leisure, food, tech and cosmetics will likely have good business as usual. But party-wear and high-end luxury wear sales will likely take a hit,” he said.
Body 2:
from Karnataka https://ift.tt/3dGxHBa
via IFTTT
Status check: How Karnataka’s Udupi plans to tackle rising COVID-19 cases
Udupi district has seen a steady increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the past week, making it the worst-affected district in Karnataka.
As much of India began relaxing restrictions allowing people to move freely and businesses to operate, Udupi, a coastal district in Karnataka is experiencing a spike in hospitalisations driven by the rising number of people returning from Mumbai, a city overwhelmed by coronavirus cases. In the past week, Udupi has recorded 290 coronavirus cases, a number that steadily rose through the week before peaking on Tuesday when 150 new cases were recorded, all of whom are people who returned from Mumbai. The cases recorded on Tuesday took the total number of cases reported in Udupi to 410, making it the district with the highest number of cases in the state. But despite the rising cases, little seems to have changed regarding the lockdown rules in effect in the district. On Wednesday morning, close to usual traffic was seen on the main road linking Udupi and Manipal in the district despite overcast conditions due to the onset of the monsoon. The reason for the spike in the district was attributed to the thousands of migrants who returned from Mumbai in the past two weeks. In fact, on May 15, the district had recorded just 3 COVID-19 cases, all of whom tested positive in March. Among the 345 active cases currently in the district, 98% of the patients returned from Mumbai. In the past two weeks, over 8,500 people returned to the district from Maharashtra and the results of 2,366 patients are still pending. "The spike is not due to cases which were started in Udupi. Mumbai residents who are mostly working as coolie workers in hotels returned home, leading to a spike here. It is our dharma to allow them to come home since they are the people of this state and this government will provide treatment for them," Dr Sudhakar K, Medical Education Minister of Karnataka told reporters in a press conference in Udupi. The minister was on his first visit to the district since the lockdown was imposed in the country amid the coronavirus pandemic, and his first stop was the Kasturba Hospital in Manipal, which is testing COVID-19 samples in its laboratory. Increase in testing capacity The lab, which is currently testing 500 samples every day, is set to expand its testing capacity by installing three additional RT-PCR machines in the laboratory. "We will be able to test more than 1,000 samples in a day going forward," says Dr Avinash Shetty, Medical Superintendent of Kasturba Hospital in Manipal. Health officials in Udupi are also testing samples at the laboratories in Wenlock Hospital in Mangaluru, KS Hegde Medical Academy in Mangaluru, Yenepoya Medical College in Mangaluru and the Virus Diagnostic Laboratory in Shivamogga. In addition to increasing its testing capacity, officials in Udupi will alo turn two more government hospitals in Kundapur and Karkala in the district into dedicated COVID-19 hospitals. Until now, patients who tested positive for the virus were admitted in the TMA Pai Hospital in Udupi. This hospital will now concentrate on treating critical cases including pregnant women, elderly persons and people with comorbidities. Additional COVID-19 hospitals "We will be shifting the patients in the hospitals in Kundapur and Karkala to nearby health centres and turning them into dedicated COVID-19 hospitals. The hospital in Kundapur will be for people who test positive from Kundapur and Byndoor regions while the hospital in Karkala will be for patients from in and around Karkala," Sadashiva Prabhu, Udupi Additional District Commissioner told TNM. Another COVID-19 healthcare centre will be established at the Lalitambika Guest House in Kollur to treat asymptomatic patients while the SDM Ayurveda Hospital in Udyavara in the district has also been converted into a dedicated COVID-19 hospital. Dr Sudhakar further announced that 2,000 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits will be sent to Udupi district due to the spike in cases. Quarantine protocol to continue But despite the measures taken to fight the spread of the virus, Dr Sudhakar stated that there would be no change in the quarantine protocol in place in the district. Currently, people returning to the state from Maharashtra are placed in institutional quarantine while those returning from other states are placed in home quarantine. Some of the patients from Udupi who tested positive over the last few days had completed their institutional quarantine period and returned to their residence. The worry is exacerbated by the fact that a majority of coronavirus patients in the state are asymptomatic. But when asked about the fact that returning migrants were going home to their villages, possibly carrying the virus, Dr Sudhakar responded, "Those who leave institutional quarantine will remain in home quarantine. We will identify those in the district who are at risk and ensure that they are tested." Residents of Udupi with a history of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) and Influenza-like-Illnesses (ILI) will be identified in a census-like exercise by the district administration. They will also be tested for the virus. But the district administration is reluctant to keep people in institutional quarantine till their test results come back due to concerns over the spaces available to quarantine all those who return to the district. The MLAs in Udupi led by Halady Srinivas Shetty, the legislator from Kundapur constituency, are keen on sealing off homes of the people who return to the district from Maharashtra as opposed to quarantining them in government-designated facilities. "Role of public important" "We have limited facilities to quarantine people returning to the district. There are practical difficulties because around 12,000 people can be quarantined at a time but if more people come in, we don't have the facilities," Dr Sudhakar admitted. A total of 1,120 beds are available in the district, officials say. Along with the onset of the south-west monsoon in Udupi, the rising coronavirus cases has led to concern among the residents of the district. "If people experience cough and cold, they will immediately worry whether they have contracted the virus," said Abhijit, a resident of the district. The district administration and the state health department conceded that the active participation of the citizens is required in the fight to contain COVID-19 cases in Udupi, urging people who develop symptoms to isolate themselves and immediately report to fever clinics. "The role of the public is important in fighting the virus and hopefully, in the coming weeks, all those who tested positive in Udupi recover from the virus and this can once again be a green zone," Dr Sudhakar said. "Our work may not be foolproof, but we are watching this dynamic situation and we will remain flexible over changing guidelines whenever necessary," he added.
Body 2:
from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2MvI0fr
via IFTTT
Not safe to reopen schools in July: Parents unhappy with Karnataka govt proposal
Many parents are also unhappy with online classes for kids in lower classes.
Image for representation
The Karnataka government on Tuesday announced that it is considering opening government and private schools from July and invited suggestions from both schools and parents. As the number of COVID-19 cases are on the rise across the country, both schools and parents are opposed to reopening in July. The Association of Karnataka Unaided Schools pointed out that opening schools in the month of July would be too risky and unsafe as many schools across the state are not prepared to handle the situation. No SOPs issued for reopening of schools Without any concrete guidelines from the government, many schools are clueless about protocols and the infrastructure required to conduct classes. “We are completely unprepared to reopen in July. We don’t know what safety protocols to follow after reopening. Without issuing any guidelines, or a set of rules or at least a framework outlining the standard operating procedure for schools, how do they expect schools to prepare?” Shashi Kumar, President of the The Association of Karnataka Unaided Schools told TNM. He further stated that the government must issue clarity regarding payment of fees, the safety measures to be taken. “There is a big dispute though this is a welcome move. Holding classes in shifts is very impractical and it would be a complete mess. We have been asking the government to hold talks with stakeholders for a long time and now they are giving only one month for us to discuss and put these systems in place. We need to know methods for sanitising schools, whether we must install safety tunnels etc,” he added. Worried parents Many parents say that even if schools reopen in July, they would not be willing to send their children. Several parents, who have even written on Education Minister Suresh Kumar’s Facebook page said that they fear this is the wrong time to reopen as the number of cases in Karnataka are increasing steadily. They also voiced concerns about whether teachers would be able to ensure that the children would maintain physical distance. “Children do not listen. They will be excited to see their friends, especially those in lower classes like those children in primary and middle school. My son is in Class 3 and it is true that kids his age cannot be controlled when they are among friends. I would rather my son take the year off and start again the next year instead of putting his health at risk,” said Aruna Mohan, whose son studies in St Joseph’s Boys’ High School. Several parents also voiced concerns about the fear of infection as 90% of cases in Karnataka are of those who are asymptomatic. “Using a thermometer will not be enough. Who’s to know whether an asymptomatic carrier is there? And reopening schools when the cases are peaking is not a good idea,” said Pramod Prabhakar, father of a Class 7 student from Vibgyor High in Horamavu. Online classes and logistical issues Aruna maintains that in addition to logistical issues including bad internet connectivity, loss of video and blurred voices, online classes are taking a huge toll on not just students but parents as well. “When my son started online classes yesterday (Tuesday), all the kids were talking to each other, the poor teacher had to keep shouting. Most of the time, the audio and video is bad. It will be okay to start classes for high school students, who have the ability to focus. A 6-year-old or a 7-year-old does not have that attention span,” she added. Pramod said that both him and his wife are working from home and using their laptops. The burden of online classes includes buying new gadgets for each child so they can continue online classes. “Should we work or let our children attend classes? Assignments have to be sent online. When so many people are losing jobs and suffering pay cuts, how can we invest in this? What about children from economically weaker sections? How will they cope? This is highly impractical. School may start in late August or September for high school and much later for primary as the syllabus is not that hard,” Pramod added. Parents say that schools are not allowing children to attend online classes if they have not paid the fees. This, despite the Karnataka government’s advisory asking schools to not collect fees until the reopening date is announced. “When my son’s classmates are studying he can’t and we did only what the government asked us to do? How can schools do this? Until now the government has not asked any stakeholders what they think. Now, they are giving us a one month deadline. How is this fair?” Soumya, a mother of a class 4 student from Vibgyor High said.
Body 2:
from Karnataka https://ift.tt/36WPqSm
via IFTTT
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)