Day 14 of coronavirus lockdown: Ground report from Indian cities

TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Apr 7, 2020, 17:09 IST

NEW DELHI: As the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise in the country, several state governments have decided to ramp up their testing facilities. As of Tuesday morning, there were 4,421 cases in the country with 114 deaths.

Here is a look at the latest updates from various cities on the outbreak of coronavirus —

Delhi

I Will need 400 ventilators, 1,200 beds equipped with oxygen if there are 30,000 patients in Delhi. Arrangements are being made for these too: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal
We have ordered kits for the testing of 50,000 people. The kits have started arriving. We have also placed orders for the rapid test of 1,00,000 people. The deliveries of kits will begin by Friday. Random tests will be done at hotspots. Detailed tests will also be done, says Delhi CM
AIIMS to provide only five N-95 masks to doctors, nursing officers, technical staff, security guards and maintenance staff for 20 days.
Delhi government sealed the Delhi State Cancer Institute (DSCI), a 180-bedded hospital after it was found that 18 of its healthcare workers — two doctors and 16 nurses — had Covid-19. At least 50 other staff members, including the director of the hospital and senior doctors, have been advised self-quarantine.

Mumbai

While the BMC has provided personal protective equipment (PPE) to conservancy labourers who collect garbage from homes of suspected Covid-19 patients in “sealed” areas, the workers are unhappy. This is because the labourers were initially told each PPE was meant for single-use but later asked to return the suits for wash and reuse.
Bada Kabrastan, other cemeteries in Mumbai to remain shut on Shab-e-Barat
FIR registered against 150 people of Tablighi Jamaat, at Azad Maidan police station for violating quarantine orders
Wockhardt Hospital bigger hotspot than most Mumbai wards
The BMC is using drones to check lockdown violations in Covid-19 hotspot Worli and congested Dharavi, where there are fears of a cluster spread of the coronavirus. The same methodology is being followed by Thane police in densely-packed Mumbra and Bhiwandi.

Chandigarh

As, city's market again opened on Tuesday, after Monday's complete sanitization of the market, there was complete chaos. Nobody was following social distancing in the market.
The Chandigarh municipal corporation has constituted 15 dedicated teams of garbage collectors to collect garbage from the house of those residents who have been home quarantined.
The Chandigarh municipal corporation is all set to start thermal testing of all persons who visit Sector 26-based grain market. Thermal testing machines have been procured in this regard. Besides this, an automatic hand sanitiser machine will also be placed for people.
Eleven isolated wards have been designed by the Chandigarh and Kalka railway depos on the directions of the Northern Railways. The general coaches have been converted into isolated wards with all the facilities for patients, doctors and paramedical staff.
No novel coronavirus hotspots exist in the city that has reported 18 positive cases, according to UT adviser Manoj Parida. Seven of the 18 cases have already been discharged from hospitals.

Bengaluru

The physical condition of over 50 tigers, 100 leopards, 30 lions and primates in captivity in the nine zoos in Karnataka are being closely monitored in the wake of novel coronavirus pandemic. According to zoo authorities, all the mammals are hale and hearty.
All Covid-19 test requests must be routed only through 31 fever clinics in Bengaluru, senior health officials said on Monday after some private firms circulated mailers advertising rapid testing kits like a potential retail product.
Straitjacketed in their Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for 6-7 hours, doctors and nurses treating Covid-19 patients in government hospitals in Bengaluru are avoiding drinking water and washrooms. They use adult diapers since they cannot wear their suits a second time.
Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa has come under criticism from ministerial colleagues, police officers and public-health experts for giving the go-ahead to Bengaluru Karaga, which is set to be held on Wednesday night, despite the lockdown over Covid-19 fears.

Hyderabad

To be unveiled soon. A coronavirus car made by Sudhakar of Sudhacars in Hyderabad. The car is to create awareness about Covid-19 and social distancing.
As the world races against time to find solutions to fight Covid-19, an eight-month-old Hyderabad-based startup, Vera Smart Healthcare, has developed an automated `Covid-19 Monitoring System’ in three days flat.

Chennai

Southern Railway’s workshops and maintenance yards in Chennai division have so far, produced 16,500 masks and 550 litres of hand sanitizers.
The Tamil Nadu government has announced free treatment for frontline staff of its essential services departments if they test positive for coronavirus. The treatment will be provided both in government and private hospitals. They will also get ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh.

Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad police have developed an application compiling data of all deployed in the city to implement the lockdown. Commissioner of police Ashish Bhatia said that the mobile application works on nine parameters of illnesses, such as coughing, fever, diarrhoea etc.
Gujarat health & family welfare department officials announced on Monday that they have identified eight specific clusters in six areas of Ahmedabad as Covid-19 hotspots. Incidentally, Ahmedabad was declared one of the Top 10 hotspots earlier this month.
Infamous as India’s critically polluted hotspots, Vapi, Ankleshwar, and Vatva in Ahmedabad have shown signs of better respiratory health since the janata curfew on March 22 and the subsequent lockdown from March 25.

Kolkata

Kolkata hospital starts tailoring unit to stitch protective suits due to shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE).
New Market sprinklers to spray the disinfectant solution on shoppers
MR Bangur Hospital has shifted over 200 patients, including those in critical care, neonatal and burn unit, to several other hospitals in Kolkata as it is set to become an exclusive hospital to treat Covid-19 patients.

Lucknow

CM Yogi Adityanath is chairing a meeting at his official residence over coronavirus. Additional chief secretary, home dept Awanish Awasthi, heads of 11 committees and 12 nodal officers and other senior officers are present at the meeting, reports ANI.
UP CM Yogi Adityanath says that Covid-19 care fund to be used for setting up more labs and speed up testing.