Amid prevalent chaos and uncertainty over access to the essential services and commodities during the lockdown, we bring you the latest updates from Kolkata.
*Critically ill patients continue to be turned away by some private and government hospitals despite the union health ministry and the West Bengal health department’s notifications this week seeking easy access to hospitals for non-Covid-19 patients.
*Some Kolkata hospitals have started shifting Covid-19 intensive care units (ICUs) beside the isolation wards to restrict the spread of the virus. Most hospitals are now gearing up for non-Covid treatment, including elective or non-emergency surgeries.
*With the number of corona cases increasing rapidly, some private hospitals in Kolkata have already scaled up the number of beds while some others are working on adding more Covid beds. Currently, majority of the private hospitals that are treating Covid patients are running out bed.
* Update at 9.19am: Covid-19 death toll rises to 1,147 in India; total cases 35,043, reports PTI quoting Union health ministry
*Classroom learning being put on hold for at least one more month, Presidency and Calcutta universities are adopting novel steps for online education and research aimed at helping students as well as outsiders hone their skills in fields they are interested in. While Presidency is setting up a unique learning platform during the lockdown, Calcutta University is offering free access to its digital library.
*Standalone shops as well as retail and wholesale markets in Kolkata are reworking their business models to adjust to the lockdown norms. Instead of reopening the brick and mortar stores, traders of non-essential commodities are looking at direct delivery to customers, either to their homes or at a mutually agreeable point. The state has already given its nod to this mode of conducting business.
*Associations of school buses and pool cars have decided to offer waiver on the monthly fees to give some breather to the parents amid the lockdown. Several parents have held back payments for privately operated school buses and pool cars for March and April stating that there are uncertainties about the date of reopening of schools and that they cannot go on paying for months on end without availing of services.
*Critically ill patients continue to be turned away by some private and government hospitals despite the union health ministry and the West Bengal health department’s notifications this week seeking easy access to hospitals for non-Covid-19 patients.
*Some Kolkata hospitals have started shifting Covid-19 intensive care units (ICUs) beside the isolation wards to restrict the spread of the virus. Most hospitals are now gearing up for non-Covid treatment, including elective or non-emergency surgeries.
*With the number of corona cases increasing rapidly, some private hospitals in Kolkata have already scaled up the number of beds while some others are working on adding more Covid beds. Currently, majority of the private hospitals that are treating Covid patients are running out bed.
* Update at 9.19am: Covid-19 death toll rises to 1,147 in India; total cases 35,043, reports PTI quoting Union health ministry
*Classroom learning being put on hold for at least one more month, Presidency and Calcutta universities are adopting novel steps for online education and research aimed at helping students as well as outsiders hone their skills in fields they are interested in. While Presidency is setting up a unique learning platform during the lockdown, Calcutta University is offering free access to its digital library.
*Standalone shops as well as retail and wholesale markets in Kolkata are reworking their business models to adjust to the lockdown norms. Instead of reopening the brick and mortar stores, traders of non-essential commodities are looking at direct delivery to customers, either to their homes or at a mutually agreeable point. The state has already given its nod to this mode of conducting business.
*Associations of school buses and pool cars have decided to offer waiver on the monthly fees to give some breather to the parents amid the lockdown. Several parents have held back payments for privately operated school buses and pool cars for March and April stating that there are uncertainties about the date of reopening of schools and that they cannot go on paying for months on end without availing of services.
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