A health worker takes the swab sample of a police personnel for Covid-19 test at Police Lines in Ludhiana on Thursday. (Express Photo by Gurmeet Singh)
In view of the spurt in coronavirus cases across India, the states have now ramped up measures to tackle the infectious disease. While Jharkhand became the second state after West Bengal to extend its lockdown till July 31, Assam too announced complete shutdown for 14 days in Guwahati from Sunday to arrest the spread of the virus. The northeastern state also imposed a 12-hour night curfew from Friday 7 pm.
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia Friday announced that all schools would remain shut till July 31 in the wake of the increase in Covid cases in the national capital. Meanwhile, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, who had been fighting Covid-19 since last week, was discharged from hospital after testing negative for the virus on Friday. He had tested Covid positive last Wednesday.
With India registering 407 deaths and 17,296 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, the total number of infections on Friday crossed the 4.9 lakh-mark to reach 4,90,401 including 15,301 fatalities, 1,89,463 active cases, and 2,85,636 people who have been treated and discharged so far. On Thursday, the number of recoveries was 96,173 more than the number of active cases.
Here are some interesting stories from across the country on day 19 of unlockdown.
Covid survivors should volunteer as counsellors, say Telangana govt
Telangana government is considering requesting Covid-19 survivors to volunteer their services as counsellors for those fighting the virus.
“Talking to coronavirus patients in isolation is a huge help. In fact, it will help them recover faster. Some volunteers are offering plasma but we are also looking for people who could interact with patients and allay their fears, instil confidence in them, encourage them, and help them in their recovery,” the State Covid-19 coordinator, Dr Shravan Kumar, said.
As of June 24, a total of 4,321 people have recovered from the novel coronavirus and discharged in the state. Some of them have volunteered to donate plasma and it has been tried on five persons who have recovered.
Infectious diseases specialists in Hyderabad are saying it was now time for persons who have recovered from Covid-19 to volunteer their services at hospitals where staff and patient care providers are overwhelmed due to the rising number of infected persons.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal inaugurated the video call facility for Covid patients at the LNJP hospital yesterday.
“I am not just talking about donating plasma. There has to be a humanitarian effort from people who have recovered to volunteer to care for sick people. In the coronavirus wards, patients feel isolated and dejected as family members cannot or do not want to go near them for fear of getting infected. As chances of getting re-infected is negligible, it is now time for people who have recovered to help Covid-19 patients by providing care, like bringing them food, boosting their morale, just spending a few hours with them, talking to them about their experience of recovering and healing. Patients are more likely to recover faster if they have someone caring for them,’’ said Dr N Suneetha, a specialist in Infectious Diseases Specialist at Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad.
Kerala-TN border checkpost turns wedding venue for three couples
The excise checkpost on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border on the fringes of the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary is usually marked by the steady humdrum of the vehicles passing by and the long line of trucks ferrying supplies between the two states. But on Wednesday, the check-post drew festive cheers as it witnessed three couples, hailing from the two states, exchanging garlands and beginning their matrimonial lives.
The grooms live in Tamil Nadu and the brides on the Kerala side of the border. Due to Covid-19 and the lockdown that followed, the couples and their families had postponed their marriages that were scheduled to take place earlier. But having realised that the pandemic is here to stay for the next few months, the couples decided to tie the knot with safety measures in place.
With Covid infections sharply rising in both states, families couldn’t risk travelling to the other state to attend the wedding. (Source: Jithesh Cheruvallil)
The couples who got married in the space of one-and-a-half hours Wednesday were Suhanya-Manikandan, Vedakkani-Muthapparaj and Kasthuri-Nirmalraj.
Unlike other couples, who could still rent a hall or perform the wedding at their homes, these couples had to maneuver the legal complications that come with residing in two different states. With Covid infections sharply rising in both states, families couldn’t risk travelling to the other state to attend the wedding. And so, getting married at the border check-post with a few of their loved ones and a clutch of health and excise officials was the only way out.
Notice sent to Jaipur hospital for conducting trials of Patanjali drug on COVID-19 patients
Rajasthan’s Health Department has issued a notice to National Institute of Medical Science (NIMS) hospital in Jaipur seeking an explanation on conducting trials of Patanjali Ayurved drug Coronil on Covid-19 patients, an official said on Friday.“We served notice to the hospital on Wednesday evening seeking explanation in three days. The hospital did not inform the state government nor sought permission,” Chief Medical and Health Officer, Jaipur, Dr Narottam Sharma said. He said the reply from NIMS is still awaited.
The launch of the drug by yoga guru Ramdev on Tuesday sparked a debate after which the Ayush Ministry sought all information on its trial and put a ban on advertising it as a drug to cure coronavirus.
The Rajasthan government has said that the drug cannot be used as a medicine in the state without the permission of the Ministry of AYUSH. State Health Minister Raghu Sharma had on Wednesday said that strict action would be taken against the seller as per the rules in case of sale of any drug as a medicine to treat the disease.