Two recover from COVID-19, two more ‘almost’ recover

Two COVID-19 patients quarantined in the state-run RGICD (Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases) have completely recovered. The 47-year-old wife of the first patient who’d returned from US on March 1, and a 26-year-old IT employee who returned from Greece, have been asymptomatic for a week. They were tested once every three days. The woman’s husband and 13-year-old daughter have “almost recovered”, according to the government. They will be home-quarantined for 14 days after discharge.

Meanwhile, there is a demand to screen domestic passengers apart from international travellers, at airports. At Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), 36 passenger carriers provide connectivity to 82 destinations, including 25 international cities. State government has written to the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) for permission to screen domestic passengers.

U T Khader, MLA and former Health and Family Welfare Minister, said that passengers from other countries at domestic terminals should be screened too. There are also demands to introduce screening facilities in major bus stands operated by the KSRTC (Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation).

BMTC (Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation) officials claimed that the number of passengers using Vayu Vajra services had dropped by only 10% on account of COVID-19. BMTC has provided 10 non-AC buses to the Health Department to transport people to quarantine facilities.

Source: The Hindu

Metro travel restricted, sanitisers unavailable, crime rate drops 

To enforce quarantine, those aged above 60 and children below 10 will soon be restricted from travelling in Namma Metro. Only 150 people will be permitted to travel in a train. BMRCL (Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited) said the train service should be made available on priority to personnel who are required to maintain essential services. It will also start random thermal scanning at stations; those with fever or any other symptom of coronavirus will be referred for medical tests and quarantining.

Meanwhile, sanitisers, disinfectant liquids and even handwashes remain unavailable in many parts of the city and also on e-commerce platforms. Due to high demand, shops are rationing sales of these products. At a shop in Malleshpalya, smaller bottles were filled from a big bottle of sanitiser, and sold separately. Some unknown brands are also entering the markets.

The BWCMA (Bangalore Wholesale Cloth Merchants Association) asked member shops and establishments to remain closed between March 22 and 25.

IT professionals find it difficult to work from home due to the lack of computers, high-speed internet and because not all of them have an entire room to themselves so as to practise self-isolation. In some cases, paying guests have been asked to vacate.

Senior police officers say that crimes such as chain snatching, burglaries and vehicle thefts have reduced in the past couple of days. Break-ins, especially, have reduced by about 25% across the city.

Source: Deccan Herald | The Hindu | The New Indian Express

BWSSB tests water quality in 129 houses

Following cholera and gastroenteritis cases in the city, the BWSSB (Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board) tested the quality of water samples from 129 houses, many of which had reported cases. The houses are located in areas such as Bommanahalli, Padmanabhnagar, JP Nagar, Koramangala, HSR Layout, Agara, Hanumanthanagar and Jayanagar 4th block. About 182 gastroenteritis cases have been reported at the Isolation Hospital, according to the Health and Family Welfare Department’s registry.

Water from 96 houses were found ‘suitable for potable purposes’. But water supplied to two houses in Neelasandra was found unsuitable, so BWSSB attended to them. Officials said the water was not contaminated but the chlorination mix was not up to the mark. The Board still awaits reports of the remaining 31 houses.

Source: Bangalore Mirror

PRR project delayed

Supreme Court has ordered the BDA (Bangalore Development Authority) to redo the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) and get fresh environment clearance for the Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) project. This would delay the project’s execution by a year and a half.

The project itself is in doubt due to the delay, as well as over the issue of compensation to farmers for land acquisition. Senior Urban Development Department officials said they would pursue the project and ensure it is implemented to shore up infrastructure in the city.

Serious questions have been raised about the project’s ecological viability. The previously-obtained environment clearance was challenged on grounds that the BDA had suppressed critical information.

Source: The Hindu

[Compiled by Revathi Siva Kumar]