COVID-19

Chennai is among the top-10 cities in the country in terms of COVID-19 positive cases. The spread of the pandemic has affected all but two zones in the city. The highest number of positive cases have come from Royapuram with 92 cases, followed by Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar at 39 and Teynampet at 38 cases respectively. The civic body has moved to cordon off areas where individuals who tested positive reside and those around these, in order to arrest the spread of the illness. For this purpose, containment zones have been created. What are containment zones? Containment zones or containment hotspots have…

It's almost a month since Bengaluru has been under complete lockdown so as to contain COVID-19 spread. Besides, two wards have been sealed off, and 19 localities designated as Containment Zones; movement for even essential services have been restricted in these areas. With the majority of us spending time at home, have you wondered what the city looks like now? What about hyper-crowded areas like Silk Board junction, the traffic signal near St John's Medical College, and so on? Naveen Thomas Prasad, an IT employee in the city, decided to shoot what his area looked like. Here's his video, which…

Ordering the summary closure of all colleges and schools till May 3rd was easy enough. As was converting government schools, like the ones in Najafgarh zone of Delhi or in Agra district of Uttar Pradesh, into COVID quarantine wards or shelters for migrant workers. What will not be easy, though, is to dispel the uncertainties plaguing the minds of parents and students on what the new academic year will hold for them when it starts. Especially students whose 12th class board exams were abruptly interrupted, with no indication of whether and when they will resume; how the college admissions process…

“How would you feel if someone took a picture of your misery? I can’t even refuse the food though, because I am very hungry,” Manjunath, a 38-year old former sugarcane vendor said. Manjunath used to do quite well, earning Rs 700-1000 a day. But he was evicted during a BBMP drive last month, after cholera cases were reported in the city.  “The same corporator and police officials who made us jobless, now come with mobile cameras, give us some packet of food worth Rs 20 and take pictures. They barely talk to us, or even come close to us. They…

Just days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nationwide lockdown from March 24, states like Punjab and Telangana were looking forward to a bumper harvest and smiles on the faces of their farmers. And on the faces of the owners and workers in West Bengal’s labour intensive jute mills. But the lockdown dashed everyone’s hopes. Farmers are unsure of how and who will procure their products. Especially given the acute lack of jute bags, given the complete shut down of West Bengal’s jute industry, putting lakhs of its workers out of jobs and income. It is during harvest time…

April 15th is the day that marks the beginning of the annual 60-day trawling ban in Tamil Nadu. A ban that restricts fishermen with mechanised boats from venturing into the sea. A ban that sees fewer boats getting into the sea along the coastline of Chennai. Not this year! The Bay of Bengal was abuzz with activity on the 15th when scores of fishermen (mechanised boats are still banned) sailed into the sea after 21 days of the first phase of the nation-wide lockdown. While the lockdown was extended for another 18 days, the central government’s move to exempt fishing…

“I am having to do things today I have never done earlier.Waking up  at 6 am in winters and 5 in summers has long been my habit. First thing I would do is offer morning prayers, earlier in masjid, but now at home. A 20-minute physicial workout has been a part of my morning schedule but I have never had to rush to the market in the wee hours. But since the COVID-19 enforced lockdown in Srinagar, I rush to the market soon after my morning exercise to buy vegetables, bread, milk and grocery items as the market remains open…

Translated by Vadivu Mahendran தனிமைப்படுத்தலின் போது சமுதாயத்தில் அதிகரித்து வரும் மனநல பாதிப்புகளைக் குறிக்கும் வகையில், கொரோனாவால் பாதிக்கப்பட்ட ஒரு இளைஞன் ஆடையின்றி வெளியே ஓடி ஒரு 80 வயதான மூதாட்டியைக் கடித்ததில் பலத்த காயம் ஏற்பட்டு சிகிச்சை பலனின்றி அவர் இறந்த ஒரு கொடுமையான சம்பவம் தமிழகத்தின் தேனி மாவட்டத்தில் நடந்தேறியுள்ளது.  குடும்ப வன்முறை குறித்த பல நிகழ்வுகள் சமீபத்தில் தலைப்புச் செய்திகளாகியுள்ளன. ஆனால், வெளிவராத செய்திகள் எவையென்றால், கொரோனா வைரஸ் பரவுவதைத் தடுக்க மத்திய அரசால் கட்டாயமாக்கப்பட்டுள்ள இந்த 21 நாள் ஊரடைப்புக் காலகட்டத்தில் குடிமக்களிடையே ஏற்பட்டுள்ள பாதுகாப்பின்மை, பதற்றம் மற்றும் நிச்சயமற்ற தன்மை ஆகியவற்றால் உருவான, கடுமை குறைந்த மனநல பாதிப்புகள் ஆகும். சென்னையில் உள்ள குடியிருப்போர் நலச் சங்கங்களுடன் பேசும்போது இதுபோன்ற பல்வேறு சம்பவங்களைப் பற்றி நீங்கள் அறியலாம். "ஒரு மென்பொருள் பொறியாளர் பேச்சிழந்து அமைதியானதோடு பல நாட்களாக அவரது குடும்பத்தினருடன் அறவே தொடர்பு…

In this series, individuals, citizen groups and RWAs explain how they have dealt with the COVID-19 crisis in a constructive manner. In the fourth part of the series, the president of an apartment association describes the measures they took. COVID-19 pandemic has tragically brought home the truth of the age-old Sanskrit saying Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, meaning 'the world is one family’. With this thought in mind, the management committee of Century Saras, an apartment complex in Yelahanka New Town, formed a task force for dealing with the COVID-19 threat immediately after the national lockdown was announced. The task force took the…

In February 2020, Rangaswamy* (65) was admitted to a hospital in Tambaram Sanatorium due to respiratory issues. Soon after the lockdown was imposed, the hospital authorities discharged him, as he was on the road to recovery. He was prescribed medicines and was at home since March 24th with his wife Sundari* (60) and a college-going son. But soon, he suffered a relapse and his condition got serious. Frantic calls to doctors for home consultation yielded no result and the senior citizen succumbed to a cardiac arrest on April 5th. “We tried reaching many doctors, but they were hesitant to come…