Civic

COVID-19 cases on the uptick in Chennai COVID cases in the city doubled  between the 29th and 30th of December. Chennai saw 397 new cases on the 30th. The Union government has urged the State government to amp up the number of daily tests and ensure strict adherence to COVID-19 safety protocols.  Clusters of cases have emerged across the city, with two active clusters - at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital and on Ashok Nagar 19th Street. Containment measures have been initiated with the street cordoned off after many positive tests. The civic body has set up three COVID care…

COVID cases surge by 45% in Mumbai. 3,555 cases, 190 omicron cases but zero deaths Daily COVID-19 cases in Mumbai rose by 45% on 30th December (3,555) in a day, though no fatalities were registered. Mumbai also reported 190 cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, the highest single-day spike so far. Maharashtra's tally rose 40% to 5,368 while deaths remained steady at 22. The number of Omicron infections rose to 450. The Maharashtra government announced fresh restrictions with weddings, social, political, and religious events limited to 50 persons, and funerals to 20 persons. Source: The Times of India,…

As 2021 drew to a close, Chennai appeared to be reliving the dominant highlights of the year that just passed us by – rains and COVID-19 (in its new manifestation through the Omicron variant). Just as Chennai was recovering from the extreme rainfall that lashed the city in November, the city was taken by surprise as another very heavy spell of rain on December 30th brought it to a standstill. On the other hand, the city is also witnessing a rise in COVID cases yet again, with 397 cases being reported on December 30th alone. The Government of Tamil Nadu…

Vaccination for children, booster dose for seniors to start in January In an address to the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced vaccination for children aged between 15-18 which will begin on January 3rd 2022. He also added that healthcare workers, those aged above 60, and those with co-morbidities, will be allowed a third (booster) dose of the COVID-19 vaccination from January 10th. The Prime Minister added that currently 90% of all those eligible for vaccines have had the first dose and 61% of eligible people has had both doses. Source: Economic Times Delhi's Sarojini Nagar market to follow odd-even…

10 new Omicron cases With 10 new Omicron cases from Bengaluru, the State's tally of the variant has come up to 31. Among the Bengaluru patients, five had travel history to the United Kingdom, one had returned from Denmark, and another person from Nigeria. The three others from Bengaluru did not have a travel history, and their contact with an international traveller is being looked into. On Thursday, Bengaluru Urban reported 210 COVID cases and one death. On Wednesday, the government directed health officials, deputy commissioners and district surveillance officials to track, trace and quarantine primary and secondary contacts of COVID patients.…

BMC issues fresh guidelines to curb Omicron wave As Maharashtra logs 23 new cases of Omicron, Mumbai authorities are on high alert for the impending Omicron wave that, man fear, could be accelerated by the holiday season. New guidelines impose restrictions on large gatherings. For gatherings up to 200 people, permissions from ward committees are necessary. Restaurants and bars are to operate at 50% capacity if in an enclosed area, and at 25% if open air. Violators will be punished under sections of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and Disaster Management Act, 2005. Source: Indian Express, DNA Railways to go…

Fresh cases of Omicron in Chennai Chennai’s tally of persons infected with the Omicron variant of COVID-19 virus has shot up in the past week. The city has currently identified 26 persons infected by the Omicron variant as of December 23rd. The number of fresh cases of the omicron variant across the state rose to 34 as 33 persons tested positive for the virus on a single day. All those who have been infected are under strict quarantine. Their condition has been deemed to be stable. All international arrivals continue to be tested in the airport upon their entry. The…

Very often the mention of residents' associations, or RWAs, conjures up images of members of an apartment community and a rigidly structured set-up involving various office bearers. But the R K Nagar Residents’ Association (R K Nagarra), comprised of representative groups from 12 streets, is experimenting with an ever-evolving model, engaging residents from individual houses and apartment complexes in the area. Formation of R K Nagar Residents’ Association  In the evolution of RK Nagar Residents' Association so far, we have covered almost 12 streets. The idea was also to create a healthy competition between the streets as they engaged in…

Until a few years ago, Bengaluru used to dump all of its waste in landfills outside the city. While villagers living around the landfills faced serious health conditions, there was garbage dumped and burnt within the city as well, affecting the health of its residents. But now, the majority of the waste from residential households is getting segregated and processed. The 2Bin1Bag initiative was key to popularising waste segregation in Bengaluru households, especially in apartments. 2Bin1Bag showed that all that households had to do was segregate waste into three categories - wet waste in a green bin, reject/sanitary waste in…

TAC recommends low-key New Year A report of the state COVID TAC (Technical Advisory Committee) has recommended subdued New Year celebrations this year, to keep stable the present daily reporting of about 300 COVID cases and TPR of 0.4%. It suggested prohibitions of gatherings or celebrations in pubs, restaurants, clubs on major roads, malls and other public places, especially at Church Street, MG Road, Brigade Road and parallel roads. Night curfew from December 30 to January 2 (7 pm to 5 am) has been recommended. However, the report said that regular activities and business could continue. Wherever needed, IPC Section…