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New Delhi/METRO n Vol. XCVI No. 88 n Price ₹5.00/with Hindustan ₹ 9.00 (₹ 7.50 in Faridabad)/with Mint ₹ 9.50 n 14 Pages + 2 Pages of HT City. Area specific pages extra.
FORMULA 1 LEGEND STIRLING MOSS DIES AT
90 AFTER PROLONGED ILLNESS
More red zones as Capital
extends Covid clampdown
CURBS 9 of 10 new containment areas in south-east district — three in East of Kailash
HT Correspondents
n letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Delhi added 10 new
containment areas to arrest cor-
onavirus disease (Covid-19)
cases, which climbed to 1,154 –
the national capital reported 85
fresh infections and five deaths
on Sunday – even as chief minis-
ter Arvind Kejriwal said his gov-
ernment was focusing on zones
designated “red” and “orange”
to isolate and control the out-
break.
The new containment zones
were located in East of Kailash —
a lane in E Block, Kailash Hills
and Shera Mohalla in Garhi vil-
lage — apart from two in Abu
Fazal Enclave, two in Madanpur
Khadar and two in Jaitpur
Extension-II in the south-east
Delhi district; and Mahavir
Enclave near Dwarka in south-
west Delhi.
With the new containment
zones, Delhi has demarcated 43
such areas so far. While there is
a 21-day lockdown in place
across the country, these places
are under firmer restrictions,
with buildings, housing societies
and even entire neighbourhoods
sequestered under heavy police
presence. People are not allowed
to step out of their houses and
authorities are delivering essen-
tials to their homes. Kejriwal
said the Delhi government was
treating the containment areas
as “red zones”.
The increase in infections in
Delhi has largely been driven by
the detection of hundreds of
patients who attended a congre-
gation of the Tablighi Jamaat, a
Muslim missionary group, in
Nizamuddin last month.
Of the 85 fresh cases on Sun-
day, 35 were identified “under
special operations”. Starting
Saturday, the Delhi govern-
ment’s daily health bulletins
were not giving specific details
CONTINUED ON P 14
First consignment
of anti-malaria
drug reaches US
WASHINGTON: A consignment of
hydroxychloroquine from India
arrived in the US days after New
Delhi lifted a ban on export of the
anti-malarial drug, touted by
many as a possible cure for the
coronavirus disease.
Earlier this week, India at the
request of President Donald
Trump, cleared the export of 3.58
million tablets of hydroxychlo-
roquine to the United States.
››FULL REPORT ON P8
India’s GDP may
grow 1.5-4% in
FY21: World Bank
NEW DELHI: India’s economic
growth is likely to range between
1.5% and 4% in FY21, depending
on the severity of the spread of
Covid-19 pandemic and the dura-
tion of the ongoing nationwide
lockdown, the World Bank said
on Sunday.It said the disruption
by Covid-19 outbreak comes
after already disappointing
growth rates in previous years.
››FULL REPORT ON P11
Some regions
record 40°C-plus
temperatures
NEWDELHI: The maximum temper-
atures have started rising with
many districts in central and
west India recording over 40
degrees Celsius, the India Mete-
orological Department (IMD)
said on Sunday.
Delhi on Sunday recorded a
high of 37.2° C, one notch above
the normal for this time of the
year, the IMD said. Weathermen
said that the Capital could also
record 40° C next week. ››P13
www.twitter.com/htTweets
>p13
10 NEW CONTAINMENT ZONES
A total of 10 new containment zones were declared by the Delhi government on
Sunday, taking the count of such areas in the Capital to 43
33
containment zones that
were identified in Delhi
before Sunday
NEW ZONES
1 One lane in E Block, East of Kailash
2 Kailash Hills, East of Kailash
3 Shera Mohalla, Garhi, East of
Kailash
4 H Block, Abu Fazal Enclave
5 E Block, Abu Fazal Enclave
6 Mehela Mohalla,
Madanpur Khadar
7 Gali no. 16, Kachhi Colony,
Madanpur Khadar
8 H-2 Block, Bengali Colony, Mahavir
Enclave near Dwarka
9 Two areas in Khadda Colony, Jaitpur
10 Extension-II
Delhi’s diagnosis push: Random
antibody testing across clusters
Abhishek Dey
n letters@hindustantimes.com
NEWDELHI: The Delhi government
has decided to scale up rapid tests
for the coronavirus disease, sen-
ior government officials familiar
with the matter said, and is wait-
ing for the antibody test kits that
were due to arrive on Friday to
start more aggressive and ran-
dom testing in all containment
zones across the city.
Delhi has 43 containment
In lockdown silence, mild quake jolts city
Jayashree Nandi
n letters@hindustantimes.com
NEWDELHI: Delhi was hit by a mild,
3.5 magnitude earthquake on
Sunday evening, a tremor that is
likely to have been felt more
strongly than usual by people
since most are at home and
“ambient vibrations” caused by
‘EASTER OF SOLITUDE’
n Pope Francis offers a prayer for Covid-19 victims in a live-streamed Easter Sunday mass delivered
from an empty Vatican to a world under lockdown. He called it the ‘Easter of solitude’. >>P12
Some cheer: India’s recovery count hits 1,000 Reading up on Covid-19 now most
covid
free
HT Correspondents
n letters@hindustantimes.com
ROHTAK/BENGALURU/LUCKNOW/
DEHRADUN: The When
Tamanna Jain’s flight from
the UK landed in New Delhi’s
on March 18, her phone
began to ping uncontrollably.
The WhatsApp group of
friends from Cambridge Uni-
n DOWNLOAD OUR iPAD APP
Rohini
D E L H I
8 row (Monday)... People living in
Najafgarh
Dwarka
IGI
airport
zones, which include lanes and
localities across the city. Two of
these, Nizamuddin Basti and Dil-
shad Garden, are designated
virus hot spots. Officials said the
government has roped in eight
medical institutes to oversee the
testing process in different parts
of the Capital, which is divided
into 11 revenue districts.
The random tests will be done
using rapid antibody kits – these
are capable of showing results
within 20-30 minutes – and the
road traffic have died down.
The tremor struck at 5.45pm,
with the epicentre lying at a depth
of 6.5km in north-east Delhi’s
Sonia Vihar – making it the first
time an earthquake originated
within the Capital in over eight
years. The previous one, a 3.8
magnitude earthquake, was
recorded at the Delhi-Haryana
TA L E S O F R E S I L I E N C E
versity, where Jain is a post-
graduate student of Applied
Mathematics, had been busy
— sharing links on how the
coronavirus disease (Cov-
id-19) spreads, and posting
news on other Indian stu-
dents who had tested positive
for the infection.
The following day, she
visited the Civil Hospital and
got herself tested. “Though I
did not have any symptoms of
Covid-19, I tested positive on
March 20,” Jain said.
She was Sonepat’s “patient
www.hindustantimes.com/iPad
POOR TO GET
UP TO 8 FREE
LPG REFILLS
ASSANGE SEEKS BAIL FEARING INFECTION
JAILED WIKILEAKS FOUNDER FIGHTING EXTRADITION REQUEST TO U.S. >>p8
>business p11
Azadpur
Dilshad
Garden
Old
Delhi
Ridge India
Gate
Road
5 may face some difficulties but we
1 4
6 industrial zones
7 for their safety,” Kejriwal said
3 Okhla
2 also mentioned that there have
9 been a “lot of problems” in the
10
sample size will depend on the
size of each containment zone,
said a senior officer in the health
department.
In an interview to HT, health
minister Satyendar Jain had said
that 100,000 rapid testing kits
were ordered, and that these
would be used to conduct tests
starting with the two hot spots
and then among health care
workers. The government has
now decided to expand this to all
containment zones.
››P3
border in September 2011.
“The (seismological) record-
ing is very clear because of no
noise. People may have experi-
enced the earthquake differently
because most of them are at home
and not in a vehicle or not mov-
ing. You can feel it the most dur-
ing static conditions,” said AP
Pandey, seismologist at the
AFP
zero” -- treated at the BPS
Medical College in Khanpur
Kalan and discharged two
weeks later, on April 2, cured
of Covid-19.
The day she returned
home, wearing track pants
and a collared shirt, her face
covered with a medical mask,
it was an emotional moment,
especially since her family
members had been scared
after she tested positive. “I
was confident of winning this
battle against the virus,” Jain
said.
Disinfection drive
to be scaled up in
high-risk areas
NEW DELHI: Delhi chief minister
Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said
that sanitisation and disinfec-
tion drives will be scaled up from
Monday in the containment
zones created across the city to
prevent the spread of coronavi-
rus and in “high-risk” areas
ascertained by the health depart-
ment, for which his government
has availed machines that can
disinfect up to 20,000 square
metre area per hour.
“We are starting a massive
sanitation programme tomor-
these areas [containment zones]
will ensure that they receive
essentials at their doorstep. It is
on Sunday. ››P3
Need to restart
businesses with
curbs: Khattar
NEW DELHI: Haryana chief minis-
ter Manohar Lal Khattar on Sun-
day said there be a plan in place
to reopen businesses while tak-
ing “utmost care” of the lock-
down enforced due to the corona-
virus outbreak. While four dis-
tricts in NCR -- Palwal, Nuh,
Gurugram, Faridabad -- will be
categorised as Covid-19 “red
zones’’, all the remain-
ing 18 districts of
the state will be
partially or com-
pletely put in
orange or green
zones, Khattar
said.
››P12
National Centre for Seismology
(NCS), the government agency
studying earthquakes under the
ministry of earth sciences. Sev-
eral people reported hearing a
rumbling sound moments before
the tremor, a phenomenon that
an expert said could also have
been more perceptible due to the
stillness all around. ››P13
Boris Johnson
discharged from
London hospital
LONDON: Boris Johnson left hospi-
tal on Sunday to convalesce from
Covid-19 at Chequers, the coun-
try estate of British prime minis-
ters, officials said, a week after he
was admitted and then spent
three days in intensive care.
The 55-year-old leader will not
be immediately returning to
work, on the advice of his medical
staff, Downing Street said.
Johnson, who was admitted to
the state-run central London hos-
pital last Sunday and spent Mon-
day to Thursday in intensive
care, voiced his gratitude to his
carers, saying: “I can’t thank
them enough. I owe them my
life.” ››P8
As the coronavirus
spreads across the country, a
figure that not many have
paid attention to is that of the
number of people who have
recovered from the highly
infectious Sars-Cov-2. In
India alone, over 1,000 people
around the country have
been cured, while across the
globe at least 410,000 people
have recovered.
According to government
protocol, a patient is consid-
ered cured after two tests,
CONTINUED ON P 14
n OUR EDITION ON KINDLE
Ministries pitch plan to
balance lives, livelihood
Sunetra Choudhury, Rajeev
Jayaswal and Anisha Dutta
n letters@hindustantimes.com
NEWDELHI: A day after Prime Min-
ister Narendra Modi spoke of
striking a balance between lives
and the world, the government
intensified its effort to find the
policy mix to implement this
framework. This included the
process of finalising guidelines to
demarcate zones with different
levels of restrictions, and restart-
ing certain economic activities
once the three-week lockdown
ends on April 14.
Two Union ministers, a chief
minister, two Niti Aayog officials,
and two government bureau-
crats who are a part of empow-
ered committees dealing with
various elements of the coronavi-
rus disease (Covid-19) said that
the lockdown after Wednesday
will be more calibrated than in
the first phase.
The commerce ministry has
also offered a specific road map,
in a note to the home ministry, on
sectors that can be opened up
now and relaxations that should
be introduced once a decision on
the lockdown is taken. The letter
was seen and reviewed by HT. It
movement of people and vehicles
in sectors allowed by the govern-
ment; this was followed up by a
home ministry note to state gov-
ernments, reiterating the need to
enable movement which has
been permitted.
The letter also proposed
restarting big companies such as
textiles, automobiles and elec-
tronic manufacturing with
proper sanitation and distancing
norms in place in sectors. It sug-
gested restricting their capacities
to 20-25% in a single shift to start
with. It proposed allowing com-
panies and micro, small and
medium enterprises (MSMEs)
with export commitments to
operate with minimal manpower
TRACKING THE VIRUS
WORLD
1,828,045 112,447
CASES
United States
545,830
India data compiled by covid19india.org and cross-checked from inputs by HT’s correspondents and news agencies Apr 08
Nihang men chop
off cop’s hand after
defying restrictions
Vishal Rambani
n rambani@hindustantimes.com
BALBERA (PATIALA): A policeman’s
hand was chopped off with a
sword and six of his colleagues
were injured in an attack by a
group of Nihangs at a vegetable
market in Punjab’s Patiala, the
state police said on Sunday.
Assistant sub-inspector Harjit
Singh’s hand was later reat-
tached after a plastic surgery last-
ing seven-and-a-half hours at
Chandigarh’s PGI hospital and 11
people were arrested from a vil-
lage dera over their role in the
incident. Police said ~39 lakh, two
petrol bombs, spears, swords and
other weapons, as well as five
bags of poppy husk were recov-
ered from them.
The Nihangs are a Sikh sect
whose members live on the frin-
common web activity for all ages
HT Correspondent
n letters@hindustantimes.com
NEWDELHI: Reading about the cor-
onavirus disease (Covid-19) is
now the most common activity
on the internet, according to a
study of 4,000 people that high-
lights how the pandemic has
changed information consump-
tion patterns among people.
The study, carried out by mar-
ket research firm Global Web
Index among internet users in
http://read.
MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020
RESTARTING ECONOMIC ACTIVITY?
Commerce ministry suggests
allowing following industries and
INDUSTRIES &
economic activity once a call is
taken on the lockdown
COMPANIES
n Big companies in
textiles, automobiles
and electronic
manufacturing
n Companies/MSMEs
with export commit-
ments
n Telecom equipment
and component makers,
including optic fiber
n A closed market in Mumbai. AP
cable manufacturers
n All types of food and
n Construction and housing sector beverages
work, if labourers stay at facility
n Free
n Seeds processing units
n Compressor and
movement of inter-city,
interstate transport condenser units
n Cement plants
n Sales by street vendors and
vegetable sellers n Pulp and paper units
n Servicesby electricians, plumbers n Fertiliser plants
cobblers and ironing/laundry n Plastic manufacturing
providers units
n Automobile repairing services
n Automotive units
n Allactivities linked to production, n All units in special
distribution and sale in the
agriculture sector
and necessary movement of ess in government said that a
material; resumption of housing decision on the lockdown, how-
construction activities provided
labour stayed at the site; and
listed out a range of industries
ever, is likely to be announced
only on April 14, after a high-level
meeting.
such as heavy electrical items,
fertiliser plants, all types of food
Summarising the govern-
ment’s broad approach, Vinod
and beverages plants, among oth-
ers, which should be allowed to
function on a single-shift basis.
Paul, member of Niti Aayog and
co-chair of the empowered com-
mittee for Covid-19 response in
To be sure, this detailed note is India, said that there were three
just a proposal — and is at the things to keep in mind when the
level of an intra-government lockdown eventually ends. The
communication so far. No deci- first, he said, was the realisation
sion has been taken or for each citizen that life was going
announced on it. to be different till a drug or a vac-
India’s case tally stood at 9,191 cine was found. “So we would
on Sunday, including 326 deaths have to continue with a new norm
-- a rise of 811 positive cases since of social distancing in every
Saturday night. phase of our life.”
A Union minister familiar The second factor was that the
with the decision-making proc- CONTINUED ON P 14
INDIA DELHI
DEATHS DEATHS DEATHS
9,191 (+811) 326 (+38) 1,154 (+85) 24 (+5)
CASES CASES
Rest of the world WORST-HIT STATES CASES LAST 5 DAYS
1,282,215 Maharashtra
Delhi
Tamil Nadu
1,154
1,075
1,982
903
1,069
1,154
Rajasthan
MP
796
562
669 720
09 10 11 Apr 12
Maharashtra nears
2,000 case count
as infections rise
MUMBAI: Maharashtra recorded
221 Covid-19 cases and 10 deaths
on Sunday, taking the state
ges of society and dress up as
medieval warriors owing alle-
closer to the 2,000-count mark at
1,982. The death toll has reached
giance to Guru Gobind Singh, the
10th Guru, specialising in the tra-
149, state figures revealed.
The state crossed 1,000 cases
ditional martial art of gatka (simi-
lar to the modern sport of fen-
cing).
just last Tuesday, but the past
five days reported more than 100
per day, including three days
Police said the men were asked
to show their curfew passes at the
that saw more than 200 cases.
Mumbai has 1,298 positive cases
vegetable market, which they
refused to do and instead forced
their way through the barricade.
and 92 deaths.
The state has tested 41,109 peo-
ple. It has also kept 5,064 sus-
When the policemen chased them pected patients under govern-
and told them to step out of their ment quarantine facility, while
vehicle, five men came out and 61,247 are quarantined at home,
launched an attack with swords. according to health officials.
As six policemen received inju- The rising numbers had
ries and the ASI fell down after forced chief minister Uddhav
his hand was cut off, the men Thackeray on Saturday to
drove away. extend the lockdown till April 30,
Apart from chief minister so as to prevent the state from
Amarinder Singh, several politi- slipping in to phase three — com-
cal leaders said strict action munity spread — of the out-
should be taken. ››P6 break, officials said. ››P12
the United Kingdom and the among boomers – those in the
United States, shows reading 57-64 age bracket – who divided
about the Covid-19 crisis is the more of their time between lis-
top online activity among all age tening to music (38%), watching
groups except Gen Z (those in the shows (34%), and playing games
16-23 age group), who prefer to on their phones (34%).
listen to music more. People also appear to be seek-
Music, streaming videos and ing out comic relief, with “watch-
mobile phone gaming were the ing funny videos” the fourth top
next commonly chosen activity activity described by respon-
over all. The proportion of peo- dents. Among the youngest gen-
ple reading about the pandemic eration online, 54% said they
was highest among millennials were looking at memes online.
(71%), while it was the lowest ››TRENDS CHARTS ON P7
02 hindustantimes
htsalutes
Soldiering on, to serve a larger cause
DHANI RAM, Sanitation worker
‘Proud to be chosen... Travels 30km to look after Covid patients
Whatever you do,
strive to be the best’
Soumya Pillai
n soumya.pillai@htlive.com
NEW DELHI: After four hours of
picking up piles of garbage bags
and sorting waste, 47-year-old
Dhani Ram, a sanitation worker
with East Delhi Municipal Corpo-
ration (EDMC), takes a break to
smoke a bidi. He sits on the side of
a pavement, unties his plastic
cap, removes his mask, and the
struggles to pull off his gloves.
“It takes a while to remove all
this. Even my glasses get foggy
inside this suit. We are not used to
so much protection,” Ram
laughed.
A contractual sanitation work-
ers with the municipality for over
seven years now, apart from his
normal routine, Ram has now
been tasked to handle biomedical
waste from hospitals and the
houses of people who have been
home quarantined by the admin-
istration.
Every other day, Ram and
another colleague get dressed in
their protective gear and head out
to collect the waste from marked
houses and hospitals in the vicin-
ity. Their instructions are that
the bags of garbage kept outside
these places are to be picked up,
put in a sack, sealed, and in no cir-
cumstances should this waste or
other discarded masks that they
find be handled without gloves.
With more people working
from home because of a nation-
wide lockdown, his work has
increased. When the municipali-
ties started stepping up action in
view of the increasing number of
Covid-19 infections in the city,
#HTSALUTES
        
          
In the fight against the contagious coronavirus disease, some people have been tirelessly putting themselves at risk, working round the clock to keep the
wheels of life moving. Here we put the spotlight at those taking care of infected patients, collecting waste, and ensuring that people get essential supplies
n Dhani Ram is tasked to handle
biomedical waste.
EDMC officials tasked private
contractors to employ their “best
workers” to pick up waste from
the houses that have been quar-
antined. “I am proud that I was
chosen. I believe in giving my best
at whatever job I do. If you’re a
doctor be the best doctor, if you’re
a garbage collector, be the best
one,” he said, showing pictures
on his mobile phone of an award
got from EDMC last year for
being among the best at his job.
As Ram finishes his smoke, he
shows a small tear on his plastic
overalls, which he has stuck
together with a tape. He needs to
handle his suit with care because
a new one is only given out once
every three days.
Talking about incidents of vio-
lence against some front-line
workers across the country, Ram
says that it upsets him to see that
people can nurture anger against
those who are risking their own
lives to control the infection.
“Last week, a young boy crossed
me when I was walking towards
my vehicle, he smiled at me and
said ‘thank you’,” Ram said.
BIMLESH KAIN, Nurse
Anonna Dutt
n anonna.dutt@htive.com
NEW DELHI: “It is our duty, how
can we be scared? We will keep
coming to the hospital and
ensure that all of the patients
are healthy and comfortable till
the last patient has gone home,”
she said. She is one of the 1,000
healthcare workers engaged in
the care of Covid-19 patients at
the city’s biggest isolation facil-
ity in Lok Nayak hospital.
At present, the standalone
Covid-19 hospital has 602 posi-
tive and suspected patients
admitted. It is gearing up to cre-
ate space for 2,000 such patients.
Every day she travels almost
30km from her home in Rohini
to report for duty at 8am.
She comes to the hospital and
changes into a brown salwar
kameez, her uniform. When she
has to go into the Covid-19 ward,
she wears the personal protec-
tive equipment (PPE) – a full
DHANANJAY GUPTA, Vegetable vendor
Didn’t go to his village, for the sake of the city
n Dhananjay Gupta says the
pandemic gave him purpose.
n The summer will make things more difficult, says Bimlesh Kain
body suit, head cover, gloves,
goggles, and shoe covers.
The rising temperatures will
only make her job more diffi-
cult. “Earlier the hospital was
planning on longer shifts, but
we have stuck to three eight-
hour shifts. It is very hot, mak-
ing it difficult to stay in so many
layers of the PPE. Plus, we can-
not switch on the air-condition-
Soumya Pillai
n soumya.pillai@htlive.com
NEW DELHI: Vegetable vendor
Dhananjay Gupta has started
noticing a new respect in the eyes
of customers when he enters the
lanes of the residential neigh-
bourhood of Green Park in south
Delhi these days to hawk his
wares. People peep out their win-
dows and greet him from the bal-
conies when he arrives, loudly
announcing what the has for sale.
“Before the lockdown,most
ing as it might lead to the virus
circulating across the hospital.
As the temperature rises it is
going to be more difficult,” she
said.
She recounts the incident in
the Covid-19 ward when the
first batch of about 80 suspected
Covid-19 cases were brought
from the airport to the hospital.
“They were irritable because
people here relied on home deliv-
ery services for their daily vege-
tables, but with those being shut,
I have finally found some custom-
ers in this area,” Gupta, 36, says.
As Gupta pushes his cart
through the gated colonies of the
upscale area, residents wait
patiently for their turn.
Because of a shortage of vehi-
cles bringing in vegetables from
wholesale markets, Gupta has to
leave his house at 4am every day
to collect his daily stock from the
distributor. The vehicle carrying
MOST OF US ARE
SAFE AT HOME
BECAUSE SOME
HAVE CHOSEN
TO STEP OUT
        
      
       
        
     
they had not anticipated the
14-day quarantine. And, at the
time, we did not know we would
have so many patients. The hos-
pital was in the process of pur-
chasing things like buckets,
soaps, toothbrush and paste,
packs of biscuits for all of them,
but it was taking time. I remem-
ber, we all pooled in money and
got some of the supplies from
shops nearby to ensure they
faced no problems,” said Kain.
She heads the team of nurses
that take care of the Covid-19
patients. “Not only do I have to
ensure that all the patients are
comfortable and looked after, I
also have to make sure my
nurses are safe. I have to ensure
that when they are staying
away from their families, they
have a good place to live in and
get nutritious food,” she said.
The staff working inside the
Covid-19 wards work for 14 days
at a stretch before remaining in
quarantine for the next 14 days.
vegetables drives up to Chirag
Dilli at 4.30 am. After pushing his
cart full of fresh vegetables for
nearly three kilometres, he
reaches home to wash and sort
them before setting out, wearing
his face mask and gloves.
“People like me generally have
no relevance in this society, but
this epidemic has given me a pur-
pose. I feel like a soldier these
days. My wife was insisting that
we go back to our village, but I felt
that I needed to stay back for the
sake of this city.”
HIN DUSTA N TIMES, N EW D E LHI
MO N DAY, A PRIL 1 3, 2 02 0
SHAMIM AHMED, Pharmacist
Skipped his child’s
first birthday to sell
essential medicines
Soumya Pillai
n soumya.pillai@htlive.com
NEW DELHI: In his 15 years of run-
ning a pharmacy, Shamim
Ahmed has missed many anni-
versaries and family functions
because of the nature of his job.
This year, he decided to keep his
shop shut for a day and made
plans to celebrate his daughter’s
first birthday on April 2.
A venue was booked and cater-
ers were hired to arrange a party
that would be the biggest their
neighbourhood had seen. Ahmed
and his wife had been planning
the party since January. As the
coronavirus disease (Covid-19)
spread across the world and
reached India, the plans fell
apart. “We still thought that as a
backup plan, we’ll have a dinner
together as a family, but who was
to know that even that plan would
not materialise,” Ahmed, who
owns AK Pharma Solutions,in
south Delhi’s Gautam Nagar,
says.
On April 2, when his only
daughter turned one year old,
Ahmed spent his entire day in his
pharmacy selling face masks,
gloves and essential drugs to his
customers. Most of the day, he
was on his phone tracking the
movement of a delivery person
who had to drop in with some
essential medicines that Ahmed’s
pharmacy was short on.
The rush of customers, in fact,
forced him to keep his shop open
for hours beyond the closing time
of 10 pm. He says that by the time
he reached home, carefully keep-
ing his clothes and shoes aside for
n We’ll spend other birthdays
together, says Shamim Ahmed.
washing, and cleaned himself up
to meet his daughter, she was
already asleep.
“I know she will not remember
any of this, and we will get a
chance to spend many birthdays
in life. This is when people need
me the most and I cannot think
only about myself and my family
at such a crucial time,” the
37-year-old says.
To ensure the safety of his staff,
he has only kept one employee to
help him in the pharmacy and
given the rest time off with pay
until the lockdown ends,
He is also been maintaining a
distance from his family to save
them from any kind of infection.
He sleeps in a separate room and
ensures that he does not sit too
close to his daughter.
“Two people were found coro-
navirus-positive in this neigh-
bourhood and that has created
panic. I know I cannot close my
shop and sit at home, but I do fear
for my family’s safety. So, the best
way to do that {ensure their
safety} is to take precautions,” he
said.
HIN DUSTA N T IMES, N EW D E LH I
MO N DAY, A PRIL 1 3 , 2 02 0
p g
htspotlight
DELHI’S 1,000 CASES IN 41 DAYS
After the first case was reported in Delhi on March 2, it took 35 days for the city to register its 500th case. Then, this
tally doubled in the next six days. A look at how Delhi’s numbers have grown in the past 41 days
HOW CASES 1,069
ARE SPLIT TOTAL CASES
800 ...DELHI GOT ITS 1ST CASE
TOTAL
MARCH 2
Number
of cases
Active
cases
600
400
ONLY 3 STATES HAD CASES
State
Kerala
Delhi
Telangana
200
MAR 2 March 2
First case reported in Delhi
1 — a 45-year-old man who
returned from Italy
MAR 2
Containment, high-risk
zones to be disinfected
SANITISATION Kejriwal says new, efficient machines will cover more area faster
HT Correspondent
n htreporters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Delhi chief minister
Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said
that sanitisation and disinfec-
tion drives will be scaled up from
Monday in the containment
zones created across the city to
prevent the spread of coronavi-
rus and “high-risk” areas ascer-
tained by the health department,
for which his government has
availed machines that can disin-
fect up to 20,000 square metre
area per hour.
“We are starting a massive
sanitation programme tomor-
row (Monday). PI Industries (an
agriculture sciences company)
have provided us with 20 Japa-
nese hi-tech machines that are
capable of disinfecting 20,000
square metres area in an hour.
The machines were provided for
free. Other than that, the Delhi
Jal Board has 50 smaller
machines which will be deployed
in the disinfection drive,” said
the chief minister in a video
press conference.
“Delhi currently has 33-35
containment zones. Our teams
have identified more areas and
more containment zones will be
notified in the next couple of
days. All these areas will be sub-
jected to Operation SHIELD.
People living in these areas may
face some difficulties but we will
ensure that they receive essen-
tials at their doorstep. It is for
their safety,” said Kejriwal, cit-
ing the example of Dilshad Gar-
den, in east Delhi.
By Sunday evening, the Delhi
government announced 10 new
containment zones, taking the
total number of such areas to 43
in the city. The new zones
included three in upscale East of
Kailash residential neighbour-
hood in southeast Delhi. The
South East Delhi district now
has the highest number of con-
712 Cases that can be tracked to Tablighi Jamaat congregation
HOW THE NUMBERS STACKED UP WHEN...
5 CASES
1 503
Delhi
0 114
DEATHS
Cases
3 Maharashtra
1 Tamil Nadu
1 Delhi
March 14
68-year-old woman is the
first patient to die due to
coronavirus in Delhi
n A barricade at the Turkman Gate area in Old Delhi. On Sunday, tthe Capital reported 85 more Covid-19
cases, taking the total to 1,154.
DILSHAD GARDEN IS AN
IDENTIFIED HOT SPOT
WHERE OPERATION
SHIELD WAS DEPLOYED
AND NO FRESH CASES
HAVE BEEN RECORDED
SINCE THEN.
tainment zones (12), outnumber-
ing East Delhi district, which
had the highest number of con-
tainment zones (9) in the
national capital.
Dilshad Garden is an identi-
fied coronavirus hot spot in the
city where the strategy was
deployed and no fresh cases were
recorded in the area since April
1. Few lanes in the neighbour-
hood are still notified contain-
ment zones.
“No new case of COVID-19 has
been reported in Dilshad Garden
in the last 10 days due to Opera-
tion SHIELD,” he said.
1,023 positive cases admitted in hospitals
...DELHI GOT ITS 500TH CASE
TOTAL 4,198
APRIL 5
Number
of cases
Active
cases
TOP 10 STATES
State Cases
748
571
503
Kerala 314
Uttar Pradesh 278
TOTAL NUMBER
OF CASES IN DELHI
Sealing, home quarantine,
isolation and tracking, essential
supply, local sanitisation and
door-to-door checking are the
key aspects of ‘SHIELD’ in any
containment area.
“Operation SHIELD will be
implemented in all areas which
have been declared as contain-
ment zones... I know people
would be facing difficulties in
these areas, but it is necessary
for saving their lives,” Kejriwal
said.
RED & ORANGE ZONES
For the new sanitation and disin-
fection drive, Kejriwal said, all
containment zones will be
referred to as “Red Zones”. He
further said, “The government
is in the process of ascertaining
high-risk zones and experts have
been roped in. Those will be
referred to as Orange Zones.
Both Red Zones and Orange
Zones would witness heightened
sanitation and disinfection
CASES
APRIL 11
Delhi
DEATHS
State Cases
Telangana 272
Rajasthan 253
Andhra Pradesh 252
Madhya Pradesh 193
Karnataka 155
SUSHIL KUMAR/HT PHOTO
drive.” When asked about the list
of orange zones, a senior official
in the Secretariat said, “Cur-
rently, all buffer zones are being
treated as orange zones. With
time, the list will be updated.”
Buffer zones are geographical
areas immediately surrounding
containment zones, as described
by the Union health ministry in
a document — Containment Plan
for Large Outbreaks — released
last week.
In the next couple of days, the
senior officer said, areas such as
agriculture market, those with
high population density and
those which have residents of
SARS-CoV-2 patients but have
not been marked as containment
zones are likely to be added in the
list of orange zones.
“The spike in the number of
cases in Delhi is a concern. But I
am sure, it can be controlled,”
he said. On Saturday, Delhi
crossed 1,000 active cases of coro-
navirus.
27 Recovered 19 Dead
...DELHI GOT ITS 1,000TH CASE
TOTAL 8,380 CASES
Number
of cases
Active
cases
TOP 10 STATES
State Cases
Maharashtra 1761
Delhi 1069
Tamil Nadu 969
Rajasthan 700
Telangana 503
March 30
Reports emerge of a Tablighi Jamaat
congregation that took place in Nizamuddin
in early March. It emerged as a massive hot
spot after thousands of cases across the
country were traced back to it
FIGHTING INFECTION
Govt to scale up rapid testing for
Covid-19, awaiting antibody kits
Abhishek Dey
n abhishek.dey@hindustantimes.com
New Delhi: The Delhi govern-
ment has decided to scale up
rapid tests for the coronavirus
disease (Covid-19), senior gov-
ernment officials familiar with
the matter said, and is waiting
for the antibody test kits that
were due to arrive on Friday to
start more aggressive and ran-
dom testing in all containment
zones across the city.
Delhi has 43 containment
zones, which includes lanes
and localities across the city.
Two of these -- Nizamuddin
Basti and Dilshad Garden -- are
designated virus hot spots. Offi-
cials said that the government
has roped in eight medical
institutes to oversee the testing
process in different parts of the
Capital, which is divided into 11
revenue districts.
The random tests will be
done using rapid antibody kits
– these are capable of showing
results within 20-30 minutes –
and the sample size will depend
on the size of each containment
zones, said a senior officer in
the health department who
asked not to be named.
While some containment
zones in Delhi consist of a sin-
gle building, plot or lane, few
others include mazes of lanes
and even arterial roads. The
area of each containment zone
was demarcated on the basis of
cases recorded, a threat assess-
ment, and an expected rate of
transmission given the geogra-
phy of the locality.
By random sampling, the
government intends to take the
testing exercise beyond indi-
viduals who have a travel his-
tory to Covid-19 affected coun-
tries, or the direct contacts of
individuals who have tested
positive so far.
According to Jugal Kishore,
head of the community medici-
nes department in Safdarjung
Hospital, who is leading one
team concerning the monitor-
hindustantimes
1,069
Delhi
288
DEATHS
State Cases
Madhya Pradesh 470
Gujarat 468
Uttar Pradesh 452
Andhra Pradesh 405
Kerala 373
n A woman placing a container inside circles marked for social
distancing at a food distribution drive by the Ramakrishna Mission
on Sunday.
In each containment zone, patients with severe
› acute respiratory illnesses (SARI) will be prioritised
for the test. The rest of the sample size will be random
JUGAL KISHORE, head of community medicine dept, Safdarjung Hospital
ing of the rapid test exercise
about to start in containment
zones, said that the primary
objective of the scheme is “an
accurate assessment of the bur-
den of the disease” and “con-
tainment of community trans-
mission”.
“In each containment zone,
patients with severe acute res-
piratory illnesses (SARI) will
be prioritised for the test. The
rest of the sample size would be
random in nature,” Kishore
added.
In an interview to Hindustan
Times last week, health minis-
ter Satyendar Jain had said
that 100,000 rapid testing kits
were ordered, and that these
would be used to conduct tests
starting with the two hots pots
and then among health care
workers, which include doc-
tors, nurses, orderlies and sani-
tation employees.
The government has now
CORONAVIRUS: METRO
1,069
April 8
Delhi government identifies
and seals 20 hot spots across
the city to control the spread.
Delhi govt also made wearing
of masks compulsory for
anyone stepping out of their
house
APR 5
503
(7 DEATHS)
DAILY NEW
CASES IN DELHI
APR 5
BURHAAN KINU/HT PHOTO
decided to expand this to all
containment zones. With 85
new cases on Sunday, Delhi
recorded 1,154 Covid-19 cases,
including 24 deaths.
In the same interview, Jain
had said that the government
was also looking at “pool test-
ing”, in which the samples of
several people could be mixed
before testing so that the proc-
ess of eliminating those who
don’t have Covid-19 could be
speeded up.
On April 7, chief minister
Arvind Kejriwal said that the
Union government had allotted
27,000 rapid testing kits for
Delhi and the batch would
arrive by April 10.
“It has not happened yet. We
checked with the ICMR (Indian
Council for Medical Research)
because the kits have to come
through them. They said that
even they have not received the
allotted batch. We are expect-
03
APR 11
(19 DEATHS)
APR 11
GRAPHIC: MUKESH SHARMA
ing the kits this week,” said sec-
ond officer in the health depart-
ment who spoke on condition of
anonymity.
Unlike the RT-PCR test cur-
rently in use that detects the
virus’s genetic material (RNA)
in throat swabs to diagnose a
current Covid-19 infection,
rapid antibody tests indicate if
a person has been infected in
the past and has developed and
immunity to the virus. Experts
say they can also be used as a
screening test for the infection
-- antibodies typically show up
a week after the infection.
The simple blood test (sam-
ples can be collected by just a
finger prick) which takes 15-20
minutes to give results, identi-
fies people who were infected at
least a week before the test, and
also those who were infected
but never diagnosed, helping
map undetected infections and
giving the correct extent of the
spread of the disease.
Charoo Hans, former head of
the microbiology department at
the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospi-
tal, said: “It is essential to prior-
itise testing of households with
SARI cases and other possible
contacts, such as people provid-
ing essential services in those
containment areas. However,
as asymptomatic individuals
can also test positive for Cov-
id-19 it is also essential to test
these individuals on random
basis. Data generated by such
studies will help in understand-
ing the burden of disease and
the possibility of community
transmission.”
Community transmission is
the third of the four stages of
the spread of an infectious dis-
ease. The first is travel history,
the second is local transmis-
sion, the third is community
transmission, and the fourth is
epidemic. India has so far main-
tained that the disease is in the
second stage, or between stage
two and stage three with “lim-
ited community transmission”
in some clusters.
04 hindustantimes HIN DUSTA N TIMES, N EW D E LHI
MO N DAY, A PRIL 1 3, 2 02 0

p g
htspotlight CORONAVIRUS: METRO

Others suffer as hospitals free

DISPATCH up resources to combat Covid
26 PANDEMIC-HIT ‘Curtailed’ services hit cancer patients, pregnant women, transplant patients hardest
Anonna Dutt dures,” said Dr Sandeep ing homes in the city, most are
n anonna.dutt@htlive.com Guleria, renal transplant sur- small with just one to 20 beds.
geon, Indraprastha Apollo hos- Although some hospitals
NEW DELHI :A month after the sur- pital. have started telemedicine con-
gery to remove an oral cancer Around 150 kidney trans- sultations after the Central gov-
malignant growth, Mohd plants usually happen across ernment released guidelines,
Kareem, 40, started his radia- the country in a week. the uptake is not great.
tion therapy at Delhi State Can- With surgeries getting post- “We have launched a 12-hour
cer Institute (DSCI) mid-Febru- poned, the long waiting lists for teleconsultation number. But
ary. He still had five cycles of surgeries at government hospi- we are getting just three or four
radiation therapy remaining tals will likely get longer. At calls a day,” said Dr Nimesh
when the hospital shut down hospitals like AIIMS, the wait Desai, director of the Institute of
after doctors and nurses there period for surgeries in some Human Behaviour and Allied
started testing positive for Cov- departments can be up to a year. Sciences.
id-19. The hospital OPD, now shut,
“I do not want his cancer to ROUTINE CONSULTS used to get about 1,200 patients a
AFP come back. We even went to a Routine out-patient services in day.
private hospital, but they said big hospitals — like AIIMS and

Covid-19: What that the treatment should con- A doctor in PPE suit at Lok Nayak Hospital on Sunday. ANI Lok Nayak—have been shut IMMUNISATION
n

tinue at the same hospital. after they started accepting Although, the government has
Should we keep waiting for the dinge Medical College. Roopali Diwan, head of the Covid-19 patients. Some others ensured that vaccines are avail-
hospital to re-open?” asked Sah- “When it comes to cancer, department of gynaecology at run a curtailed OPD. able at all its dispensaries and
eem Bano, Kareem’s wife. every step is emergent. There Safdarjung hospital. “We receive less than half the non-Covid-19 hospitals, univer-

you need to The DSCI was shut after 22 of

its staff and three patients tested
positive for the infection.
Hospitals across the city, gov-
shouldn’t be interruption in
treatment. Now, private sector
hospitals, which treat a major-
ity of indoor patients, are not
Services such as delivery of
babies have also gone down at
the busiest labour room in the
city.“People from far off places,
number of patients in our clinics
even though all services –
except planned surgeries – are
open. We have started giving
sal immunisation programme
has also taken a hit in the city.
“All vaccines are available at
the fixed delivery points like

know today
ernment and private, have cur-
tailed or halted “routine” servi-
ces to decongest and keep beds
for Covid-19 patients. This, cou-
pled with the 21-day lockdown,
R Sukumar has severely limited people’s
access health services in Delhi.
bound to stay open and risk
their staff getting the infection.
So, people depend on govern-
ment facilities. In the absence of
experienced doctors at district
hospitals, who will treat cancer
patients unable to reach
who would earlier come to the
hospital for their deliveries,
can’t do so now because of the
lockdown,” she said.
LONGER WAIT
Transplantation surgeries
patients with chronic condi-
tions, like diabetes, medicine for
longer periods to reduce their
visits,” said Dr Rajeev Kapoor,
medical superintendent of Sar-
dar Vallabhbhai Patel hospital
in East Patel Nagar, one of at
dispensaries and hospitals. And
hospitals, that have shut rou-
tine services, have been
requested to send patients to the
nearest dispensaries,” said an
official from the Delhi govern-
ment’s health department.

A
s India nears the 10,000 cases mark — Covid-19 AIIMS?” he said. across the country — have been least 25 Delhi government-run “With 90% of the immunisa-
infections touched 9,191 on Sunday, and there have FEW HOSPITALS OPEN After taking proper precau- hit, with the government sug- hospitals that are still providing tion services being provided by
been 326 deaths so far — it is clear that the virus is “Mortality from non-communi- tions, the non-Covid-19 hospi- gesting that non-emergency routine healthcare services. government facilities, it should
still following its own trajectory in India. Many sci- cable diseases will shoot up in tals should continue all routine surgeries be put on hold for now. After two mohalla clinic doc- not be impacted too much.
entists expected that this would change at some places that do not have strong services, Dr Shankar suggested. “No transplant surgeries tors from NE Delhi contracted But there will definitely be
point. It hasn’t (and to celebrate, this column is public healthcare system. It is “Chronic conditions get diag- have taken place in the country the virus from a patient, at least some impact. How much, we
going to be repetitive, but with fresh numbers). important to focus on Covid, but nosed when patients come to in eight to ten days. Some trans- 100 of these clinics have also will come to know only after a
Till March 23, there were 499 Covid-19 cases in not at the cost of other health- our clinics. These might get plant surgeries are life-saving— been shut. Besides that, half the couple of months when the data
India. The number rose to 2,543 till April 2. On care needs,” said Dr Abhishek missed and the patients might like heart or liver transplants. private practitioners across the comes in. We might have to
April 12, the count stood at 9,191. The death toll rose Shankar, assistant professor of land up in the hospital with Covid-19 is here to stay and we city have also closed their prac- carry out intensive drives to
from 10 to 72 to 326 in this period. radiation oncology at Lady Har- severe symptoms,” said Dr cannot deny people these proce- tice. There are around 700 nurs- catch up,” he said.
Consider the US. Till March 8, there were 541
cases in the US. The number rose to 9,296 till

GRADUAL RISE
March 18 and 124,256 till March 28. On Sun-
day, the count was 545,830. The death toll
rose from 22 to 150 and then 2,222. On Sun-
Sale tokens, shifting bazars coronanotes
200 shifted to Haj Manzil
after Kashmere Gate fire
Eight detained for praying
at gurdwara, FIR filed

to aid mandi crowd control

With 9,191 cases as of Sunday,
India’s curve of Covid-19 infec-
tions and deaths is a lot shallower
than the United States and Italy –
the two countries worst-hit from
the pandemic. It is clear that the
virus is still following its own
trajectory in India
BEHIND
IN MASS
TESTING
One of the reasons
India may have re-
ported fewer infections
could be due to the lack talities in India that suggests that the disease is
of mass testing for the silently stalking people in the country’s hinter-
disease. This could
mean there are a lot
more undetected
patients, although
there is no known
surge in non-Covid
mortalities to
suggest that
THE LITTLE
KNOWN
FACTORS
To understand India’s
trajectory, scientists
need to study the
impact of temperature
and humidity on the
virus, the strain of the
virus; and the relation-
ship, if any, between
immunity to the
disease and the BCG
vaccine
day, it stood at 21,474.
NEW DELHI: As many as 150-200 NEW DELHI: Eight people were
Or Italy. Till February 27, the number
homeless people were shifted to detained and a FIR registered
of cases in Italy was 593. This rose to Haj Manzil, a two-storey building after a group of men were found
5,061 till March 7 and 26,062 till March 17. near Ramlila Maidan, on Sunday a praying at Gurdwara Sisganj in
The death toll rose from 17 to 233 to 2,503 Soumya Pillai and Abhishek Dey day after their shelters at Kash- north Delhi in the early hours of
in this period. On Sunday, the count was a n htreporters@hindustantimes.com mere Gate were set afire Satur- Sunday. All of them were released.
total of 156,363 cases and 19,899 deaths. day. Bipin Rai, member, Delhi The police said the congregation
There is no need to get into the math — NEWDELHI: To control crowding in Urban Shelter Improvement came to light around 2.15am,
the Indian curve is a lot shallower, in terms of wholesale vegetable markets Board, said, ”The building has a when a team of Kotwali police
amid the lockdown to contain capacity to house at least 1,000 station staff checked the gurd-
both infections and deaths. One explanation is
Covid-19 spread, the administra- people and so, we plan to shift wara to find several people
that India is not testing as much as some of these homeless from other areas also. reciting religious text. “There
countries have done. tion has come up with a slew of
measures, such as relocating State and police will arrange for were over a dozen people there,”
Italy has tested 15,935 per million of its popula- food and other needs.” HTC said DCP (north). HTC
tion; the US 8,138; and India 137. To be sure, both the markets, staggering sale timings
and issuing tokens for customers.
US and Italy were laggards in testing to begin with,
The Delhi government has
and then aggressively ramped up as they realised
drafted a policy in this regard.
the danger posed by the pandemic.
All the numbers, other than the India tally as of
Sunday evening are from the website worldome-
Over the last 48 hours, several
such rearrangements were done
at the Azadpur, Keshopur, Najaf-
Happiness classes are
ters.info
The latest Indian numbers are from HT’s dash-
board.
garh and Mehrauli markets.
While the first two have been sub-
jected to staggered timings, the
n Medical staff at the Hindu Rao Hospital walk through a disinfection
tunnel installed by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation. The tunnel
now a phone call away
It is a fact that India has tested far too few people others have been relocated to will be inaugurated Monday. SANJEEV VERMA/HT
(the numbers will increase once the rapid test kits more spacious zones, to ensure Kainat Sarfaraz Delhi government announced
arrive). This could mean that there are a lot of better social distancing. are also keeping a check on the to ensure distance is maintained n kainat.sarfaraz@htlive.com that beginning Sunday (April 12),
infected people out there. Many of them may be “The Najafgarh mandi was mandis using drones. between vendors. However, it would send pre-recorded mes-
symptomatic, but at least some will require hospi- located in a cramped space, Other vegetable and fruit mar- while the government is coming NEW DELHI: At around 2pm Sun- sages to parents of students in
talisation, advanced care, perhaps in critical care which often witnessed a crowd kets in the city are also following up with all these orders, no one is day, Rajni Kumar — mother to a Delhi government schools up to
units, and, some of them may even die. Anecdotally even during the lockdown. It has strict precautionary measures to listening to the actual woes of class 7 student of a Delhi govern- class 8, to ensure they keep learn-
been shifted to a spacious area in ensure social distancing during wholesalers. The market is yet to ment school in Nand Nagri — ing even during the lockdown.
at least, there’s no sudden surge in non-Covid mor-
the vicinity to ensure better this pandemic. be sanitised. We are being asked received a text message from the Through text messages and
social distancing norms,” said In Delhi’s Azadpur mandi, to open shops compulsorily every state education department ask- interactive voice response (IVR)
Rahul Singh, district magistrate Asia’s largest wholesale vegeta- day and our safety is at stake.” ing her to dial a number to learn calls, the education department
land.
(South-West). ble and fruit market, the Agricul- The Azadpur mandi gets a about the “mindfulness” activity said it will guide parents on how
Clearly, India’s trajectory is mystifying and
The Delhi government on Sat- tural Produce Marketing Com- daily supply of 15,000 tonnes of done during the Happiness Class to “become teachers” and carry
needs deeper scientific research. This column has
urday directed the relocation of mittee (APMC) has decided to vegetables, but over the last two at her son’s school. out step-by-step activities to con-
previously pointed to at least three themes being the Mehrauli vegetable mandi to allow sales in shifts. From Mon- weeks, the supply has dropped to The moment she called, an duct Happiness Classes and Mis-
studied by scientists — the impact of temperature
Mehrauli bus terminal. The day, the market will allow the sale 9,000-10,000 tonnes a day, because automated message played at the sion Buniyaad at home.
and humidity on Sars-Cov-2, the virus that causes wholesale market was shifted to of vegetables between 6am and of the lockdown restrictions. other end: “Sit in a comfortable While Happiness Classes focus
Covid-19; the strain of the virus; and the relation- its new location by Sunday morn- 11am, while fruits will be sold In the Keshopuram mandi too, position and close your eyes. on helping build a student’s emo-
ship, if any, between immunity to the coronavirus ing, where the local police had from 2pm to 6pm. the police have issued orders for Take a deep breath and focus on tional quotient and honing their
disease and the BCG vaccine. designated areas for vendors, Deepak Shinde, district magis- staggered timings. For the inter- your breathing. Pay attention to ability to deal with stress, the
The coverage of the vaccine is almost universal ensuring a safe distance from one trate (North), directed Delhi nal dealings, including supple of the inhaling and exhaling proc- Mission Buniyaad initiative aims
in India, and Indian children have been given it another. Markings were also Police and the APMC in Azadpur stock to the market, 5am to noon ess. Open your eyes after three to improve learning levels of stu-
since the late 1940s. There’s more anecdotal evi- made for the general public, to to ensure the introduction of a is the designated timing, while minutes of doing so. Ask your dents studying in classes 3 to 9 in
dence about the seeming immunity of those given ensure six-foot gaps among them. token system for customers. traders will be allowed to cater to children about the changes they government schools .
the BCG vaccine to Covid-19. Spain (163,027 infec- District magistrate (South), “Tokens will be distributed for customers only between noon feel in their body during breath- “When we do mindfulness in
tions 16,606 deaths and 7,593 per million tested) BM Mishra, said, “Meticulous customers coming to the market. and 7pm, and no commercial ing,” the instructions played out school, our classmates know
gives the vaccine to children in only one region. planning was done to tempora- Joint enforcement teams of police vehicle will be allowed to park in in the 55-second message. about it, mostly. At home, I had to
The vaccine is universally given in Portugal (15,987 rily relocate the Mehrauli mandi and mandi officials will monitor the market area beyond a “vali- “This is the first time my son explain it to my family. All of us
near the DTC bus terminal. The all activities, and a public address dated period”. and I meditated together,” said participated in the morning and it
infections, 470 deaths, and 15,966 tests per million).
subdivisional magistrate and her system will be installed in all “The mandi will be completely Kumar, whose son, 11-year-old made us feel peaceful,” said Aditi
The results of a large experiment involving front-
line health care workers in Australia are awaited
team worked round the clock to sheds to ensure proper communi- sanitised and we will conduct a Aditya Kumar, studies in the Raj- Negi, a class 7 student in RPVV
make it happen.” cation,” an order issued by verification of vendors and buy- kiya Pratibha Vikas Vidyalaya Shalimar Bagh.
(they have been given the BCG vaccine).
Delhi Police officials said that Shinde on Saturday read. ers before entry. The local (RPVV) in Nand Nagri. “Sending A senior Delhi government
The findings will be closely studied — espe- personnel have been deployed Anil Malhotra, a member of authorities have also been asked our children daily activities will official said teachers and princi-
cially in India, where the government is working to
around the market to ensure that APMC, “Different orders are to remove stray animals from the ensure they have something to do pals were being roped in to ensure
find a way to protect lives as well as livelihoods the norms are followed. Besides issued every day. We were asked mandi area,” a notice issued by with us.” the activities reach as many chil-
affected by the ongoing lockdown. manual inspections, the police to operate from alternative sheds the local police unit read. The move comes a day after the dren as possible.
That won’t be easy — a quarter of India’s
cases are from its two most important cities
from the perspective of business, Delhi and Mum-
bai. Gurugram, home to the local HQs of many For-
tune 500 companies, has several hot spots too. It
will be a while before it is business as usual in all
DU teachers claim harassment during web classes
Several women teachers have informed us that they
three. Fareeha Iftikhar
n fareeha.iftikhar@htdigital.in

NEWDELHI: As online classes in col-

leges across the Delhi University
(DU) begin amid the lockdown,
› were abused and harassed during these live classes.
RAJESH JHA, executive council member, Delhi University
students every day. The students
can log in simply by entering
their names and email IDs. These
incidents clearly indicate that
students are sharing these invites
with outsiders. Many countries
said they are looking into the mat-
ter. “We are aware of these inci-
dents and are trying to fix it. We
may file a police complaint,” a DU
official said.
Experts said institutions need
many teachers have complained ing an online class on Zoom last lar misbehaviour. “Some outsid- are facing similar issues in con- to wisely choose the software
that some “mischievous ele- week when a person logged in and ers are logging in to our classes ducting online classes.” tools they use for online classes.
htweather ments”, who are not on the rolls, started writing obscene messages using the links we send to our stu- As per foreign media reports, Apar Gupta, executive
were “misusing” the medium and on the chat. “It took us a few min- dents on college WhatsApp Singapore banned some video director at Internet Freedom
ALMANAC TEMPERATURE
Today is
harassing teachers with obscene utes to realise what was happen- groups. We are trying to find a conferencing applications used Foundation, said, “There is
13th April 2020 IN FOUR METROS messages and posts. ing. It was embarrassing for us way to address this issue,” the for teaching after hackers posted always a chance of cybercrime
l 18 Shaban 1441 Delhi Several teachers in DU col- all. We had to abruptly suspend teacher said. obscene images during classes. while using software tools for any
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY l Vaishakha,
Generally cloudy Partly cloudy sky Partly cloudy sky Krishna Paksha, 6 39°c I 21°c leges said they were abused and the class. We later went through DU executive council (EC) DU Teacher Association secre- purpose. Educational institu-
sky with Light l Samvat 2077 Mumbai harassed by some attendees. The the recorded video of the lecture member Rajesh Jha said, “Sev- tary Rajinder Singh said they tions can minimise that risk by
Rain or Drizzle Sunset: Monday
at 06:45 p.m.
34°c I 25°c teachers said they have informed to identify the person and found eral women teachers have have also received complaints choosing software tools that are
Sunrise: Tuesday
Kolkata the university administration that there is no student by that informed us that they were from teachers. “Teachers have more personal rather than using
at 05:56 a.m.
39°c I 21°c 39°c I 22°c 40°c I 22°c Moonrise: Tuesday 38°c I 24°c about the misbehaviour. name in our class,” he said. abused and harassed during started removing the person who the popular ones. Also, there is a
at 00:33 a.m. Chennai An assistant professor at a Another faculty member, who these live classes. The teachers writes or shares any unnecessary need to train teachers on how to
• • Moonset: Tuesday 35°c I 26°c South Campus college, request- teachers at an all-women college send the invites for live sessions messages from the class,” he said. handle such situations during a
at 11:04 a.m.
ing anonymity, said he was tak- in west Delhi, also reported simi- on Zoom or Google Meet to their A senior university official sessions.”
HIN DUSTA N T IMES, N EW D E LH I
MO N DAY, A PRIL 1 3 , 2 02 0 hindustantimes 05

spotlight
htspotlight CORONAVIRUS: NATION

Centre tells all states THE SPREAD OF COVID-19

Total confirmed cases including new cases added on April 12 New cases Recovered cases

to follow ‘Agra model’ UT J&K

245 21 6
UT Ladakh
15 0 11
Himachal Pradesh Uttar
Pradesh
PLAN Door-to-door surveys, quarantining suspected patients, strict measures in hot spots key Punjab 33 0 9 483 31
170 12 23 46
Hemendra Chaturvedi door surveying for identifying Chandigarh
n Hemendra.chaturvedi@htlive.com

AGRA: A proactive approach in

identifying cases, intensive test-
ing, door-to-door surveys and
strict quarantine measures
helped Agra successfully arrest
the spread of Covid-19, officials
said on Sunday, after the central
government instructed states to
learn from the containment
model followed by the Uttar Pra-
desh city.
The “Agra model” kicked in
early in the Covid-19 outbreak
cycle when six patients tested
positive on March 3. At the time,
the whole country had only
30-odd cases. “We at once started
door-to-door surveys and identi-
fication of infected cases and plac-
ing them in quarantine. The out-
come is that the cases testing posi-
tive now are mostly those already
in quarantine,” said Prabhu N
Singh, Agra district magistrate.
The city administration fol-
lowed the strategy of drawing up
a list of those back from foreign
travel and identifying their fam-
ily and other close contacts. The
neighbourhood where patients
lived were declared hotspots,
with a three-km radius around
them acting like a containment
zone and a five-km radius area as
the buffer zone.
“Beside this, 10 patients were
cured, including the three who
were treated at SN Medical Col-
lege in Agra . Another aspect of
the success was in getting the hot-
spot areas delisted after extensive
door-to-door surveys and sanitis-
ing the area, with strict measures
to avoid movement within hot
spot areas,” said Singh.
The Union health ministry was
directly involved in drafting and
monitoring the measures taken
to contain the rising clusters in
Agra. The central integrated dis-
ease surveillance programme
team came to know of the first
positive case in the middle of the
night, and, soon after, they
started drafting a containment
strategy. “People at all levels,
from the higher authorities to
field staff, were involved in con-
tainment measures as it was con-
firmed that we were dealing with
India’s first big Covid-19 cluster.
The success of containment can
solely be attributed to the team
effort that went in it,” said a sen-
ELIMINATING A HOT SPOT suspected cases reached 1.6 lakh
houses. We reached one million
city residents with 1,248 two-
Haryana 21 2 7 Arunachal
How India’s first Covid-19 cluster — the Agra cluster — was
contained, and is now a model for states to follow member teams,” said Dr Mukesh 195 16 30 Uttarakhand
Pradesh
Kumar Vats, chief medical offi-
1 0 0
1st CLUSTER IN INDIA
containment and rapid emergency
TRACING THE EPICENTRE
cer. About 2,500 people who were
symptomatic, including 36 with a 35 0 7
response contained a potential travel history, were tested. DELHI
outbreak OR HOT SPOTS
INDEX AGRA PATIENT
“For adequately follow up, we
1154 85
92 5 87
developed a foolproof quarantine
Travel: Italy to New Delhi
(25/02/2020); New Delhi to Agra:
arrived at home & visited factory
approach. Those found asympto-
matic were placed in home quar- 27
TOTAL UNDER
CASES
RECOVERED
WATCH (25/02/2020)
antine while those who were
symptomatic were placed in iso-
Assam
29 0 0
38 10
Stayed at home & visited factory lation ward, so we were mostly
(26/02/2020); stayed at home testing those already in quaran- Rajasthan I N D I A
EPICENTRES
IDENTIFIED
EPICENTRES
CLOSED
(27/02/2020); visited restaurant
(28/02/2020)
tine. We worked on getting clus-
ters contained, sanitized and
796 96 Tripura
PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP Visited factory & restaurant
removed from list of hotspots,
which allowed us to focus on new
121 2 0 0
(29/02/2020); stayed at home
566: paid institutional quarantine (01/03/2020); stayed at home &
clusters,” said Dr Vats.
centers; 3060- free institutional By the end of March, Agra had Gujarat
went to district hospital Bihar Manipur
quarantine centres
(02/03/2020) only 12 cases, of which 8 had
516 48
428: official quarantine centres recovered. But the arrival of 28
people linked to the Tablighi 44 64 3 26 2 0 1
CLUSTER CONTAINMENT PLAN Jamaat event in Delhi, which is
Geographical distribution and Micro-planning (3 km Radius from epicenter) India’s biggest hot spot, led to a Jharkhand Mizoram
Madhya Pradesh
3km: Total
area identified
15: Urban
primary health
9.3 lakh:
number of
1.6 lakh: 1248: total
number of teams Deployed.
surge in numbers in April, with
half of new cases linked to the
562 92 17 0 0 1 0 0
within radius centres included citizens households Each team had 2 Nizamuddin congregation. In all,
of 3 kmfrom
the epicentre
in containment
area for
affected in
epicentre
screened workers including
auxiliary nurse
143 people from the Jamaat and
their contacts were tested. “We 41 Odisha West Bengal
on March 2 epicenter midwife searched for these Jamaat mem-
bers and their contacts and exten- 54 4 12 125 0
COVID WAR-ROOM CITIZEN SELF sive work was done in tracing Chhattisgarh 19
REGISTRY
n Integrated Control & Command Centre (ICCC) of
Agra Smart City, built under Smart City Mission, PLATFORM
them. This increased the number
drastically,” said Dr Vats.
30 12 10 Telangana
converted into COVID War Room for Agra District City Self Registry “Agra has already tested 2,144 531 28 103 Andaman
n Central Help Lines set up for the district Platform: Scalable and samples, of which 104 were posi- and Nicobar
n Multifunctional District teams setup for centralised secure SaaS platform
and coordinated response management response by PIN Code; city
tive as on Sunday, the day when Maharashtra 11 0
safety messaging included
12 more cases were found posi- Andhra Pradesh
ISOLATION AND MEDICAL FACILITY tive, and mainly comprised of 1982 221 217 10
SET-UP AND CLUSTER CONTAINMENT
n Active public private partnership for setting up
App shared with
citizens: app link shared via
staff at a private hospital and
their contacts. This hospital
420 15 12
social media linked to agra
testing and treatment facilities alone had 16 cases testing positive
smart city website, no need Goa Puducherry
n Inspection by district magistrate and city official
n Identification of critical hot spots and clusters
n Active survey and containment in hotspots
to download to respond
Immediate Info to
Citizens: gives risk rating
to citizen; gives risk related
of Covid-19 and has turned into
major hot spot, our team is plan-
ning to take drastic measures,”
said the district magistrate.
7 0 5 8 0 1 9,191
Total number of
recommendation; health Despite the success, the chal- cases across India*
DOORSTEP DISTRIBUTION CHAIN lenges are not over. The city now
n Identification of local providers of food and helpline details shared Karnataka Kerala Tamil Nadu
medical supplies in every ward
n Set up of distribution chain for doorstep delivery
n E-Pass facility started to facilitate movement of
essential goods and services during lockdown
Citizen response: View
responses, medium & high
risk people called, supported
by centralized team
has 104 cases and authorities are
struggling to contain the spread
at one of the city’s main private
hospitals. Moreover, doctors
232 17 54 375 2 179 1075 106 50 326
Deaths due to
Covid-19 across India
warn that the virus may have *Data compiled by covid19india.org and cross-checked from inputs by HT’s correspondents and news agencies
spread in the rural areas, cases
requesting anonymity. cured. Initially, 38 hot spots were being reported from Saiyyan,
A war room was established in
the Agra Smart City office in mid-
identified by Agra administra-
tion, of which 10 have been sani-
Fatehpur Sikri, Khandoli and
Iradat Nagar. “A plan has been
TOTAL TESTS DONE ON APRIL 12
March, where 7,000 complaints tised. Currently, there are 28 hot created for rural areas where samples tested samples positive
have been heard till date. The
identification and sealing of hot-
spots under a micro plan was
removed after all patients from
the area tested negative signify-
spots in the city.
“At least 2,000 of health work-
ers are working 24x7 and we have
included around 3,000 Asha
workers (village volunteers) to
cases have been identified in two
categories, migrants who arrived
infected, and those living in villa-
ges but working in the city,
mainly in hospitals, where they
195,748 by 9pm on
April 12, 2020,
according
to ICMR
15,583 reported
544 for
Sars-Cov-2

ior health ministry official, ing the patients in that area were improve outreach when door-to- got infected,” Dr Vats said.

coronadiary
States bank on testing, SC TO HEAR PIL AGAINST SETTING BIHAR: CURRENCY PARLIAMENT WITH 106 FRESH

tracking, containment
Ramesh Babu, Eeshanpriya MS
UP OF PM CARES FUND TODAY
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court will hear a PIL seeking quashing of
the Centre’s decision to set up the PM CARES Fund to deal with the
situation arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic, where citizens can
donate money, on Monday. On March 28, the Centre set up the Prime
NOTES BEING USED
TO STOKE FEAR
PATNA: In Bihar’s Saharsa, people
are finding currency notes kept
CANTEEN NOT
TO SERVE LUNCH
NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha canteen will
stop serving lunch when the
CASES, TN
CROSSES 1K-MARK
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu reported
106 fresh Covid cases, taking the

and Urvashi Dev Rawal

n letters@hindustantimes.com
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM/MUMBAI/JAI-
PUR: As the government weighs
steps to eventually ease the
nationwide lockdown in a phased
manner, certain successful mod-
els from across the country could
prove to be a useful guide, accord-
ing to experts watching the Cov-
id-19 situation.
The government could go by
the strategy of converting the
so-called red zones into yellow
and then green. Red zones are
Covid-19 hot spots, yellow are
ones where the case count sees a
quick decline and green are
where no cases exist. The Centre
has asked states to adopt contain-
ment strategies as per local condi-
THE STRATEGY BUILDS ON Pathanamthitta, tasted success
within a month. It was one of the Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM outside their homes along with a Parliament premises reopen after
the lockdown to reduce crowd in
total number of those infected to
paper slip. A note scribbled on the 1,075 on Sunday, the state govern-
EXPERIENCE FROM THE early hot pots of the country with CARES) Fund with the primary objective to deal with any kind of
piece of paper says ‘I have come the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. ment said. Health Secretary Beela
emergency situation like the one currently posed by the coronavirus
2009 H1N1 PANDEMIC, 16 positive cases in March first
outbreak and provide relief to those affected. The prime minister is with corona. Accept this note, A canteen in the reception area, Rajesh said of the 106, as many as
week and now it has eight out of otherwise I will harass everyone’. which caters to guests, will be shut 16 had “inter-state travel” history
WHEN THE OUTBREAK the state’s tally of 364. The district
the ex-officio chairman of the fund and the defence, home and
The currency notes found outside down completely while other and the remaining were their
finance ministers are its ex-officio trustees. A bench comprising
AFFECTED BIGGER CITIES was the first to identify red, yel- Chief Justice S A Bobde and justices L Nageswara Rao and MM the homes are of denominations 20, canteens will serve only snacks, an contacts. With the latest addition,
50 and 100. People from three order issued by the secretariat said. the total number of coronavirus
AND WELL-CONNECTED low and green zones. At one point,
the district had 20,000 people
Shantanagoudar would hear the PIL filed by lawyer M L Sharma
houses have reported such incident On any normal day, the canteens positive patients in the state
against the setting up of the PM CARES Fund through video-confer-
TOWNS MUCH MORE under observation and their encing. Police are investigating the matter. cater to 2000 to 3000 people. increased to 1,075, she said.
THAN RURAL AREAS number came down to 6,477,
according to district programme
different strategies but some of manager Dr Ebey Sushan.
them are seen to have potential to
be replicated nationally. Here are
some:
The district introduced flow
charts tracking every movement
of patients and geo-fencing peo- Govt to develop platform to NCERT devises plan
to teach kids at home
ple in quarantine. It set up an
AGGRESSIVE SCREENING
Mumbai (Maharashtra): Mum-
bai has 381 containment zones –
highest for any city in India – the
exclusive Covid hospital and
banned the entry of pilgrims at
Sabarimala hill temple.
District collector PB Nooh,
monitor HCQ availability
Rhythma Kaul Amandeep Shukla
result of aggressive screening of
close to a million people. The city
said: “We literally chased the con-
tacts of imported cases (those letters@hindustantimes.com
SHORTAGE REPORTED ist Association, said there is a
particular brand that is facing Amandeep.shukla@htlive.com
can learn about shapes using
utensils besides making posters
COULD BE ATTRIBUTED
n n

tions, which include hard lock-
downs, aggressive scanning of
areas and rapid testing, all aimed
to scale down the zones to green.
A health ministry document
on containment areas issued last
week gave a glimpse of what post-
lockdown restrictions may look
like in the worst-hit areas.
“The cluster containment
strategy would be to contain the
disease within a defined geo-
graphic area by early detection of
cases, breaking the change of
transmission and thus prevent-
ing its spread to new areas,” the
document said.
The strategy builds on experi-
ence from the 2009 H1N1 influ-
enza pandemic, with that virus
affecting bigger cities and well-
connected towns much more
than rural areas.
“This suggests that while the
spread of Covid-19 in our popula-
tion could be high, it’s unlikely
that it will be uniformly affecting
all parts of the country,” the doc-
ument said.
“This calls for a differential
approach to different regions of
the country, while mounting a
strong containment effort in hot
spots.” The states have adopted
plans to start pool testing around
containment zones to intensify
the screening process and iden-
tify possible community trans-
mission.
In pool testing, multiple swab
samples are tested together
through the RTPCR (real-time
reverse transcription polymer-
ase chain reaction) test to quickly
identify Covid-19 areas.
If the test is negative, it means
that all persons, whose swabs
were tested together, are nega-
tive. In case of it being positive,
individual tests of all persons are
done.
Till Sunday, the Brihanmum-
bai Municipal Corporation
(BMC) had traced 40,000 high and
low-risk contacts of Covid-19 pos-
itive persons and managed to
identify 620 cases through con-
tact-tracing measures, up from
29,755 tracked till April 12. A total
of 474 flying squads have so far
screened close to a million per-
sons for symptoms of Covid-19,
officials said.
EFFECTIVE TRACKING
Pathanamthitta (Kerala): With a
track, trace and treat approach, a
hilly district in central Kerala,
who came from abroad) and
quarantined as early as possible.
Initial slip-ups in identifying and
quarantining were plugged prop-
erly.” By Sunday, the district had
moved into the yellow zone.
RUTHLESS
CONTAINMENT
Bhilwara (Rajasthan): The con-
tainment happened in three pha-
ses: the first task was to isolate
the district, second was screening
strategy in city and rural areas
and third was quarantine and iso-
lation wards, said Rajendra
Bhatt, district collector. The first
case was reported on March 19.
Within days, cases increased to 28
and of them, 24 were cured.
For isolating the district, cur-
few was imposed on March 20 and
continued till April 2. From April
3 to 13, even essential purchases
were prohibited and door-to-door
supply was done. Disinfection of
the containment zone and buffer
areas, all ambulances and police
vehicles was done daily.
A total of 3,072 teams of health
workers screened 1,071,325 peo-
ple in Bhilwara city, and 1,937
teams screened 2,239,134 people
in the rural areas.
NEW DELHI : The central govern-
ment’s department of pharma-
ceuticals is developing a platform
driven by information technol-
ogy (IT) to monitor the availabil-
ity of anti-malaria drug hydroxy-
chloroquine (HCQ) after allega-
tions of supply crunch in several
places, according to officials.
But industry players said
there is no shortage of hydroxy-
chloroquine, which is used as a
prophylaxis (a treatment to pre-
vent a disease) for people at high
risk of contracting the coronavi-
rus disease (Covid-19). They
added that reports of shortages
could be attributed to a popular
brand running out of stock
because of hoarding by patients.
Hydroxychloroquine pills are
prescribed to non-Covid-19
patients with conditions such as
rheumatoid arthritis.
Acting on the complaints, the
National Pharmaceutical Pricing
Authority (NPPA), which func-
tions under the pharmaceuticals
department (ministry of chemi-
cals and fertilizers), is working on
developing the IT-driven plat-
form to monitor hydroxychloro-
quine at all distribution channels
TO A POPULAR BRAND
RUNNING OUT OF STOCK
DUE TO HOARDING, SAY
INDUSTRY EXPERTS
starting from customs to ware-
houses to distributors and finally
retailers.
NPPA and the Drugs Control-
ler of India, which is under the
health ministry, have
approached all stakeholders to
ensure information on the supply
of the medicine is uploaded and
updated on the platform on a reg-
ular basis. This will help officials
keep tabs on the medicine’s avail-
ability and address gaps as and
when they surface.
“…it is informed that all sellers
of drugs are requested to register
first in the platform to create mas-
ter data, and then upload
details…It is to ensure availabil-
ity of these drugs to all needy peo-
ple,” read a message from the
drugs controller’s office to those
involved in the supply chain. HT
has seen the communication.
Basant Goel, the president of
Retailers and Distributors Chem-
supply shortage though others
are available in the market.“The
initial shortage was reported
because, when there was no
restriction on the sale of hydroxy-
chloroquine, people started
hoarding... But now we will be
getting more supplies. Also, the
sale of hydroxychloroquine is
restricted by the government,
and you need to have a valid pre-
scription to buy it,” he said.
On March 26, the Union health
ministry restricted the over-the-
counter sale of hydroxychloro-
quine. While health ministry
says all departments are taking
extra steps to ensure the supply of
hydroxychloroquine, the exter-
nal affairs ministry maintains
that only the surplus stock is
being exported after the recent
relaxations of rules.
“We have adequate manufac-
turing capacity, today, in the
country and have sufficient sup-
ply to meet both domestic and
export demand,” the Indian Phar-
maceutical Alliance said in a
statement on Sunday, adding that
companies are ramping up pro-
duction to ensure an uninter-
rupted supply for domestic and
export markets.
NEW DELHI: The National Council
for Education Research and
Training (NCERT) has for the
first time designed a four-week
alternative academic calendar
for primary school students,
which includes an assignment for
maintaining a diary about the
Covid-19 lockdown, as they stay
indoors because of the measures
put in place to ensure social dis-
tancing. The students have also
been asked to use spoons and
bowls, coronavirus charts and
graphs to learn about numbers,
millions and trillions as they con-
tinue learning at home.
The calendar of the NCERT,
which designs the school curricu-
lum, explains how kitchen equip-
ment and other things can be
used to teach children subjects
like maths and even environment
studies. For teaching numbers to
students of class 1, the calendar, a
copy of which HT has seen, sug-
gests that parents can ask their
children to take out as many
bowls, spoons, and plates and ask
them to count the objects. They
can also count the number of
chairs in a room, family members
etc. Similarly, a class 3 students
about the dos and don’ts recom-
mended during the outbreak.
The calendar suggests the chil-
dren may be asked to record sur-
prise voice or written messages
for their friends or family mem-
bers about how they feel, what
new things they did or learned
during the lockdown, the around
100-page document suggests.
The document suggests class 4
students can learn about meas-
urements by comparing heights
of their family members and esti-
mating, for instance, whether a
cupboard can be taken inside a
room through a door. The docu-
ment also suggests children may
be encouraged to observe and to
help with chores. For class 5 stu-
dents, the document says they
can find charts about the number
of coronavirus patients across
the world to learn about Indian
and international number sys-
tems and terminology like lakh,
crore, millions, trillions, etc. .
NCERT chief Hrushikesh
Senapati said , “...our effort here
has been to encourage engage-
ment of children when they are at
home through the involvement of
parents and under the guidance
of teachers.”
06 hindustantimes
p g
htspotlight
Red, yellow, green: Zones
may be coded to lift curbs
LOCKDOWN STRATEGY Demarcations to be on basis of Covid-19 cases reported in a region
Swapnil Rawal and Sachin Saini
n letters@hindustantimes.com
MUMBAI/JAIPUR: States across the
country plan to divide their
respective regions into red, yel-
low and green zones based on
high, limited and no cases of Cov-
id-19 for easing the lockdown
imposed to check the pandemic
and submit their plans to the
Centre for framing a uniform
policy for the next phase of curbs
expected to start from Wednes-
day, multiple officials said on
Sunday.
The national lockdown is due
to end on Tuesday. Prime Minis-
ter Narendra Modi has indicated
the restrictions will continue in
some form to save lives through
enforcement of social distancing
but with some relaxations to
resume economic activity and
preserve livelihoods. National
guidelines are expected on what
activities can be allowed and
areas to be exempted from the
extended lockdown.
The officials cited above said
on condition of anonymity that
they were working on details of
activities that can be allowed in
green and orange zones. To
provide relief to migrant work-
ers stranded in different states,
the state governments are
working on allowing operation
of certain small and medium
enterprises in green and orange
zones. Carpenters, plumbers,
and barbers are expected to be
allowed to resume work but with
social distancing norms in place.
There is a proposal to allow
those factories to reopen, where
employees work and stay with
strict social distancing norms
and proper sanitization.
“We cannot keep businesses
shut and choke the economy.
From lockdown, we can go to
lock-in by having lesser people,”
said a Maharashtra government
official who did not want to be
named. “It is not always a con-
veyor belt system in production
and component processing can
be segregated, while integration
can happen in one place. All
options are being studied,” the
official added.
All states are likely to allow
crop harvest from April 15.
States like Punjab will provide
on-farm procurement facilities
while Madhya Pradesh is creat-
ing block level markets, where
only 10 to 15 farmers will be
allowed to sell their produce.
Telangana and Andhra Pradesh
plan to buy maximum produce
from farmers through district
authorities.
“Procurement of harvested
crops will start at the local level
for which special markets
India well-prepared to handle
surge in cases: Health ministry
Rhythma Kaul
n letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: India is well prepared
to handle a surge in Coronavirus
disease (Covid-19) cases, with
over a hundred thousand isola-
tion beds available across the 601
Covid-19 dedicated hospitals, the
Union health ministry said on
Sunday, adding that at present
only 1,671 patients needed hospi-
talisation.
Health ministry joint secre-
tary, Lav Agarwal, said they
there were focusing on strength-
ening infrastructure and sur-
veillance as part of the strategy
to manage positive cases.
“If you ask what is our strat-
egy in managing positive cases,
then I would say infrastructure
and manpower strengthening,
and surveillance. The number of
available beds [105,980 ] in pro-
portion to the number of
required beds has been far
higher, our analysis shows, so
there is no need to fear about the
adequate availability of beds,”
Agarwal said at a media briefing.
Apart from the dedicated Cov-
id-19 hospitals, some prominent
hospitals in the country such as
the All India institute of Medical
Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi and Saf-
darjung Hospital have separate
beds and blocks for those suffer-
ing from Covid-19, the govern-
ment has said.
“About 80% cases with no or
mild symptoms can be housed in
Covid-19 care facilities equipped
with all basic medical care
required, and about 15% [cases]
with moderate symptoms will be
admitted to Covid-19 health facil-
ities that will have oxygen sup-
port. Patients with serious symp-
toms will be kept in Covid-19 hos-
pitals that are equipped with
ventilators and advanced Inten-
sive Care Units. The previous
MAPPING COVID-19 BY DISTRICT
No cases
1-15 cases
15+ cases
10 districts
with highest
number of
Covid-19 cases
RAJASTHAN
Jaipur
170
GUJARAT
Ahmedabad
134
KERALA
Kasaragode
155
Districts are known for 6,115 cases, according to latest data released by the Union ministry of health and family welfare
should be created,” said Madhya
Pradesh chief minister Shivraj
Singh Chouhan.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister
Yogi Adityanath on Sunday told
officials that farmers should be
encouraged to sell their produce
at their farms or villages and
travel to markets should be mini-
mized.
Maharashtra health minister
Rajesh Tope said the state could
be divided into red, orange and
green zones depending on the
number of cases. Districts,
where there are no cases, will
come under the green zone, those
with up to 15 cases will fall under
the orange zone, and districts
having over 15 cases under red
zone, he said.
Tope said Mumbai city, Mum-
bai suburban, Thane, Palghar,
Raigad, Aurangabad, Pune,
Sangli, Nashik, Ahmednagar
and Raigad districts would fall
under the red zone. Districts like
Amravati, Sindhudurg, Ratna-
n Medical staff outside the emergency ward of Lok Nayak Jai
Prakash Narayan Hospital in Delhi on Sunday.
two facilities will be linked to a
hospital, and will have an ambu-
lance to transport a patient in
case the symptoms turn severe,”
said Agarwal.
The government is also look-
ing to make use of the private and
government medical colleges’
laboratories to increase the
country’s testing capacity,
according to Agarwal.
“They have the laboratories to
do the molecular testing, if given
a little training and resources,
these labs can be utilised for test-
ing purposes,” said Dr Sanjeev
Bagai, chairman and managing
director, Nephron Clinic.
Ten institute of national
repute such as AIIMS, Delhi and
Bengaluru’s National Institute
of Mental Health and Neurosci-
ences have been identified to
mentor these medical colleges,
the health ministry said.
“AIIMS, Delhi has been con-
ducting webinars on a regular
basis to train doctors, nurses,
paramedics and our field staff
involved in Covid-19 manage-
ment. The training programme
can be scaled up to include these
medical colleges as well so that
these can also be utilized in dis-
ease management and testing,”
As reports emerge that Centre is set to categorise
the country into zones depending on the number
of Covid-19 cases, we look at the 354 districts in
the country that have so far reported confirmed
cases. Nearly 80% of all cases have been reported
in 91 districts that have more than 15 cases
DELHI
South Delhi
332
Mumbai
873
TAMIL NADU
Chennai
149
giri, Kolhapur, Satara, Osmana-
bad, Hingoli, Jalna, Washim,
Beed, Dhule, Gondhiya and Yav-
atmal would be in yellow zones
and the rest in green.
A final decision will be taken
after the Centre’s advisory, a
state government official said.
In Rajasthan, a task force has
suggested withdrawal of the
lockdown in a phased manner
with districts having no Covid-19
cases being exempted first. The
12-member task force, headed by
additional chief secretary DB
Gupta, submitted a report to
chief minister Ashok Gehlot on
Sunday.
“Lockdown should not be
withdrawn in one go, but in pha-
ses based on the number of cases
geographically,” said an official
familiar with the matter. The
panel had recommended four
categories–high risk, medium
risk, low risk and districts with
no cases.
Himachal Pradesh chief min-
SUSHIL KUMAR/HT
said Agarwal.
The Indian Council of Medical
Research (ICMR), the country’s
apex biomedical research orga-
nisation, has tested 1,86, 906 sam-
ples for Covid-19 since January
24, with a positive percentage
of 4.3%.
“If you look at last five days,
15,750 samples on an average
were tested per day [across the
country], with an average of 584
positive cases. There are 151 gov-
ernment laboratories and 68 pri-
vate labs performing tests,” said
Dr Manoj Murhekar, director,
National Institute of Epidemiol-
ogy, Chennai.
India does not have a Covid-19
vaccine candidate as of now but
at least 40 vaccine-related
research projects are currently
on across the globe. “There is no
news of any successful attempt
as of now. These trials haven’t
reached the next level,” he said.
Dispelling doubts on shortage
of Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), a
drug that has shown some prom-
ise against Covid-19, in the coun-
try, Agarwal said that there was
no dearth of HCQ and it was
being exported to 13 countries,
including the US, in the first
batch.
MADHYA PRADESH
Indore
123
MAHARASHTRA
Pune Thane
190 110
TELANGANA
Hyderabad
213
ister Jai Ram Thakur announced
the state will be divided into a red
zone, four orange and green
zones and a final exit plan will be
initiated when the coronavirus
curve flattens. He added the red
zone will be completely isolated
from the rest of the state but
essential goods would be
allowed. Thakur said all horti-
cultural activities will be
allowed in orange and green
zones but inter-state travel will
remain banned for some time.
In Karnataka, around 14,000
fishermen from the state’s
coastal districts resumed fish-
ing, officials said on Sunday.
Representatives of most states
on Saturday agreed to extend the
lockdown till April end and sug-
gested easing of lockdown norms
in districts having no Covid-19
cases with strict inter-district
travel restrictions during a video
conference with Prime Minister
Modi.
(With inputs from state bureaus)
MEA steps up its
efforts to assist
stranded Indians
Smriti Kak Ramachandran and
Aurangzeb Naqshbandi
n letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: The ministry of exter-
nal affairs has stepped up efforts
to reach out to Indians stranded
abroad through its high commis-
sions and embassies, an official
aware of the details said.
The ministry’s step comes
against the backdrop of the
Indian government banning
international passenger flights
amid a nationwide lockdown to
curb the spread of Covid-19.
Minister of state for external
affairs V Muraleedharan on
Sunday said that as part of the
ministry’s efforts , he has started
answering calls from those stuck
abroad on dial-in programmes.
“In the last few days I was part
of at least four such programmes
where I answered calls from peo-
ple based in the Middle East, UK
and other countries. These were
on Malayalam channels, since a
large number of people from
Kerala are based in countries
around the world,” he said.
The minister said the high
commissions and embassies
were looking after students from
India whose universities and col-
leges might have been shut in the
wake of the global pandemic.
“In the UK for instance, we are
providing food at subsidised rates
for students, who could not take a
flight back home. Arrangements
have also been made for their
accommodation,” he said. The
Congress, however, said the gov-
ernment was in a “sleep mode”
when it came to evacuating
Indian students. “When the gov-
ernment can facilitate evacuation
of 20,000 foreigners then why not
have the same approach for
stranded Indian students?” Con-
gress’s Jaiveer Shergill said.
I N P UN JA B
Cop’s hand chopped off in attack by sect
Vishal Rambani
n rambani@hindustantimes.com
BALBERA (PATIALA): A policeman’s
hand was chopped off with a
sword and six of his colleagues
were injured in an attack by a
group of Nihangs at a vegetable
market in Punjab’s Patiala, the
state police said on Sunday.
Assistant sub-inspector Harjit
Singh’s hand was later reat-
tached after a plastic surgery last-
ing seven and a half hours at
Chandigarh’s PGI hospital and 11
people were arrested from a vil-
lage dera over their role in the
incident. Police said ~39 lakh in
cash, two petrol bombs, spears,
swords and other weapons, as
well as five bags of poppy husk
were recovered from them.
Parts of the early-morning
incident captured on video by
bystanders showed a group of
men carrying sharp-edged weap-
ons in an SUV driving through a
police barricade and clashing
with policemen armed with
lathis. “Police Party on Naka
duty was attacked today in which
one ASI’s hand was cut off & 6
were injured. Police cornered the
culprits & have taken them into
custody. Have given instructions
to the @PunjabPoliceInd to deal
with anyone breaking the law in
strictest possible manner,” Pun-
jab chief minister Amarinder
Singh said in a tweet.
The Nihangs are a Sikh sect
whose members live on the frin-
ges of society and dress up as
medieval warriors owing alle-
giance to Guru Gobind Singh, the
10th Guru, specialising in the tra-
ditional martial art of gatka (simi-
facetoface
SACHIN PILOT, Rajasthan deputy CM and state Congress chief
‘We need to take our lockdowns seriously’
R
ajasthan’s deputy
chief minister and
state Congress chief
Sachin Pilot spoke to
Aurangzeb Naqshbandi
about the Bhilwara contain-
ment model, the national
lockdown, raising awareness
among people, and getting
back to business in the time of
Covidd-19. Edited excerpts:
People are talking about the
Bhilwara model of containment
but there are also several other
hot spots in Rajasthan, such as
Ramganj. How are you dealing
with the situation in those areas?
Every city has a different
composition. In Bhilwara, all
the Covid-19 positive cases
have now turned negative. We
were able to achieve this
because the curfew and lock-
down were very strictly
adhered to. But it is true that
the number of cases is rising
in Rajasthan, as it is in other
parts of the country. We need
to take our lockdowns seri-
ously. No lockdown can be
successful without the full
participation and cooperation
of the people.
You talked about spike in posi-
tive cases. Is it because we have
now started testing more?
Certainly, the testing has been
slow and we need to test more.
We are now going to start
doing random sampling in
Rajasthan. We’re acquiring
Kerala on track to curtail spread Don’t surrender
but says too early to lower guard lockdown gains:
Ramesh Babu
n letters@hindustantimes.com
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : The low
mortality, high recovery rates
and a decline in the number of
Covid-19 cases indicate Kerala
is moving towards flattening the
curve, the state government
said on Sunday while adding it
was too early to lower its guard.
The state reported just two
more cases on Sunday as its
tally went up to 376. Officials
said 36 patients have been dis-
charged over the last one week
and the number of those dis-
charged is almost double of the
new cases.
Kerala, which reported the
first Covid-19 case in India in
January, was the worst hit state
by the pandemic in March
before Maharastra pushed it to
the second spot. Eight states
apart from Maharashtra have
since reported more cases than
Kerala.
According to state health
ministry data, at least 62 cases
were detected since March 5
while the number of patients
discharged in the correspond-
ing period is 124. After Kotta-
yam , Idukki district is now free
n Police display the weapons seized from a group of Nihangs that
attacked police in Patiala on Sunday.
lar to the modern sport of fencing).
Deras are shrines devoted to indi-
viduals deemed holy by their fol-
lowers and do not enjoy the sanc-
tion of mainstream Sikh clergy.
The incident drew widespread
condemnation across the politi-
cal spectrum. Apart from CM
Amarinder Singh, several senior
Congress leaders said the strict-
est action should be taken against
the culprits.
Opposition Shiromani Akali
Dal (Badal) patriarch Parkash
Singh Badal condemned the inci-
dent too, while the Shiromani
Panth Akali Budha Dal, the lead-
ing Nihang jathebandi (organisa-
tional assortment) said the men
were not Nihangs and were, in
fact, anti-social elements locally
involved in extortion -- a fact
borne out by the recovery of ~39
lakh from them in cash -- some-
thing the ascetic members of the
sect would not do.
ANI FILE
adequate number of testing
kits to do that. The number of
tests conducted all over India
is still limited. We have to scale
up our testing and that is the
only way to get a true picture.
The spike is also attributed to
Delhi’s Tablighi Jamaat congre-
gation. Now some people are
saying there is an attempt to give
a communal colour to the crisis.
First - authorities should
explain how they allowed
such a large congregation
despite prohibitory orders. .
Second, action should be
taken against those who held
that meeting and violated
restrictions that were in
place. This virus has shown
around the world that it does
not differentiate between reli-
gion, race, language, ethnic-
ity, rich and poor. Whether it
is Ram Navami, Hanuman
Jayanti or Shab-e-Baraat, all
these should have been post-
poned. This is the time for all
of us to come together to fight
this crisis as one country.
Statistics show we have a good grip on the disease
› and things will turn in our favour soon. But the time is
not to lower our guard. If some lapses take place, things
will go topsy-turvy...
PINARAYI VIJAYAN , Kerala chief minister
of Covid-19 after all 10 patients
were discharged. Now 500 peo-
ple are under observation in
their homes in Idukki and none
of them have shown any symp-
toms of the disease over the last
two weeks, said the district
administration.
Chief minister Pinarayi
Vijayan underlined it is too
early to say the worst is over and
asked the state machinery to
remain vigilant. He asked the
health ministry to make use of
the lean period to step up medi-
cal infrastructure.
“Statistics show we have a
good grip on the disease and
things will turn in our favour
soon. But the time is not to lower
our guard. If some lapses take
place, things will go topsy-
turvy...we have examples of
some developed countries
before us,” he said.
Health and finance ministers
HIN DUSTA N TIMES, N EW D E LHI
MO N DAY, A PRIL 1 3, 2 02 0
CORONAVIRUS: NATION
BHARAT BHUSHAN/HT
“Seven fugitives, donning the
robes of Nihangs, have been
arrested from the Gurdwara in
village Balbera. One of these was
injured in the police firing and
has been rushed to hospital... The
police party observed full Mary-
ada while entering the Gurdwara
premises. There were also
women and children inside, who
were unharmed, and have been
left secure within the Gurdwara
as before,” Punjab’s special chief
secretary KBS Sidhu said on
Twitter.
Gobind Singh Longowal, presi-
dent of the Sikh Gurdwara Par-
bandhak Committee (SGPC), the
body that manages Sikh places of
worship, urged people to remain
disciplined during the curfew.
BJP leader and Union minister
Hardeep Singh Puri said, “The
inhuman attack on policemen in
Patiala needs to be condemned in
the strongest of terms. Such crim-
Is it important for people to know
they need to come forward and
get tested. How do you spread
that awareness?
We have to work hard in the
rural areas across the coun-
try. Even though there is tech-
nology and mobile phones, the
resistance to change is far
more in rural areas as com-
pared to urban centres. We
were lucky to start as early as
mid-March in rural parts of
Rajasthan... We started gen-
eral awareness programmes
and used the Swachh Bharat
platforms to sensitise people.
You said lockdown is the only
way out but it has also stalled
economic activity.
My heart goes out to the peo-
ple, especially to those who
are at the bottom of the pyra-
mid. I know the hardships and
it is very important to ensure
essential supplies are main-
tained. But one cannot prema-
turely lift the lockdown and
allow the infection to spread
rapidly. There has to be a mid-
dle ground. We have to start
economic activities in a stag-
gered manner and at the same
time maintain precautions.
But do you have a lockdown exit
strategy in place in Rajasthan?
Lockdown and restrictions
have to be uniform in India.
There is no point in three
states having the lockdown
and two states not having it.
K K Shailaja and Thomas Issac
echoed Vijayan .
Public health expert Dr B
Ramankutty said it is a new
virus and nobody has any idea
about its behaviour. “No doubt,
the state has got some control
over cases. It is too early to say
the state is on the verge of flat-
tening the curve. It has to con-
tinue its surveillance and
increase its medical infrastruc-
ture,” he said .
Indian Medical Association
office bearer Dr Sreejith N
Kumar said the lockdown has
had desired effects. “It has
proved again social distancing
is the best medicine. This is the
time for some homework. In
Kerala, each sector will have to
devise plans on how to phase out
the lockdown and work in the
changed scenario. But of course
zero case scenario is too far,”
he said.
inals and anarchists should be
brought to justice at the earliest.”
Police said the men were asked
to show their curfew passes at the
vegetable market, which they
refused to do and instead forced
their way through the barricade.
When the policemen chased them
and told them to step out of their
vehicle, five men came out and
launched an attack with swords.
As six policemen received inju-
ries and ASI Harjit Singh fell
down after his hand was cut off,
the men drove away to a dera
building part of the Gurdwara
Kichdi Sahib complex in Balbera
village nearby.
A commando operation was
launched to get the men, who
refused to surrender and hurled
petrol bombs at the raiding party.
They set up eight LPG cylinders
on the periphery, threatening
to blow them up. One of the
Nihangs was injured by a gun-
shot fired by the commandos and
hospitalised later.
Intense negotiations spear-
headed by Patiala IG Jatinder
Singh Aulukh and SSP Mandeep
Singh Sidhu, aided by the village
sarpanch and others, could not
lead the men to surrender. They
were finally arrested after a fierce
scuffle with the commandos.
The accused were booked for
attempt to murder, grievous
hurt, rioting, attack on a public
servant under the Indian Penal
Code as well as under provisions
of the Disaster Management Act,
2005. They were also booked
under the stringent anti-narcot-
ics law, NDPS, for possessing a
commercial quantity of poppy
husk.
What we saw in the beginning
of the lockdown, lakhs of peo-
ple were stranded at different
state borders. We can’t have a
repeat of that. In Rajasthan, we
have to gradually start crucial
sectors of our economy. The
harvest season is on. I’m hope-
ful that the Centre will procure
the harvest at the MSP. Once
reserves dry up, we will need
to procure foodgrains and give
money in the hands of farmers
and weaker sections.
What are your views on the
issues of CSR funding and sus-
pending of MPLADS?
I am of the opinion that if the
money is given for the same
cause whether to the PM
Relief Fund or the CM Relief
Fund, it should be treated at
par. There should be parity
and same exemptions and
same benefits must be
extended to both. About
MPLADS, my view is that
while the Centre needs
resources, it should consult
the MPs on how best to use it.
Are you satisfied with the state
government’s efforts in dealing
with the crisis?
I think everyone is putting the
best effort given the resources
and conditions. We are doing
the best we can. Obviously,
more support from the central
government would be wel-
comed and we will be able to
do more.
Ex-military top doc
Rahul Singh
n rahul.singh@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: India must extend its
lockdown to curb the Coronavi-
rus disease (Covid-19) pandemic
and the benefits made during
the period of restrictions should
not be squandered for short-
term economic considerations,
said one of the military’s former
topmost doctors.
Lieutenant General Rajan
Grewal, a three-star general
who was at the forefront of the
country’s fight against the pan-
demic until his retirement on
April 1, said that relaxing the
lockdown would allow trans-
mission rates to skyrocket
across cities, with horrific con-
sequences of unmanageable dis-
ease burden and higher mortal-
ity rates.
“Studies reveal that even
with 50% efficacy of lockdown,
there should be a considerable
blunting of curve. Despite its
deleterious consequences for
the economy..., can the nation
afford to surrender these (lock-
down) gains?” Grewal said.
The ongoing lockdown was
enforced on March 25.
HIN DUSTA N T IMES, N EW D E LH I
MO N DAY, A PRIL 1 3 , 2 02 0 hindustantimes 07

spotlig t
htspotlight CORONAVIRUS: SCIENCE

SURFING THE WEB WHEN LOCKED DOWN

As lockdowns across the world change how people consume media, a study of close to 4,000 people in the United States and the
United Kingdom identified some of the key trends. We take a look at what kind of media people are consuming

WHAT PEOPLE ARE USING THE INTERNET FOR ALL FIGURES IN %; IN MANY INSTANCES, THE SAME SET OF PEOPLE WERE ENGAGED IN MULTIPLE ACTIVITIES

Searching Playing Playing Searching Searching Listening Watching Reading Reading Reading Watching Watching Searching Looking I’m trying
for Covid-19
updates 68 games on
PC/laptop 29 games on
mobile 40 for fashion
trends/-
discounts
16 for cooking
recipes 28 to music
58 funny
videos 42 business/-
finance
news
27 sports
news 23 celebrity
news 22 fitness
videos 18 movies/-
shows 49 for
vacations 12 at
memes 32 to stay
off the
internet
5

GEN Z MILLENNIALS GEN X BOOMERS

Gen Z — those in 16-23 age group — are the only ones Millennials — 24- to 37-year-olds — spend the most Other than 69% of Gen Xers — those between the Only one in three baby boomers — 57- to 64-year-olds
who are not using the internet most for getting time among all age groups (71%) reading up about ages of 38 and 56 — searching for updates related to — listen to music online while on lockdown. Only 3%
information about Covid-19. Instead, 71% of Gen Z the spread of Covid-19. Close to 1 in 5 millennials are coronavirus, the study finds that more than half of among the boomers watch videos related to fitness
choose to spend their time online on music. More currently searching for vacations, suggesting that them like to listen to music and watch movies and TV or search for vacations. Surprisingly, one in three
than half of them said they look at memes, watch this generation may be more open to planning travel shows online. boomers spend their time playing games on their
funny videos and movies. once the restrictions are removed cellphones, according to the survey
Gen Z Gen Z Millennials Gen Z Millennials Gen X Gen Z Millennials Gen X Boomers

Searching for Searching for Searching for Searching for

I’m trying to Covid-19 Covid-19 Covid-19 Covid-19
updates I’m trying to I’m trying to I’m trying to
stay off the Playing games stay off the updates Playing games stay off the updates Playing games stay off the updates Playing games
internet 80 on PC/laptop internet on PC/laptop internet on PC/laptop internet on PC/laptop
71 69 54
70
Looking at 67 Playing games Looking at Playing games Looking at Playing games Looking at Playing games
memes 60 on mobile memes on mobile memes on mobile memes on mobile
50

54 40 Searching 36 Searching Searching Searching

Searching 29 47 for fashion Searching 45 for fashion Searching for fashion Searching 25 34 for fashion
for vacations 30
trends/ for vacations 41 trends/ for 25 36 trends/ for trends/
20 discounts discounts vacations discounts vacations discounts
21
6 98
11 5 18 4 23
10
14 Searching Searching 9 13 Searching 3 7 Searching
Watching 51 21 for Watching 35 for Watching 29 for Watching 34 3 21 for
movies/- cooking movies/- 52 cooking movies/- 51 cooking movies/- cooking
18 24 17
shows 16 14 recipes shows recipes shows 19 recipes shows 15 recipes
25 25 19 38
62 28 54 24 21 27
71 Listening Watching 32 35 44 Listening Watching 39 Watching Listening
Watching Listening
52 to music fitness to music fitness to music fitness to music
fitness videos videos videos
videos

Watching Watching Watching Watching

Reading Reading funny videos Reading funny videos Reading funny videos
celebrity funny videos celebrity celebrity celebrity
news Reading Reading news Reading Reading news Reading Reading news Reading Reading
sports news business/ sports news business/ sports news business/ sports news business/
finance news finance news finance news finance news
Source: GWI Coronavirus Research, April 2020

US begins random
Discharge mechanism in antibody testing to
TICK, TOCK

gauge undetected
focus after false negatives community spread
Jayashree Nandi
STUDY Reinfection scare unproven, unreliability of tests may be to blame: Experts n jayashree.nandi@htlive.com

Dhrubo Jyoti NEW DELHI: The United States’

n letters@hindustantimes.com National Institutes of Health
(NIH) is testing 10,000 random
NEW DELHI: Scientists have called people who had not tested for
for urgently revisiting the dis- Covid-19 for the presence of anti-
charge protocol for Covid-19 bodies to assess how many have
patients after recent interna- had disease but went undiag-
tional studies showed people can nosed, and gauge the extent of
test positive for the virus even “undetected community
after two consecutive negative spread”.
results. “This will give us a clearer pic-
The research comes at a time ture of the true magnitude of the
when South Korean authorities Covid-19 pandemic in the US by
reported 91 patients who were telling us how many people in
previously cleared of the corona- different communities have
virus had tested positive again, been infected without knowing
with experts saying the scare of it, because they had a very mild,
reinfection was yet unproven, undocumented illness or did not
and that a more plausible reason access testing. These crucial
was the unreliability of two data will help us measure the
RT-PCR (Reverse transcriptase impact of our efforts and guide
polymerase chain reaction) tests our response,” said Anthony S
to conclusively prove a patient as Fauci, director, National Insti- n A shuttered watch repair shop at Noida’s Sector 18 on Saturday. SUNIL GHOSH/HT PHOTO
cured. tute of Allergic and Infectious
“RT-PCR testing is most useful n Samples being collected at a centre in Ghaziabad. SAKIB ALI /HT PHOTO Diseases, under the NIH.
when it is positive,” said Dr Priya Antibody testing could also
Sampathkumar, an infectious
diseases specialist at Mayo Clinic
in Minnesota, US.
“It is less useful in ruling out
tive results of RT-PCR testing
separated by a 24-hour interval.
This is the common global stan-
dard, including in India, for
between January 21 and Febru-
ary 12 with confirmed Sars-CoV-2
infection tested positive after two
consecutive negative results.
ised patients from Wuhan
between February 2 and 17, the
scientists reported a “potentially
high false negative rate” of the
give important clues for manag-
ing the disease in India.
“Generally, antibodies are
developed five to seven days
Virus airborne up to 4m,
Covid-19. A negative test often
does not mean the person does
not have the disease, and test
results need to be considered in
the context of patient characteris-
patient discharge. But within an
average of roughly five to nine
days after their discharge, 25
patients returned positive tests.
“According to our study, it is
But the doctors cautioned that
this was likely not a case of recur-
rence, but one of false negative
test and prolonged viral clear-
ance period, which can throw the
RT-PCR tests.
The doctors conducted six
tests on the patients, and found
that in a number of cases, tests of
a particular patient, turned from
after contracting the infection.
Such testing tells us how wide-
spread the infection is in the
community, how large is the pro-
portion of asymptomatic
health staff at high risk
Sanchita Sharma floors of the wards, with “half of because nucleic acid traces are
tics and exposure.” probably that two negative RT-PCR test off. “Traces of virus negative to positive and again patients is, and whether mild n sanchita.sharma@htlive.com the samples from the soles of the not indicative of virus viability.
The first study, by Chinese RT-PCR tests 24 hours apart may detected by RT-PCR were not nec- negative – indicating the high symptoms are more common or ICU medical staff shoes tested RNA by itself is not transmissible
medical experts in the Clinical not be sufficient for viral clear- essarily correlated with the abil- fluctuating nature of the tests. severe. It is a surveillance tool NEW DELHI: The virus that causes positive. Therefore, the soles of and infective. The outer wall of
Infectious Diseases journal, ance evaluation. Repeated viral ity of transmission. However, Eighteen patients tested positive and is cheaper than RT-PCR,” Covid-19 can be airborne for up to medical staff shoes might func- the virus, which is what it uses to
found that 14.5% of 172 patients RT-PCR testing separated by pro- longer observation period should after two consecutive negative said Dr Tarun Bhatnagar, epide- four metres, according to a study tion as carriers” ,said the study. enter human cells, gets destroyed
discharged from the Shenzhen longed duration like 48 hours is be considered for certain group of tests. Only after five rounds of miologist, Indian Council of of patients in hospital wards and High levels of the virus were pretty quickly from sterilisation
Third People’s Hospital between essential…we suggested that COVID-19 patients,” the doctors tests did all patients consistently Medical Research-National intensive care units (ICUs) in also found on frequently touched and environment exposure,” said
January 23 and February 21 some immunological parameters concluded. test negative. Institute of Epidemiology. India China’s Wuhan, where it was first surfaces, such as door knobs, Dr T Jacob John, professor emer-
tested positive again. such as D-dimer and absolute But why is the RT-PCR test, “To reduce the number of new plans to start rapid antibody test- detected by the end of last year. trash cans, bed rails, and the com- itus and former head of virology
Their hospital discharge pro- lymphocyte count, and even anti- which relies on identifying the cases, strict adherence to dis- ing of all people in hot spots areas Infection rates are high among puter mouse. “Overall, we found at Christian Medical College, Vel-
tocol was four-pronged: Normal body test should be combined virus’s genetic material, unrelia- charge criteria is needed. In addi- showing at least week-old symp- health care workers despite the that the air and object surfaces in lore.
body temperature for more than with RT-PCR negative test,” the ble when it comes to discharge? A tion, it is recommended that toms. use of personal protection equip- Covid-19 wards were widely con- Earlier this month, a high-
three consecutive days, signifi- study added. third study, by Chinese doctors in patients should be isolated for The test involves analysing ment (PPE) such as gloves, masks taminated by Sars-CoV-2. These level US scientific panel said con-
cant reduction of respiratory A second study, by doctors at the Journal of Medical Virology, several days after discharge to blood for two types of antibodies and coveralls. findings can be used to improve tended that the virus is airborne
symptoms, improvement in chest the Tongji hospital in Wuhan, offers some clues. reduce the risk of transmission,” -- anti-SARS-CoV-2, and the pro- While the presence of the safety practices,” said the and can be stay suspended in air
CT, and two consecutively nega- found that 15 out of 70 patients In this study, of 610 hospital- the study concluded. teins IgG and IgM. genetic material of the virus in authors. in the ultra fine mist that is pro-
the environment does not indi- Reverse transcription polym- duced when people breathe or
cate it is viable (alive outside a liv- erase chain reaction (RT-PCR) speak, which prompted several
coronanotes ing host) and infective, the study,
published in Emerging Infectious
tests were used for nucleic acid
(genetic material, which includes
governments, including India, to
make it mandatory for everyone
LIQUOR BACK IN ASSAM, MEGHALAYA Tension in Uttarakhand after Rajasthan may convert Manipur’s first Covid-19 case Diseases, a journal of the US Cen- DNA and RNA) amplification to to wear masks in public places.
cleric refuses to give samples stadium into quarantine discharged from hospital and ter for Disease Control and Pre- detect Sars-Cov-2 from environ- The earlier guidelines said
GUWAHATI: Amid the ongoing lockdown, Assam and Meghalaya have for Covid-19 test centre: CM Ashok Gehlot into home quarantine vention (CDC), offers important mental samples. masks should only be worn by the
decided to allow liquor shops to open from Monday. The Assam excise clues on how infection spreads “Yes, (finding) RNA is not sick, health care workers and
department allowed liquor shops, wholesale warehouses, bottling HALDWANI: Tension gripped Uttara- JAIPUR: Rajasthan chief minister IMPHAL: Manipur’s first COVID-19
khand’s Haldwani after a mosque Ashok Gehlot hinted on Sunday that case, a 23-year-old London returnee, and how health care workers can equal to a viable virus, but the people with symptoms of cough,
plants, distilleries and breweries to open from Monday. Bars will,
cleric refuses to give his sample for the government may convert stadium who tested negative twice at the be protected. study highlights the need for PPE fever and respiratory distress.
however, remain closed. Meghalaya allowed liquor shops to open from
Covid-19 screening.According to into quarantine centre on the lines of state run Jawaharlal Nehru Institute The RNA genetic material of and need for care. Good personal In a scientific brief in March 27,
Monday for the next five days. Assam’s order stated that liquor shops
will remain open from 10am to 5pm on permitted days provided the police, the incident happened in Maharashtra. He also hinted at of Medical Sciences (JNIMS), has been Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes protection for health care work- WHO said aerosol transmission
licensees ensure maintenance of one metre distance between custom- Bhanbulpura area of Haldwani which “modified lockdown” post April 14 discharged. The patient will be put Covid-19, was found suspended in ers is the key to success, else “may be possible in specific cir-
ers, cough etiquette and other guidelines issued by health depart- has had five Covid-19 positive cases of during an interaction with journalists under house quarantine for the next the air in hospital wards and ICUs morale will be down and care will cumstances and settings that
ment. The shops have been asked to operate with “bare minimum jamaat attendees.On Sunday, cleric through video conference in Jaipur. 14 days, says a press release issued by four metres away from patients, be compromised,” said Dr. Anu- generate aerosols”, such as when
staff” and provide hand sanitizers to customers and staff while Maulana Mukim refused to give his Gehlot said the government may Additional Director and spokesperson which is four times more than dis- rag Agrawal, director, Institute of severely ill patients are intubated
handling bottles and cash. Wholesale warehouses, bottling plants, sample following which larger convert hostels, hotels into quaran- Dr Khoirom Sasheekumar Mangang of tance recommended for protec- Genomics & Integrative Biology, with a breathing tube for ventila-
breweries and distillers will have to operate with not more than 50% of number of Muslims gathered. “I tine centres if it needs to. “We may the Health Department, Manipur. Her tion against infection by the Delhi. “RT-PCR is very effective tor support, but added that an
their regular staff and workers. They will also have to arrange for staff would consult with head clerics on even set up tents in the stadium for family members were counselled by a World Health Organization in diagnosing viral infection, but analysis of more than 75,000 coro-
to stay within the premises or a nearby place. While Assam recorded 29 whether to give the sample,” said quarantine centre like Maharashtra,” team and guidelines for home (WHO). The viral concentration using it to detecting RNA in the navirus cases in China revealed
positive cases and a death, Meghalaya is yet to record any case. Mukim. Police, meanwhile, said he will he said. “Imposing lockdown is easy quarantine were also handed over to
was highest in ICUs, but it was environment is not a scientific no cases of airborne transmis-
be screened. but withdrawing it is a challenge.” them.
also heavily concentrated on the way of measuring transmission sion.
08 hindustantimes
spotlight
htspotlight
Fatalities in Britain cross 10k
BORIS DISCHARGED UK prime minister expresses his
gratitude to NHS staff after he is moved out of hospital
Prasun Sonwalkar
n prasun.sonwalkar@hindustantimes.com
LONDON: British Prime Minister
Boris Johnson expressed his
gratitude to the staff of the
National Health Service (NHS)
for saving his life when his expe-
rience with the coronavirus
could have “gone either way” as
the UK on Sunday became the
fourth European country to sur-
pass 10,000 virus-related deaths.
The UK became the fourth
European country after Italy,
Spain and France to reach the
grim milestone of 10,000 deaths
from Covid-19.
The government said another
737 people who tested positive
had died, taking the total num-
ber of virus deaths recorded in
the UK to 10,612. The figure
reported on Sunday repre-
sented a second straight daily
decline in the number of
reported deaths.
Earlier, Johnson was moved
from St Thomas’ Hospital in
London to the country house of
Chequers in Buckinghamshire
to rest and recuperate from Cov-
‘Trump ignored
looming crisis in
spite of warnings’
Yashwant Raj
n yashwant.raj@hindustantimes.com
WASHINGTON: As the United States
went from one coronavirus death
on February 29 to more than
20,000 as of Sunday, reports say
the Trump administration did
not heed early warnings, with the
US president himself reluctant to
acknowledge the seriousness of
the crisis.
The New York Times on Satur-
day reported that Donald Trump
and his administration wasted
precious time over January, Feb-
ruary and up until mid-March
when mitigation efforts went into
full force. He focused on other
things, it said, though “an array
of figures inside his government
- from top White House advisers
to experts deep in the cabinet
departments and intelligence
agencies - identified the coronavi-
rus threat, sounded alarms and
made clear the need for aggres-
sive action”.
Associated Press reported that
the administration failed to
stockpile medical supplies or
impose travel restrictions in
time. The US president seemed
consumed by the impeachment
trial and the White House was
slow to act, riven by infighting
and turnover of personnel, it said.
The Washington Post pointed
to the dysfunction in the adminis-
tration as recently as on April 4.
Because of the missed warn-
ings, similar to the failures lead-
ing up to the 9/11 terror attacks,
the US “ will likely go down as the
country that was supposedly best
prepared to fight a pandemic but
ended up catastrophically over-
matched by the coronavirus, sus-
taining heavier casualties than
any other nation”, it said in a
report.
The US now has the highest
n UK Prime Minister Boris
Johnson thanks the NHS in a
message on Sunday. REUTERS
id-19 even as a senior govern-
ment adviser admitted Britain
could have the worst death rate
in Europe.
Jeremy Farrar, a member of
the government’s Scientific
Advisory Group for Emergen-
cies, told the BBC, “The num-
fatalities at 21,435 as of Sunday
morning, with more than 1,900
reported in the previous 24 hours;
and the most confirmed cases
with 537,356. It now accounts for a
fifth of the global toll of 112,447
and nearly a third of the 1.83 mil-
lion confirmed cases.
New York state remained the
worst hit with 181,144 confirmed
cases and 9,385 deaths. The toll in
New York City, the epicentre of
the American outbreak, went up
to 6,367. Federal and state officials
have, however, pointed to a drop
in hospitalisation and “flatten-
ing” of other metrics to express
optimism the situation may be
improving.
New York City mayor Bill de
Blasio announced that schools
and other educational institu-
tions would remain closed for the
remainder of the academic year
and will reopen in September.
But governor Andrew Cuomo
has other ideas and told reporters
there was a need for a statewide
decision on the issue.
New Jersey, Michigan, Massa-
chusetts and Louisiana were
among states with high incidence
of infections of fatalities.
As a reflection of the magni-
tude of the crisis confronting the
country, Wyoming on Saturday
became the last state to go under
disaster declaration, a federal
measure that paves the way for
enhanced federal help. All 50
states are under these disaster
provisions now, for the first time
in US history.
Essential medical supplies
such as masks, gowns and venti-
lators remain an issue, despite
ramped up production at home
and purchases abroad. The
defence department is jumping in
with $133 million to manufacture
40 million N-95 masks over the
next three months.
bers in the UK have continued to
go up. I do hope we’re coming
close to the number of new
infections reducing… and the
number of deaths plateauing
and starting to come down. And
yes, the UK is likely to be cer-
tainly one of the worst, if not the
worst affected country in
Europe.”
In his first statement after
emerging from ICU, Johnson
thanked doctors, saying, “I can’t
thank them enough. I owe them
my life.”
A Downing Street spokesman
later said, “The PM has been dis-
charged from hospital to con-
tinue his recovery, at Chequers.
On the advice of his medical
team, the PM will not be imme-
diately returning to work.”
The UK parliament is due to
reopen virtually on April 21. In
an optimistic Easter message to
the country, Queen Elizabeth
said, “Coronavirus will not
overcome us…We need Easter
as much as ever…As dark as
death can be - particularly for
those suffering with grief - light
and life are greater.”
Over 500 test +ve in US Navy carrier Pope marks ‘Easter of
WASHINGTON:More than 10% of the
4,800 crew of the USS Theodore
Roosevelt aircraft carrier have
tested positive for the coronavi-
rus, the US Navy has said, days
after the navy chief resigned over
his mishandling of the outbreak.
“About 92% of the crew have
been tested. As of today, 550 were
positive, 3,673 were negative,” a
US Navy spokesman said.
The spokesman said 3,696 have
been moved to hotels and bar-
n The Manhattan skyline as seen behind the tombstones at Calvary Cemetery, New York.
Why have so many died in New York?
New York has more coronavirus cases than any country and accounts for around
half of all deaths in the US. Here’s exploring why it’s so badly hit
NEW YORK STATE
181,144 98,715
CASES
9,385 6,367
DEATHS
FACTOR 1: DENSITY
America's financial capital has 8.6 million inhabitants. There are 10,000 people per square
kilometre, making it the densest city in the US. Millions of commuters brush up against each
other on its packed subway system every day, while keeping distance on its sometimes
narrow sidewalks can be difficult
FACTOR 2: TOURISM
NYC gets more than 60 million
tourists a year and is the entry point
to America for many travellers,
meaning anyone carrying the virus is
likely to start infecting others there
first. American geneticists estimate
that it started spreading there from
Europe in February, before New York's
first confirmed case on March 1
SIX FATEFUL DAYS
residents to their homes. Meghan McGinty, associate at school of public health
of Johns Hopkins University, says, "In epidemic terms, six days is light years
and can really make a difference in the control and spread of the epidemic "
n An aerial view shows a largely empty Victory Column (Siegessaeule) Square in Berlin, Germany amid social distancing measures.
racks available on Guam, where
the ship has been docked since its
former captain blew the whistle
on the outbreak, igniting a public
standoff with the Pentagon that
culminated in the resignation of
US Navy secretary Thomas
Modly on Tuesday.
Modly stepped down five days
after removing the Roosevelt’s
captain, Brett Crozier, for writing
a letter - that was leaked to the
media - describing the virus-
NEW YORK CITY
42%
CASES
Yorkers disproportionate-
ly. Of the 20,000+ deaths
in the US, 42% have
DEATHS
occurred in New York.
Its mortality rate is
4.7%, compared with
3.4% in the rest of the
country
FACTOR 3:
POVERTY
The Big Apple is also
characterised by massive
socioeconomic inequality.
Overcrowded, deprived areas -
particularly in the Bronx and Queens,
where many people already suffer health
problems and lack medical care - have
experienced the highest rate of infections
Six days passed between New York's school
closure order and its order confining
OUTBREAK IN BELMARSH
Virus scare: Assange seeks bail
HT Correspondent
n letters@hindustantimes.com
LONDON: WikiLeaks founder
Julian Assange is seeking
bail on the ground that he is
in danger of contracting coro-
navirus while in the Bel-
marsh prison, while his part-
ner revealed on Sunday that
he fathered two children
while he was holed up in the
Ecuadorean embassy.
Belmarsh prison in Lon-
don has reportedly had a
death from Covid-19 and has
struck vessel’s dire situation and
alleging the Pentagon was not
paying adequate attention to it.
The removal of Crozier,
respected in the military and pop-
ular with his crew, was seen as
heavy-handed and decided too
quickly, before an investigation
was carried out.
Crozier had written a letter to
his superiors in March complain-
ing of the uncontrolled outbreak
among the crew. AFP
AP
The disease
is killing
New
n A man leads a
prayer at Manor
Community
Church in New
York. AP
reported a few cases of
employees with Covid-like
symptoms.
Assange, 48, who had
taken refuge in the embassy
to avoid a European arrest
warrant, fearing extradition
to the US to face charges of
leaking classified informa-
tion, was arrested in April
last year after Ecuador
revoked his asylum status.
The UK government is
releasing some categories of
prisoners across jails to avoid
the virus from spreading.
solitude’ in lockdown
Agencies
n letters@hindustantimes.com
VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis broke
with centuries of tradition to
livestream Easter Sunday mass
to those suffering in the solitude
of a coronavirus lockdown that
forced the world’s Catholics to
improvise on their holiest day.
The 83-year-old pontiff spoke
to the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics
from an empty Saint Paul’s
Cathedral at a ceremony
attended by a handful of priests
and a small choir that was spaced
out across the marble floor.
The pandemic raging outside
the Vatican’s locked gates has
killed more than 109,000 people
and left billions confined to their
Canada approves Cases found in China
vast aid as PM point to Russian flight
appears in House
after self-isolation
Anirudh Bhattacharyya
n letters@hindustantimes.com
TORONTO: Canadian Prime Minis-
ter Justin Trudeau made his first
appearance in parliament since
his self-isolation for a session that
passed vast emergency aid for
workers and companies
impacted by the Covid-19 pan-
demic.
The measures passed include
subsidy for eligible businesses of
up to 75% of wages to be paid to
employees, in an effort to stave off
mass unemployment. The bill
envisages government support
totalling CA$ 73 billion, and was
described by Trudeau as the
“largest” economic package that
the country has seen since World
War 2.
Trudeau was in self-isolation
since March 12, after his wife
Sophie Gregoire was diagnosed
with coronavirus infection after
her return from an event in Lon-
don. Trudeau returned to in-per-
son meetings late last week and
spoke during the sitting of the
House of Commons in Ottawa,
the country’s capital.
A small number of MPs, living
within easy reach of Parliament,
were present in the House as it
passed the legislation required to
offer early wage subsidy relief by
employers and employees buf-
feted by the economic impact of
the pandemic. Only 32 MPs were
present as the bill was passed.
Nirav Modi, wanted in
India on charges of financial
offences, is to appear by vide-
olink from the Wandsworth
prison for a remand exten-
sion hearing on April 15.
Assange’s partner, Stella
Moris, 37, revealed in the
Mail on Sunday and through
a video that Assange had
watched the births of both his
children in London hospitals
via live videolink, adding that
both boys had visited him in
prison, and that they were
planning to marry.
HIN DUSTA N TIMES, N EW D E LHI
MO N DAY, A PRIL 1 3, 2 02 0
CORONAVIRUS: WORLD
REUTERS
homes.
The pope’s message was lives-
treamed for the first time - a bow
to technology in the face of a new
illness that has changed the
shape of society and altered the
way religion is observed.
“For many, this is an Easter of
solitude lived amid the sorrow
and hardship that the pandemic
is causing, from physical suffer-
ing to economic difficulties,” the
pope said quietly.
A handful of priests and a few
faithful also gathered at the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre in
Jerusalem’s Old City - locked
down like the Vatican - to say
prayers at the spot where Chris-
tians believe Jesus was crucified
and resurrected on Easter.
Sutirtho Patranobis
n spatranobis@htlive.com
BEIJING:More than half of the cor-
onavirus infections reported by
China on Sunday stemmed from
a Russian flight to Shanghai the
day before, underscoring the
possible severity of the outbreak
in Russia.
Shanghai’s Municipal Health
Commission said 51 of 52
imported cases on Saturday
were of Chinese nationals who
were diagnosed to have Covid-19
after they landed in the city. The
travellers accounted for more
than half of 97 imported cases
China disclosed on Sunday.
Russia has emerged as a fresh
source of imported virus infec-
tions for China, which seems to
have tamed its own outbreak and
VIRUS TRACKER
1,828,045
GLOBAL CASES
112,447
GLOBAL DEATHS
WORST-HIT NATIONS
COUNTRY
1 USA
2 SPAIN
3 ITALY
4 FRANCE
5 GERMANY
6 UK
7 CHINA
8 IRAN
9 TURKEY
10 BELGIUM
(AS OF 10:45 PM IST)
ANTIMALARIAL
MEDICINES FROM
INDIA ARRIVE
IN NEW JERSEY
Yashwant Raj
n yashwant.raj@hindustantimes.com
WASHINGTON:A large consignment
of an antimalarial medicine,
which US President Donald
Trump had promoted as a poten-
tial “game-changer” in the fight
against the coronavirus, has
arrived from India.
Crates of Hydroxychloroquine
(HCQ) were offloaded on Satur-
day from a cargo flight from India
at the Newark international air-
port in New Jersey, which is also
among the hardest-hit states in
the country. Ordered by the US in
March, the drugs were possibly
headed for the federal stockpile
for further distribution.
“Supporting our partners in
the fight against #Covid19. Con-
signment of hydroxychloroquine
from India arrived at Newark air-
port today,” Taranjit Sandhu,
Indian ambassador to the US,
tweeted with a picture of the
packages being carted away at
the airport.
India lifted restrictions on the
export of Hydroxychloroquine
and some other drugs earlier in
the week at the request of Presi-
dent Trump in a phone call last
Saturday with Prime Minister
Narendra Modi. Thanking India
for the “HCQ decision”, Trump
has since said it “will not be for-
gotten”.
Trump has been advocating
the use of Hydroxychloroquine to
treat the coronavirus disease
despite no evidence that it works.
He has argued that it has been
used to treat malaria for decades
and is proven to be safe and
patients have nothing to lose by
trying it. Medical experts have
warned, however, of side effects
that can be fatal.
Food and Drug Administra-
tion, the US drug regulator, first
allowed it to be prescribed by
physicians to severely ill patients
under “compassionate use” gui-
dance and then sanctioned a
large-scale trial among the ailing
in New York, the epicentre of the
American outbreak. India is one
of the world’s largest producers
of Hydroxychloroquine but it had
earlier ordered an export ban on
it and some other crucial drugs.
has now pivoted toward staving
off cases from elsewhere.
AFRICANS TARGETED
No new deaths was reported in
China on Saturday. The sharp
rise in imported cases over the
weekend was preceded by sev-
eral African ambassadors in
China writing to the country’s
foreign ministry to address their
concerns over the reported dis-
crimination of Africans in the
city of Guangzhou hours after
the African Union (AU) Commis-
sion lodged a formal protest on
the issue in Johannesburg with
Chinese diplomats.
AU Commission chairperson
Moussa Faki Mahamat tweeted
that his office had summoned the
Chinese envoy to the AU over the
recent reports.
(BY CASES)
CASES DEATHS
545,830 21,474
166,019 16,972
156,363 19,899
129,654 13,832
126,656 2,908
84,279 10,612
82,052 3,339
71,686 4,474
56,956 1,198
29,647 3,600
SOURCE: WORLDOMETER
HIN DUSTA N T IMES, N EW D E LH I
MO N DAY, A PRIL 1 3 , 2 02 0 hindustantimes 09

p g
htspotlight CORONAVIRUS: SPORT

Para athletes brace for rough ride India seeks to host

CHALLENGES For two-time Paralympic gold
winning javelin thrower Jhajharia, the task is
to stay in shape; for powerlifting coach Rahelu
it’s about keeping his trainees motivated
B Shrikant/Rutvick Mehta
n letters@hindustantimes.com
MUMBAI: The Covid-19 pandemic
hasn’t just brought the world of
able-bodied athletes to a stand-
still. The para athletes, for whom
getting their affected limbs going
is a battle by itself before they pol-
ish their skills, have also been hit
hard. With the nationwide lock-
down on, India’s Paralympians
are mostly tied to their homes
wondering how to keep the body
in shape as proper training bases
remain out of reach.
India’s top para athlete, javelin
thrower Devendra Jhajharia,
had to ransack his storeroom to
take out two rusted dumbbells
and an old javelin to begin train-
ing, having returned to his village
in Churu, Rajasthan, from Gan-
dhinagar on March 22. The day
the lockdown was announced,
the winner of two gold medals at
the Paralympics knew it would be
a long haul. Jhajharia had
brought along some basic equip-
ment and a resistance band.
“That is all I could bring home for
training. I wanted to carry the
javelin as well but that was not
possible,” he says. With the old
javelin in hand, the 38-year-old,
who lost his left hand in a mishap
aged eight, is confident of staying
in shape. “I like the feel of the jav-
elin … without that I feel my
training is incomplete,” says the
Arjuna awardee, who won his
first Paralympics gold at the 2004
Athens Games.
He does shadow throwing
before moving on to basic
strengthening and weight exer-
cises. “I train in the verandah of
my house for a couple of hours
daily. There are not enough facili-
ties here; our village has just 10
houses and we have locked all of
them.” Jhajharia is worried
about when he would be return-
ing to full training again. “Two-
three months of not throwing will
have a big impact. I will have to
work twice as hard to get to that
level again so that I am able to win
a third Paralympics gold.”
India’s top para powerlifting
coach, Rajinder Singh Rahelu,
has a different worry. The first
powerlifter from India to win a
Paralympics medal (56kg bronze,
Athens 2004), Rahelu is now more
bothered about the well being of
his wards, who are training for
the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics.
On any given day, Rahelu’s
morning routine would have
meant going to the gymnasium at
the Sports Authority of India
(SAI) Western Region headquar-
ters in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, to
oversee the training of his wards.
But with SAI freezing coaching
activity due to the lockdown,
Rahelu now interacts with his
trainees over phone, guiding and
counselling them as they try to
remain in shape, hoping for nor-
mal training to resume soon.
Rahelu, 46, is worried that his
wards’ performance will take a
hit if the situation continues, as
they are unable to do their regu-
lar gym workouts at home.
“Some lifters have their own
bench press equipment at home
but they can’t do regular competi-
tion weights, because they can’t
keep such heavy weights at home.
Daily gym work is very important
in powerlifting,” Rahelu says
over phone from Gandhinagar.
He feels keeping in touch and
motivating his trainees will help
them tide over the crisis. “We ask
the trainees to post videos of
workouts on Whatsapp and
advise them accordingly. For
now, it’s more about motivating
them,” says Rahelu, who is
wheelchair-bound because of
infantile paralysis and polio.
Vijay B Munishwar, a senior
coach in-charge of powerlifting in
the Paralympic Committee of
India (PCI), says the focus has
shifted to the mental aspect. “I
have advised my athletes to do
yogic kriya which enhances con-
centration. Mental strength is
very important in this sport, and
this is a good time to work on that.
They are doing breathing control
n Doubles world No 5 Palak Kohli trains in Lucknow.
through bench press, visualisa-
tion and dry lifts and also work-
ing on muscle control tech-
niques,” says Munishwar, who
has coached Rahelu and Farman
Basha, two of India’s most promi-
nent Paralympians.
Para swimmers too have been
impacted, says VK Dabas, chair-
man, para swimming, PCI.
“Because of their special needs,
para-swimmers use customised
equipment; they have special
attachments with which they do
their exercises. That’s why, they
are able to do limited exercises at
home,” says Dabas, adding, “dur-
ing such breaks, endurance gets
affected and so strength comes
down gradually. For now, we are
asking them to do basic things
like body-weight exercises, light-
weight training, skipping and
spot running, dips and squats,
which do not allow the strength to
drop to a level from where regain-
ing peak fitness is difficult,” he
adds. Dabas feels the break will
push the swimmers back by six-
nine months.
The para athletes, in compari-
son, are better placed as they
require limited weight training.
“But around 10% of them are
wheelchair-bound and would be
facing more difficulties,” says
Rakesh Gupta, chairman, para
athletics, PCI.
However, two para shuttlers at
DEEPAK GUPTA/HT
the UP Badminton Academy in
Lucknow, who could not leave
because of the lockdown, want to
make the most of the ‘opportu-
nity’. Young Paralympic quali-
fier Palak Kohli (world No 5 in
doubles) and Neelesh Gaekwad
(Asian Youth silver medallist)
have requested SAI to establish a
‘quarantined training centre’ so
that they can continue practice.
“Before the lockdown, most of
our players left for home, but
these two couldn’t. They have
made a makeshift court in the
park where they train regularly.
Though it’s difficult training out-
doors, they are determined,” says
coach Gaurav Khanna.
While players across sport are
coming to terms with this new
reality, the PCI has a bigger task
on hand—to chalk out a plan for
more athletes to qualify for 2021
Tokyo once competitions start.
“Once this shutdown ends, it will
take a couple of months to get
state-level meets to be completed
before the nationals. We will also
have to plan for IPC-recognised
(International Paralympic Com-
mittee) competition so that more
of our athletes can qualify for
Tokyo. Finally, we will have to
organise the selection competi-
tions to pick the team for next
year’s Games,” says Gupta.
(With inputs from Sharad Deep in
Lucknow)
n Javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia in Churu.
BROKEN PROSTHETIC LIMB
HAMPERS CHAMP SHUTTLER
HT Correspondent
n letters@hindustantimes.com
MUMBAI : Manasi Joshi, the
2019 para badminton world
champion, is not only bat-
tling the challenges of
training during lockdown
at home in Ahmedabad,
she is also trying to come to
terms with a damaged
prosthetic limb.
“I have asked my pros-
thetist for a new part. If
they have it in their ware-
house it may come after the
lockdown is lifted, other-
wise it has to be ordered
from Germany. In that
case, I don’t know how I’ll
be able to procure it in the
current situation,” says
Joshi.
The 30-year-old, who lost
her left leg in a road acci-
dent in 2011, is currently
using a walker and
crutches to move around
the house.
“I’m not going down-
stairs for walks in my
apartment. As a person
HT PHOTO
who depends on assisted
devices for day-to-day
functioning, it is difficult,”
she says.
Joshi returned home
from Hyderabad—where
she stays alone and trains
at the Pullela Gopichand
academy—before the lock-
down.
Struggling to train with
whatever little equipment
she had at home, Joshi
would use her prosthetic
leg (which weighs around
5.5kg) and an empty gas
cylinder for weight train-
ing before her mother put
her foot down and asked
her daughter to stop train-
ing.
“My family was worried
my knee would buckle.
Using a gas cylinder for
weight training on the
prosthetic leg is unsafe. So
I stopped after a couple of
days,” Joshi, who has
enrolled for an online
course on disability aware-
ness at the University for
Pittsburgh, says.
more global meets
Avishek Roy
n avishek.roy@htlive.com
NEW DELHI:At a time when the Cov-
id-19 pandemic has made it tough
for the National Sports Federa-
tions (NSFs) to host international
events, the sports ministry has
promised an increased financial
assistance for bringing interna-
tional tournaments to India.
The ministry during its meet-
ing with NSFs last week directed
them to host more tournaments
in India to prepare for 2024 and
2028 Olympics. The NSFs have
been asked to include interna-
tional tournaments they plan to
host in their Annual Calendar for
Training and Competition
(ACTC).
The federations have been
pushing for more financial sup-
port from the government for
hosting international events for
some time now.
Currently, the NSFs get finan-
cial assistance of ~30 lakh for
hosting major international com-
petitions. For tour-level and invi-
tational event, the assistance is
somewhere between ~10-15 lakh.
The amount is likely to go up sig-
nificantly as the ministry is look-
ing to earmark a big chunk of its
ACTC budget for international
events.
Sports secretary Radhey
Shyam Julaniya said the govern-
ment is “consistent in its stand of
hosting more international
events in India”.
“The funding is for interna-
tional events. We want more
events in India for better expo-
sure. The same amount which
shortpasses
Dalglish in self-isolation
after positive Covid-19 test
LONDON: Former Liverpool player
and manager Kenny Dalglish, who
tested positive for the coronavi-
rus, has been released from
hospital, British media reported
on Sunday. Dalglish, 69, is now
back home where he is self-isolat-
ing and he hailed the healthcare
workers at the National Health
Service (NHS) as they battle the
pandemic.
goes for Indian athletes’ exposure
outside, larger number of ath-
letes will benefit from the same
amount in India,” Julaniya told
HT.
“We had discussions with the
14 priority sports (federations)
identified for 2024 and 2028 Olym-
pics. We have asked NSFs what
are the events they plan to host in
India. We will provide (financial
help) whatever is justified.
Things will be finalised in the
ACTC meeting,” he added.
The Table Tennis Federation
of India (TTFI) has plans to bid for
the 2024 World Team Champion-
ships, which will cost around R20
crore. “Hosting a tournament
will be difficult under the circum-
stances. However we will go for it
(bid). The government has taken
a positive step.
“Earlier, government funding
was limited but now we have been
assured that more assistance will
be provided and it is good that it
will be cleared under ACTC,” said
TTFI secretary general MP
Singh.
The Boxing Federation of India
(BFI), which has submitted the
expression of interest to host the
Asian Championships towards
the end of this year, also wel-
comed the move.
“It will be a big boost towards
hosting the Asian elite men’s and
women’s championships. Also, it
will encourage us to host more
events in India. In the India Open
we host every year, we field four
to five Indian teams and provide
exposure to so many of our box-
ers,” said BFI executive director
RK Sacheti.
Real Sociedad to resume
training this week
MADRID: Real Sociedad plans to
resume training this week. It
would be the first Spanish club to
do so. Players will have the option
to start practising at the team’s
training centre. Non-essential
workers will be allowed to return
while observing social-distancing
guidelines. It was not clear
whether the government will
allow Sociedad to open its centre.

HTSPOTLIGHT NATION

Centre raps states over hurdles Row over RSS

in smooth supply of essentials workers at police
HT Correspondent
post in Hyderabad PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING.
BREAK THE CHAIN.
n htreporters@hindustantimes.com Srinivasa Rao Apparasu
n srinivasa.apparasu@htlive.com
NEWDELHI: The Centre on Sunday
asked the states to ensure HYDERABAD: Alleged enforcement
smooth interstate and intrastate of the lockdown by volunteers of

STAY HOME. STAY SAFE.

transportation of goods, amid
concerns of shortage of supply.
In a letter, home secretary
Ajay Bhalla pulled up states for
not adhering to previous guide-
lines and advisories enabling the
movement of both essential and
non-essential goods.
“It has come to the notice of
this ministry that in some parts
of the country, guidelines and
clarification are not being imple-
mented in letter and spirit. Spe-
cifically, trucks carrying essen-
tial and non-essential goods are
being detained. Workers needed
for operation for operation of
manufacturing units of essential
goods and other exempted cate-
gories are not getting authoriza-
tion/passes for movement,” the
letter said.
The restrictions on activities,
specifically permitted by the
home ministry, have the poten-
tial of creating shortages of
essential commodities.
The letter said empty goods
carriers should also be allowed
on their way to pick up goods or
return after a delivery.
Units involved in manufac-
ture of essential items should be
n Truck drivers stranded at Police Lines in Sector 26 of Chandigarh
on Saturday.
HOME SECRETARY AJAY
BHALLA SAYS THAT
STATES MUST ENSURE
SMOOTH MOVEMENT OF
GOODS, AS CONCERNS
OF SHORTAGE ARISE
allowed to function without any
hindrance. The letter also said
that godowns and cold storages
should be allowed to function
during the lockdown.
Tens of thousands of trucks
have been left stranded across
state borders since the lockdown
took effect on March 25.
KESHAV SINGH/HT FILE
The government has issued
several advisories to state chief
secretaries to ensure that
smooth movement of goods
takes place, seeking to avoid
shortages.
On Saturday, HT had reported
that the Centre had reached out
to transporters to resolve prob-
lems being faced by stranded
truck drivers, so that essential
supplies could reach their desti-
nations.
Transporters have also
sought safeguards, including ₹50
lakh in insurance cover for those
engaged in the supply chain and
free medical treatment for those
who test positive for the virus.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
(RSS) on the outskirts of Hydera-
bad has triggered a controversy.
Pictures of lathi-wielding RSS
volunteers stopping people at a
barricade on the highway and In case you are not receiving the physical paper for
checking their documents have any reason, here are the QR codes to our epapers.
been going viral on social media
over the last two days.
On Sunday, Amzadullah
Khan, president of Majlis-Ba-
chao-Tehreek, a Hyderabad-
based political outfit, questioned
the propriety of the Rachakonda
police in engaging RSS workers.
RSS Prant Karyavah state
secretary Kacham Ramesh said
that there was no truth in the
reports. “It is a false allegation epaper.hindustantimes.com epaper.livemint.com epaper.livehindustan.com
and motivated by narrow and
vested interests,” he said.
Rachakonda police commis-
sioner Mahesh Bhagawat admit-
ted that some RSS volunteers
had visited the check post. “We
have stopped them and in the
last two days, they have not been
going there. Our personal are
effectively handling situation.
We don’t want to get associated
with any religious or political
group. We are empowered by the
government to do that,” he said.

Ramganj emerges as new Raj hot spot

Urvashi Dev Rawal
letters@hindustantimes.com
HEALTH MINISTER SAID tially, people in Ramganj had
misbehaved with health workers.
come to our area.”
He said that milk is available
THAT THE BHILWARA
n

However Dr Vyas said that now, only in the mornings at govern-

JAIPUR:Rajasthan reported 96 pos-
itive coronavirus disease cases
on Sunday. Of these, 35 were
reported from Ramganj, a
densely populated locality in
Japiur, which has emerged as
hotspot for the infectious disease.
Health officials said that the
spike is due to aggressive testing
being done.
Ramganj, with a population of
260,000 , has been put under a cur-
few, along with 11 other police
station areas in the city.
Besides Ramganj, curfew is
imposed in pockets of 11 other
police station areas from where
Covid-19 cases have been
reported.
MODEL COULD NOT BE
FOLLOWED IN RAMGANJ
BECAUSE OF ITS
POPULATION DENSITY
Dr Alok Vyas, a social worker
who lives in Chhoti Chaupar,
says with the numbers rising
alarmingly, people are anxious
but have also become disciplined.
“When curfew was imposed, peo-
ple took it casually and did not
adhere strictly. But now, the
administration is also strict and
people have also become more
disciplined,” he said.
There were reports that ini-
the situation has improved and
people are cooperating with
health authorities and going for
tests. “The police vans go around
making announcements and the
religious leaders at mosques
have also been roped in to tell peo-
ple not to be scared but cooperate
with authorities and get their
tests done,” he said.
To encourage residents to go
for testing, the health department
has set up six centres.
Residents, however, have
alleged people are not getting a
regular supply of essentials. A
resident, Prabhakar Sharma,
said, “We are not getting ration
nor have any government vans
ment dairy and a couple of medi-
cine shops were open in the
neighbourhood.
The first person to test positive
for Covid-19 in the area was a
45-year-old man who returned
from Oman on March 12. He was
asked to home quarantine him-
self, but he continued to go out. He
tested positive on March 26.
Health minister Raghu
Sharma said the Bhilwara model
to prevent community spread of
the virus could not be followed in
Ramganj because of its popula-
tion density, so the government
has come up with the cluster
model for Ramganj in which ran-
dom sampling is being done.
10 hindustantimes
E STA B L I S H E D I N 1 9 24
A smart
lockdown
India needs to get both health
and the economy right
I
n his interaction with chief ministers on Saturday, Prime
Minister (PM) Narendra Modi reformulated a popular
phrase which he used while declaring the national lock-
down to outline a change in the nature of the national
objectives. On March 24, while emphasising the need for
social distancing and urging people to
stay home, he said, “Jaan hai toh
jahan hai” — if one is alive, there is a
world. This was meant to place the premium on health, unargu-
ably the single-most-important priority at a time when the cor-
onavirus disease (Covid-19) has shaken the world. On Satur-
day, he said, “Jaan bhi, Jahaan bhi” — lives also, the world
also. This does not, in any way, undermine the emphasis on
health, but along with saving lives, the PM seemed to hint that
India also has to restore a degree of economic normalcy and
allow everyday life to resume, where possible.
This is a sound approach. It will, however, need the govern-
ment’s continued focus and calibrated policy vis-à-vis both ele-
ments. First, health. There is more known about Covid-19 than
a month ago. Here is what India needs to do, beyond this phase
of the lockdown to the next set of restrictions. Continue to ramp
up testing to be able to identify positive cases to have the basis
to intervene. Enhance quarantine facilities to ensure that those
who are positive can be isolated. Expand the contact tracing
apparatus, including through the use of technology, to be able
to find people who may have come in contact with those tested
positive. Add and remove containment zones, where a more
strict form of a lockdown is in place, on an everyday basis
depending on the evidence available. Source, from whatever
mechanisms possible, more personal protective equipment for
health workers who are risking their lives every day. Ensure
there are enough hospital beds and ventilators in place to pre-
pare for a surge in cases. And take special case of states where
the health infrastructure is particularly weak but which have
a high density of population such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
On the economy, this newspaper has argued for a compre-
hensive stimulus of ~10 lakh crore. But in the immediate con-
text, it is important to smoothen the supply of essentials, allow
some sectors and factories to open up on the condition of them
meeting safety and social distancing norms, and providing
relief to agriculture. Implementing partial restrictions will be
a key challenge here, and security personnel will have to be
carefully sensitised to what is allowed and what is not. It is time
to move to the next phase of a, as a government official put it,
“smart lockdown”.
§
Covid-19: A test
of federalism
State governments need help. The Centre
should be responsive
T
he most heartening element of India’s response to the
coronavirus disease (Covid-19) has been the close col-
laboration between the Centre and states. To be sure,
there have been differences too. But rarely, if ever,
has the federal structure been put to test as it is being done now.
And this is because of the constitutional design. The Centre can
frame broad policies; it can make national-level assessments;
it can provide support, be it in terms of health care facilities or
economic packages. But states are in the frontlines of the battle.
Health is a state subject; so is law and order; and the entire
ambit of daily administration at the local level — be it through
local district magistrates or developments officers or district
hospitals — happens through the state government.
And that is why the voices of the chief ministers (CMs) must
be heard. There have now been three video conferences
between the prime minister and the CMs. In the latest one, on
Saturday, while expressing their support for an extended lock-
down, states asked for help — from requesting that donations
to the CM Relief Fund be considered as corporate social expend-
iture to more availability of testing kits and personal protective
equipment for health workers; from relaxations in fiscal deficit
norms to the payment of compensation under the Goods and
Services Tax regime; from a greater economic package for
diverse sectors to fiscal support for states. The Centre must
consider all these requests favourably, for it is both a question
of the rights of states and the need of the moment.
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Printed & Published by DINESH MITTAL (Interim) for and on behalf of HT Media Ltd. 18-20, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi-110001 and printed at HT Media Ltd. Presses at Plot No.-8, Udyog Vihar, Greater Noida, Distt. Gautam Budh Nagar. (UP). Pin-201306,
§
incidentally
GOPALKRISHNA GANDHI
What would Gandhi have done today?
In times of a health crisis, he showed exceptional
care and extreme sternness. India is doing it now
G
andhi is unlikely to have known
the word pandemic.
For that matter, he never used
the word “ecology”.
And yet, there are few who
knew the core of those words, the
heart of their meaning, better than him.
Gandhi’s experience of epidemics went
back to his days in South Africa when, as he
ourtake records, the plague hit an area near Johannes-
burg where miners lived. This was in Febru-
ary 1904. He writes in his autobiography that
one night, 23 miners returned to their quar-
ters with “an acute attack of the plague”. A
colleague of Gandhi’s, Madanjit Vyavaharik,
“bravely broke open the lock of a vacant house
and put all the twenty three there”. Gandhi, on
learning of this, cycled to the location and
wrote to the Town Clerk (equivalent to a cor-
poration commissioner), and told him of the
circumstances in which the private property
had been taken possession of and the reasons
for that most unconventional step. And then,
the two informed Dr William Godfrey, a Tamil
doctor who was practising in Johannesburg.
Godfrey rose to the occasion magnificently.
Becoming both nurse and doctor, he took as
much of the professional responsibility as he
could possibly cope with. But more help was
needed, and Gandhi called four young Indians
in his law office to join in, which they did,
ungrudgingly. “It was a terrible night”, Gan-
dhi says, “that night of vigil and nursing”.
Covid-19: An epidemic is For businesses, strategies
an epidemic. A war is a war to deal with the aftermath
They are both serious threats, but using the war metaphor
is harmful because it skews our response to the crisis
SUYASH
RAI
RAHUL
VERMA
T T
he description of the battle against
the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) as
a “war” has graduated from an anal-
ogy to a metaphor. The war meta-
phor is easily accessible. Most people feel
that they are familiar with wars. But the war
metaphor can have negative consequences in
dealing with this crisis.
Metaphors often shape our thinking about
a problem — creating a social reality and
guiding social action. To use professor Rob-
ert Entman’s phraseology, metaphorical
framing can foreground a problem defini-
tion, causal interpretation, and moral evalu-
ation. Certain policy recommendations then
flow from this framing.
For example, in India, efforts to reduce
corruption have been characterised as a
“war”. The demonetisation of high-value
currency notes was described as a “surgical
strike” on corruption. Checks and balances
on revenue authorities and other “soldiers”
in this “war” have been weakened considera-
bly. And critics of this heavy-handed
approach to a subtle, complex problem are
often portrayed unfairly.
Major wars and major epidemics are seri-
ous threats, but they differ from each other.
First, in the Covid-19 crisis, the overarch-
ing objective is much more ambiguous than
it is in a major war. The Covid-19 crisis comes
from nature. As the lockdown shows, our
efforts can also create significant hardships.
We need to use the information available to
make decisions so that the sacrifices are less
than the suffering avoided over the long-
term. If you don’t like to consider such trade-
offs in terms of rupees, think in terms of lives
and well-being. In a major war, where sover-
eignty is at stake, the overall objective is usu-
ally not subject to such trade-offs, and the
choices have to do with the best way to
achieve it.
Second, even though certain areas may see
greater disruptions, the overall outcome of a
major war is the same for the entire country.
But the outcomes in the Covid-19 crisis may
be different across states and cities, depend-
ing on the background conditions and how
each city and state responds. Further, given
the differences in economies, health systems
and administrative systems, suitable
responses to Covid-19 may vary across cities
and states.
Third, the economics of major wars is dif-
ferent from the economics of dealing with
Covid-19. Major wars require shutting down
a large part of normal economic activity to
divert people, materials, productive capaci-
ties and finances towards waging the war.
But the Covid-19 crisis requires finding ways
to continue many normal economic activi-
ties, while reducing the risk of transmission.
Although the resource requirement of the
direct public health response, which
includes tracing, testing, isolating, and treat-
ment, is much lower than that for a major
war, if we don’t find ways to keep large parts
of the economy working, the welfare costs
will be quite high. And even if we breach the
fiscal rules, we have limited fiscal capacity to
mitigate these costs.
Bhaskar Printing Press, D.B. Corp Ltd., Shivdaspura, Tonk Road, Jaipur-303903 (Rajasthan).
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Managing Editor: SOUMYA BHATTACHARYA
comment
That second role — nursing — was one that
Gandhi was adept at, but the Black Plague was
something beyond his experience. But with
Godfrey there, giving patients “their doses of
medicine, to attend to their wants, to keep
them and their beds clean and tidy, and to
cheer them up”, was what he and his associ-
ates were to do.
Gandhi says that “the indefatigable zeal
and fearlessness of the youths worked” and he
rejoiced in seeing that.
If Gandhi gave in the plague experience an
example of exceptional care, he gave in
another, an example of extreme sternness. In
1926, when Ahmedabad faced a serious prob-
lem in the shape of rabid stray dogs, he wrote
in Young India: “We recognize the duty of kill-
ing microbes by the use of disinfectants. It is
violence and yet a duty…To destroy a rabid
dog is to commit the minimum amount of vio-
lence…a city-dweller who is responsible for
the protection of lives under his care…if he
kills the dog, he commits a sin. If he does not
kill it, he commits a graver sin.” And he lent
his clear and emphatic support to their elimi-
nation.
Today, those two experiences of his answer
the question that has occurred to many: What
would Gandhi have done today?
Like Gandhi, we can rejoice, too, that we see
the main elements of that experience of citi-
zens battling plague in Johannesburg in 1904
in the way the coronavirus disease is being
n The Covid-19 crisis has a key role for the
government, but we should not assume that
only the government has the answers HT
Fourth, in a war, the government must
lead and command, and others involved in
the war effort mostly take directions. To be
sure, the Covid-19 crisis has a key role for the
government, but we should not assume that
only the government has the answers in this
crisis. Choices by individuals and families,
collective action by communities, innova-
tions by firms, and coercion by the govern-
ment are all important.
Given these differences, the use of the war
metaphor is harmful because it skews our
response to the crisis.
One, the war metaphor allows certain
political vices and cognitive biases of leaders
to come into play. The tendency to over-cen-
tralise power and to avoid approaches that do
not give direct control can go unchecked. The
war metaphor privileges a command-and-
control mode of thinking. This may be useful
for some time, but as the crisis drags on, this
approach will mean that our democracy’s
key advantages — the ability to adapt and
experiment and harness voluntary mobilisa-
tion and community action based on freely
available information — may be lost.
Two, the war metaphor makes it difficult
to hold the government politically accounta-
ble for its actions, not just in this crisis but
also relating to pre-existing problems. In
India, the war metaphor makes it difficult to
criticise the government, as we are generally
expected to rally around against an external
enemy. But given the nature of trade-offs in
this crisis, public debate and accountability
are necessary. Further, India had pre-exist-
ing problems that this crisis may accentuate,
but “war” framing will make it difficult to
address them. The Indian economy had been
slowing down for seven quarters, with two
components of demand — exports and capital
formation — shrinking in the latest quarter.
If hereon, a single reason — the war on Cov-
id-19 — is given for all problems, we will lose
the opportunity to understand the reasons
and to make amends.
To quote Bishop Joseph Butler, every-
thing is what it is, and not another thing. An
epidemic is an epidemic. A war is a war.
Suyash Rai is a fellow at Carnegie India, New Delhi,
and Rahul Verma is a fellow at the
Centre for Policy Research
The views expressed are personal
HIN DUSTA N TIMES, N EW D E LHI
MO N DAY, A PRIL 1 3, 2 02 0
n India has administrators, health care
workers, police personnel and sanitary staff
doing work that can only be called heroic HT
addressed the world over. We have in the
amazing example of Dr Prakash Gatta, the
Indian-origin surgeon in Tacoma, Washing-
ton state, something to hail. As a doctor who
contracted the virus himself, he has battled it
to recover and is back at the hospital, working
and describing what he went through.
There are Gattas across the continents
doing the same. We have, in India, the most
extraordinary examples of political execu-
tives, administrators, medical professionals,
Recast strategic and operational plans entirely; focus on
realignment and retraining; don’t cut jobs mindlessly
RAGHU
RAMAN
he coronavirus disease (Covid-19)
has dealt a terrible blow to all of us.
Such trying times require inspira-
tional and innovative leadership.
There are three de-risking strategies that
can help us prepare for the pandemic’s after-
math.
First, industries need to recast strategic
and operational plans based on a revised
risk assessment. Every industry will face a
churn. In the short-term, the pessimistic
environment will increase the power of buy-
ers, while surplus inventory will decrease
the power of suppliers. The competition will
intensify, as holding the capability of high-
ticket items such as real estate and automo-
biles decreases. Substitutes, such as work-
ing from home and digitisation, will emerge,
and entry barriers will be altered as govern-
ments will fast track many sectors.
Industries such as tourism, aviation, hos-
pitality and travel will be devastated. This
will create a domino effect down the value
chain. Companies will face several
unknowns.
These will include the damage caused by
Covid-19 in terms of human life, the duration
of its impact, an increased focus on the cli-
mate crisis, negative market sentiments,
deteriorating physical and mental health,
and the time taken for the migrant labour to
achieve pre-Covid-19 efficiencies. At least
one annual cycle of first-time job entrants,
both in the public and private sectors, will be
thrown out of gear.
This is not about cost-cutting or downsiz-
ing of existing plans. All previous plans have
lost relevance, with no certainty of events
beyond a few months. Organisations will
now need to factor in the chilling possibility
of losing key leadership personnel, relation-
ships and business partners in the after-
math of the pandemic.
This paradigm shift will require a drastic
change in mindset and morale — the two key
ingredients needed to sail through a volatile,
uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA)
environment.
Second, industries must focus on realign-
ment, retraining and re-skilling. The global
economy was already tottering before the
coronavirus crisis, but the pandemic has
upended it. Companies will need new com-
petencies and skills. Digitisation, automa-
tion and artificial intelligence will be accel-
erated in virtually every stream — educa-
tion, health care, service industry, banking,
entertainment, supply chain, transporta-
tion, food and government services.
This will require a realignment of busi-
COVID-19 WILL TRANSFORM
THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
BEYOND RECOGNITION.
SEVERAL COMPANIES WILL
BE DEVASTATED, MANY WILL
FOLD, SOME WILL SURVIVE,
AND A FEW WILL THRIVE
health care providers, lab assistants, nurses,
policemen and policewomen, sanitary staff
doing work that can only be called heroic. We,
citizens, must replace the icons of commerce,
the creators of the market, manipulators of
our political, social and cultural mindsets, all
these false gods and goddesses, by these real-
life bravehearts who have put their lives at
risk to halt the virus in its tracks.
We must also rejoice in the way we, as a peo-
ple, have ungrudgingly accepted the restric-
tions imposed on us. The lockdown will stay
with us with, hopefully, sensitive modifica-
tions to help individuals in difficulty, for a
while. And we will be compliant. That is
because we believe in the inherent conscien-
tiousness of the government. A new culture of
private and public hygiene, which requires
sternness with ourselves and our surround-
ings, must emerge from this experience.
Gandhi’s ecological intelligence warned us
of making a cult of materialism that will recoil
on itself and have what we consume, consume
us. That is staring us in the face today. It is
challenging us to see its logic and adopt it.
Greed — market-created, market-driven,
market-manipulated — cares little for
hygiene, for the callous zoonotic origins of
sickness that experts such as Srinath Reddy
have been warning about for years. That
greed has got us by the throat now.
The Wuhan market is where it is. Blaming
it in isolation is absurd for there is a Wuhan
market in every city, town and thoroughfare.
There is a Wuhan market in every one of us.
Gopalkrishna Gandhi is a former administrator,
diplomat and governor
The views expressed are personal
ness processes, changes in curricula, devel-
opment of new faculty, and reorientation of
existing employees. Many employees will be
untrainable, and many subunits will
become unsustainable. The cogs in the intri-
cately-connected machine will have to be
re-engineered while it is running.
Mindshare and resources devoted to
learning and development are currently
abysmally low in most organisations. There
is no way companies can reorient their
workforce with such inadequate capacity. If
this supertanker needs to be turned around
in time to save it, there has to be a single-
minded focus on creating capability, execut-
ing unprecedented accelerated learning and
realignment across all levels within the
organisation.
Third, industries should focus on culture-
building and preserving tribal knowledge.
Culture works as the rallying call around
which organisations coalesce as a team.
This is the time for leaders to learn from the
history of their companies that helped them
overcome adversities. It does not matter
how old the company is, because even start-
ups have their stories as do their founders.
Whether it is a global pandemic or personal
trauma, the grit and resilience required to
overcome it is the same. This is the time to
reiterate those struggles, and lessons learnt
from them.
A corollary to the storytelling organisa-
tion is the need to preserve tribal knowl-
edge. During hard times, there is a tendency
to downsize the “elder” and “redundant”
employees.
In the late 1960s, game parks in Africa
faced a peculiar challenge of plenty. Their
elephant population increased exponen-
tially, affecting the ecosystem adversely.
Culling or systematic killing of the excess
population was the only practical solution.
The rangers resorted to the Darwinian prin-
ciple of the survival of the fittest and culled
the old, infirm and sick elephants.
This, however, wreaked havoc on the
tribal memory and social structure of the
herds. They could no longer find secret per-
ennial watering holes during droughts or
ancient routes across the game parks. When
the young bulls noticed a sudden absence of
elder elephants, indiscipline within the herd
went up, leading to frequent fights, which
were fatal for both the winner and the loser.
Younger bulls tried to rut before puberty
and turned rogue, threatening other ele-
phants and tourists. The abrupt removal of
social milestones and role models turned an
otherwise amicable and well-adjusted herd
into a squabbling and dangerous mob.
Similarly, organisations will lose tribal
knowledge, morale, relationships and social
structures if they reduce headcount mind-
lessly. While some judicious whittling may
be required, it is better to distribute frugal-
ity across the organisation than amputate
large numbers or entire subunits.
Like any economic crisis, Covid-19 will
transform the business environment
beyond recognition. Several companies will
be devastated, many will fold, some will sur-
vive, and a few will thrive. The category the
companies find themselves in will depend
on their leaders leveraging the lull before
the storm to think through these risks and
implement mitigation strategies.
Raghu Raman is founding CEO, NATGRID and
former president, Risk & Security, Reliance Industries
The views expressed are personal
HIN DUSTA N T IMES, N EW D E LH I
MO N DAY, A PRIL 1 3 , 2 02 0
shortstories
CHINA CENTRAL
BANK UPS STAKE
IN HDFC TO 1%
NEW DELHI: The government is
unhappy about the failure of
regulators to alert it on China’s
central bank raising its stake in
Housing Development Finance
Corp. Ltd, India’s largest mortgage
lender, according to a person
familiar with the development.
HDFC told the stock exchanges on
Saturday about the People’s Bank
of China (PBOC) raising its stake
to 1.01% from 0.8%. The stake
comprises 17.49 million shares of
the mortgage lender. There is no
law barring investments by the
Chinese central bank in any Indian
entity. Besides, it was a secondary
market transaction and HDFC,
thus, had no role in the deal. The
lender wasn’t required by law to
disclose the Chinese central
bank’s 0.8% stake in it but with
the 1% threshold breached, it has
complied with regulations by
informing the stock exchanges.
The news has, however, ruffled a
few feathers in the finance
ministry. Sovereign-backed
institutions such as Temasek and
Abu Dhabi Investment Authority
are big investors in Indian mar-
kets, holding significant stakes in
Indian companies.
‘DEBT PAINS TO
JUMP AS DOLLAR
SWAP COST RISES’
MUMBAI: The global economy is
likely to face more financial pains
as the dollar swap cost has spiked
to historic levels, reflecting the
increased need for currency
hedging by governments,
corporates and investors outside
the US, warns a paper by the Bank
for International Settlements
(BIS). In the wake of the coronavi-
rus pandemic, which has brought
the world to a standstill, the
dollar premium has started
shooting over the roof, forcing
the US Federal Reserve to open
forex swap lines with at least five
central banks on March 15.
Governments across the world are
looking to raise funds in efforts to
fight against the pandemic, that
has killed more than 1 lakh people
besides infecting millions in
different parts of the world. The
paper by the Switzerland-head-
quartered BIS, often described as
the central bank for central banks,
noted that dollar funding cost in
foreign exchange markets has
risen sharply, following the
pandemic.
AGENCIES AND REPORTERS
HTSPOTLIGHT
Covid lockdown mars Bohag
Bihu celebrations in Assam
Utpal Parashar
n utpal.parashar@htlive.com
GUWAHATI: The Assam govern-
ment has asked the public to fol-
low the Covid-19 lockdown
guidelines by staying indoors
and directed Bohag Bihu com-
mittees to restrict their celebra-
tions of the week-long festivities
beginning Monday to just cere-
monial hoisting of flags.
Bohag Bihu, or Rongali Bihu,
is Assam’s biggest festival and
marks the onset of spring and the
beginning of the Assamese new
year and involves feasting.
The Bihu celebrations start
with Goru Bihu when cattle are
bathed and worshipped. Most
rituals will be restricted with the
social distancing norms in place
to check the spread of Covid-19.
“I request all Bihu committees
to conclude this year’s pro-
gramme by hoisting flags in
presence of not more than 5 per-
sons,” Assam health minister
Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
Bihu is marked by preparing
of sweets and delicacies called
pitha and laru and making of
gamochas (traditional towels) in
handlooms, which are distrib-
uted among loved ones. Month-
Doctor-at-doorstep scheme
launched to help Pune’s needy
Prachi Bari
n prachi.bari@htlive.com
PUNE: For Vilas Rathod, 65, the
humanitarian crisis brought
about by the Covid-19 global pan-
demic is nothing he hasn’t seen
before. In September 1993 when
the Latur earthquake struck
Maharashtra killing over 9,000
people, Rathod was among the
first lot of relief workers to reach
the site to provide assistance.
At the time, Rathod was part
of the Maharashtriya Jain Sang-
hatana which later became the
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana
(BJS) — a collective of volun-
teers established in 1985 to do
social work, but primarily
focused on issues pertaining to
the Jain community.
Working capital pain
adds to firms’ stress
CASH CRUNCH India Inc is trying to avail of bridge funding
Team Mint
n feedback@livemint.com
NEW DELHI: Every time Anjani
Mondal, chief executive of For-
tigo Network Logistics, looks at
the company’s cash flow fore-
casts, he worries a little more.
Since the lockdown started last
month, customer payments have
been hard to come by.
Mondal has been struggling to
manage spiralling receivables.
He knows that cash is oxygen for
his business, a logistics service
provider with annual sales of
close to ₹250 crore.
“Several customer organisa-
tions do not have online bill proc-
essing systems in place and as a
result our outstanding dues have
grown substantially,” Mondal
said. “Our payment cycle has
stretched from the usual 60 days
to 85.” With the lockdown now
almost certain to be extended,
companies are increasingly find-
ing it hard to raise cash to pay
employees and spend on other
necessities.
With payments now unlikely
to come soon, executives such as
Mondal are trying to avail of
bridge funding to overcome the
current cash crunch. Working
capital is the money that compa-
nies need to run day-to-day oper-
ations such as paying suppliers
and holding inventories as they
await payments from customers.
Industry watchers said while
the current lockdown has
impacted everyone, it has hurt
the labour- and raw material-in-
tensive manufacturing sector the
most, prompting many to stop
payments. That is creating a dom-
ino effect on other industries.
“We are not being able to gen-
erate revenues, as costs are being
locked up in inventories even
though raw material is coming,
leaving the overall working capi-
tal requirement higher by at least
35%,” said Kartik Johari, vice
president, Nobel Hygiene, a
Mumbai-based diaper maker. To
help ease the pain, Johari said
that banks should increase work-
n An Assamese woman fills bamboo tubes with home-made curd,
made from buffalo milk, ahead of the Assamese New Year.
long cultural programmes are
held to mark the festivities
across the state.
The first day of the new year
as per the Assamese calendar
(Tuesday) is marked as Manuh
(human) Bihu when younger
people touch feet of elders in
their families to seek their bless-
ings.
In Guwahati, 26 committees
announced the cancellation of
Bihu cultural programmes on
March 20 five days before the
national lockdown was imple-
mented.
All Assam Students Union
Having become familiar with
relief work over the last 30 years
— the organisation helped
rebuild 335 schools after the Bhuj
quake in Gujarat in 2001 —
Rathod approached Pune dis-
trict collector Naval Kishore
Ram for permission to launch
mobile dispensaries after the
21-day national lockdown was
announced. “We created a pro-
gramme along with the Pune
Municipal Corporation and
Force Motors to launch mobile
clinics/ambulances on 1 April,”
Rathod said.
Called Doctor at your door-
step, the initiative is aimed at
residents of slums, homeless
shelters and old age homes. With
most private physicians closing
their clinics, and government
n Industry watchers said the lockdown has hurt the manufacturing
sector the most, prompting many to stop payments.
ing capital limits immediately.
While banks are seemingly
aware of the seriousness of the
situation, experts said that len-
ders may need instructions from
the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
and the government to go ahead.
“My sense is that working cap-
ital cycles will be extended. For
whatever period, there is a stand-
still, at least for that period, the
working capital cycle will get
extended,” said Pallav Mohapa-
tra, managing director and chief
executive of Central Bank of
India.
“The three-month morato-
rium announced by RBI on loan
repayments may not be enough
and in most cases, businesses
may require forbearances up to
year, by when things should be
back to normal hopefully,” said
Sudhir Dash, chief executive and
founder Unaprime Investment
Advisors, a Mumbai-based
investment bank.
“In whichever way you look at
it, the cycle will be extended for
most sectors. At an industry
level, I believe, working capital
margins are falling by 10-15 per-
centage points,” Central Bank’s
ANI
(AASU), which has been holding
Mukoli Bihu (open Bihu) in
Guwahati since 1982, has decided
to do away with the event this
year. It will not hoist the Bihu
flag either to mark the festivities.
“Let us all resolve this Bohag
to fight the menace of coronavi-
rus unitedly. Let us maintain all
rules and safety measures. Only
then we will be able to win this
battle,” AASU general secretary
Lurinjyoti Gogoi said.
Assam has recorded 29 Cov-
id-19 cases till date. A 65-year-old
person died of the disease on Fri-
day at Silchar.
dispensaries spending all their
available resources on fighting
the coronavirus, these mobile
clinics have begun to cater to at
least 2,500 people daily.
For this initiative, 15 buses
and tempos were retrofitted
within 24 hours and turned into
mobile clinics and makeshift
ambulances. The front seats
were removed to make space for
a stretcher and for doctors to
move inside. A loud speaker sys-
tem has also been fitted.
Four mobile clinics were
introduced in the Pimpri
Chinchwad industrial township
on April 5; more have been made
available in Solapur and Nashik.
The organisation recently
received permission to intro-
duce the service across the state.
BLOOMBERG
Mohapatra pointed out when
asked about the measures taken.
“We have framed the guidelines
for easing of working capital
requirements through reduction
in margins, extension of the cover
period on receivables and also on
interchangeability between fund-
based working capital and non-
fund based working capital.”
But even as more liquidity-eas-
ing measures are awaited, many
have begun borrowing at high
rates, which according to esti-
mates, currently hover at 11-18%.
“Our working capital period
cycle is typically 30-40 days
including stocks and sold prod-
ucts in transit,” said Alok
Chawla, chief executive officer
and co-founder, Gizmobaba.com.
“This is expected to temporarily
double if we want to continue at
the same scale and with no
schemes from the government
forthcoming, we, just like many
other start-up entrepreneurs are
considering borrowing at high
interest unsecured personal
loans and taking advances from
credit cards which could double
the interest costs to us over the
next two quarters.” he added.
PLAYING THE BARBER
Rickshaw-puller uses Uttarakhand’s specially abled
up savings on needy lend helping hand to migrants
Priyanka Deb Barman
n priyanka.barman@htlive.com
AGARTALA: Goutam Das is a rick-
shaw puller in a village near Tri-
pura. The 51-year-old earns
around ₹200 a day, and had
₹10,000 as savings. But even as
the nationwide lockdown was
announced to quell the spread of
Covid-19 and he was gripped by
worries about making ends
meet, Das has, over the past few
days, spent nearly ₹8,000 to buy
food for poor families.
He lives alone in a mud house
in Sadhutilla village near Agar-
tala, after his wife died a few
years ago. His children live sepa-
rately.
However, while Das was wor-
ried when the lockdown was
announced, he said he was more
struck by thoughts of people less
fortunate than him, which is
when he decided to help as best
he could.
“ I was very worried after
Stimulus needed
for quick revival of
economy, says
Maruti’s Bhargava
Malyaban Ghosh
n malyaban.g@livemint.com
NEW DELHI: India needs a fiscal
stimulus to ride out the crisis
caused by covid-19, Maruti Suz-
uki India Ltd chairman RC Bhar-
gava said, as he joined a chorus of
business leaders and economists
calling for the government to
announce a fiscal package to sup-
port businesses and create jobs.
Bhargava said that the govern-
ment should make consumer
products more affordable as he
hinted at tax cuts on automobiles.
He said also that the Suzuki
Motor Corp. unit will decide on its
future investment plans (capex)
after studying the demand for its
cars s in the future.
India’s largest car maker is
meanwhile witnessing an
increasing number of queries
online for its vehicles, Bhargava
said, underscoring pent up
demand for entry level or afforda-
ble hatchbacks in the domestic
market. “The poor who have no
means of living will require direct
transfer. More important than
just transferring money is also to
ensure that there is a demand cre-
ation in the economy. My belief is
that demand creation is more
effectively done by making prod-
ucts affordable rather than by
transferring some money to
everybody’s pocket since every-
body is not a customer and trans-
ferring money does not create the
type of demand required for
industrial revival,” Bhargava
said in an interview on Sunday.
He said “countries are already
working out big packages to stim-
ulate economic revival and I am
sure our country will do some-
thing on the same lines.”
Maruti is considered a bell-
wether for India’s passenger
vehicle industry with more than
50% market share. The automo-
bile industry contributes almost
7-8% of India’s gross domestic
product (GDP) and provides
employment to millions, directly
and indirectly.
Maruti and other automakers
are meanwhile waiting for a deci-
sion on the status of the ongoing
21-day national lockdown.
lockdown was announced.
Before the lockdown, I used to
earn around ₹200 a day, and had
₹10,000 that I managed to save
from my daily earnings,” he said.
“While thinking about my
livelihood during the lockdown,
I also thought of poor families
and daily wage labourers like
me. Then I thought of helping
them as much as possible,” he
said.
After this thought, Das bought
rice and pulses and poured them
into small packets and started
distributing them among poor
families, on his rickshaw.
Das said he had distributed
these packets to at least 160 fami-
lies so far.
“ I have spent around ₹8,000 so
far to buy rice and pulses for poor
people like me. I understand that
many people find it tough to
make arrangements for food
during lockdown. I have plan to
continue giving food, if the lock-
down is extended,” he said.
India GDP may grow 1.5-4%: WB
Asit Ranjan Mishra
n asit.m@livemint.com
NEW DELHI: India’s economic
growth is likely to range between
1.5% and 4% in FY21, depending
on the severity of the spread of
covid-19 pandemic and the dura-
tion of the ongoing nationwide
lockdown, the World Bank said
on Sunday.
“If a large-scale domestic con-
tagion scenario is avoided, early
policy measures pay off, and
restrictions to the mobility of
goods and people can be lifted
swiftly, an upside scenario could
materialise in FY21, with growth
around 4%. However, if domestic
contagion is not contained, and
the nationwide shutdown is
extended, growth projections
could be revised downwards to
1.5%, and fiscal slippages would
be larger,” the Bank said in its
South Asia Economic Focus.
The Bank said the severe dis-
ruption to economic activity by
the covid-19 outbreak comes
after already disappointing
growth rates in previous years.
Most economists are now certain
that the economy will miss the
5% FY20 growth estimated by the
Under relief package, poor may get
up to eight free LPG cylinder refills
Rajeev Jayaswal
rajeev.jayaswal@htlive.com
n
NEWDELHI: Poor households using
5 kg and 14.2 kg cooking gas cylin-
ders will be eligible for eight and
three free refills respectively for
three months as part of the pack-
age announced last month for
those hit hard by the covid-19
lockdown, an oil ministry spokes-
person said on Sunday.
The ₹1.7 lakh crore welfare
package announced on March 26
had specified only three cooking
gas cylinders for free to about 80
million poor households and led
to some confusion about the num-
ber of refills for the beneficiaries
using economical 5 kg cylinders,
the spokesperson added.
“Those who are using small
cylinders will get eight free cylin-
ders over three months – April,
May, and June – under the Prad-
han Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana
[PMGKY].” The oil marketing
companies have to date initiated
Suspension of non-essential
services have brought families
closer, with male members
helping one another groom
themselves. LJP leader Chirag
Paswan on Sunday shared a
video of him trimming the
beard of his father, Union
minister Ram Vilas Paswan.
“Tough times but see lock-
down also has a brighter side.
Never knew had these skills
too! Let’s fight Corona19 and
create beautiful memories
too ! #StayHomeStaySafe,”
Chirag tweeted. Many praised
the duo, while others pointed
out how men have to put up
with unkempt hair and untidy
beards. The video was posted
a day ahead of Union minis-
ters are to resume work in
their ministries and focus on
kick-starting the economy
post lockdown. PTI
n Member of Parliament
Chirag Paswan helps
his father Ram Vilas
Paswan with trimming
his beard, as seen in a
video posted by Chirag
on Twitter.
ESSENTIAL ITEMS
Sandeep Rawat
n letters@hindustantimes.com
HARIDWAR: Uttarakhand’s hearing
and speech impaired people have
come forward to the aid of
stranded immigrants and daily
wagers amid the lockdown, help-
ing in day-to-day relief works
being carried out by the adminis-
tration and as well as their
groups.
Under the aegis of Devbhoomi
Hearing and Speech Impaired
Association, more than a dozen
people, for the past nine days, are
collecting ration and essential
items from their association
members.
Named ‘Maa Ganga Ki Rasoi’
(mother Ganga’s kitchen), these
specially-abled persons come
together early mornings at the
makeshift kitchen to collect and
pack ration and other essentials
in boxes.
Initially, food was also cooked,
hindustantimes
POWERED BY
n The Bank notes that services sector will be particularly impacted in
FY21, as a revival in domestic investment may be delayed. BLOOMBERG
statistics department. “The
green shoots of a rebound that
were observable at the end of
2019 have been overtaken by the
negative impacts of the global
crisis,” the Bank added.
Goldman Sachs last week had
projected the bleakest FY21
growth forecast for India at 1.6%,
holding that the spread of cov-
id-19, nationwide shutdown,
social distancing measures and
fears among consumers and
businesses may lead to a signifi-
cant contraction in economic
activity.
The resulting domestic supply
THE ₹1.7 LAKH CRORE
WELFARE PACKAGE HAD
SPECIFIED ONLY THREE
GAS CYLINDERS FOR
FREE TO 80 MILLION
POOR HOUSEHOLDS AND
LED TO CONFUSION
transfer of ₹5,606 crore into bank
accounts of over 71 million Prad-
han Mantri Ujjwala Yojana
(PMUY) beneficiaries as an
advance so that they can avail
free delivery of LPG cylinders
under the PMGKY, the spokes-
person said.
PMUY was launched in 2016 to
provide free cooking gas connec-
tions to 50 million poor house-
holds. Later the target was raised
to 80 million households, which
was achieved six months in
advance in September 2019.
An executive with India’s big-
CORONAVIRUS
Naga sadhus pledge
to give up clay pipes
Smriti Malaviya
n smriti1.ht@gmail.com
PRAYAGRAJ: Naga Sadhus at the
Kumbh Mela have decided to
give up one of their most prized
possessions — chillum (clay
pipes used for smoking) — on a
call issued by yoga guru Baba
Ramdev.
The warrior ascetics took the
decision after Ramdev gave the
example of many Hindu deities
who stayed away from all vices,
including smoking, when they
took a human form.
The Naga Sadhus only posses-
sions are ‘rudraksha’ (holy
beads), garlands and chillums.
They smoke to keep themselves
warm in the biting cold of the
mela area. They are often spotted
sitting around a ‘dhuni’ (holy
fire) and smoking chillums
through the night.
Ramdev, who is conducting
yoga classes at the Kumbh Mela,
said he was happy to get a posi-
tive response from many sadhus
and holy men for a “nashamukt
but the association members
decided on ration kits as the bet-
ter option, as the same can be
delivered at the doorstep of poor
and given to the needy who live in
distant areas.
Sandeep Arora, the president
of the Devbhoomi association,
through a written communique,
said that when he saw migrant
labourers, domestic helps, rick-
shaw pullers and wandering
seers queuing up to get food after
the lockdown in the state on
March 22, he decided to help them
to the best of his capacity.
“We communicated through
mobile text chats and internet
with our members across the dis-
trict and state who expressed a
willingness to contribute to this
initiative. During lockdown
relaxation hours (7am-1pm), we
carry out food ration collection
and distribution work. Domestic
helps, daily wage labourers, rick-
shaw drivers, wandering seers
11
and demand disruptions on the
back of weak external demand
are expected to result in a sharp
growth deceleration in FY21, to
2.8% in a baseline scenario, the
World Bank said. “The services
sector will be particularly
impacted. A revival in domestic
investment is likely to be delayed
given enhanced risk aversion on
a global scale, and renewed con-
cerns about financial sector
resilience. Growth is expected to
rebound to 5% in FY22 as the
impact of covid-19 dissipates,
and fiscal and monetary policy
support pays off with a lag.”
gest fuel retailer, state-run Indian
Oil Corporation (IOC), said the
company has transferred about
₹2,780 crore into the bank
accounts of its 37 million PMUY
customers so that they can get
their first cooking gas cylinders
free of cost. Along with the other
two state-run companies – Hindu-
stan Petroleum Corporation Ltd
(HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum
Corporation Ltd (BPCL) – the
public sector oil marketing com-
panies have so far distributed 8.5
million cooking gas cylinders for
free to poor households, the
spokesperson said.
“Booking of 1.26 crore [12.6 mil-
lion] cylinders has been done in
this month by the beneficiaries,
out of which about 85 lakh [8.5
million] cylinders have been
delivered to PMUY beneficiaries.
This is aimed at alleviating the
hardships faced by the poor due
to economic disruption by the
coronavirus,” the spokesperson
said.
Bharat” (addiction-free India).
He also asked aspiring sadhus
for their chillums as “Guru Dak-
shina” (offerings). They were
attending the ordination cere-
mony of Shree Panchayati
Akhada Niranjani, in the pres-
ence of Swami Narendragiri, the
secretary of Niranjani Akhada
and president of Akhil Bharatiya
Akhada Parishad. “Several sad-
hus also took a pledge to quit the
chillum when I asked them if
they had ever seen or read in any
scripture or holy book of Hindu
deities indulging in such
unhealthy habits,” he said.
Shreemahant Rajendradas Ji
Maharaj of Nirmohi Akhada was
among the first sadhus to hand
over their chillums to Ramdev.
He said, “The yoga guru said the
sadhus sacrificed their material-
istic life to attain salvation. Yet,
they were hooked on to the habit
of smoking chillums, which is
not good. It’s also a kind of weak-
ness. We also realised the fact
and took a pledge to stop smok-
ing.”
and slum dwellers are our prime
focus,” said Sandeep Arora, who
has also compiled poems on fight-
ing the coronavirus scare.
These specially-abled people
also helped a group of 15 stranded
vendors, of Bahraich area in
Uttar Pradesh, who sold ‘prasad’
(holy offerings) near Mata Mansa
Devi Shrine a week before the
lockdown.
“Today we have been provided
25 kilograms of wheat, 10 kg rice,
mustard oil and related items by
the association members. We are
thankful to such people, who
despite facing difficulties, are
helping us. They have also taken
our numbers so that we can
inform them about our ration
requirements,” said Jitendra
Maurya, one of the vendors.
The association members have
already started generating more
resources by using social media,
apprehensive of an extension to
the lockdown.
12 hindustantimes
p g
htspotlight
‘Expect aid from Centre 221 new cases push Maha closer to 2K-mark
for basic requirements’
HTINTERVIEW
MANOHAR LAL KHATTAR, Haryana CM
NEW DELHI : Haryana chief minis-
ter Manohar Lal Khattar spoke
to R Sukumar about the impact
of the coronavirus disease (Cov-
id-19) on Haryana’s economy,
the need to test more people, the
migrant movement, restarting
business activity, the Tablighi
Jamaat cases, and the return to
normalcy. Edited excerpts:
Even as Haryana’s economy is
considered very robust, how will
the lockdown impact the state’s
economy and its fundamentals?
We are staring at ~4,000 crore
revenue loss in April, which was
~2,300 crore in March. We have
committed liabilities such as
payment of debt, interest on
loan, advances, salary, pension
etc. When there is a shortage in
revenue, we can apply the
brakes on capital expenditure,
but not on committed expendi-
ture. We need about ~4,000 crore
per month and we are expecting
to anyhow generate just ~1,000
crore revenue. Hence, the way
forward is to take a loan. Cen-
tral assistance or grants is
another way out. We made
arrangements in first month,
but if this continues, it will be
very difficult to manage. On Sat-
urday, during the video confer-
ence with the Prime Minister,
chief ministers urged PM that
there should be a system in
place to help all the states to tide
over this fiscal crisis. We will
certainly find a way out.
What type of help you are
expecting from the Centre?
I am expecting help from the
Centre in the form of grants so
that we can meet our basic
requirements. The percentage
of the debt should be increased
from the existing 3%. The rules
concerning raising loans should
be relaxed. If it is done, we can
go for the loan instead of
depending on the Centre for
monetary help. We have to
make arrangements for ~4,000
crore per month till the lock-
down. If we get ~1,000 crore reve-
nue receipts, we need ~3,000
crore. This can be in the shape of
debt, in the shape of a grant, or
in the shape of a special pack-
age. It depends.
When will economic activity
start?
As the Prime Minister has indi-
cated, we will have to move
towards economic activity also,
while taking utmost care of
lockdown and social distancing.
We must have a plan in place.
While four districts in the
Textile min steps up procurement of PPE
Amrita Madhukalya
n amrita.madhukalya@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: The textile ministry
has procured 130,000 coverall
suits from Indian producers amid
a shortage of the protective gear
being used by health care work-
ers while treating coronavirus
disease patients.
According to officials familiar
with the matter, the producers
have reached a daily production
capacity of 22,000 units.
National Capital Region (NCR)
-- Palwal, Nuh, Gurugram, Fari-
dabad -- will be categorised as
the Covid “hot spots” or “red
zones’’, meaning highly vulner-
able, all the remaining 18 other
districts will be partially or
completely put in the two differ-
ent categories of orange or
green zones. A lockdown will be
enforced in Red Zone. In the
green zone, small and medium
industry will be allowed to start
operations, provided the entre-
preneur give us an undertaking
to fulfil the guidelines in letter
and spirit. We want small indus-
try to start its operations at
lower capacity first.
Out of 22 districts, cases are
coming from four. What’s your
lockdown release plan?
We have declared the four dis-
tricts hot spots. Naturally, other
districts where there are no
cases will fall in the green zone.
We will take commitment from
all industrialists to maintain
social distancing while starting
the factories. We will form
social distancing plan commit-
tees up to block level.
So far, there have been 4,000
tests. How and when will the
state increase its testing?
Two days ago, we have
increased the number of testing
labs. Earlier, we had just two
labs, now permission has been
given to five private labs. Now
we have eight labs functioning
and two or three more labs will
start testing in a week or so.
Thus, our target is to go for more
than a 1,000 tests a day in dozen-
odd labs in the days to come.
Rapid antibody testing is on the
cards. We have placed orders for
100,000 testing kits.
Are you buying them from
China?
No, no... we have placed order
within the state. The states have
exemption to buy such equip-
ments on their own. We have
kept ~500 crore as reserve for
purchasing equipment
By what time will the rapid test-
ing kits be delivered?
I am expecting delivery within a
week.
This is the harvesting season,
and so what are your plans?
Last year, there were over 400
procurement centres. Now we
have identified about 1,850 pur-
chase centre across the state.
School building, warehousing
godowns, premises of rice shell-
Since domestic production of
the PPE suits began last month,
33 Indian producers have passed
the quality tests laid down under
norms stipulated by the WHO.
Earlier, the country relied on
international players for the for
the suits.
“This is a significant achieve-
ment considering that we had
started from nowhere a month
back, and the fabric had to be
developed in the country for the
first time. We hope to touch 50,000
ers etc will be converted to pur-
chase centres. Commission
agents are on board. Mustard
procurement will start on April
15, and wheat from April 20. We
will stagger the procurement.
Until last year, most of the pro-
curement operations used to be
over in 25 days; now we will
stagger the procurement opera-
tions to two months. After start-
ing on April 20, it will continue
till June 20. We will regulate the
arrival of farmers to mandis. In
order to regulate and stagger
the procurement, the Market
Committee will issue online
e-gate passes to allow the entry
of the agricultural produce. The
passes will be issued only to reg-
istered and verified farmers on
“Meri Fasal Mera Byora” por-
tal.
The farmers will be allowed
to visit Mandi in two time slots
from 8am to 2pm and from
2:30pm to 6pm. The Rabi pro-
curement season (wheat, mus-
tard and gram) will start from
April 15 and continue till June
30. Wheat procurement will
start from April 20.
What impact will this crisis have
on the economy?
Huge impact. First, the tempo-
rary jobs — like those of daily
wagers — will be affected. Tour-
ism will suffer a lot. There will
be a dip in demand of luxurious
goods, there will be a setback to
tourism -- all these things will
definitely happen. While one
sector will revive, another sec-
tor will continue to take a hit
and struggle. When this type of
crisis takes place, we will have
to make people aware about
their responsibilities.
We will have to strengthen
our health services. There is
uncertainty in every sphere of
life.
Apart from health, which are
other areas you plan to focus
units daily in the coming week,
which will stabilise the supply
chain,” said a senior textile min-
istry official, on condition of ano-
nymity.
The daily production capacity
for the suits has been steadily
growing with new producers
making the cut. It was 16,000 units
on April 10, as many as 15,700 on
April 9 and 11,500 on April 8, said
officials.
Officials said that an addi-
tional two lakh PPE suits have
YOGENDRA KUMAR /HT PHOTO
on?
First, we have to strengthen the
administrative system. How to
run the administration even
during social distancing is the
challenge. To face this chal-
lenge, we are strengthening our
online systems like running the
administrative via videoconfer-
ence etc.
The exchange of information
needs to be accelerated and
increased. We are working on
creating 25,000 administrative
units up to the block level hav-
ing a minimum 200 houses and
1,000 population. District
administration will play a major
role in this. The objective is to
ensure live contact with these
25,000 administrative units from
the state to small units in vil-
lage.
The big target is to ensure
food for all, jobs for daily wagers
and ensure administration and
health remain effective.
How did Haryana handle the
migrant labourers crisis?
Initially, there was a crisis for
two days on March 29 and 30. We
set up camps immediately along
the roads and slowly they
started returning. People even
returned from Delhi back to
Haryana. Later, we sealed our
borders. At present, we have
about 200 camps in which 15,500
migrant labourers are staying
as of today.
Have you traced all the people of
Tablighi Jamaat?
There are some who are yet to
come forward. Till two days ago,
we had given opportunity to all
of them to report. After that, we
have registered cases against
some of them who were caught;
we had to act tough. We may
again give them another chance
to surrender. We don’t know if
those who are yet to be traced
are within the state or have
managed to go out of the state.
come in from China through
Indian donors. South India Tex-
tile Research Association offi-
cials said that the number of pro-
ducers writing to them for
approvals has risen.
However, some of the untested
producers were selling the units
to private players, prompting the
ministry to lay down new norms
under which all PPE units will
have a Unique Certification Code
and tamper-proof stickers in
indelible ink, officials said.
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D E AT H T O L L R E AC H E S 1 4 9
Faisal Malik
n letters@hindustantimes.com
MUMBAI: Maharashtra recorded
221 coronavirus disease cases and
10 deaths on Sunday, taking the
state closer to the 2,000-case mark
at 1,982. The death toll has
reached 149, state figures
revealed.
The state crossed 1,000 cases
just last Tuesday, but the past five
days reported more than 100 per
day, including three days that
saw more than 200 cases. Mumbai
has 1,298 positive cases and 92
deaths. The state has tested 41,109
people. It has also kept 5,064 sus-
pected patients under govern-
ment quarantine facility, while
61,247 are quarantined at home,
said the health officials.
Senior officials have indicated
that the rate of the virus’s spread
will be arrested, but it could take
a couple of days. “The rise is on
and for two days, the number of
new cases had even crossed the
200 mark, but on Saturday, it
Reaching 65% herd immunity may
help push the peak, flatten the curve
BY INVITATION
RAMANAN LAXMINARAYAN
W
e are nearly three
weeks into a lock-
down that has been
driven by epidemio-
logical projections of the human
toll of Covid-19, and scenes of
overrun hospital systems in
Europe and the US. The lockdown
has likely saved thousands of
lives from Covid-19 but has
extracted an enormous economic
and human toll. Is there an end in
sight? Will the disease come back
if we lift lockdowns? If so, are we
simply condemned to lurch from
one lockdown to another? How do
we balance lives lost through
Covid with others that will be lost
from poverty, starvation and
other diseases?
What we should do really
depends on our end goal. A first
goal could be to try to eliminate
the disease from India through an
extended lockdown. However,
even if the country were to do its
best at containment and contact
tracing, achieving this would be
unlikely. Also, it would require
that we keep international bor-
ders closed indefinitely. An alter-
native goal could be to contain the
number of infections until the
middle of 2021 which is the earli-
est that a vaccine or effective, val-
idated treatment is expected to be
available. Currently, the evi-
dence on chloroquine is simply
too weak to be relied upon, and
other treatment options are still
in early stages of evaluation.
Keeping infections down for a
year will require multiple lock-
downs of the kind we have just
been through and could wreak
havoc on livelihoods.
A more feasible option is to
achieve herd immunity – a con-
cept which predicts that all of
India would be protected as long
as at least 65% of the population
has experienced the infection,
even if without symptoms or in its
mildest form. The 65% figure is
based on a well-validated mathe-
matical formula where herd
immunity is 1-1/R0, where R0 (R
naught) or the reproductive num-
ber of the disease is 2.8. Once that
figure is reached, then even those
that have not experienced the
Fighting suspicion, UP villagers Ostracised MP man
pledge to trace Jamaat attendees puts house for
Rajesh Kumar Singh
n letters@hindustantimes.com
LUCKNOW:Residents of Soanpipri
in Uttar Pradesh’s Maharajganj
district have pledged to help
authorities locate those who may
have come in contact with six
people from nearby villages
tested Covid-19 positive after
attending a congregation at
Tablighi Jamaat headquarters in
Delhi that last month emerged as
a hot spot for the disease.
Niyaz Khan, the village head,
said they were being looked upon
suspiciously after police on April
5 conducted raids in the village to
trace the Jamaat followers whom
they will help trace as well. “We
need to act fast to locate the sus-
pects as well as to get rid of the
suspicion,’’ said Khan. He added
they have been urging the resi-
dents to remain indoors and
maintain social distance.
The residents of Badhara,
Kamhariya Bujurg, Bishunpura
Kurthia and Eksadwa village
n Medics screen Dharavi residents on Sunday.
came down to 187. We have taken
measures to curb the spread and
are hoping that the decline in new
cases will start in the next couple
of days,” said a senior official,
requesting anonymity.
The rising numbers had forced
chief minister Uddhav Thack-
eray on Saturday to extend the
n A farmer carries cattle feed on his cycle in Jalandhar on Sunday.
infection would be protected.
How does one get to a herd
immunity level of 65% without
endangering the elderly popula-
tion that is most at risk? If we
were simply to lift the lockdown
in an uncontrolled manner, we
would return to the threat of large
epidemic peaks that could over-
whelm the health system. India’s
biggest asset in this situation is its
demography. Sixty-five per cent
of our population is under the age
of 35 and only 6% is above the age
of 65. In comparison, 22% of Italy
and 10% of China is in the older,
higher risk age group. The bulk of
infections in younger individuals
are mild and asymptomatic.
Exposure to this group at a pace
that is controlled would allow for
smaller epidemic peaks.
In order to achieve this, first,
we need to vastly expand our test-
ing using both RT-PCR and anti-
body testing. This would allow us
to keep containment and lock-
down options for communities
and hot spots where infections
are spreading too quickly and to
proactively identify critical care
needs. Second, we should main-
tain physical distancing of at least
six feet and universal cloth/sim-
ple masking in public spaces.
Implementation may not be per-
fect but even an imperfect brake
on the spread can help. Third, we
should ban gatherings of more
than 25 people. That means no
movies, malls, or large gather-
ings at weddings, public func-
tions, religious gatherings, and
rallies. Companies should be
encouraged to maintain tele-
working to the extent possible.
Alongside this, we need to
widely test the population for
antibodies. Put simply, an anti-
body tests reveals whether or not
tested positive. The district nodal
officer, KP Singh Baghel said, the
six people whose sample test was
positive have been put in the iso-
lation wards, the villagers who
came in contact with the Covid
positive people have been quar-
antined, he said.
Similar campaigns have been
launched across Uttar Pradesh.
In Sonbarsa near Soanpipri, vil-
lage head Sahdev Singh said they
have been informed by the dis-
trict police that over 50 Jamaat
members from Nepal visited
Delhi to attend the congregation.
“Some of them returned while
others have taken shelter in
nearby villages,” he said. Son-
barsa is 15 km from the Nepal bor-
der, which has been sealed.
Residents said they were in
regular touch with each other
over phones and collecting infor-
mation about the movement of
Jamaat members.
Nepalese journalist Chetan
Pant said people in Nepal were
also concerned that a number of
HIN DUSTA N TIMES, N EW D E LHI
MO N DAY, A PRIL 1 3, 2 02 0
CORONAVIRUS: NATION
SATYABRATA TRIPATHY/HT
lockdown till April 30, so as to pre-
vent the state from slipping in to
phase three — community spread
— of the pandemic, said the offi-
cial. He has also said that they
may have to extend it even fur-
ther if people did not co-operate.
However, the state is also mulling
to relax restrictions in areas
PTI
we have been exposed to the
virus. If we have been exposed,
we likely have immunity and can-
not spread the disease. We should
test widely for antibodies and
those that have Covid-19 antibod-
ies can be allowed to be close to
the elderly, to get on planes and
travel without restrictions. Each
person’s antibody status (green
or red) can be tied to their Aadhar
and would determine the degree
of freedom the person would have
in moving around.
All of our measures to slow
down the spread of disease with-
out a lockdown may be not suffi-
cient to protect the elderly and
at-risk population, and we should
be vigilant about preventing
deaths. We should encourage
those over 65 years or at risk
because of other illnesses (diabe-
tes, heart disease) to self-quaran-
tine to the extent possible and
strictly enforce mask barriers
and distancing. The availability
of PCR-based testing that allows
us to identify the virus in a patient
is limited. If we can prioritise
RT-PCR for the above-65 and
at-risk population, and focus on
early identification of cases that
would progress to severity, it
would avert a lot of the potential
severe cases or mortality.
Finally, we should continue to
proactively prepare the system
for peak hospitalisations with
sufficient health care personnel
and bed capacity positioned in
places with the greatest number
of projected cases. The govern-
ment’s idea of building critical
care units in railway coaches is
an excellent one since it allows
resources to be moved quickly to
places of greatest need. Other,
out-of-the-box solutions are
needed to get to the hundreds of
Jamaat followers who attended
the Delhi congregation have been
found Covid-19 positive. “An
alert has been sounded as several
Covid-19 positive cases have been
reported in UP villages located
along the Nepal border.”
Acting on a tip-off, the Nepal
police rounded up 19 people on
April 6, who had attended the
Delhi congregation, from Sunsari
town near the border. While nine
of them are Pakistani citizens, the
rest are from Agra, according to
Nepal police.
Additional Chief Secretary,
Home, Awanish Kumar Awasthi
said, the state police have identi-
fied 2,428 Tabligi Jamaat mem-
bers in 20 districts who are resi-
dent of various states. The health
department has quarantined
2,231 Jamaatis.
The police have seized pass-
port and lodged FIR against 259
Tabligi Jamaat members who are
foreigners. Around 67 foreigners
are from Nepal. All have been
quarantined, he said.
where there are no cases. “There
is a meeting with the CM on Mon-
day where the issue is likely to be
discussed. We have suggested
that the areas that are completely
unaffected should be given some
relaxations,” said another senior
official, wishing not to be named.
Meanwhile, the state medical
education department on Sunday
directed all government and pri-
vate medical colleges to send
their proposals to the Indian
Council of Medical Research
(ICMR) for starting Covid-19
tests. “There are eight govern-
ment and 33 private medical col-
leges, where the facility is yet to
be started. We have asked all of
them to send their proposals to
ICMR so that the facility can be
started there as well,” said Dr
Tatyarao Lahane, director,
Directorate of Medical Education
and Research (DMER).
The testing facility for Cov-
id-19 is currently available at 17
government and 15 private medi-
cal colleges across the state.
thousands of additional beds and
associated medical personnel
and equipment that are needed
across the country.
Even with these plans, we may
face higher rates of severe disease
than in other countries with
young populations because we
are all exposed to worse air qual-
ity and have higher rates of
uncontrolled hypertension and
diabetes. Early identification of
those with these risk factors and
providing each person with a
Covid-19 risk score based on their
risk factors (including smoking)
could help us prioritise those that
need testing.
Our current lockdown has
bought us a few weeks of time. We
do not need to extend the lock-
down but do need to religiously
maintain our physical distancing
and mask wearing. According to
our most recent models, the lock-
down only pushes out the peak by
about a month if there is no sub-
stantial change in behavior, but
with the policies described ear-
lier, we could both push out the
peak into early July and flatten
the curve substantially, which
would allow our health system to
manage the peak of infections.
Dividing the country into zones
may not be helpful – the virus
does not recognise human bor-
ders, and moreover, leaving
zones with little or no exposure
may come back to hurt us in the
future when the rest of the coun-
try has reached herd immunity.
Our plan for dealing with Cov-
id-19 really depends on what our
end goal is, and we cannot con-
tinue to live our lives under the
threat of Covid-19 indefinitely.
Our choices are limited. India has
been an early mover in tackling
the spread of disease, both in
terms of shutting borders and in
initiating a lockdown. We should
leverage the dividend from our
lockdown and our demography to
determine our path. We will all
need to collaborate in reducing
transmission and while the phys-
ical lockdown should end, we
cannot return to normalcy until
we are done with this virus.
If the young can protect the
elderly and at-risk, India could be
the first major economy to
emerge from the shadow of Covid.
(Ramanan Laxminarayan is director at
the Center for Disease Dynamics, Eco-
nomics & Policy, and a senior research
scholar at Princeton University. Views
expressed are personal.)
sale after recovery
BHOPAL/SHIVPURI: A man who has
recently recovered from the coro-
navirus disease in Madhya Pra-
desh has put up his house for sale
alleging ostracization of him and
his family for contracting the dis-
ease by his neighbours.
The 33-year-old resident of
Shivpuri city, had returned from
Dubai on March 21 and tested pos-
itive for Covid-19 on March 24. He
was hospitalised the same day.
“Someone warned vegetable
vendors against visiting my
house. This despite the fact my
family had tested negative,” he
further said. Under a mandatory
quarantine for 14 days after being
discharged from the hospital last
week, he said, “They should not
humiliate us. That is why I have
put our house up for sale.”
Shivpuri district collector
Anugraha P said, “I sent a reve-
nue department employee to
their house to ensure supply of
essentials. The administration
will take care of their needs.” HTC
HIN DUSTA N T IMES, N EW D E LH I
MO N DAY, A PRIL 1 3 , 2 02 0
news
Mild quake jolts Capital
amid lockdown silence
TREMORS People felt strong tremors because of less traffic noise, experts said
Jayashree Nandi
n jayashree.nandi@htlive.com
NEW DELHI: Delhi recorded an
earthquake measuring 3.5 mag-
nitude on Richter scale on Sun-
day evening with epicentre at
Sonia Vihar in the national capi-
tal, according to the National
Centre for Seismology (NCS)
under the ministry of earth sci-
ences.
It’s not unusual for the epicen-
tre to create relatively small
tremors in Delhi and neighbour-
ing Haryana, seismologists said.
But this time the experience was
much more intense for people in
the national capital because of
less noise associated with traffic
movement, they said.
The seismologists at NCS also
said that they had a “very good”
recording of the event on their
seismometer. “The recording is
very clear because of no noise.
People may have experienced
the earthquake differently
because most people are at home
and not in a vehicle or not in
movement. You can feel it the
most during static conditions. I
cannot comment on whether the
How do you ask
a country under
lockdown for
its comments?
green
piece
Bharati Chaturvedi
n letters@hindustantimes,com
On March 12th this year, the Min-
istry of Environment, Forests
and Climate Change, MOEFCC,
posted a Draft Environmental
Impact Assessment Notification,
2020. As is the norm, it gave the
public 60 days to respond with
objections and comments.
On March 24th, 2020, India
announced a country-wide lock-
down to prevent the spread of
COVID19, and perhaps, the death
of lakhs of Indians. Life changed
across the country. Very few
Indians work from home, as the
tragic walk-homes of lakhs of
Indians showed.
I’m narrating this to put the
EIA Notification in context. How
do you ask a country under lock-
down for comments? How can
civilians battling war, even spec-
tators of war, possibly respond
when the killer might be at their
doorstep?
The EIA process impacts lakhs
of our countrymen. They are in
no position to think, discuss and
comment. Perhaps most objec-
tions usually come from urban
elite or well-organized NGOs.
Many might respond. But they
aren’t the only Indians.
We’ve got to ensure that when
we ask for public opinion, the
public is able to offer it to us.
Which farmers’ organization, to
take only one example, can possi-
bly reply under the current cir-
cumstances?
It’s likely that the MOEFCC
didn’t expect this situation-
frankly very few could have
imagined this. Now that we are
all in the midst of it, there is only
one way ahead. Extend the
period for comments for 60 days
after the lockdown is over across
India. That would be the demo-
cratic and fair step forward.
(The writer is the founder and director
of Chintan Environmental Research and
Action Group)
Stirling Moss, motorsport
legend, passes away at 90
LONDON: Motor racing great Stir-
ling Moss died aged 90 following a
long illness, the British sporting
icon’s wife announced Sunday.
“It was one lap too many,” Susie
Moss told Britain’s Press Associ-
ation. “He just closed his eyes.”
Tributes flooded in from the
world of motorsport and beyond
to the gifted and revered driver
who never won the Formula One
title, finishing runner-up four
times and third three times.
“Today we say goodbye to Sir
Stirling Moss, the racing legend.
I certainly will miss our conver-
sations. I am truly grateful to
have had these special moments
with him. Sending my prayers
and thoughts to his family. May
he rest in peace,” Hamilton
tweeted.
n Many people came out of their houses after the earthquake, near
Mandi House in New Delhi on Sunday.
sound heard (many people have
reported to NCS that they heard
a rumbling sound during the
earthquake) is pertaining to the
earthquake,” said AP Pandey, a
seismologist at NCS.
According to a statement by
NCS, Delhi experienced last per-
ceptible earthquake of magni-
tude 3.5 on April 24 in 2018 and
prior to that earthquake of mag-
nitude 3.8 occurred on Septem-
ber 7, 2011 near the Delhi-Hary-
ana border. Delhi had also
recorded low magnitude earth-
quake with epicentre within
Mercury soars as
several districts
record over 40° C
HT Correspondent
n letters@hindustantimes.com
NEWDELHI: The maximum temper-
atures have started rising with
many districts in central and
west India recording over 40
degrees Celsius, the India Mete-
orological Department (IMD)
said on Sunday.
Delhi on Sunday recorded a
high of 37.2 degrees Celsius, one
notch above the normal for this
time of the year, the IMD said.
Weathermen said that the
national capital could also record
40 degrees C next week.
Heat wave conditions are
likely to develop in Saurashtra
and Kutch in Gujarat, according
to the IMD’s Sunday bulletin.
Heat wave is also likely to
develop over southwest Madhya
Pradesh and northwest Vidarbha
on April 14 and 15, the IMD said.
“Many places have started
recording above normal temper-
atures now. This is mainly
because there is no intense
weather system or a western dis-
turbance which brings rain. Max-
imum temperatures across the
country are likely to rise even
further next week,” said K Sathi
Devi, head, national weather
forecasting centre.
The IMD said maximum tem-
peratures were above normal by
3.1 to 5 degrees C at a few places in
Saurashtra, Kutch, Jammu and
Kashmir, Assam, Meghalaya,
Manipur, Tripura and Nagaland;
n Western disturbances have caused rains in the national capital
region last month.
“Sad sad news that legend Sir
Stirling Moss has passed. World
Champion in all our eyes,”
tweeted retired British F1 driver
Johnny Herbert.
One of his former teams Mer-
cedes hailed “not only a true icon
and a legend, but a gentleman”.
Former England striker Gary
Lineker posted on Instagram:
“Sir Stirling Moss has reached
life’s checkered flag, and what a
race he drove. Wonderful driver
and a lovely man. RIP.”
British media reported Moss
had succumbed to a chest infec-
tion he caught in Singapore in
December 2016 that saw him
retire from public life two years
later. There is no suggestion his
death was linked to the coronavi-
rus. AFP
ARVIND YADAV/HT PHOTO
Delhi in 2007. Another similar
earthquake was recorded in
Delhi on April 28, 2001 of 3.4 mag-
nitude, according to officials.
“These are called tremors and
very small earthquakes have
been recoded in the past in the
Jhajjar and Rohtak area. We are
checking when was the last time
the epicentre was within Delhi.
We are in seismic zone 4 (severe
earthquake intensity zone). We
are close to the Himalayas where
even magnitude 8 earthquakes
can be recorded. The local soil
quality also plays a role. Thick
by 1.6 to 3 degrees above normal
over parts of Gujarat, Himachal
Pradesh, Uttarakhand, a few pla-
ces of east Rajasthan, west Mad-
hya Pradesh, Kerala, coastal Kar-
nataka, Odisha, Goa and West
Bengal.
The maximum temperature in
Srinagar on Saturday was 24.4
degrees C, 4 degrees above nor-
mal, while Shimla recorded a
maximum temperature of 24
degrees C, 4 degrees above nor-
mal.
Many towns and cities have
started recording maximum tem-
peratures of over 40 degrees Cel-
sius. According to the IMD,
Ahmedabad recorded the maxi-
mum temperature at 42 degrees
C, 3 degrees above normal, Bhuj
at 42.5 degrees C, Gwalior at 40
degrees, 1.6 degrees above nor-
mal and Akola at 42 degrees C, 1.3
degrees above normal.
“There is an anti-cyclone
(which causes calm weather)
over Gujarat. The temperature
hasn’t risen much over north-
west India, because of western
disturbances that are affecting
the region. But central India,
parts of Gujarat, Odisha, Telen-
gana, which are in heat wave
zone, have started recording
higher temperatures. They have
clear skies and less wind,” said
RK Jenamani, senior scientist at
national weather forecasting cen-
tre. Jenamani said that Delhi
could also record 40 degrees C
next week.
HT FILE PHOTO
sediment soil in Delhi also ampli-
fies the impact. The area where
the epicentre is has newer allu-
vium soil which can record more
tremors. It is close to the
Yamuna belt,” said Pandey.
According to experts, the rea-
son people felt strong tremors
here is also because the depth of
the earthquake is moderate (not
very deep), the epicentre is in
Delhi and there is very little
ambient noise or vibrations
induced by traffic movement.
“We had an excellent recording
of the event better than all our
earlier recordings here. The sig-
nal strength was very high. The
signal to noise ratio is perfect,”
said G Suresh, another seismolo-
gist at NCS.
“Some people also heard a
rumbling sound. That may be
because of the energy released
which interacted with atmos-
phere. Obviously, people have a
clearer experience of the trem-
ors when there is less noise and
movement. We haven’t heard of
any damage so far,” explained
Suresh, adding “the earth quake
was not very deep. This had a
depth of less than 10 km.”
BANGLADESH
EXECUTES KILLER
OF ITS FOUNDING
FATHER
Agence France-Presse
letters@hindustantimes.com
n
DHAKA: Bangladesh has executed
a military captain less than a
week after he was arrested after
nearly 25 years on the run over
the assassination of the coun-
try’s founding leader, a minister
said Sunday.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,
father of current Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina, was killed along
with most of his family in a mili-
tary coup on August 15, 1975,
nearly four years after he led
Bangladesh to independence
from Pakistan. In 1998, Abdul
Majed was sentenced in absentia
to death along with a dozen other
army officers over the murders.
Bangladesh’s Supreme Court
upheld the verdict in 2009 and
five of the killers were executed
several months later. On Tues-
day, counter-terrorism police
officers arrested Majed as he
rode a rickshaw in the capital
early in the morning.
Bangladesh prison authori-
ties carried out Majed’s execu-
tion by hanging days later, after
the country’s president rejected
a mercy plea from the convicted
killer.
“He was hanged to death at
12.01 am Sunday,” law minister
Anisul Huq told AFP, adding the
execution took place at the coun-
try’s largest prison, just outside
the capital Dhaka.
Majed is believed to have fled
to India in 1996. He returned to
Bangladesh last month.
Majed’s wife met him at the
prison one last time on Saturday
evening when the prison author-
ities had scheduled his execu-
tion. Security has been tight-
ened at the areas outside the
prison at Keraniganj town, with
scores of policemen patrolling
the jailgate, police chief of Dhaka
district Maruf Hossain Sorder
told AFP.
Prime Minister Hasina, whose
public celebrations this year for
the centenary of her father’s
birth have been hampered by the
coronavirus pandemic, was in
Europe with her sister at the
time of the 1975 attack.
hindustantimes 13
Man arrested for
derogatory post
on Crucifixion
Pak firing kills 3 civilians,
hurts 4 others in Kupwara
Press Trust of India
n letters@hindustantimes.com
KOCHI: A 20-year-old man has
been arrested for allegedly post-
Mir Ehsan
n mir.ehsan@htlive.com
SRINAGAR: Three civilians,
including a child and a woman,
ing a derogatory photo of the were killed in two villages on
Crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Sunday when Pakistani forces
social media, police said here on resorted to ceasefire violation in
Sunday. north Kashmir’s Kupwara dis-
Jyothish allegedly pasted a trict.
nude picture of a woman in Several houses were also
place of Jesus in the photo of damaged when shells landed in
crucifixion, hurting the reli- Reddi Chowkibal and Tumna vil-
gious sentiments of the Chris- lages, officials said, adding that it
tian faithful during the Holy is the first time when shells fired
Week celebrations, police said. from across the Line of Control
After the photo was allegedly (LoC) landed deep inside Kup-
circulated on social media, a wara villages.
number of the faithful pro- The shelling, which continued n BSF jawans patrol near the international border at Hiranagar sector
tested. for two hours, has left villagers in Jammu, on December 12 last year. PTI FILE
Acting on a complaint, the scared as they had to run for the
man was arrested from his resi- cover. cer said. There was an exchange of
dence at Nilambur in Malappu- Defence spokesman Colonel The army’s one of the biggest heavy artillery and mortars
ram district on Saturday. Rajesh Kalia blamed Pakistan camps is located in Chowkibal. A from both the sides on Friday
He has been charged under for ceasefire violation in Keran few days ago, from this place morning which continued for
Section 153(A) of the Indian sector of Kupwara. “Unpro- only Indian troops had targeted three to four hours. The army in
Penal Code (Promoting enmity voked ceasefire violation was Pakistani pickets by using artil- Kupwara fired artillery shells
between different groups on initiated by Pakistan in Keran lery shelling. However, the towards the PoK from Chowk-
grounds of religion, race, place sector at 5pm. Pakistan targeted shells fired from Pakistan used ibal and Panzgam villages.
of birth, residence, language, civilian population in Kupwara to land near the villages close to The ceasefire violation took
etc. and doing acts prejudicial to near LoC, resulting in the killing LoC. place in the same area where
maintenance of harmony), of three innocent civilians, On Thursday, the army had army and militants got engaged
police said. including one woman and a blamed Pakistan for ceasefire in a gunbattle in which five mili-
child,’’ he said. violation and said in retaliation, tants, three are believed to be
JYOTHISH ALLEGEDLY Indian troops retaliated by
targeting Pakistani posts. A sen-
Indian troops targeted the ter-
rorist launch pads and ammuni-
locals from south Kashmir, were
killed earlier this week.
PASTED A NUDE PICTURE ior police officer said that rescue tion dumps across the LoC. Five soldiers, all elite para-
OF A WOMAN IN PLACE operation is underway and the
police and army teams have
For the past several months,
the army has been using heavy
commandos, were also killed
while trying to neutralizing the
OF JESUS IN THE PHOTO reached the villages where shells artillery to respond to the cease- militants. Since then there has
OF CRUCIFIXION landed. Four civilians were also fire violation from the Pakistani been tension in the area, the offi-
injured in the shelling, the offi- side. cials said.
UP woman throws five children into Ganga
Press Trust of India
BODIES OF TWO KIDS Gopiganj police station area late abad ghat where the incident
n letters@hindustantimes.com
BHADOHI (UP): A woman in Uttar
Pradesh’s Bhadohi allegedly
WERE FISHED OUT BY
DIVERS, POLICE SAID,
on Saturday night.
He said the woman and her
husband often quarrelled in the
past one year.
took place is deep.
“The search for the children
is on,” he said.
Police said when the woman
threw her five children into the ADDING THAT EFFORTS “Hence, she thought of killing came to the ghat, the children
Ganga following an argument WERE ON TO TRACE her children by throwing them raised an alarm but the fisher-
with her husband, police said on
THE OTHER THREE into the river,” he said. men at the spot were unable to
Sunday. On Saturday night after an stop her.
Bodies of two children were argument with her husband, They said the woman did not
fished out by divers, they said, years old. Superintendent of the woman allegedly threw her leave the spot after the incident
adding that efforts are on to Police Ram Badan Singh said five children into the river. and told local residents about it
trace the other three. the incident took place in The superintendent of police on Sunday morning. Local resi-
The deceased were 12 and 10 Jahangirabad village under the said the river near the Jahangir- dents alerted the police.
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Office of the Executive Engineer,
Public Works (South) Division,
Kolhapur
Outward No. Ac/G-34/1343/2020 Phone No. 0231-2650042, Fax -0231-2650140
Date:- 01/04/2020. E-mail:-southkolhapur.ee@mahapwd.com
. . . 2017/ . . 8/ -2, . 12 ल, 2017.
E-TENDER NOTICE NO. 02, for 2020-21
Executive Engineer, P.W. (South) Division, Kolhapur, on behalf of Public Works Department., Govt. of Maharashtra, invites offers
from the contractors fulfilling the eligibility criteria mentioned in the Tender Document for the following works on e-tender platform. The
tender forms (B-1 Type) can be downloaded from Govt. of Maharashtra, website http://mahatenders.gov.in The Executive Engineer,
P.W. (South) Division, Kolhapur reserves right to accept or reject any offer. Conditional offers will not be accepted.
Sr. Name Of Works From Estimated Earnest Cost of Time Class of
No. of cost. Money e-tender Limit for contractor
Tender Rs. From Fee Completion
Rs.
1. Improvement to Road Starting From SH 189 to B-1 1,98,72,724/- 1,00,000/- 1,200/- 12 PWD
Madilage Budruk Gangapur Palshivane Talemauli Months Ragistration
Desaiwadi Pal to join SH 189 Road MDR 99, Km. Not Required
0/00 to 14/00. Tal. Bhudgared, Dist. Kolhapur.
(Km. 0/00 to 7/00)
2. Improvement to Road Starting From SH 189 to
Madilage Budruk Gangapur Palshivane Talemauli
Desaiwadi Pal to join SH 189 Road MDR 99, Km.
B-1 2,00,10,447/- 1,00,500/- 1,200/- 12
Months
PWD
Ragistration
Not Required
9/00 to 14/00. Tal. Bhudgared, Dist. Kolhapur.
(Km. 9/00 to12/600)
3. ST And BT to Kolhapur Gargoti Gadhinglaj B-1 64,52,679/- 65,000/- 600/- 06 Class IV-A
Naganwadi Road SH. 189, Km. 75/00 to 77/00. Months And Above
Tal. Ajara, Dist. Kolhapur
E Tender Schedule
Period of download of Tenders from:- 16/04/2020 to 30/04/2020 at 17.55 pm.
Prebid Conference Date. 21/04/2020 at:- Superintending Engineer, Public Works Circle, Kolhapur at 12:00 AM
(Work No.1 & 2 Only.)
Bid Submission Closing Date Date:- 30/04/2020 at 17.55 hrs.
Submssion of Hard Copy At any of the following places within 72 Hrs. after Bid Submission Closing at office of the
(Office Addresses) 1. Chief, Engineer, P.W. Region, Pune
Date. 04/05/2020 at 10.00 am 2. Superintending Engineer, Public Works Circle, Kolhapur.
3. Executive Engineer, Public Work Division, Kolhapur,
4. Executive Engineer, Public Work (South) Division Kolhapur
Place, Time and Date of Bid Date: - 04/05/2020
Opening Date ( if possible.) at :- Superintending Engineer P.W. Circle Kolhapur. at 10.05 Hrs.
All information relating to above tender is available on following websites.
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(If there is any change in above notice, same will informed on above website)
2. On notice board of Executive Engineer, P.W. (South) Division, Kolhapur.
Sd/-
(T. A. Burud)
Executive Engineer,
DGIPR / 2020-2021/ROC 06 Public Works (South) Division, Kolhapur
14 news
LIFEINTHETIMEOFCOVID-19
How to ace a virtual job interview
Cherylann Mollan
Aniket Tiwari, 24, a copywriter
from Delhi, quit his job weeks
before the lockdown was
enforced, and didn’t know how to
continue his search for a new
position. Then a digital ad
agency asked him to get onto
Zoom for a video interview.
“After that I did another one
via Google Hangouts. I actually
felt more at ease both times,
since I was in the comfort of my
home,” he says. “But I didn’t get
that rush I normally do when a
face-to-face interview goes well.”
With indefinite lockdowns in
place around the world, virtual
interviews are becoming stan-
dard practice. And headhunters
say they could be here to stay.
“It is going to be crucial for
job-seekers to get comfortable
with the idea of a virtual inter-
view; they could become the
norm,” says Kunal Sen, manag-
ing director for recruitment
process outsourcing at Korn
Ferry India, a management con-
sultancy. So what can you do to
be at your best?
Play to the strengths of the
app: Many companies pick a
platform because it lets them see
what the interviewee can do, in
YOUR DAILY WORKOUT
Three Pilates exercises that you can do on a mat in your home, to increase or maintain flexibility
The Hundred: Lie flat on a mat,
facing up. Now slowly raise your legs,
without bending them. At the same
time, raise your head and shoulders
off the mat, arms up and
outstretched. Slowly move the arms
up and down, counting to 100,
without touching the mat or lowering
head,
shoulders
or legs.
This helps
improve
abdominal
strength.
a paid her full salary for the month.
A QUICK-FIX RECIPE
Crispy leftover roti quesadilla
Ingredients: 2 leftover rotis; 4 tbsp grated
cheese; 2 tbsp butter for brushing.
For the filling: 2 tbsp oil; 1 tbsp chopped
garlic; 1 cup chopped spinach; ¼ cup
chopped spring onion; 2 tbsp boiled
sweet corn; ½ cup boiled potato; ¼ tsp
each of oregano, chili flakes and roasted
and crushed coriander; salt to taste
COURTESY CHEF PRABJYOT KAUR
frompageone
Some cheer:
India’s recovery
count hits 1,000
conducted on consecutive days,
return negative results. These
tests are conducted typically
after at least 14 days. And around
the country, health care work-
ers, families and patients alike
are treating these negative test
results with much cheer.
On Sunday, a video surfaced
from Chikkaballapur hospital in
Karnataka, which showed a
group of doctors and health care
workers in scrubs and masks —
standing at a safe distance from
each other — clapping as cured
Covid-19 patients walked out
wearing masks and gloves. The
hospital staff handed them fruit
and a flower pot as a farewell gift.
Linking to this video, Karna-
taka’s medical education minis-
ter K Sudhakar tweeted on Sun-
day: “There should not be fear
about Corona, there should be
awareness. Amidst the current
challenges four fully cured at the
government hospital in Chikka-
ballapur have been sent off with
applause and flower bouquets.
Proud of our doctors and health
officials.”
This wasn’t unlike the reac-
tion that one of China’s younger
recovered patients, seven-year-
old Wenwen, received as she left
the temporary treatment facility
in Wuhan on March 7. In a video
that has since been watched over
800,000 times, we can see the doc-
tors cry as they hand her a gift
and tell her that her mother
would be discharged the same
afternoon. Another doctor wipes
Wenwen’s tears with a tissue.
Lucknow’s Dr Tauseef Khan,
who attended to the city’s first
Covid-19 patient at the King
George’s Medical University,
would understand the senti-
ment. Six days after he first
treated the patient, he tested pos-
itive for Covid-19, and was
admitted to the isolation ward of
the hospital. “It took me 21 days
to recover, but those days taught
me a lot,” he said. He spent that
time counselling other patients
of his, over the telephone.
“My time as a patient was
busy. I realised that being admit-
ted for a disease that has never
infected humans before can be
scary for many. So I kept talking
to patients in the ward and over
the telephone. Well-wishers kept
calling to check on me too,” Khan
said.
On March 15, Uttarakhand
reported the first positive case of
Covid-19. Shailendra Singh,a
hindustantimes
n Turn any glitches into an opportunity — show that you can deal with
adversity, adapt, improvise, and do it with a smile.
real time. Find out what the fea-
tures are of the app they’re sug-
gesting, and figure out how to use
it to show off your skills.
Tiwari, for instance, has been
using the screen-share feature
available on several apps to dis-
play his work in real time. “I
keep all the work I’d like to share
open before the interview, so I
don’t waste time fumbling, and
then we run through them
together,” he says.
Practice, practice, prac-
tice: “If you have the opportu-
Roll like a ball: Sit up with legs
stretched out. Slowly raise them so
you’re hugging your thighs to your
chest. Your spine should resemble
the letter C. Now lift your feet off
the ground, and roll backwards, still
hugging your thighs to your chest.
Inhale. Roll up the same way. Exhale.
Head and shoulders should not touch
the mat when
you roll back.
a b
Method: Heat oil
garlic and sautee un pan. Add chopped
the flame and add
coriander. Add spina gano, chilli flakes and
corn, spring onion,
tbsp of this filling
top with 2 tbsp che
half-moon. Heat gri . Fold roti into
place 1 assembled
the roti with butte
Serve with ketchup, d grill until crisp.
26-year-old trainee Indian Forest
Service (IFS) officer, was con-
firmed positive after he had
returned from a tour of Finland,
Russia and Spain. He was part of
a group of 62 trainee IFS officers
who had visited these countries
for an educational tour. The
trainee officer was quarantined
at a health centre at the Indira
Gandhi National Forest Acad-
emy, Dehradun, and later shifted
to Government Doon Medical
College Hospital in the state.
Singh says that initially he
was scared as the infection put a
halt on everything in his life.
After 10 days of isolation, he says
that he stopped checking the
news. “The news was about the
increasing number of cases and
the death toll. I wanted to feel
positive and fight this disease
with a good frame of mind,” he
said.
“This whole time in isolation
taught me a lot about life, about
what we take for granted and
how many things we can live
without.”
(Inputs from Suparna Roy, Sunil
Rahar, Gaurav Saigal, Venkatesha Babu)
Delhi adds more
containment
zones
on the cases linked to the Nizam-
uddin cluster. Officials, how-
ever, said the “special opera-
tions” cases, 746 so far, included
those present at the Jamaat gath-
erings and their contacts.
“Over the last few days, [Cov-
id-19] cases have been rising and
I am worried about them. We are
taking all steps to control the dis-
ease,” Kejriwal said during a dig-
ital news briefing. The chief min-
ister said that large-scale sanita-
tion drives will be conducted in
the red zones and other high-risk
zones labelled “orange” on the
basis of advice from experts.
Shortly after the CM said his
government planned to
announce several new contain-
ment zones, the Delhi govern-
ment released an updated list.
The south-east Delhi district
now has the highest number of
containment zones (12), overtak-
ing the count in east Delhi, which
previously had the most such
zones at nine.
“The case in East of Kailash E
block is of a woman doctor who
got infected while treating a
patient. She was admitted to a
private hospital almost 10-12
days back. There is another case
from Kailash Hills. We were told
that the person had travelled
abroad,” said RK Rathore, chair-
ISTOCK
nity, tell the hiring professional
what platform you’re most com-
fortable with,” says Suchitra
Pinto, senior manager for HR at
Puretech, a digital marketing
agency. “If not, download the app
they will be using in advance and
do trial interviews with friends.”
Practice will also help you over-
come any discomfort you feel in
front of the camera, Sen says.
Make sure you’re being
heard: It’s a good idea to pitch
for afternoon interviews since
connectivity is slightly better
Double-leg kick: Lie face
down, right cheek resting
on a mat. Rest the back of
the hands on your lower
back, elbows wide. Kick legs
up 2-3 times. Then clasp the
palms, stretch arms towards
the legs and raise your
head. Lower, to put left
cheek on the mat. Repeat 5
times on both sides.
in a
til golden brown. Low
er
ore
ch, stir until wilted
. Add
potato and salt. Ad
d3
on half of the roti
and
ese
ddle over low flame
roti. Brush both sid and
es of
r an
tomato salad or sal
sa.
man of Federation of East of Kai-
lash residents’ welfare associa-
tions.
According to a Delhi govern-
ment official, one confirmed case
was reported in Shera Mohalla
in Garhi, an urbanised village in
the locality. As it is a densely
populated area, the government
has decided to seal it so that the
neighbourhood can be screened
for people who may have come in
contact with infected people, the
official said on condition of ano-
nymity.
Chief minister Kejriwal said
the government will keep adding
containment zones wherever
new patients of the highly conta-
gious disease are detected. He
said the Delhi government’s
“Operation SHIELD” was effec-
tive in Delhi’s Dilshad Garden,
where no new cases were
reported in 10 days. SHIELD
stands for sealing, home quaran-
tine, isolation, essential sup-
plies, local sanitation and door-
to-door health checks.
“Both red zones and orange
zones will witness heightened
sanitation and disinfection
drive,” he added.
An official said on condition of
anonymity that buffer zones –
areas immediately surrounding
the containment clusters – were
currently being considered as
orange zones. The definition of
orange zones may be expanded
to include areas with high popu-
lation density, he indicated.
In a tweet, deputy CM Manish
Sisodia said: “So far, 43 areas
have been sealed under Opera-
tion SHIELD of the Delhi govern-
ment. Beware of the virus. Step
out only if necessary. But wear a
mask, maintain distance from
others and keep washing your
hands.”
In Jaitpur Extension, two
areas were sealed after two peo-
ple tested positive recently. In
Madanpur Khadar, one case
each was confirmed in Kachhi
Colony and Mahela Mohalla.
In south-west Delhi’s Maha-
vir Enclave that was sealed on
Sunday, a nurse working with a
hospital that has a Covid-19 iso-
lation ward tested positive last
week. On Saturday, her two chil-
dren and a neighbour were also
confirmed to have the disease,
said Rahul Singh, district magis-
trate (south-west).
“It’s a densely populated
pocket... The risk of transmis-
sion is very high. We tested as
many as 70 people in the contain-
ment area today [Sunday] but
the results are awaited,” he
added.
Delhi recorded five fresh
deaths from Covid-19 on Sunday,
then, as fewer people are online.
Either way, through the inter-
view, ask questions like ‘Is this
the kind of thing you’re looking
for?’ or ‘Would you like me to
continue?’ at intervals to ensure
that there aren’t disruptions
with voice connectivity.
“Don’t be afraid to interrupt
during a bad connection and ask
if you can turn off the video,”
Manian says.
Dress for the job you want:
“Treat virtual interviews as you
would real-life ones. Dressing up
will get you into the right head
space,” says Gita Manian, senior
partner at Head Hunters India.
Also pick a neat, tidy back-
ground, Sen says.
Forget the camera: After a
point, nothing’s going to matter
as much as what you say. So for-
get about the camera, and just
talk. Be passionate, sincere,
interested. Make sure you com-
municate your knowledge about
the job, discuss your experience
in the field, touch upon what you
can bring to the table.
Roll with the punches:
Turn any glitches into an oppor-
tunity — show that you can deal
with adversity, adapt, impro-
vise, and do it without agitation
and with a smile.
READ
Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam
Higginbotham: In this gripping
account of the disaster, journalist
Higginbotham recreates the event
using research, memoirs, declass-
ified archives and first-
person accounts
that he spent over
a decade
collecting. The
book reads like a
pacy thriller and is
also a masterclass
in writing.
WATCH
Atlantics: A young couple, forced
apart, struggles to unite. A close
look at love, loss and a refugee
crisis, in Dakar, the capital of
Senegal, this film from 2019 is full
of surprises, and stays riveting
even when it meanders into the
supernatural. Available on Netflix.
taking the death toll to 24,
according to the Delhi govern-
ment’s data.
Four of the five people who
died on Sunday were admitted to
the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospi-
tal and another one to the Saf-
darjung Hospital. Two people
who died – both residents of
Turkman Gate – were in their
early 40s. The other three were a
52-year-old man who lived near
Bada Hindu Rao, a 78-year-old
man from Inderpuri, and a
58-year-old man from Buland-
shahr in Uttar Pradesh.
There were 85 new cases,
nearly half the number of cases
recorded a day ago. The highest
single-day tally so far was 183 on
Friday last week. According to
the official data, reports of 984
suspected cases were awaited as
of Sunday evening.
Another staffer at the Delhi
State Cancer Institute, which
has become a hot spot for Cov-
id-19, tested positive on Sunday,
taking the total number of cases
at the facility to 23.
The Delhi government has
decided to convert the 200-bed
Guru Nanak Eye Centre into a
Covid-19 hospital attached to
Lok Nayak Hospital, the biggest
Covid-19 hospital in the Capital.
A Delhi police sub-inspector,
posted at the trauma centre of
the All India Institute of Medical
Sciences (AIIMS), also tested
positive for the infection.
Ministries pitch
plan to balance
lives, livelihood
government would have to
ensure that its hospitals and test-
ing facilities were geared up to be
more efficient. And the third fac-
tor was balancing “how much
economic activity and vocational
activity should be opened up
without compromising the
spread of the disease”.
One element of this balance
appears to be the proposal to
demarcate the country into three
zones — red, orange and green,
depending on the incidence of
coronavirus cases in the specific
geography. A bureaucrat, who is
a member of an empowered com-
mittee, explained that red zones
will define areas which have a
high number of cases — they will
include affected districts and con-
tainment zones, and the lock-
down here will remain in place
and enforced strictly. Orange
zones will be buffer areas which
will see some relaxation but will
be closely monitored; and green
zones will include areas which
HIN DUSTA N TIMES, N EW D E LHI
MO N DAY, A PRIL 1 3, 2 02 0
www.hindustantimes.com/delhi
Mayank Austen Soofi EXPERIENCE YOUR CITY LIKE NEVER BEFORE
At home, but so far from home
A fellow citizen stuck in
her native village is feared
for bringing the “virus”
from the city
Most of us living in the Delhi region are not
really from Delhi. Our towns and villages are
scattered across the remote nooks and
crannies of the country.
You have the right to be puzzled about the
idea of home. Is it the metropolis where we
pursue careers, or that little dot on the map
whose name most of us can’t pronounce?
Deepali Tirkey, 25, must have gone through
such dilemmas. But not anymore.
A cook working in three Gurugram households,
she hails from a village in distant Assam.
“My home is Dilli,” she says.
She is actually referring less to the capitol than
to the little portions of the National Capital
Region that have shaped her life: Prem Puri in
Gurugram, where she lives, and nearby Sector
31, where she works.
But right now Ms Tirkey is in her village
in Assam’s Kokrajhar district where she
grew up. She is actually stuck there and
regretting the journey she made. ing that I have brought the virus from Dilli.”
Some of them feared that she would end up
PRIVATE “I’m missing Delhi... everything is in
CAPITAL infecting all of them. “People stopped coming
lockdown and I don’t know how to to the house and even the shopkeeper when
the city you return,” she says in a homesick voice,
never see Maa went to the shop for oil and soap...,” she
talking to this reporter on WhatsApp tapers off. Her mother was asked not to meet
one recent night from her mother’s people any longer.
home. The pictures are taken through the
phone screen. Ms Tirkey had made this Not that Ms Tirkey didn’t act responsibly. She
long-due trip to visit her mother—a tea dutifully remained in quarantine for two
plantation worker— in mid-March. It began weeks, not stepping out from the house. “A
beautifully. Since she was going to her village doctor also came asking me to check with the
after three long years, all her employers gladly hospital if I developed a fever.” It has now been
more than two weeks and Ms Tirkey has
shown no symptoms common to pandemic
Instead of boarding a train that would have victims. Neither is anyone in the village
taken her days to reach the eastern state, she reported sick, she says. “But they all look at me
instead booked a flight from Delhi to Guwa-
hati. The morning she was to fly—her life’s first
as if I have brought death!”
flight—she gave a happy surprise to her The village just doesn’t feel like home, she
mother, telling her on phone that “I’m reaching confesses. “I want to go back in Dilli” and carry
home today!” on with her life as a working woman. Every day
she would, she says wistfully, drive her blue
But apart from the mother, nobody in the
secondhand scooter to work. “It all seems like a
village was pleased to see her. Though the dream now.”
nation-wide lockdown started one week after
her arrival, the news of the coronavirus had As soon as the “bimari” goes away and the
already reached the village. world starts functioning again, Ms Tarkey says
she’ll book a flight “back to home.”
“The villagers looked at me accusingly, taunt-
thecrosswords
have seen no incidence of the dis-
ease and where restrictions may
CRYPTIC CLUES PUZZLE 15576 © Gemini Crosswords 2012 All rights reserved
be lifted substantially.
In a separate interview, Hary-
ACROSS
1 Preserve from predicament (6)
ana chief minister Manohar Lal
Khattar confirmed that this
4
9
10
Pray less and possibly in fewer places (8)
A way of approach that isn’t welcomed? (6)
and 29 Across: Silver went after gold here
option is close to being imple- (8,6)
mented. 12 Duty of a bellringer? (4)
“As the Prime Minister has 13 Soldier and worker combine in a big way (5)
indicated, we will have to move 14 Word associated with poker - but it’s not
flush (4)
towards economic activity also, 17 Fresh start with ground in North America (12)
while taking utmost care of lock- 20 Is her job to type, sort out or gather pens? (12)
down and social distancing.” Giv- 23 Ancient Peruvian one can convert (4)
ing the example of his state, Khat- 24 Fit, but writing back to a health resort (5)
tar said this meant that four dis- 25 Sports clubs naturally active by night (4)
28 Schoolwork every prisoner should have (8)
tricts — Palwal, Nuh, Gurugram, 29 See 10 Across
Faridabad — will be categorised 30 Artist is to become a writer (8)
as “Covid hot spots” or “red 31 Was faced with a setback and deserts (6)
zones”.
He underlined: “Lockdown DOWN QUICK CLUES
will be enforced in red zone. In the 1 Priest in trouble remains pure (8)
green zone, small and medium 2 Legislation that went against the grain (4,4) ACROSS DOWN
3 Control a metallic element (4) 1 Submissive (6) 1 Bitter attack in words (8)
industry will be allowed to start 5 People who believe in him should have their 4 National emblem of Ireland (8) 2 In an offhand manner (8)
operations, provided the entre- heads examined (12) 9 Lacking (6) 3 Spotted, furred wildcat (4)
preneur gives us an undertaking 6 Measure round a highway (4) 10 Passivity (8) 5 In large amounts (4,4,4)
to fulfil the guidelines in letter 7 The interest of shareholders in fair play (6) 12 To harvest (4) 6 Simulated (4)
8 Returns and surrenders (6) 13 Ponder gloomily (5) 7 Source (6)
and spirit. We want small indus-
11 Landing prize jobs at the end of courses? (7,5) 14 Invoice (4) 8 Catch fire (6)
tries to start their operations at a 15 The price of a suit (5) 17 Aggressive attitude (12) 11 Gratis (4,2,6)
somewhat lower capacity first. 16 Go surreptitiously as a sinuous snake (5) 20 Modest (4-8) 15 Compare (5)
We will issue directions in this 18 Game that may disturb ant heaps (8) 23 Variety of agate (4) 16 Fight (5)
connection very shortly.” 19 Struggles to maintain faith in the past (8) 24 Pursuit (5) 18 Hodgepodge (8)
21 Strive to fashion bolts (6) 25 Central US state (4) 19 Deep personal disgrace (8)
This push for resumption of
22 Stress it’s a regional dialect (6) 28 Oppressed by worry (8) 21 Agree (6)
partial economic activity was 26 Colour is not allowed to leave a mark (4) 29 Highly seasoned sausage (6) 22 East Mediterranean island (6)
also reflected in a letter to the
home ministry by the secretary of
27 A major land mass, though it could be
minor (4)
30 Acquiescent (8)
31 Powerful (6)
26 Small shoot on tree (4)
27 Indonesian island (4)
department for promotion of
industry and internal trade
YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS (15575)
(DPIIT) in the commerce minis-
try, Guruprasad Mohapatra, on
CRYPTIC QUICK
Saturday. It proposed opening
certain activities with “reasona-
ble safeguards” once a final deci-
sion regarding “extension and
nature of lockdown” is taken by
the Union government.
According to the proposal, the
industries that would be allowed
to operate must ensure a single
entry points for workers, suffi-
cient space for ensuring social
distancing, use of separate trans-
port for ferrying workers or stay
arrangements in factory prem-
ises and high quality regular
sanitisation of the premises. The
htsudoku
local authorities must ensure Fill in all the squares in the grid so that each row,
strict observance of these condi- column and each of the 9X9 squares contains all the
tions, it said.
digits from 1 to 9.
It also asked the home minis-
try to reiterate and allow the free DIFFICULTY LEVEL
movement of individuals and
material for sectors that have
already been permitted to oper-
ate, claiming that a “lot of prob- SUDOKU>> SCAN THIS SUDOKU UNIT FOR
lems were being faced in this THE SOLUTION AND MANY MORE PUZZLES
regard”.
Late in the evening on Satur-
day, the home secretary wrote to
all chief secretaries reiterating
the need to ensure intra and
interstate transport of vehicles
carrying cargo, movement of
workers in essential services,
functioning of cold storages and
warehouses, among other meas-
ures.
 HIN DU STA N T IM ES , N EW DE LHI
M O N DAY, A PRIL 1 3 , 2020 TIME OUT htcity 15
Good Samaritans help ‘Good humour An instrumental touch
Delhi survive in lockdown survived test of time’ to quarantine
Aprajita Sharad Naina Arora Shah
Rukh
Khan

N F
GOs and citizen groups are
helping out scores of daily
wagers and migrant
labourers facing a challenging
time due to the lockdown, by
distributing food and other
essentials. Help is also being
extended to patients who are
unable to get prescribed
medicines. Manisha Bhatia,
president, Abhinandan
Educational and Welfare
Society, says her NGO takes
two rounds of the city daily for
families who travel to Delhi to
avail medical facilities.
ondly describing her
iconic sitcom Shrimaan
Shrimati (1994) as
NGOs “magical”, actor Archana
such as Puran Singh is all praises for
Uday its re-run on Doordarshan. Archana Puran Singh; (inset)
Foundation Good writing survives the in a still from the show PHOTO:
are feeding test of time, she says, adding, INSTAGRAM/ARCHANAPURANSINGH Katrina Kaif PHOTOS: INSTAGRAM
thousands “I am extremely happy that a
of people show, whose humour has Outlining how popular the Recalling her experience of
everyday survived till date, is finally show remains among the shooting for the show, Singh
going to be seen by the younger generation, the 57- feels the “quality of humour”
request for help, I forward it to generation which in many year-old says, “So many fans made it different. “When we
those near the area. I’ve also ways is starved of genuinely messaged me on Instagram made these shows, we had no

distributing essentials. Rahul
Verma, co-founder, Uday
Foundation, says they are also
feeding 1,500 patients and their
Vaishali Poddar, founder,
Taskforce Corona, says, “I
made a group of 31 people from
all over Delhi. When I receive a
S
distributed about 500 food funny and well-written saying they still watch idea that they are going to be ome are
packets, by Humanitarian Aid humorous shows. Although it Shrimaan Shrimati on iconic. We just got together strumming
International, in North Delhi.” was made three decades ago, YouTube. They are the new and did our best,” she adds. the guitar
n aparajita.sharad@hindustantimes.com it survived the test of time.” generation.” n naina.arora@htdigital.in while others are
figuring out how
to play the piano.
Celebs, caught

‘Can recover losses, not lives’

Sangeeta Yadav has decided to pay his staff.
within the
parapets of their
homes, have
found time to
pursue their love for Radhika Madan Ronit Roy
“Many people are facing instruments amid the

I got medicines
delivered to someone’s
mother in a village, as
he was unable to do it
himself.
ANKIT JAIN
SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER
We are distributing
food, masks, sanitisers
and other essentials to
about 20,000 people.
MANISHA BHATIA
PRESIDENT, ABHINANDAN
EDUCATIONAL AND WELFARE
SOCIETY
H
aving managed to open
his restaurant in
Mumbai after a year
long delay, was no less than
a dream come true for actor
We’re feeding over Kushal Tandon. However,
4,000 people and fate had something else in
store for him. Within a few
distributing dry ration days, all operations had to
at more than 15 be put on hold due to the
lockdown.
locations in Delhi-NCR. “Earlier also, I had to face
RAHUL VERMA the standing cost of a year
CO-FOUNDER, and had to pay my staff for
UDAY FOUNDATION doing nothing,” says the
Kushal Tandon actor who, despite the losses,
the repercussions. Looking
at their situation, I feel my
problems are nothing,”
says Tandon, 35, adding that
his acting projects for the
web are also on hold.
But the actor prefers to
stay positive, emphasising
that the need of the hour is to
stay safe. “No loss is bigger
than the loss of life. We can
recover from all the financial
losses, lekin agar jaan he
nahi rahegi toh we’ll not be
able to do anything,” he adds.
n sangeeta.yadav@hindustantimes.com
lockdown.
In a video he put out, actor
Shah Rukh Khan gave a
glimpse of how he’s practising
the Deep Purple classic Smoke
on the Water on the guitar.
Katrina Kaif and Pooja Hegde,
too, are honing their guitar
skills.
The piano and keyboard
seem to be go-to instruments,
even though Huma Qureshi
has revealed she’s trying the
flute, and Ronit Roy displayed
his saxophone skills.
While Hrithik Roshan says
he’s “on mission piano”, which
is “great for activating both
sides of the brain”, Adah
Sharma played a Beethoven
piece for her fans and perhaps,
a special someone.
“Making the most of self
quarantine” is how Radhika
Madan describes her tryst
with instruments. In one video,
she’s seen trying out the Ae Dil
Hai Mushkil tune on the
keyboard. There’s also Sunny
Kaushal, who is getting time to
play the Djembe.
HTC

DILLI CALLING: Bhuvan

Bam
SUDOKU DIFFICULTY LEVEL CALVIN AND HOBBES Bill Watterson

CELEBS SHARE PHOTOS:

INSTAGRAM

POST LOCKDOWN
TO-DO LIST
Etti Bali

O
nce a Delhiite, always a
Delhiite. We speak to some
celebs from Delhi to know
what is that one thing or place
they are craving to do or visit
once it is safe to venture out.
Actor Suhail Nayyar, who
grew up in Model Town, says,
“I would go to Big Chill in Khan
Market and grab a Belgian
chocolate shake. No matter
how strict a diet I’m following,
when I’m in Delhi, I don’t miss
this chance.”
YouTuber Bhuvan Bam
says, “I crave for chhole
bhature from Malviya Nagar
market. I have been having
them for the last 10-12 years.”
Actor Nafisa Ali, who lives
in Defence Colony and is
currently cooped up in Goa,
says, “The first place I’d like to
visit is my favourite coffee shop
in Khan Market, with my
daughters.”
Author William Dalrymple,
who resides in Mehrauli, has
his heart in Delhi and head up
in the hills. “I frequented places
like Jamali Kamali and Sunder
Suhail
Nayyar
Nafisa
Ali
Nursery. Once this is over, I
plan to go up in the hills,”
he says.
Designer-fitness enthusiast
Namrata Joshipura, who is a
resident of Defence Colony,
says, “I will go for a 20km run
around the beautiful stretch of
Lutyens’ Delhi. I have been
missing that.”
n etti.bali@htlive.com
MATHDOKU DID YOU KNOW?
Shahid Kapoor’s monologue in Haider
(2014) was six pages long, and it took
Fill in all the squares in the grid so that each row, column and the actor around four hours to deliver
each of the 9X9 squares contains all the digits from 1 to 9.
until the final take.
SCRAMBLE - 3420
Solve the four anagrams and move one letter to each square to
form four ordinary words
GNE II
AH SST
BKM NUU
AAODGP
Now arrange the letters marked with an asterisk (*) to form the
answer to the riddle or to fill in the missing words as indicated.
Give me a smart idiot over a ________ ________ any day. SOLUTION SUDOKU
- Samuel Goldwyn (6,6)
SOLUTION MATHDUKU
- Samuel Goldwyn
ANSWER: Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day. Place numbers into the puzzle cells so that each row and column contains each of the digits from 1 to 5. No number is to be repeated in any row or
SCRAMBLE SOLUTION: Genii, stash, bunkum, pagoda column. Each bold-outlined cells contain a hint of a number and one of the mathematical symbols + x - /. The number is the result of the operation
represented by the symbol to the digits contained.

MONDAY, Astrologer Prem Kumar Sharma can be contacted at: Delhi: 011-47033152, Satish Kaushik: The actor, who is known for his

DAILY HOROSCOPE APRIL 13,

2020
40532026 (Sat to Mon): Panchkula: 91-172-2562832, 2572874 (Tues to Thurs);
Mumbai: 09716145644 (Last week of every month)
work in films such as Mr India, Deewana Mastana,
Brick Lane, Tere Naam and Ram Lakhan, turns
64 today.

Financially, it is better to remain a bit
conservative. The raise you had been
expecting will become a reality soon.
You may adopt a healthy routine.
Family will be loving and caring
ARIES and extend all the help required. A
(MAR 21 - APR 20) countryside trip with friends and family
may need to be postponed to a future date.
Decisions taken about a property matter now
will be important. Your social nature would benefit someone to raise
good funds.
Love Focus: Positive signals from partner will be cue enough to take
your romance to the next level!
Lucky Number: 1 Lucky Colour: Light Brown
Problems faced on the financial front will
soon be resolved. On the professional
front, you manage to effectively
overcome a competitive situation at
work. Issues on the health front are
TAURUS likely to become a thing of the past for
(APR 21 - MAY 20) some. Some more efforts and hard work
will be required by those who are preparing
for a crucial competition. Some of you will
need to regain lost ground on the academic front by burning the
midnight oil.
Love Focus: Love life seems quite satisfying as you enjoy lover’s
company.
Lucky Number: 18 Lucky Colour: Chocolate
Minting money through a scheme cannot
be entirely ruled out for some people.
On the professional front, your man
management skills may need to be
honed, if you want to remain effective
GEMINI at work. If you manage to take care
(MAY 21 - JUN 21) of your health today, you are certain
to enjoy the day to the hilt, so exercise
utmost caution! You will do your bit to bring
harmony and peace on the domestic front. Your performance on the
academic front will need improvement, so make sure you focus on
the same.
Love Focus: Newlyweds are likely to experience total bliss.
Lucky Number: 11 Lucky Colour: Lavender
Take care of what you say or do at work.
Professional advice will you help in
choosing the course that is right for
you. You may need to remain a bit
cautious on the financial front. Those
CANCER who are suffering from depressing
(JUNE 22 - JULY 22) thoughts are likely to see positivity
coming into their lives. Spouse may keep
you on your toes, but this is something that
you just cannot escape. Students pursuing medicine or engineering
can find the going a bit rough.
Love Focus: A budding romance is likely to give you immense
happiness.
Lucky Number: 2 Lucky Colour: Silver

You will need to start saving now in order Good financial condition will elevate you Your pursuit for financial well-being is Good financial management will steer
to avoid problems later. Some of you will from window shopping to actual likely to be richly rewarded. An you clear of dire straits and contribute
manage to establish yourself firmly on shopping, so rejoice! Your skills are opportunity you had been waiting for towards savings, too. On the
the professional front. You will be able likely to bring you to the notice of may not come your way. Those unduly professional front, you are likely to
to make the most of the cool mornings those people who matter. A medical worried about their health can lay their remain tied up at work with extra
by taking up a physical regimen. You are LEO condition suffered by some will show VIRGO fears to rest, as everything seems okay. LIBRA workload. Light workout will do SCORPIO
likely to hear of a property being sold at a (JULY 23 - AUG 23) signs of improvement. Support from (AUG 24 - SEPT 23) A family issue may need to be deliberated (SEPT 24 - OCT 23) wonders for those who are unable to do (OCT 24 - NOV 22)
good bargain. New fields will interest you the family’s side is assured and this will upon so that it does not disturb domestic anything strenuous on the fitness front.
on the academic front, but will require help you in doing better and improving in harmony. You need to be careful on the road. Always being available for the family is likely
your complete focus. This is a good day if you are looking to start your respective fields. This is the day when you can expect luck to Your firm resolve to perform well will not let you waver from your to keep the members happy and contented. You will excel on the
anything new. favour you. focus on the professional or academic front. academic front.
Love Focus: Lover will have much to share with you and will keep you Love Focus: Attending a function can pave the way for long-term Love Focus: You might feel like spending time with a loved one Love Focus: Falling in love is a distinct possibility for the lonely
entertained. romance. today. hearts.
Lucky Number: 4 Lucky Colour: Sky Blue Lucky Number: 17 Lucky Colour: Bronze Yellow Lucky Number: 5 Lucky Colour: Parrot Green Lucky Number: 2 Lucky Colour: Silver

Financial security will make you more
confident in the present environment.
Those working in call centres or the
hospitality sector can have their hands
full. You may find it impossible to
continue with an exercise regimen.
SAGITTARIUS Some excitement is indicated on the
(NOV 23 - DEC 21)
domestic front concerning a family
youngster. A property issue may make you
tense. Those planning to learn to drive or swim will still need to wait
for some more time.
Love Focus: You will need to be realistic in giving time for a meeting
to avoid getting delayed.
Lucky Number: 7 Lucky Colour: Lemon
You will be able to raise capital for
diversifying or starting something new.
On the professional front, unwavering
focus will help you wrap up a lot of work
today. Some of you are about to discover
the fun element of exercising. You may
CAPRICORN have to cater to some relations at the
(DEC 22 - JAN 21)
expense of your other plans. News of
moving to a new location on transfer is likely
for some. An online get together would prove quite interesting and
enjoyable.
Love Focus: A current situation can force you to keep romance on the
backburner.
Lucky Number: 6 Lucky Colour: Coffee
An employer’s promise for a bonus or an
increment is likely to uplift your spirits.
A business partner or associate will
prove to be godsend for some. Active
lifestyle will help keep minor ailments
at bay. Family will remain a priority for
AQUARIUS you and you will do much to provide the
(JAN 22 - FEB 19)
right guidance to a child or a young sibling.
A noble cause is likely to attract your attention
for contributing in it. Old memories may keep you mentally
preoccupied.
Love Focus: Differences may crop up on the marital front if not
careful.
Lucky Number: 15 Lucky Colour: Cream
You will need to be a bit tight-fisted when
it comes to money matters. Those who
are not doing well in profession or
academics will find their focus and
improve. A new exercise routine will
work fine in improving your health. Some
PISCES of you can insist on organising a party or
(FEB 20 - MAR 20)
a get-together at home. You may not get a
chance to proceed on a planned vacation. Some
of you will be able to add to your wealth and even plan to buy
property.
Love Focus: Moodiness of lover threatens to spoil a romantic
evening.
Lucky Number: 9 Lucky Colour: Maroon

NEW DELHI, MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020 I Entertainment & Promotional Features
SIXSHOTSOFLIFE
There’s negativity all around, but we will focus on the
positivity. Our editor picks shots of life that bring a smile
BE KIND TO ALL KINDS
An act of compassion can save
a life. Actor Disha Patani
rescued an injured kite, which
was lying unattended on the
street. She took the kite to
the vet and also fed the bird.
Actor Swara Bhasker, too, had
rescued a baby kite last week
and named it Changez. She
also spoke to a wildlife rescue
NGO and shared the small
video of the kite on
Instagram.
LAUGHTER IS THE BEST
MEDICINE
A hearty laugh boosts
your mood even when
you are quarantined. Will &
Grace actor Leslie Jordan has
been posting hilarious
videos on Instagram, from
funny anecdotes of his
celebrity life to painting
his toenails. The 64-
year-old actor is
self-quarantined
with his mother,
Peggy Ann.
Harbhajan won’t explain
an act of humanity: Geeta
Shreya Mukherjee
S C
urprised that even in such
times of crisis “many still
have time to find fault in
others”, actor Geeta Basra has
come out in support of her
husband Harbhajan Singh.
Ever since the cricketer and his
contemporary Yuvraj Singh
courted controversy by
tweeting in support of
Pakistani cricketer Shahid
Afridi’s call for help for those in
need during the Covid-19
outbreak, the former has
remained tight-lipped about it.
Ask her why, and Basra, 36,
explains, “He says he knows
what his country means to him
and doesn’t want to explain an
act done for humanity. He lives
for India and will die for India.”
Soon after Harbhajan and
Yuvraj’s tweets,
#ShameonYuviBhajji was
trending on social media.
Sabki life postpone
ho gayi hai, Ali on
wedding with Richa
Radhika Bhirani
W
hen in 2019, Ali Fazal
shot for a film in which
he was in a voluntary
house arrest, little did he know
he’d soon be caught in a similar
situation — but involuntarily.
“That was a posh, voluntary
house arrest. It was a very
convenient, nice, big house,
because we wanted a shooting-
friendly ‘manchaahi’ location.
But I think everything changes
the moment it is involuntary.”
Recently, when Fazal returned
from USA, following four
months of shooting, he was not
MAKING
SOMEONE’S
THE
THE BEST OF
LOCKDO W N !
s are
d swimmer
A few spirite
ti m e of their liv
having a ra sh ared a
op
Actor Tisca Ch
keys gleefu
video of mon im ming
to a sw
jumping in
ali, Mumbai.
pool in Boriv
rt y .. must’ve
“#PoolPa
ing and wai
been watch e “We wanted to show our
w th
for years .. sa
and jumped
opportunity
keyingaround
right in ..mon Instagram.
on
she wrote on
Yuvraj responded to the
criticism with a tweet that was
retweeted by Harbhajan.
Basra says, “This goodwill
gesture was to help Afridi,
with whom they have
played cricket, and have
years of friendship, and
he’s trying to do his bit for
his country. They tried
spreading the word to
their fans all over the
world. Let’s not bring
religion into this. Even
the virus isn’t making
any discrimination.
They would’ve done the
same if anyone from any of
the other teams like West
Indies or England would’ve
sought help.”
The celebrity couple has
also distributed ration to
5,000 families in Jalandhar,
Punjab to help the needy in
this time of distress.
n shreya.mukherjee@htlive.com
just geared
for new
projects, but
also prepping for
his wedding to actor
Richa Chadha, which in
the current scenario, stands
postponed. Ask him about it,
and he says, “Sabki life
postpone ho gayi hai, shaadi
toh... let’s see what comes out of
this in the new world. I hope we
come out as better people with
a better system and better
climate. I think there’s a major
churning happening
everywhere. It’s definitely a
time to reflect.”
www.hindustantimes.com
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STORIES
DOGS ARE
FOR FE! LI
While som
e are foolis
abandonin
gp
hly
rumours th ets due to
at
Covid-19, M they spread
adhuri Dix
Nene shar it
ed a cute v
of bondin ideo
g wit
Carmelo. Sh h her dog
e has her
ghungroo (Clockwise from top left)
s on as she
an adorab shares Stills from Mahabharat,
le momen
the pooch t with Dekh Bhai Dekh, Ramayan
. Madhuri
captioned and Shaktimaan
it as “The o
who’s alw ne
ays by my
favourite side, my
dancing p
My mellow
Carmelo”.
artner ...
As Doordarshan bags top slot among the
most-watched channels, we find out what’s
attracting audiences to old, iconic shows
THANK YOU, OFFICER!
A thoughtful way to express gratitude! Two Gurugram Prashant Singh up to 580 million impressions in who worked in them, the shows
residents, photographer Aditya Arya
and professional Tarun Sardana
the 9am-10.30am slot [in the still attract people,” he says.
NUMBER GAME
B
ack in the ’80s and ’90s, week of March 28 to April 3], According to TV producer
have set around 11 tents for Doordarshan’s compared to one million Sumeet Mittal, people will n Ramayan gave DD a
es!
the Gurugram policemen viewership would impressions in the previous “always have loads of nostalgia major push as its
who have been working regularly go through the week. Likewise, in the 9pm- attached to DD shows”. “Also, viewership grew 454
lly times in the morning/
tirelessly amid the Covid- roof. And then, private GECs 10.30pm slot, the corresponding there are no fresh episodes of
19 crisis. These tents (general entertainment numbers stood at 835 million the new shows. But it’s great evening slots combined
to 545.8 million
have been installed at channels) took over. But now, impressions, which was two that people are reconnecting to
NH8, in Nathupur, history is repeating itself as DD million in the previous week. the classics,” he says. impressions.
ting among other locations. — as per the data by Broadcast TV industry insiders and Shaktimaan actor-producer, n Mahabharat took DD
Audience Research Council- experts feel DD shows “will Mukesh Khanna puts things in Bharati’s viewership up
respect to them,” says, Nielsen — has emerged as the always have a strong emotional perspective: “It’s a great move 365 times to 145.8 million
,” Arya. most-watched channel across connect and recall value.” by DD to bring back the iconic impressions in the
morning/ evening slots
genres, in the week of March 28 “They will always remain shows, which were extremely
combined.
to April 3. In the week before classics. Also, these days, when rich in content and educative,
that (March 21-27), DD National people’s mood is gloomy, these too. Today’s kids need much n Shaktimaan contributed
didn’t even feature in the top 10 shows bring positivity, and also more ‘maarg darshan’ than the a 52-fold rise to reach
most-viewed channels in Hindi make for a great family watch. kids of that time,” he says. 20.8 million impressions.
GECs category. Plus, they also stand out for n prashant.singh@htlive.com n Byomkesh Bakshi went
During the ongoing national their innate simplicity,” says up 11 times to 4.5 million
SUCH impressions. Other
lockdown, DD has brought TV director-producer Rajan
ADORABLE back many of its iconic shows Shahi. For trade analyst Taran shows like Buniyaad,
WARRIORS! such as Ramayan, Mahabharat Adarsh, it goes on to “prove the Dekh Bhai Dekh and
Circus gave DD eight-
Babies will always and Shaktimaan. And the idea power of quality content”.
fold boost.
look cute, has worked. As per the data, “That’s why even if one may
DD National’s viewership went not have heard of the actors
regardless of what
they wear. Pictures
of newborns
wearing protective
face shields during
the Covid-19 outbreak
‘I’ll tell about lockdown SUPER 30 TO
at a Bangkok hospital are being shared on social
media, captioned as ‘Baby’s first outfit’! These face RELEASE IN
shields prevent any droplet of the virus from cough
or sneeze to reach the baby’s face.
to my daughter CHINA POST
COVID-19
when she grows up’ OUTBREAK
Geeta
Basra and Titas Chowdhury she sits in the balcony
Harbhajan and gets enough
Singh
T
aking care of a child and sunshine.”
PHOTO: keeping them indoors Dhupia says that she
VIRAL BHAYANI especially at this time of
social distancing is no
cakewalk. But Neha Dhupia is
enjoying her quarantine days
as she’s spending time with
has been making the
best use of this time by
keeping her daughter
engaged in productive
activities. “I’m
her one-and-a-half year old indulging her in Hrithik Roshan
daughter, Mehr Dhupia Bedi. activities such as
Ask her if she has been taking painting and hina has a huge fan
special precautions to protect teaching her the following of
her from Covid-19 and she basics in terms of Bollywood movies
says, “We’re following all the the syllabus that and even though,
rules at home. I was away on a has come from everything may be on
shoot and ever since I came her parent- hold for now due to the
back, I’ve been in quarantine toddler ongoing coronavirus
AJAY IS with my family even before the
21-day lockdown was
announced. I made sure that
programme
based
school,” she
crisis, according to
Pinkvilla, Hrithik
Roshan-starrer Super 30,
‘ANGRY AND very few people are in contact
with our daughter.”
shares.
Urging all
might be the first film
from Bollywood to win
DISGUSTED’ The actor believes that it’s
every parent’s duty to first
protect their own health so as
mothers to
create a
positive
Neha Dhupia; (inset) husband
Angad Bedi and daughter Mehr
PHOTOS: RJ DEIGG, TWITTER/BISHANBEDI
over the Chinese box
office.
The CEO of Reliance
to ensure the safety of their space at Entertainment Group,
children. “We’re staying clean home, Shibasish Sarkar said in
Ajay and hygienic. As parents, we Dhupia an interview that the
Devgn always tend to panic. But says, “I’ve been teaching her censorship for Super 30
PHOTO: Angad (Bedi; husband) has to fold clothes and clean the has been applied to China
PRODIP been amazing, too, and that’s a wardrobe. I believe already and when the
GUHA/HT big help,” she says, adding, children are intuitive. country, as well as the
“We’re keeping her dietary Our daughter hasn’t industry, reopen, the
habits healthy and keeping her been throwing any movie will be among the
as active at home as she was tantrums. I think this will first to get the censor
when she would step out. I’m be a story to tell her when certificate.
also trying to make sure that she grows up.”
Ali Fazal and
Richa Chadha
A Challenges that cops brave ALOK KUMAR,
PHOTO: YOGEN SHAH jay Devgn is fuming at
the reports of doctors
getting attacked by JOINT CP, EAST
their neighbours and
patients while serving
people during the
pandemic. On Sunday, the
T
he heroes of the pandemic
are the doctors and the
The biggest challenge has
been to maintain a stock
of essential supplies. Good
thing is that due to our
actor took to Twitter to people in khaki, who have hard work, we have
share a strong-worded and been fighting the Covid-19 achieved it. My advice to
incensed tweet. scare 24x7. We spoke to some people is to stay home and
“DISGUSTED & Delhi Police officers about the stay safe. If anyone needs
ANGRY to read reports of biggest challenge they are help, they can reach us
“educated” persons facing during the lockdown, through 112 or Delhi Police
attacking doctors in their and their advice for everyone. helpline 01123469526.”
Ruchika Garg SHARAT KUMAR
neighbourhood on
baseless assumptions.
Such insensitive people SINHA, DCP, PCR
are the worst criminals DINESH KUMAR GUPTA, The ones who don’t have
a vehicle, rely on us in case
#StaySafeStayHome
#IndiaFightsCorona,” he SANJAY BHATIA, DCP EAST of any emergency. So far,
we have taken 319 cases of
Admitting that he’s
“missing” seeing Chadha, for
wrote in his tweet.
DCP CENTRAL We have five hotspot areas
and 50,000 people live in
women facing labour
whom he has been penning The biggest challenge is pain, to the hospital. The
those areas. The challenge is
to manage law and order challenge is to be on our
poetic mush online, Fazal, 33, NOTE TO READERS: Some of the to ensure that everyone gets
while maintaining social toes. PCR vans are like
says they’re happy “being coverage that appears on our pages essentials at their doorstep,
distancing. One advice I ambulances now. I would
responsible by following the is paid for by the concerned brands. and we win against all odds to advise all to wear a mask,
rules”. Fazal is spending this No sponsored content does or shall would like to share with
get over this pandemic. I would and be inside your homes.
time by cooking, cleaning and appear in any part of HT without it everyone is to listen to
advice everyone to stay at
being declared as such to our valued what experts are saying.
reading. home and stay safe.
readers.
n radhika.bhirani@hindustantimes.com