On Wednesday a major fire broke out at an under-construction building in DY Patil University Campus in Navi Mumbai’s Nerul area. According to the report, the incident took place around 1.45 pm and the rescue service were immediately pressed in action and the situation was brought under control.
A fire brigade official said the blaze was doused within 30 minutes. “The fire was put off immediately and the source of the same was thermocol blocks,” a statement from the university said. The university also confirmed that there was no man or material damage.
With conditions in Maharashtra getting worse because of this novel Coronavirus and with news coming in that Maharashtra stands on top of the states affected by this dreaded epidemic having registered around 50 cases, more and more people are scared and are searching for treatment and safety. But those who have been affected by this dreaded epidemic have been advised to look out for quarantine centres to go and get themselves isolated and treated.
But what is quarantine after all? “Well it is a method by which a virus affected man is cured,” replied my friend Akshay Shah.
No, I said. In general, a quarantine is ‘a strict isolation imposed to prevent the spread of a disease.’ As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains, the practice of a quarantine specifically involves the separation of a person or group of people reasonably believed to have been exposed to a communicable disease but not yet symptomatic from others who have not been so exposed to prevent the possible spread of the particular disease.
In this exercise people are put in quarantine when they are not currently sick but have been or may have been exposed to a communicable disease. This can help stop the spread of the disease. Voluntary quarantine is often called self-quarantine.
Historically, a quarantine is referred to a period originally of 40 days imposed upon ships when suspected of carrying an infectious or contagious disease. This practice was done in Venice in the 1300s in an effort to stave off the plague. Later on this practice turned on human.
Quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people and goods that is intended to prevent the spread of a disease. It is often used in connection to diseases and illnesses preventing the movement of those who may have been exposed to a communicable disease but do not have a confirmed medical diagnosis. The term is often used synonymously with medical isolation in which those confirmed to be infected with a communicable disease are isolated from the healthy population.
Quarantine may be used interchangeably with cordon sanitaire and although the terms are related, cordon sanitaire refers to the restriction of movement of people into or out of a defined geographic area such as a community in order to prevent an infection from spreading.
The word quarantine comes from a seventeenth-century Venetian variant of the Italian quaranta giorni, meaning ‘forty days’, the period that all ships were required to be isolated before passengers and crew could go ashore during the Black Death plague epidemic. Quarantine can be applied to humans but also to animals of various kinds and both as part of border control as well as within a country a state, period, or place of isolation in which people or animals that have arrived from elsewhere or been exposed to infectious or contagious disease are placed.
The purpose of such quarantine-for-decontamination is to prevent the spread of contamination such that others are not put at risk from a person fleeing a scene where contamination is suspect. It can also be used to limit exposure as well as eliminate a vector.
Quarantine centres have their own stories to tell. A lady who had been to the Kasturba Hospital for a check- up and eventually got admitted came out running complaining that the bed she was allotted was full of red ants on which no could not sit leave alone sleep. She even complained of ill-kept wards. If such is the condition, then just imagine about the plight of patients admitted in the hospital.
In the 21st century, people suspected of carrying infectious diseases have been quarantined as in the cases of Andrew Speaker (multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis, 2007) and Kaci Hickox (Ebola, 2014). Moving infected patients to isolation wards and home-based self-quarantine of people potentially exposed was the method by which the Western African Ebola virus epidemic was finished in 2016; health experts criticised international travel restrictions imposed during the epidemic as ineffective due to difficulty of enforcement and counterproductive as they slowed down aid efforts.
The People’s Republic of China has employed mass quarantines – firstly of the city of Wuhan and subsequently of all of Hubei province (population 55.5 million) – in the 2019–20 Coronavirus outbreak. After a few weeks, the Italian government imposed lockdowns all over the country (with more than 60 million people) to stop the Coronavirus outbreak.
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
Mumbai is a time bomb as far as Coronavirus is concerned
Overpopulated cities including Mumbai has to be very cautious as Coronovirus would otherwise prove catastrophic and a time bomb on the city. The spitting habits of people need to be stopped and this would only happen if people are penalized with fines and arrests. Hygiene is very important when it comes to fighting COVID-19 and people need to be educated with learning programmes.
Slums are pockets where the disease can spread like wildfire. Illegal hutments need to be evacuated and displaced to other locations so that the entire city is not put to risk.
Chief Minister should declare a medical emergency and curfew at areas that are at high risk. Labs to test Coronovirus as well as quarantine facilities should be in place so that they can be used whenever the situation warrants. Citizens too should cooperate with government as the hardship encountered is for their own safety.
S.N. Kabra
Hang Nirbhaya convicts
Despite the highest court in the country having confirmed the death sentence for this heinous crime, the four accused in the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case have been happily filing applications all over and that too one by one, only to merely delay and derail the due process of law.
All this misuse of the judiciary and precious scant court time is absolutely impermissible. May be, it’s high time the government amends the law to ensure that punishment for such grievous crimes should be extremely fair but yet very swift. There needs to be a deterrent to the law breakers.
Will it need that a child of a ruling politician is raped and murdered for the government to awaken to this reality that justice delayed is justice denied? The four Nirbhaya rapists (Mukesh Kumar Singh, Vinay Kumar Sharma, Pawan Kumar Gupta and Akshay Kumar Singh) should be hanged till death at the earliest so that other rapists may learn a lesson from this incident and not treat women like sex objects in order to satisfy their carnal desires. But what about the juvenile who has raped Nirbhaya too. Why he was given just three years imprisonment and left with just a light warning? Besides giving him a light warning and three years of imprisonment, why has he been hidden in an isolated place where no one knows where he is now? Is there an answer to this? How much money has he bribed the court to let him off with just a light warning and only three years of imprisonment? Justice should be given to Nirbhaya’s parents so that her soul may rest in peace.
JubelD’Cruz
Impose ban on spitting in public places
In the wake of the deadly contagious disease COVID-19 it is high time the central and state government implement strict prohibitory orders banning spitting in public. Though some States and municipal corporations in India did come out with severe penalty and punishment for public spitting it seems the law is only in the papers as public spitting continues. There are people who out of ignorance and lack of public unawareness spit in public which is unpleasant, unacceptable and antisocial. It is a filthy habit that can spread germs and cause health issues. It is the responsibility of all the citizens to be aware of health issues caused due to unawareness and ignorance and therefore they have to maintain and follow a hygienic way of living. Levying penalty and punishment alone will not help in reducing people spitting in public. Educational institutions, firms, organisations, local administration and each and every citizen will have to avoid this dirty and disgusting habit. Let us spread and follow the message of healthy living.
M Pradyu
MU exams postponed
Better council prevailed and the Mumbai University exams are postponed as expected. This follows repeated appeals by parents, teachers and students. So, all the semester examinations of the Mumbai University scheduled to begin from 23 March have been cancelled and postponed till after March 31 due to the Corona virus outbreak. Thus over 60000 students escaped the risk of attending MU exams and thereby exposed to dreadful Coronavirus at this crucial hour. The situation will be reviewed before the stipulated date and a fresh declaration may be issued depending on the COVID-19 situation.
Chitra Rugmini
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
Most prominent temples of Mumbai namely Mumbadevi Temple will remain closed for devotees as a precaution against the dreaded Coronavirus. On March 16 the trustee’s of Siddhivinayak, Mumbadevi and several other temples of the Mumbai decided to close the temples till further notice. The Siddhivinayak Temple attracts approximately 30,000 worshippers every day. The Maharashtra government has already appealed to people to avoid crowd gatherings as a step to prevent the viral infection for which it has imposed Section 144.
“Well, Mumbadevi Temple is perhaps the oldest temple of Mumbai frequented by people from UP, Bihar and Bengal besides those from Mumbai. The government order to shut places of worship is all right taking into consideration the number of people who visit the temple on a daily basis. This order will not only affect us, but will also affect all temples like Siddhivinayak, Mahalaxmi Mandir, Shitladevi Mandir, Babulnath Mandir etc. In these trying times of Coronavirus, we have to abide by the diktats of the government,” said Mumbadevi Temple, Head priest, Prajapati Maharaj.
Besides these temples of Mumbai, Tuljabhavani Temple, another popular shrine in Maharashtra located in Osmanabad district will remain shut for devotees till 31 following a recommendation by the Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Also the Saibaba Temple at Shirdi shut in view of the Coronavirus outbreak. Earlier, Shri Saibaba Sansthan appealed to devotees to postpone their trip to Shirdi for a few days on account of Coronavirus outbreak in the country.
List of Temples closed
Mumbadevi Temple
Siddhivinayak Temple
Mahalaxmi Mandir
Shitladevi Mandir
Babulnath Mandir
Tuljabhavani Temple
Sai Baba Temple (Shirdi)
Shreemant Dagdusheth Halwai
On March 17, A 64-year-old Coronavirus patient died at Mumbai’s Kasturba Hospital. This death was India’s third reported death linked to COVID-19 infection as the first Coronavirus death case was reported from Karnataka and the second from the National capital. This is the first case of Coronavirus death reported in Maharashtra. With this the total number of Coronavirus-related death has reached three in India. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is expected to issue a formal statement on the death soon.
Siddhivinyak and Mumbadevi temples that are popular tourist destinations in the city that record a daily footfall of around 50,000 devotees will remain shut till further notice. Even the Shreemant Dagdusheth Halwai temple in Pune will remain closed for devotees till further orders.
Taking a precaution measure and seeing the numbers of death across the country, trustees of respective temples have taken this step to avoid the crowd.
According to trustees of respective temples, the regular pujas and worship will continue in the sanctum sanctorum. However, public entry will be barred.
“Ours is an enclosed space and the sanctum sanctorum is rather small, so we do not want crowds to be at risk. Regular pujas will continue inside the temple but public entry will be barred. We have been taking precautions like sanitizing the temple premises,“ said Aadesh Bandekar, temple trust chief of Siddhivinayak.
A total of 125 positive cases have been reported in India so far. Maharashtra has so far reported 41 cases of Coronavirus. The state has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in India numbering 51. Three of them are foreign nationals.
In a hope to contain the spread of Coronavirus in Mumbai, many religious leaders have modified their rituals. Not only that, but the temples and other religious worshipping places have been closed for an indefinite period. Mumbai is taking more drastic measures, cancelling worship services, closing religious places and shutting holy sites. In such a distress situation, temple is the only place of worship that gives positive vibes to provide a panic person some solace. But the Government and the temple trusts believe that the public gathering can create hindrance in protecting people from the spread of Coronavirus. Due to concerns over the global spread of the dreaded disease, especially in nearby places, temporary suspended visit to its holy sites. The Mahalakshmi Mandir, Mumbadevi Mandir and the Siddhivinayak Temple will remain closed for some time. Even the churches and mosques have been closed for public prayers.
Millions of Muslims visit the Saudi kingdom around the year for Haj pilgrimage but the current travel restrictions prevent the entry of both overseas pilgrims and Saudi citizens into the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. This has had a direct impact on the Umrah pilgrimage known as the “lesser pilgrimage,” that can be performed at almost any time of the year. Whether or not the restrictions will extend to the haj which begins around July 28, can be known only after it becomes clear how long the Coronavirus outbreak will last. Both the Umrah and haj are important pilgrimages for Muslims, but they differ in many respects.
Other than religious places, the city has closed all malls, gyms and movie theaters. Sports leagues, museums and other cultural institutions, churches, mosques, synagogues, temples and gurdwaras have been temporarily closed to guard against spreading the virus. For many spiritual leaders, the decision to shut their doors is difficult. Religious rituals are meant to be enacted, soul and body, traditionally alongside other believers. But the present dangers of the deadly virus have forced many religious groups to close their place of worship. This move has led to cancellations worldwide in the last 48 hours.
Vatican announced that the Holy Week celebrations in Rome, events that typically draw thousands of pilgrims from around the world would be closed to the public because of the “current global public health emergency”. But with Easter, Ramadan, Passover and other holy days approaching, Coronavirus will undoubtedly upend religious lives in 2020. For many Muslim men, group prayers on Friday are a religious obligation. But as congregations across the country and the world weighed whether to stay open, experts in Islamic law have stepped in.
Together with Muslim medical experts, the society has strongly recommended that congregations take precautions against the pandemic including immediately suspending congregational prayers and other community gatherings. Muslims in Kuwait, Germany, Iran and other places around the world have also suspended services as of Friday. Some Muslim leaders in America have urged their communities to be prepared for a protracted fight against Coronavirus. In non-hierarchical religions, like Judaism and Buddhism, local congregations are making their own decisions or looking to scholars for advice. The Rabbinical Assembly, which issues opinions on Jewish law for Conservative movement Jews, advised following civil and medical guidance. It also advised engaged Jews to postpone their weddings, if possible.
The Rabbinical Council of America which issues guidelines for Orthodox Jews modified its guidance as the week wore on. The Council said that public gatherings in synagogues and schools should be severely limited. (They also noted the decision of rabbis in Bergen County, New Jersey, to shut down services and gatherings.) The Coronavirus threat and state and county-imposed cap on large gatherings hasn’t just impacted the Bay Area’s museums, sports arenas, businesses and schools. Churches, temples and mosques are cancelling services and shabbat, postponing events and live streaming services, prayers and dharma talks. People have been asked to remain at home, work from and avoid mingling in public events. This is not the first time diseases have impacted pilgrimages. Cholera outbreaks in 1821 and 1865 claimed thousands of lives during haj. In 2012 and 2013, Saudi authorities encouraged the ill and the elderly not to undertake the pilgrimage amid concerns over Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS. While the recent decision to halt Umrah will disappoint Muslims looking to perform the pilgrimage, they might refer to a hadith that provides guidance about travelling during a time of an epidemic. In the meantime, even Hindus may not like getting temple doors closed but one need to understand that saving human lives is a bigger worship. God is going to be in his place even if you return after ages, but once safety is guaranteed when gatherings are controlled, all is going to be well.
(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court granted permanent commission to women officers in the Indian Navy with an order that read, “Women can sail with the same efficiency as male officers and there should be no discrimination.”
A division of bench of justices DY Chandrachud and Ajay Rastogi said refraining permanent commission for women will amount to miscarriage of justice. The court said that there cannot be gender discrimination in allotting permanent commission to women officers in the Navy after the statutory bar was revoked by the Centre to allow entry to women. “Once the statutory bar was lifted to allow entry of women officers, male and female officers would be treated equally in granting permanent commission,” the SC added.
The bench however rejected the Centre’s stand that women officers in the Navy cannot be allotted sea duties because Russian made vessels does not have women washrooms. The SC referring to the Centre’s stand said there are enough evidences to suggest women officers in Navy brought recognition and honour to the force. The verdict also grants benefits such as pensions and other allowance as compared to their male counterpart in the Navy.
A permanent commission entitles an officer to serve in the Navy till he/she retires unlike Short Service Commission (SSC), which is for 10 years that can be extended by four years.
Coronavirus has certainly had a far greater negative impact not only on health of humans but on their wallets too. The whole globe is reeling under fear and a trade halt is setting in. At this pace the consequence on human lives would be far greater than actually getting affected by the virus itself, with price rise, job loss, etc. Information is power and sadly, despite being educated many fall prey to social media posts which have to be restricted. Let’s fight misinformation first and Corona would be dead by itself.
India seems quite blase about Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), even it spreads alarmingly throughout the world with more than a lakh people being infected and the number of fatalities climbing upwards. The World Health Organisation has declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International concern. Better council prevailed and preventive measures are in full swing. We should be careful for the next 15 days to get rid of the Coronavirus from the grassroot levels and feel safe from further concerns.
To make the Coronavirus drive more meaningful, both domestic and foreign group tours are banned for the time being. It is indeed a right step in the right direction at the present juncture. Even though face masks and sanitisers are coming handy at this hour, it is not the be all and end all as a remedy. Drones may fly around to disinfect the city from the virus. Death of birds cause cripple in the minds and the fear of Coronavirus grows more than expectations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken an initiative by arranging video conferencing with SAARC and thereby trying to reduce the tension in the sub continent. It is a novel initiative to make the world leaders take note of the pressing problems faced by all. It is not just a laughing matter and serious thinking will give better results in the days to come. Death toll is increasing and the suspected cases need to be quarantined to save further disaster.
Navi Mumbai is better off than Mumbai. The satellite city is taking all measures to maintain cleanliness and the same was vindicated when it became number one cleanest city in the rating and that is a tribute to the Municipal Corporation and its workers doing relentless work during day and night. As an individual I take up the responsibility of educating the people through television talk and writing through the newspaper pages. We all know that cleanliness is next to Godliness and so we should have a holistic approach to the problem. There is no need of creating fear among people. But definitely prevention is better than cure.
The big concern is the rising numbers of the positive cases of COVID-19 day by day. We have to follow the guidelines from the government and further tighten the preventive measures. Prevention is better than cure. Our medical expertise and infrastructure are going to be tested largely from now on, as it enters the third stage of community spread and so we have to be very careful. The virus will run its course and all will end well and forgotten. Government is afraid the virus might infect a significant part of the population and taking all the preventive measures and it is up to the public to co-operate with the administration.
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
BMC Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi on March 17 has, by way of an order, asked all private firms in the city to function only with 50 per cent capacity adding that people refraining the order will face action under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), this could lead to imprisonment of six months or fine or both. He said, “Only 50 per cent of the staff will report to the office while the rest can work from home.”
The Ward officers of BMC, by visiting companies randomly will ensure the enforcement by visiting companies under their respective jurisdiction to supervise whether the order is being implemented or not. Meanwhile, BMC has also prohibited vehicular traffic movement near the quarantine wards or centres for Corona patients like Seven Hills hospital and Kasturba hospital in Mumbai.
The order comes in the wake of rising positive cases of Coronavirus in the State. Moreover, a 64-year-old man died due to Coronavirus in Mumbai today. The person was hospitalised in Mumbai’s Kasturba hospital. In India, three deaths have been reported so far.
However, the BMC has issued an order under Rule 10 of the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897 to exempt certain services such as internet services, banking services, transportation services, hospitals, medical centres and stores.
For the time being, the Maharashtra government has decided to grant Rs. 45 crore each to districts in the wake of the pandemic. Chief Minister, Uddhav Thackeray has allotted Rs. 15 crore to Konkan region, 10 crore to Pune and Rs. 5 crore to Nagpur, Amravati, Nashik and Aurangbad, respectively.
Earlier, Thackeray had issued an advisory notice to all schools, colleges; cinema halls to remain shut till 31 March and postponed all the elections of local bodies for the next three months. Moreover, the Indian Motion Pictures Producers Association on Sunday decided to impose a temporary ban on all shootings of films, TV serials and web series from March 19 to March 31.
There is no doubt that police have played a crucial role in Delhi riots as it was exposed through the videos went on viral. But it is regretful that not a single FIR has been filed against the alleged police atrocities in any of the stations in northeast Delhi. I want to say that the first step to bring back normalcy in the area is to ensure the credibility of police to act in an impartial manner because police were either absent during the riots or were mute spectators to the violence.
M Hasan
Right decision by BCCI to cancel ODI series against SA
The recent decision to cancel the two remaining ODIs against South Africa by BCCI and postponement of IPL matches against the backdrop of COVID-19 outbreak is welcome. The move comes at a right time when even other sporting events are cancelled while taking due consideration for public health and safety.
As cricket matches involve large gatherings of people to witness the events, BCCI’s decision to cancel the matches should have been taken much earlier. It is high time now to give ample rest to all the players and advise necessary precautions against the spread of the disease. BCCI should also be at the forefront to advise best practises in health and safety to its players who are extensively exposed to open air while playing live matches and whilst practising in the nets and thus may be vulnerable to the pandemic spread through air moisture.
BCCI should also invoke complete travel ban temporarily including to conduct meetings but unless required in exceptional circumstances. It should extensively communicate precautions to the players at all levels through various channels such as internal communication, websites and social media.
Varun Dambal
India taking steps to prevent spread of Coronavirus
The Coronavirus has been declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization, as the outbreak continues to spread outside China. It is to be appreciated that in India, we have implemented measures such as travel and event restrictions, shutting down schools, visitor screenings at all offices, increased frequency of office sanitization, and work-from-home provisions. Medical experts are still unclear about the source of this deadly virus but believe that it can be transmitted from human to human as well. In the efforts to control the epidemic, transparency is a key principle to let citizens know how to protect themselves and to let medical and public health personnel know which effective and appropriate interventions should be taken. There is no vaccine for Coronavirus but combating it requires getting basics right, creating awareness and investing in public health infrastructure. Further, controlling the spread of the virus requires both public health and medical measures—and for that we need a clear clinical profile. Anti-viral herbs such as oregano, tulsi are great for immunity, and can be used in tea or curries for respiratory health including mucous problems which can become a “breeding ground for bacteria and pathogens”.
Vinod C. Dixit
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
At a time when pandemic Coronavirus is spreading across the world, some sellers and distributors are trying to cash in on the disease. They are taking advantage of the situation by selling fake masks and sanitisers which are not medically tested. Citizens have been visiting medical shops to buy masks and sanitisers. Yesterday Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration officials raided a firm in Aurangabad and caught staff changing expiry date labels on hand sanitiser bottles to profit from the novel Coronavirus outbreak in the state. Beside this, the FDA had raided companies manufacturing fake sanitisers which offered no real germ killing properties. The FDA team had later seized a stock of sanitisers worth over Rs 2 lakh from a Kandivali-based distributor. After conducting a probe, FDA learnt that these products were manufactured by a Bhiwandi based company which had surrendered its licence two years ago. The FDA team also came across another firm in Vakola which was selling bogus products under the name of Safe hands. The anti-bacterial and sanitiser bottles had customer care number printed on it which was not working.
Some companies are selling air purifiers and asking customers to buy these products to combat Coronavirus. Babas are selling gau mutras and saying that it will heal Coronavirus. Some of them are selling naturopathic sterilisers and Ayurveda homemade masks. People are performing rituals and chanting mantras to get rid of Coronavirus. The demand for masks and sanitisers have increased due to fear of Coronavirus. People have started stocking up sanitisers and masks. Currently, many medical shops are running out of stocks of sanitisers and masks. Demand for handkerchiefs too have increased as people are wrapping them round their nose and mouth to control the spread of Coronavirus. Netizens too are circulating false and misleading tips on social media about how to control Coronavirus.
Coronavirus that has spread in more than 100 countries created a panic situation around the globe. On Sunday last, Italy reported 368 new deaths from the Coronavirus outbreak as the country’s death toll hit 1,809 while the number of positive cases rose to 24,747 from 21,157 on Saturday, the country’s civil protection authority said.
The number of confirmed Coronavirus cases in India increased to 114 till March 16 with Uttarakhand reporting its first case. The number of people infected with novel Coronavirus climbed to 39 on Monday with a 59 year old woman and man becoming the latest COVID-19 cases in the state. According to the health department, 95 new cases of suspected Coronavirus were quarantined at various hospitals in the state. Italy recorded its biggest daily death toll from novel Coronavirus which has claimed 6,000 lives worldwide.
On one hand some are making money in the name of Coronavirus, on the other there are some business or industry incurring huge losses due to the dreaded virus. Amid the Coronavirus outbreak many business events, sports programmers have also been postponed or cancelled.