[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by carboy

People from Mumbai, one question about the lockdown. Sister wants to drive to our aunt's home to just check on them - they are old people. It is within 2 kms of her home. Is this allowed or not? She will not take any highway or anything.

What is the best time for her to go - weekday or weekend? Before 7-8 am or after 7-8 am?

Also is there is still a particular night curfew? There is now a universal curfew or is there some special rules for night to early morning?

I live on a main road (LBS marg) with police checks quite close to my house. Over the last week, I have seen two wheelers and private vehicles being stopped but walkers (individuals and masked) allowed to go through without any checks. Also taxis (yellow number plates) generally pass through without being stopped.

Would suggest to give either of the above two options a try. If stopped, she can always explain - I have seen cops being quite nice and at most they just ask you to turn back.

If she can go early morning (6 - 7:30 am), that's the best time. Most of the cops start arriving by 7.30 to 8 am only. Most of the check points remain empty or manned by minimal number of cops till then.

[arvind71181]

Originally Posted by poloman

In this thread I have always maintained life is worthier than livelihood.

Not directed at you, but this seems to be the general thought as well: 'My life is worthier than your livelihood'

Originally Posted by poloman

If you can feed the populace during lockdown, the only down effect will be a fall in GDP, but that you can manage later.

How to feed the populace is the problem. If that can be done, everyone will happily sit at home, waiting for the virus to pass

[lapis_lazuli]

Originally Posted by locusjag

I am not insensitive. .... Hope the situation gets better soon, given all the preparations being made on a war footing.

In my humble opinion, both the words sensitive and war footing probably have grossly different interpretations for the readers at large, than what you carry.

A few trains carrying a dozen oxygen containers, a few POs hurriedly released for O2 plants or an AI flight carrying 250 Oxygen concentrators after havoc has been wreaked is at most a defensive, knee jerk reaction typical of this dispensation. On top, you're threatened with NSA for venting your need for timely oxygen support. Yes, indeed, all hospitals are crooks then, so are all patients! All crying wolf at the same time!

Even with articles listed under DGS&D, the officially typical government purchase and delivery mechanisms would take a minimum of 30 days from raising the order till delivery at depot! These are emergency medical equipment for which planning could have been made over the last several months, but alas.

So, the "war" has to be delayed minimum 30 days just for the procurement my dear Sir! Sorry but the bug doesn't like to wait. Deployment is another story. Correct me if I am wrong with even emergency procurements.

Probably, if the armed forces were deployed and given a free hand, would things literally have moved under war footing. Rest is convenient rhetoric and insensitivity.

I am from Ghaziabad, NCR, been trying to arrange O2 for a fellow BHPian and his wife and I have called no less than 80 vendors. There's no availability of Oxygen, and as of today you need a referral from a VIP or a government doctor to get cylinders refilled. This is one more bureaucratic step added to defer the demand and make the party run around for that useless piece of paper losing precious time! Clever, but diabolic!

[akhil_007]

Maybe I'm disillusioned. But why can't handling of this pandemic be decentralised. Corporators exist at the lowest level of granularity in government.
What can they do?
1. Work on local level to mobilize resources for their own wards
2. Temporarily set up beds and other infra in schools(classrooms etc), covered playgrounds, indoor stadiums
3. Arrange oxygen/supplies/medicines on demand basis
4. Bring in doctors/medical student to treat the symptoms
5. Triage patients and take care of admissions/discharges


This won't cost them too much money(divert development funds).NGO's, local businesses (providing bed, food, medicines) tend to help a lot during these times. And it's a fantastic opportunity for them to rise up to the occasion and showcase their care / large heartedness. They will get re-elected forever.

I ran this idea by my local corporator. He dismissed this even without thinking.

India simply cannot be ruled/ managed centrally. Looks like power/money hungry politicos are making hay while bodies burn.

[joslicx]

Originally Posted by arvind71181

How to feed the populace is the problem. If that can be done, everyone will happily sit at home, waiting for the virus to pass

But problems do not get over at just feeding. As sadguru Jaggi popularly says, empty stomach only one problem; once stomach is full then there are hundred problems.

People have expenses also. Rents to pay. Bills to pay. Maybe emis to pay. Money is needed to buy all sorts of things like education or health or housing or electricity and what not. If you take away people's right to earn, how are they going to pay all this? Covid doesnot mean these expenses are gone. Some people are without any earnings for an year now. Really tough to fathom how they are surviving.

[BoneCollector]

An interview of Dr. Faheem Younus wherein he clears a few doubts as well as talks in a very reassuring way about what all we need to do.

https://youtu.be/nxg-9NP_JHM

He is also on Twitter and does share good insights into the pandemic. It's a longish video but would request people to watch it.

[hydraulicsteer]

Since vaccine is the only effective defence now, is it safe to venture outside home now for a first or a second dose considering the level of outbreak here in Delhi-NCR. Is the risk of getting infected higher than the safety and urgency of a vaccine. My mom(56)is high risk heart patient due for a first dose and dad(62) is due for a second dose this week. Can doctors/members share opinions please.

[ajmat]

Here is a Crowd Sourced CoronaVirus Resource Portal developed by my daughters university
https://covid19.nalsar.ac.in/crowdsourced-data/

[humyum]

Originally Posted by hydraulicsteer

Since vaccine is the only effective defence now, is it safe to venture outside home now for a first or a second dose considering the level of outbreak here in Delhi-NCR. Is the risk of getting infected higher than the safety and urgency of a vaccine. My mom(56)is high risk heart patient due for a first dose and dad(62) is due for a second dose this week. Can doctors/members share opinions please.

Since the doctor advised my dad a few more days before he could get vaccinated, my mom is going to get vaccinated tomorrow. We booked it Hiranadani in Powai when the slots were available. Its a long drive from my house and cops might catch, but I am hopeful seeing the booking sms of the vaccine they will let us through, Mumbai cops are amazing.

We tried since 3 days to get her a jab but the que's are so long in government hospitals, it felt like a corona hotspot, we just did not go and the private one's need prior booking for which slots open and close in no time.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by hydraulicsteer

Since vaccine is the only effective defence now, is it safe to venture outside home now for a first or a second dose considering the level of outbreak here in Delhi-NCR. Is the risk of getting infected higher than the safety and urgency of a vaccine. My mom(56)is high risk heart patient due for a first dose and dad(62) is due for a second dose this week. Can doctors/members share opinions please.

Try to find an outdoor site. Many sites are indoor, and many people do not wear masks properly (even removing them to talk to others) at these sites. So drive through and outdoor sites if available are much safer than a room. I am not sure if you have such sites where you are

[civic-sense]

Originally Posted by hydraulicsteer

Since vaccine is the only effective defence now...

Somehow, I am losing faith in this vaccine thing. A few months ago vaccines were supposed to make us immune, promote herd immunity and perhaps stop this pandemic in time. But now with the vaccinated getting infected - even dying, people catching the disease a second time - sometimes in a couple of months, I am slowly losing hope.

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Try to find an outdoor site. Many sites are indoor, and many people do not wear masks properly (even removing them to talk to others) at these sites. So drive through and outdoor sites if available are much safer than a room. I am not sure if you have such sites where you are

I think the vaccination drive indeed contributed to the covid surge. When I went for my jab, I went to a private hospital to avoid crowd. Yes, crowd was low, but people came wearing cloth masks, lowered the masks to talk on phone or even cough. After the jab they led us to a closed 10×10 ft room for observation. Imagine some 6 people in a small closed room. I felt I should have gone to some stadium where they do mass vaccination.

Now am thinking about avoiding the second dose altogether.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by civic-sense

Somehow, I am losing faith in this vaccine thing. A few months ago vaccines were supposed to make us immune, promote herd immunity and perhaps stop this pandemic in time. But now with the vaccinated getting infected - even dying, people catching the disease a second time - sometimes in a couple of months, I am slowly losing hope.

It's not even open to question until sufficient percentage of the population gets vaccinated. Then we can pass judgement. But please don't ask me when that will be.

I think the vaccination drive indeed contributed to the covid surge...

Had my second just a week ago. Still a bit worried that I was closer to more people for one hour, than any other hour of the past twelve months. My first was better managed in a bigger space.

[Quoter]

Originally Posted by akhil_007

Maybe I'm disillusioned. But why can't handling of this pandemic be decentralised.

Healthcare has always been decentralised actually. Centre is forced to come in as the state governments have raised their hands. I am not defending GoI at all, just stating that building more beds, hospitals, oxygen plants, maintaining adequate stock of medicines is purely a state government responsibility. For larger cities like Delhi and Mumbai, the municipal corporations also run hospitals since they have enough funds and they are all equally to blame for not taking healthcare seriously.

[Thilak29]

Attended a session conducted by qualified doctors and hosted by an employer. Some excerpts.

- Stop comparing the current wave to the previous one in its severity or symptoms. This is an entirely new ball game.
- Symptoms can appear harmless at the beginning before turning fatal within a quick span of time.
- Stay at home and do not venture out. Consider this new battle to fight.
- Keep some emergency cash at hand, the hospital system needs cash to operate despite honouring insurance claims.
- Younger population is seeing hospitalisation and requiring critical medical attention, do no grow a false sense of safety if you are young and healthy.
-Get vaccinated at the earliest opportunity and continue to follow all safety precaution as you can be a carrier of the virus (if you ignore safety/hygiene)

[srvm]

Originally Posted by balenoed_

The inevitable has happened.

Karnataka govt announces 14-day complete lockdown in Karnataka from Tuesday 6pm to reduce the number of infections and to break the chain of the virus. "Essential services allowed between 6-10am. After 10am, shops to remain closed. Only construction, manufacturing & agriculture sectors allowed," said Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa.

On a positive note, hope this lock down gets things under control and reduces the spread.

Karnataka CM (who tested positive for Covid-19 twice in the past) while announcing this lockdown, kept his mask removed in a room full of Govt staff and media folks. He also kept scratching his nose and chin many times. And he has the nerve to ask people to follow Covid appropriate protocols whenever outside home
Yatha Raja, thatha Praja

Why can't those in power set an example to common man? These were the same folks who were campaigning at Maski, Basavakalyan and Belgaum with full crowds.