India lockdown diary, Day 3: Doctor dies in Mumbai, truck full of migrants, Kejriwal’s appeal

As India has entered the third day of lockdown, here is a look at how state and cities are coping up. (Express photo by Vishal Srivastav)f

The death toll due to the coronavirus outbreak touched 17 on Friday, with 724 confirmed cases across the country. The Centre is working in tandem with various state governments to tackle the spread of the pandemic and to ensure that the curfew is observed diligently.

Here is how the states, and union territories in the country are dealing with the outbreak:

Delhi

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today assured people that even if the number of positive cases in the national capital were to rise, Delhi is adequately prepared for it. As many as 39 confirmed cases of Covid-19 have been reported in the national capital till Friday morning. Establishments providing essential services, including grocery shops, will be allowed to operate 24×7, Kejriwal announced.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal held a meeting via video conferencing with District Magistrates and Deputy Commissioners of Police, today.

Meanwhile, groups of daily wage workers and migrant labourers working in different parts of the city are returning home amid the three-week lockdown, due to lack of shelter and food. Several workers are traveling on cycle, while others are walking to their villages in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other parts.

Radhe Shyam along with his three children is going to Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh from Delhi which is around 400 km away. He said that he worked as beldar, lived in Dwarka, and is now left with no food to eat so heading home. @IndianExpress #CoronaLockdown pic.twitter.com/3ZaJnQAna5

— Abhinav Rajput (@Abhinavrt) March 27, 2020

Kejriwal urged, “All those who are leaving Delhi and going back to their respective states, we appeal to them to not leave the city. We have made enough arrangements for you.”

The northwest district wing of the Delhi police adopted as many as 250 families staying in a Pakistani Hindu refugee camp in the area, who largely worked as daily wagers. Police said they would contribute funds from their pockets to support the families.

Uttar Pradesh

The Uttar Pradesh police had come under scanner on Thursday for allegedly making five labourers squat and hop on the road while they were walking to their homes amid the lockdown. The constable involved in the action has been removed from duty and a probe has been initiated against him.

The state count rose to 52 today, whereas, 11 have recovered or discharged, the health ministry website said. In Varanasi, the local administration in the district’s Baragaon area reached out to help the families of six children from the Musahar community in Koiripur village after the children were seen eating a plant. The photo of the children went viral on Thursday.

The picture of the kids eating plants that went viral

In Baghpat, today, a suspected coronavirus patient was caught by police from open fields after he escaped from the isolation ward. He was admitted yesterday after his acquaintance was found positive.

Maharashtra

A doctor in Mumbai, who had tested positive for COVID-19, died last night at city’s Hinduja Hospital. His grandson had returned from the United Kingdom on March 12 and was under self-quarantine, the family told civic officials. The family of six has also tested positive for the virus.

Meanwhile, in Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district, police stumbled onto the trucks carrying migrants during a routine inspection at a police check-post on the state’s border with Telangana. Yavatmal Superintendent of Police M Rajkumar said the drivers claimed to be transporting essential goods to Rajasthan. However, when police and revenue officials checked the trucks, they found several hundred men sitting inside.

Stalled trucks at checkpoints as India is under lockdown (Source: Anandhu KC)

In order to step up prevention measures, Home Minister Anil Deshmukh announced that the prison department would release 11000 prisoners from over 50 state prisons in the next few days. Labourers from Boisar, Palghar and neighbouring districts also began the long walk to return home as the country observed a total lockdown.

West Bengal

A day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote to 18 counterparts to provide food and shelter to the labourers from the state working across the country, jute industry workers in the state lamented over loss of work. While they are familiar with the concept of ‘lock out’, they’ve never heard ‘lockdown’ in their life time. While a lock out offers some certainty of getting a job in times of crisis, a lockdown may just mean they have run out of that last sliver of hope.

Labourers walking to their villages take a nap along the Lucknow-Faizabad highway on Thursday. (Express photo by Vishal Srivastav)

“We always fear a lock out situation. Because it means we will be out of work. But there’s hope that maybe we will have some work in other sectors. But after lockdown, not only will we become penniless, we will also not have any option to earn,” said Rabi Raha, a daily wage labour at the Hukumchand Jute Mill.

West Bengal has reported 10 positive cases until now. Meanwhile, the state’s first private lab got the nod today to conduct Covid-19 tests and the hospital is awaiting arrival of test kits to take in samples. Kolkata police has arrested 2,327 persons so far in 72 hours since the lockdown began.

Punjab

In Punjab’s Chandigarh, nearly 70 CTU buses went around the city selling vegetables and fruits to residents, however, residents complained of overcharging at several places. Punjab CM Amarinder Singh had also directed convicts to be released on parole in order to empty prisons and also ensured dry ration packets to 10 lakh families.

Three lady constables, on their very first posting, are guarding the boundaries of Khara Mangoli to contain the spread of Covid-19. The slum establishment was the first area in Panchkula to report a positive case.

People standing in queue in front of Punjab National Bank to get their money during the lockdown on Thursday. (Express Photo by Gajendra Yadav)

Punjab’s first coronavirus patient, who returned from Italy and was undergoing treatment, tested negative in her second sample and has been discharged today. Punjab has until now reported 33 positive cases.

From the South

Kerala, which has reported the second highest positive cases, with the number touching 176, has time and again undertaken various measures to contain the spread of the pandemic. With a dedicated round-the-clock war room to adequate supply of mid-day meals to anganwadi kids, the government is reaching out to the poor and underprivileged sections of the society.

Security personnel at an empty station in Kerala as Janata curfew brings life to standstill. (Express Photo: Nithin R K)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called upon Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami to ensure social distancing is maintained in the state. According to an official release, PM Modi said that the government should ensure social distancing is practiced in the state. PM also urged Edappadi to ensure essential commodities reach people. In reply, Edappadi said all mentioned steps have been implemented in the state.

In Karnataka, Mangaluru Police made violators of the lockdown hold a ‘I am guilty’ placard. The police along with Ramkrishna Mission volunteers want people to understand the importance of the situation. ‘I am guilty. I have violated Covid-19 lockdown orders,’ the placard reads.

Mangaluru Police made violators of the lockdown hold a ‘I am guilty’ placard.

Meanwhile, in Telangana, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao called has called for greater public discipline and asked people to stay indoors as 10 new Covid-19 cases were reported today. He said that at least 20,000 foreign returnees were in home quarantine.

‘Even with the lockdown, 10 new cases were reported today. So people should realise how serious the situation is. They should cooperate with the authorities and stay indoors. People going out to buy essentials should not move around in groups,’ KCR said.

Locals make their own barricade in front of the paras entry point (Express Photo: Shashi Ghosh/Kolkata)

Gujarat

Indian Council of Medical Research and Gujarat government approved the Neuberg Diagnostics Private Limited to announce commencement of Covid-19 testing at their laboratories.

Streets of Vadodara on day 3 of lockdown#Lockdown21 #Covid19India
Photo courtesy: @Vadcitypolice @IndianExpress pic.twitter.com/OTWLNqrLoL

— Aishwarya Mohanty (@pirouetteworld) March 27, 2020

In Gujarat, positive cases touched 44 after third death was reported in Bhavnagar yesterday. Meanwhile, state deputy chief minister announced that transport had been arranged for 700 migrant workers after reports of them walking to neighbouring state Rajasthan on foot, immediately after PM Modi’s lockdown announcement, surfaced.

Meanwhile, Surat police, upping its surveillance tactics are using drones to check gatherings in the city.