Covid-19: Migrant workers protest across India, demand to be sent back home

On Monday, stranded workers took to the roads demanding to be sent back home; several isolated stone pelting incidents were also reported

The Union Home Ministry allowed inter-state movement of migrant labourers and stranded tourists, pilgrims and students during the lockdown, last week. Even as the central and state governments are arranging trains and buses to ferry the migrants, several protests have errupted in several parts of the country. On Monday as well, stranded workers took to the roads demanding to be sent back home; several isolated stone pelting incidents were also reported.

In Telangana, on Monday, several migrant labourers were sent back to their native state from Golkonda limits of Hyderabad by buses. Out of them, 100 migrant labourers were sent to Jharkhand by two private buses. “There are about 6000 migrant labourers in Golconda limit and till now we have issued passes to about 500 members and will soon issue to others as well,” an inspector told ANI. “The migrants who want to leave with the help of government are sending a request online to the state govt, while the ones who are willing to go on their own are going to the police,” he added. In Andhra Pradesh, police resorted to lathi-charge at a large group of migrant workers, protesting in West Godavari district demanding to be sent to their home states. Over 300 migrant labourers held agitation and reportedly pelted stones at the police.

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Enthused by the huge response, South Western Railway (SWR) operated three more special trains from Bengaluru to ferry over 3500 stranded migrant workers. One train left for Jaipur, Rajasthan on Monday while two were sent to Danapur, Bihar. Three more trains for Bhubaneswar in Odisha, Danapur, and Hatia. “In all, 7,184 migrants were sent to different states in the past 36 hours. ” another official told IANS. A similar train to Howrah could not be run as the state government is waiting for a response from Bengal govt for receiving migrants and screening them on arrival…Read More

Covid-19 Factoid: Death toll in India is doubling at same rate as in the US

Even as the number of daily fatalities globally fell for 3 straight days and the US epicentre of New York on April 18 saw only 23 new cases, New Jersey reported more than 3,000 on the same day

The global tally of coronavirus infections has gone past 2.4 million, and the death toll stands at 166,000. A little more than 600,000 people have now recovered from the infection. The United States, the worst affected country, accounts for more than 30 per cent of all reported cases globally. It is followed by Italy and Spain with less than 10 per cent cases apiece.

In India, the total number of confirmed cases has now topped 17,000, with the current death toll at 559. With 2,854 recoveries, a little more than 16 per cent of all infected people have managed to beat the virus.

Here are a few data trends to help you understand the present pandemic situation:

1. Daily fatalities fall for three days in a row

The number of fatalities reported daily has come down significantly from its peak of 10,761 on April 14. For the past three days, there has been a progressive decline in the number of deaths. However, it is too early to predict that the curve has flattened. The US still has the highest number of deaths, at just a little under the combined total of the next two countries – Italy and Spain.

2. Covid-19 deaths in India doubling at the same rate as in the US

The time taken for death toll to double in India is below the world average of 12. Worryingly, the metric for India is the same as that in the US, at 9. Italy and Spain, with the second- and third-highest fatalities, took 20 and 17 days before their respective fatality figures doubled…Read More

India coronavirus dispatch: Social measures to raise public consciousness

From risk stratification approach, to a game-changing vaccine, and what precautions you should take when visiting a shop – read these and more in today’s India dispatch

Here’s a round-up of important coronavirus-related articles from across Indian publications. From risk stratification approach, to a game-changing vaccine, and what precautions you should take when visiting a shop – read these and more in today’s India dispatch

Citizens Under Lockdown

NGO feeds 30,000 slum dwellers daily during lockdown: The Mumbai Roti Bank (MRB), a non-governmental organisation, founded by Sivanandan in January 2018, has tied up with the Mumbai Police to ensure that the city’s daily-wage earners and the poor living in areas like Dharavi, a containment zone, do not go without food. Read more here.

Covid lockdown takes a toll on India’s red-light areas: Most residents of red-light areas live in cramped quarters, with poor sanitation and often no running water, ruling out social distancing and other hygiene measures that are supposed to contain the virus. Should a case of Covid-19 be detected in these areas, it would spread like wildfire, social workers as well as residents of red-light districts fear. Read more here.

Long Reads

Essential outreach services hit in states with worst health indicators: Six of the eight most socioeconomically backward Indian states — together called the empowered action group — which have among the highest infant and maternal mortality rates have discontinued health outreach services during the lockdown, multiple government and media reports show. Immunisation, antenatal checks (ANCs) and nutrition drives have been halted in all these states except Odisha, which continues apace, and Uttarakhand, which has kept its immunisation services open. Read more here.