Port Blair, July 29: The UT administration has decided to impose complete lockdown across the Islands on weekends to stop the coronavirus spread. The decision has come amid a spike in the number of Covid cases in the Andaman and Nicobar islands. Accordingly, complete lockdown will be imposed on weekends i.e. Saturdays and Sundays till the situation improves in the islands. All the offices of government establishments, local bodies, shops, commercials and private establishments, industrial establishments, transport services, hospitality services etc. shall remain closed during the lockdown period. However, essential services such as water, electricity, sanitation, hospital veterinary hospitals, medical establishments, including their manufacturing and distribution units both in public and private sector such as dispensary, chemists, pharmacies, medical equipments shops, laboratories, nursing homes, ambulances, police fire and emergency services, Disaster Management, Prison Management, the transportation services involved in logistic of essential services will remain exempted from the lockdown.
All mainland and inter-island passengers / travellers shall be home quarantined for seven days from the day they enter into the islands / district or till they are tested negative, whichever is earlier.
Monday, August 3, 2020
Citizens' Corner 29/07/2020
* Corona virus spares nobody, it is proved in these Islands! The Administration has well equipped with all items such as gloves, masks, hand sanitizers, etc. to protect its staffs in various departments only, used to be preventive against corona virus. Despite, six doctors of GB Pant, one Asstt. Secy. from Sectt., DC office staff, NIC staff, ICMR staff, even Raj Niwas staff tested positive.
* It is good that the A&N Administration has taken the responsibility since the beginning of Covid-19 on its shoulder only, and it didn't let enter anyone outside the part of Administration even for the sake of suggestions. As per latest update, total cases breached the mark of 428 among them 225 active, 201 cured/ discharged and 02 died in A&N Islands. Altogether 199 Isolation beds are available in these islands rest cases are managing through Home Isolation. Can't do anything, let's hope for the best.
Shun tobacco products to prevent COVID-19: MoHFW
Port Blair, July 29: The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has again warned against use of any tobacco products to prevent getting infected from novel Coronavirus. The latest advisory has been issued in concurrence with the WHO statement on tobacco use and COVID-19 issued on 11 May 2020, which can be accessed at https:// www. who.int /news-room/detail/11-05-2020-who-statementtobacco-use-and-covid-19. To quit tobacco, citizens have been advised to call the toll free Quitline 1800-11-2356 or/and also avail the services of mCessation through behavioural change text messages by sending a missed call on the mCessation number 011-22901701 or registering at http://www.nhp.gov.in/quit-tobacco, the advisory said.
There have been recent
reports in the media quoting studies conducted in France suggesting the
possibility of link between tobacco or nicotine in the prevention or treatment
of COVID19. The findings of these studies are inconsistent with the broader
existing evidence that tobacco use impacts the lungs and other organs, lowers
the immunity and makes people vulnerable to COVID-19. The French studies used
limited data sets and the findings are inconclusive. Researchers of these
studies do acknowledge the limitation in the study that hospitals were probably
not recording patients' smoking status properly as they were too busy treating
patients, the advisory said. On benefits of quitting smoking, the Ministry said
that the carbon monoxide level in the bloodstream drops to normal within 12
hours of quitting. "Within 2-12 weeks, circulation improves and lung
function increases. After 1-9 months, coughing and shortness of breath
decrease."
"Evidence from
countries reporting COVID-19 related fatalities has highlighted that the people
with pre-existing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are more susceptible to
becoming severely ill with COVID-19. Tobacco, being one of the causes behind
these NCDs, indirectly puts the tobacco users or/and smokers at risk of being
affected by COVID-19. Moreover, tobacco use poses a significant risk by
accelerating the transmission of COVID-19 because the virus spreads primarily
through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person
coughs or sneezes. Chewing tobacco products (Khaini, Gutkha, Paan, Zarda) increases
the urge to spit. Spitting in public places increases health risks especially
those of spreading the infectious and contagious diseases like, COVID19,
tuberculosis, swine flu, encephalitis, etc.
Smoking impairs lung function, thereby reducing the immunity and making it harder for the body to fight off various diseases. Smoking, e-cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, pan masala and the like products use can increase risk and severity of pulmonary infections because of damage to upper airways and a decrease in pulmonary immune function. Smokers are likely to be more vulnerable to COVID-19 as the act of smoking means that fingers (and possibly contaminated cigarettes) are in contact with lips which increases the possibility of transmission of virus from hand to mouth. Experts have confirmed that smokers are more likely to develop severe symptoms or die from COVID-19, as it primarily attacks the lungs. Further smoking products such as water pipes or hookah often involve the sharing of mouth-pieces and hoses, which could facilitate the transmission of COVID-19 in communal and social settings, the advisory.
Dr. S. Ganesan passes away
Port Blair, July 22: Condolences were showered from all corners of A&N Islands on sudden and untimely demise of Dr. S. Ganesan, Regional Director, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). He breathed his last on 21/07/2020 after a massive heart attack. He was 53 and is survived by his wife and a daughter. Dr. S. Ganesan was a very good orator and popular columnist in local newspapers. He was the person, who recognized everyone who associated with IGNOU, and took the University upto new heights in the A&N Islands during his tenure. He was instrumental in popularizing various vocational courses of IGNOU during his 3-year tenure at Port Blair as the Regional Director of IGNOU.
Many eminent persons and organizations have expressed their deepest condolences on the sudden demise of Dr. S Ganeshan. Under his leadership, IGNOU, Regional Centre here achieved great heights and his demise is a big loss for the students' community. IGNOU associates prayed for eternal peace for the departed soul and prayed the Almighty to giving enough strength to the members of the bereaved family to bear the irreparable loss.
MP condoles death of Dr. S Ganeshan
Port Blair, July 22: Shri Kuldeep Rai Sharma, Member of Parliament and President, Pradesh Congress Committee, Andaman & Nicobar Islands along with all senior leaders of PCC and its frontal organizations have deeply mourned the sad and untimely demise of Mr. S. Ganeshan, Regional Director, IGNOU, Port Blair who passed away on 21.07.2020 at GB Pant Hospital and prayed to Almighty to give eternal peace to the departed soul and courage to the bereaved family to bear the irreparable loss, a communication said.
Tribal Development Council, A&N Islands takes up the issue of land erosion in Mus Village of Carnicobar with the Prime Minister
Port Blair, July 22:
The residents of Mus village in Car Nicobar Island are living in fear after the
land near the jetty has been going through massive soil erosion day by day for
the last 20 years. The foundation of the shoreline protection seawall was
inaugurated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi during his visit to Car
Nicobar on 30th December 2018. However the construction work has not started and
has created a panic among the villagers living near the shoreline as the
monsoon season is about to begin. In this regard Shri Rayhaan Pasha, Secretary, Tribal Development Council, A & N Islands
has written to the Prime Minister praising him and seeking his intervention in
this regard. Shri Pasha said construction of the shoreline protection seawall
will bring a big relief to the islanders.
Earlier today Nicobar Chamber of Commerce and Industries had also tweeted the issue to the Prime Minister and other officials of the district administration. Speaking to the media, the executive secretary of NCCI Shri Ebrahim Jadwet said "the shoreline issue has been pending for a long time since the tsunami , I was so happy that finally the foundation stone was laid in 2018 but unfortunately the work has not started. I am glad that Rayhaan Pasha on behalf of Tribal Development Council has written to our beloved Prime Minister Modi ji to save the villagers of Mus village, and we hope the construction will start soon".
Mass Tree Plantation conducted by YBSC Trust
