Tag: Haryana Lockdown

By PTI
JIND: A number of locals in a village in Haryana’s Jind district on Wednesday allegedly defied COVID-19 lockdown norms with some of them marching through the streets, and giving various reasons for their act.

Police said lockdown norms were violated for a while in Danoda village of the district, but they persuaded the locals that it was not in anybody’s interest to get into such acts that could endanger lives amid the raging pandemic.

The villagers told reporters that they took the decision based on several grounds, including to protest against Sunday’s incident in Hisar town, where several people were left injured during a clash as farmers were stopped from marching towards the venue of the COVID hospital inaugurated by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

To protest against the incident, Hisar’s Data village also appeared defiant and villagers on Wednesday announced that they will not obey the lockdown restrictions.

The village panchayat held a meeting and decided to extend “non-cooperation” with the authorities and not to allow any health or police teams entry into the village.

The Data villagers condemned the alleged police lathi-charge on farmers in Hisar on Sunday.

Commenting on a COVID isolation centre set up in their village, some villagers alleged that it was serving no purpose and lacked facilities for COVID-19 treatment.

Earlier, villagers of Masudpur in Hisar district had reportedly said they would defy the lockdown as well and keep all the shops open in the village.

Many had said they were upset with the policemen issuing challans to villagers riding bullock carts and going to their fields.

Meanwhile, in Danoda village, after marching through the streets, villagers who were joined by some small shopkeepers held a dharna.

They also blocked the Hisar-Chandigarh road for a while.

Addressing the dharna, many villagers claimed that when the Chief Minister went to inaugurate the COVID hospital in Hisar there was a “big gathering” of people at the venue.

“Why are COVID-related guidelines not enforced at such events?” asked a Danoda villager.

Another villager said when the government gives a plea that COVID cases have increased and imposing lockdown is a must, then the Chief Minister too could have inaugurated the Hisar hospital through virtual mode.

“Why are rules thrust upon us only?” he wondered.

Another villager said the lockdown was causing financial loss to the small shopkeepers in their area.

The villagers asked shopkeepers to open their shops too.

Notably, the ongoing lockdown has been imposed in Haryana since May 3 and is currently enforced in the state as a measure to bring down the spread of the virus after the recent surge in cases.

A police official, who reached the spot where the villagers were holding a dharna, appealed to them not to violate lockdown norms.

He also pointed out to the gathering that only a few amongst them were wearing masks while most were not following social distancing norms.

Later, when contacted, SHO (Sadar-Narwana) Raj Kumar said they persuaded the villagers not to defy the lockdown rules.

“We told them if they continue to do so, we will have to proceed and take action as per law. We made them understand that such acts could not only put their life in danger, but also endanger other people’s lives too as the pandemic was still raging,” the policeman said.

Kumar said the villagers later agreed and said they would obey the norms.

Haryana on Wednesday reported 153 fresh COVID-19 fatalities, taking its cumulative death toll to 7,076, and 6,818 new cases, pushing the state’s infection tally to 7,16,507.

According to the health department’s daily bulletin, the latest deaths include 22 from Karnal, 15 from Gurgaon, 14 from Hisar and 10 from Panipat.

Among the districts reporting a big spike in new infections are Gurgaon (1,161), Hisar (565) and Faridabad (435), it showed.

The total number of active cases stands at 70,758, while the count of recoveries has reached 6,38,673.

The state’s COVID-19 positivity rate is 8..50 per cent and the recovery rate 8914 per cent, the bulletin showed.

By PTI
CHANDIGRAH: Haryana on Sunday reported 139 COVID-19-related fatalities, taking the death toll to 6,685, while 9,115 new cases pushed the infection count to 6,94,427.

According to the health department’s daily bulletin, the new deaths include 16 from Hisar, 12 each from Gurgaon and Jind, 10 from Rohtak and nine from Ambala district.

Among the districts which reported a big spike in daily cases include Gurgaon (1,864), Faridabad (702), Hisar (713) and Sonipat (520), it said.

The total active cases currently stands at 90,066 while the overall recoveries so far stands at 5,97,676.

The positivity rate is 8.41 per cent while the recovery rate is 86.07 per cent, it added.

By PTI
CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government on Tuesday said doctors and paramedical staff discharging their duties in the state amid the COVID-19 pandemic can now avail free lodging and meal facilities at Public Works Department (PWD) guest houses.

Issuing the order for the same, Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala, who also holds the PWD portfolio, said the decision was taken to ensure the well-being of the doctors and the paramedical staff.

As they are serving the people of the state during this time of crisis, if they wish, they can stay at PWD rest houses instead of going back home, the deputy CM said, as per an official statement.

It will be ensured that they get proper facilities at these rest houses, he added.

Haryana has registered a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases and fatalities in recent weeks.

By PTI
CHANDIGARH: Haryana on Monday recorded the highest single-day rise in its COVID-19 death toll with 75 more people succumbing to the disease as well as 11,504 fresh cases, which pushed the tally to 4,35,823.

According to the health department’s daily bulletin, the latest deaths included nine from Hisar, seven each from Gurgaon and Sirsa and six each from Faridabad, Sonipat and Fatehabad districts.

On April 25, Haryana had recorded 64 fatalities.

The death toll due to COVID-19 in Haryana has climbed to 3,842.

Among the districts that reported a big spike in cases are Gurgaon (3,555), Faridabad (1,545), Hisar (908), Sonipat (711), Karnal (673), Panipat (523), Panchkula (434) and Jind (418).

The number of active COVID-19 cases in the state were 79,466.

So far, 3,52,515 people have recovered and the state has a recovery rate of 80.88 per cent, the bulletin said.

Meanwhile, the Haryana government has demanded about 20,000 remdesivir injections from the central government for providing timely treatment to COVID patients.

According to an official statement here on Monday, out of these 20,000 injections, about 10,000 will be made available in private hospitals.

To prevent any black-marketing or hoarding of these injections, the state government is taking concrete steps and seeking a daily report on the consumption and availability of this drug in the market, it said.

Health Minister Anil Vij said that the Haryana government has placed an order for 40 lakh Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, and 26 lakh for Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.

“Haryana government has placed order for 40 lakh Covishield vaccine and 26 lakh for Covaxin vaccine,” Vij tweeted.

The Centre recently allowed the country’s large 18-plus population to get inoculated from May 1.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday asserted that there is no shortage of medical oxygen in the state while assuring people that the state government was geared up to ensure people do not face any problem amid the raging coronavirus pandemic.

Khattar visited Panipat, Rohtak, Hisar and Faridabad to take stock of the situation amid a surge in the number of virus cases.

The Chief Minister, who was responding to questions posed by reporters during a visit to Panipat, ruled out any shortage of medical oxygen in the state.

“There is no oxygen shortage neither in Hisar or at any other place,” said Khattar whose response came when his attention was drawn to some deaths in three private hospitals in Rewari, Gurugram and Hisar allegedly due to oxygen shortage.

He, however, said that magisterial probe has been ordered in these incidents.

Notably, the kin of most of the patients who died in the incident had levelled allegations of oxygen shortage.

In another development with Haryana facing increased demand of medical oxygen, Home and Health Minister Anil Vij said, “Installation of oxygen generation plant by all hospitals in the state has been made mandatory”.

While Khattar asserted there was no shortage of oxygen, Vij in his tweets, however, pointed to shortage of empty oxygen cylinders in hospitals.

Vij, under whose chairmanship the state government on Monday formed a sub-committee to monitor the COVID situation, said to overcome shortage of oxygen cylinders, “all factory owners in Haryana have been directed to deposit all cylinders they have with the respective deputy commissioners as there is a great shortage of cylinders in hospitals”.

Vij also requested to Indian Medical Association to come forward and lend a helping hand amid the COVID situation.

“We want to create extra coronavirus hospitals at places of need. For that we are in need of more doctors. Please come forward,” he tweeted while referring to the IMA.

With Haryana seeing an influx of patients from Delhi and elsewhere in the wake of the sharp rise in cases, CM Khattar while responding to a question said, “We will treat them irrespective of wherever they may be from”.

The Chief Minister also visited the site in Panipat and Hisar where a 500-bed dedicated COVID hospital each is to be set up.

Speaking in Rohtak after taking stock of essential health services for COVID-19 patients at PGIMS-Rohtak, Khattar said no coronavirus patient will be allowed to suffer due to lack of medical oxygen.

The Chief Minister said Haryana’s daily quota for medical oxygen has been increased to 200 metric tonnes (MT) which was earlier fixed at 162 MT by the Centre.

The central government has been requested for 240 MT of oxygen, he said, as per an official statement.

Khattar said industrialist Naveen Jindal, who is a former MP, has also said that he will send 5 MT of liquid oxygen and people will not be allowed to suffer from a lack of the life-saving gas.

In view of the raging COVID-19 pandemic, he said 650 additional beds are being arranged at PGIMS-Rohtak, whereas earlier 350 beds are already available for COVID-19 patients.

He also said 1,250 additional beds are being arranged in different medical colleges of the state and space has already been identified for setting up 500 such beds.

Health Minister Vij, said that amid the ongoing COVID-19 situation, 20 vehicles each would be deployed in all the districts so that these can be used as ambulances.

Vij, who also heads the state-level COVID monitoring committee and held its meeting here, said the MBBS and final-year PG students studying in medical colleges will also be deputed so that the patients do not face any problem in the hospitals.

The Health Minister said the deputy commissioners have been directed to make arrangements of additional beds in their districts.

For this, the use of vacant halls, schools, dharamshalas and the support from social organisations can be taken, he said.

Meanwhile, Khattar, who also visited Faridabad, said no stone would be left unturned to ensure uninterrupted supply of oxygen.

At Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College in Faridabad where Khattar reviewed arrangements, an additional bed capacity of 100 for COVID patients was being created and the facility would be run with the help of Army’s Western Command.

In Hisar, Khattar directed the officers concerned to explore the possibilities of setting up a 500-bed hospital in the premises of O P Jindal Modern School.

In Panipat district, the 500-bed hospital would be set up in the premises of the Indian Oil Corporation Refinery, the statement said.

Chief Secretary Vijai Vardhan on Monday directed all deputy commissioners to identify two to three banquets or wedding halls in their respective districts so that they can be used in case of emergency.

He also directed the deputy commissioners to set up a ‘Quick-Response Team’ and appoint a nodal officer over five to six small hospitals in their respective districts.

The chief secretary was presiding over a meeting of the state-level Crisis Coordination Committee here, an official statement said.

The deputy commissioners and superintendents of police of all the districts attended the meeting through video conferencing.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who presided over another meeting of the state-level monitoring committee set up in view of the present COVID situation, directed the officers concerned to purchase additional oxygen tankers and set up an oxygen concentrator system as per requirement.

Khattar said use of oxygen beds should also be rationalised.

He said strict action will be taken against hospitals not complying with the norms prescribed for COVID-19.

The chief minister said the Health Department should keep a close vigil on the hospitals across the state and should also take steps to micromanage the situation.

He sought information about the district-wise allocation of oxygen and its proper supply.

Increasing the stock of oxygen supply, speeding up the construction of dedicated COVID hospitals at new locations, purchase of oxygen concentrators were some of the major issues that were discussed in detail during the meeting, the statement said.

The chief minister said despite the improvement in the health condition of patients, many are not being discharged from the hospital because of low oxygen levels.

For this, the implementation of an oxygen concentrator system would certainly prove to be beneficial, Khattar said.

He also directed the Health Department to adopt the necessary procedure for purchasing the concentrators and work out modalities in this regard.

These concentrators will prove to be a boon for home isolated COVID patients, he said.

By PTI
CHANDIGARH: Haryana on Sunday recorded the highest single-day rise in its COVID-19 death toll with 64 more people succumbing to the disease on Sunday as well as 10,985 fresh cases, which pushed the tally to 4,24,319.

Gurgaon district continued to remain the worst-hit as it again recorded a big spike in cases on Sunday.

In view of a surge in COVID-19 cases to check further spread of the infection, the district administration of Gurgaon and a few other districts, which have seen a spike in cases, on Sunday ordered imposition of Section 144 of the CrPC with immediate effect prohibiting the gathering of more than four people at one place, unless specifically permitted.

The other districts where these prohibitory orders have been issued include Panchkula, Faridabad, Hisar and Sonipat.

However, these orders shall not apply on police force and other public servants on duty, persons of medical industries/institutions, persons working in sectors related to essential products or services, officials said.

In another order issued by the Gurgaon district magistrate on Sunday, all IT/ITES units in the district shall operate their offices through work from home till 9 am of May 3.

Meanwhile, according to the health department daily bulletin, the latest deaths included 11 from Gurgaon, 10 from Faridabad, seven from Hisar, six from Karnal and five each from Sonipat and Ambala districts.

With the fresh deaths, Haryana’s death toll due to the viral disease climbed to 3,767.

Among the districts that reported a big spike in COVID-19 cases are Gurgaon (3,410), Faridabad (1,560), Hisar (940), Sonipat (610), Karnal (570) and Sirsa (469).

The number of active COVID-19 cases in the state were 74,248.

So far, 3,46,304 people have recovered and the state has a recovery rate of 81.61 per cent, the bulletin said.

In the wake of sharp rise in COVID-19 cases, all the deputy commissioners have been instructed to take decisions as per local needs regarding imposing Section 144 CrPC, fixing the minimum number of employees in the government offices in the districts, and ensuring that there is no crowd gathering anywhere.

The Haryana Police on Sunday launched helpline numbers for people to share information related to black marketing of medical oxygen cylinders, Remdesivir injections and drugs, critical for treatment of COVID-19 patients.

Director General of Police Manoj Yadava said citizens, who have any information about black marketing of oxygen cylinders and other life saving drugs, can contact on 7087089947 and toll-free number 1800-180-1314 for quick action.

Amid rising cases of coronavirus, the move is aimed at effectively stopping black marketing of oxygen cylinders and drugs used in the treatment of COVID-19, a statement issued by Haryana police said.

“If anyone receives any such information, he can immediately make a complaint to the police stating the name and number of the person who indulges in black marketing.”

“Strict action as per law would be taken against people found involved in such heinous crime during the prevailing COVID situation. The identity of the informer will be kept confidential,” the DGP said.

Giving details of recent crackdowns on such offenders, the statement said the police and chief minister’s flying squad in Gurgaon have arrested four people who wanted to sell nine oxygen cylinders at exorbitant rates of Rs 90,000 each.

In another case, the police in Sonipat have arrested the manager of a company on charges of selling oxygen cylinders at exorbitant rates amid their rising demand.

“Arrested accused Kashish disclosed that his company deals in oxygen cylinders for industrial use but after the recent rise in demand of oxygen cylinders for medical use, he started selling them to COVID patients at high rates to make a quick buck.”

“More than 170 oxygen cylinders have been recovered by the team during the raid conducted on Saturday,” the statement said.