Coronavirus outbreak: GRP distributes masks, gloves, sanitisers to police staff

Government railway police (GRP) on Monday distributed 7,500 masks, 7,500 pairs of gloves, and 100 bottles of sanitizer to 17 GRP personnel to protect them from the

Government railway police (GRP) on Monday distributed 7,500 masks, 7,500 pairs of gloves, and 100 bottles of sanitizer to 17 GRP personnel to protect them from the novel coronavirus

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“3,500 staffers are working at 17 police stations and headquarters. With around 80 lakh passengers travelling daily, these personnel have to perform their duty to maintain law and order and control crime. As we have to take precautionary measures, we distributed these to our staff,” said Ravindra Shengaonkar, GRP commissioner.

According to Shengaonkar, GRP has noticed a 10% decrease in footfall in the past 15 days as people have started working from home. A 30-% decrease in crime has also been recorded.

Mumbai Bagh protest may be called off

Mumbai More than a month-and-a-half after the women from Muslim community began a sit-in protest on Morland Road in Mumbai Central against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), some volunteers from the protest site said the protest maybe called off temporarily in the wake of coronavirus pandemic. Some volunteers along with political leaders met police officers at Nagpada police station on Monday, following which they were advised to call off the protest.

“This is in the larger interest of the society because protest sites such as these could further aggravate the pandemic. If schools and colleges in the city have been shut, we will need to temporarily suspend our protest, but we will take a decision on it in the next 24 hours,” said Feroze Mithiborwala, an organiser.

Railways asks employees to keep distance

Mumbai Indian Railways has asked its ticket checkers to maintain distance while checking the tickets of passengers inside outstation and local trains and on railway stations.

In view of the coronavirus pandemic, Central Railway has launched a drive against littering and spitting at railway stations.

In addition, all zonal railways have been asked to monitor the crow and identify passengers with visible symptoms at railway stations through closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras.

Apart from railways, bus services, both intercity and tourist buses within the city, have been severely impacted due to the rise of coronavirus cases in the state, especially in Pune and Mumbai. Of the 1,800 intercity buses, 300 came in the city on Monday with limited passengers.

‘Quarantine must for fliers from affected spots’

Mumbai The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday made it compulsory for all passengers transiting via or travelling from the UAE, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar to undergo compulsory home quarantine for 14 days. The regulator’s temporary order will be effective between March 18 and 31. The circular, issued on Monday, stated, “Travel of passengers from member countries of the European Union, the European Free Trade Association, Turkey and the United Kingdom to India is prohibited with effect from March 18, 2020. No airline shall board a passenger from these nations to India.” Currently, passengers arriving from affected countries (especially France and Italy) are made to undergo thermal screening and are asked to be quarantined at their homes for 14 days.