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Your space: Helplines to social media policing, Pune is arming itself to fight Covid-19
Pune currently has the most number of positive Covid-19 (coronavirus) patients in Maharashtra. Residents tell us the precautionary measures they are taking to tackle the virus outbreak. While the Pune civic body is taking steps to prevent the spread of Covid-19, our readers write to us their observations and what needs to change. Here is what they have to say...
Prior to the government’s decision to shut schools, we had briefed our students and their parents on information about Covid-19 and what precautions need to be taken to mitigate its spreading. Students were guided to wash their hands frequently and to use sanitiser. Children having health issues did not attend school, and to help them, we sent all the academic work to their parents through email. All the helping staff in the school — security guards, cleaning staff, food handler and teaching and non-teaching staff alike — were guided by our Symbiosis Centre of Health Care on the issue. The recent announcement by the government is a proactive step to curb the spread of the virus. As individuals, it is our responsibility to adhere to basic civil sense and hygiene. Students and adults must not involve in any social gatherings, or any activities which involve public interaction. The purpose of social distancing must be followed. We know it is going to be a challenge to confine students at home, but we are going to send all students a schedule which includes some suggestive activities which they can perform at home and will also include some e-study materials and worksheets.
Veena Havanurkar
Say no to panic
With coronavirus threatening to run riot in the city, one must take precautions and keep themselves safe from the scourge. As of now, a vaccine has not been formulated for the novel coronavirus. In light of this fact, prevention appears to be the best cure available so far. Residents must not panic. If residents have any symptoms of Covid-19, they must get themselves checked. Residents with flu-like symptoms must stay in home isolation. One can contact the helpline too.
Dr Deepak Pakhale, zonal medical officer, PMC
All sports tournaments cancelled in city
City authorities are doing a great job and my only request to people is:- don’t switch to panic mode. At local level as well we cannot take risk. We have to cancel all our tournaments as per the orders issued by the health ministry. Most of the tennis tournaments were of u12 and u14 which were going to start this week. Since the schools are also closed, we had to postpone all the tournaments. Most of the sports tournaments in the city are put on hold.
Roshan Bhagat
More efforts needed by city administration
The coronavirus situation in Pune is alarming with 10 positive cases reported. I have come across some people who have turned completely vegetarian due to fear of catching the virus. People are avoiding crowded places. My housing society has asked the members to provide information about visit to any foreign country in the last 15 days as a precaution. I still watch children play out in the open without any precautions which I feel is risky. Parents need to see to it that their kids are protected. Youth don’t seem to be very careful either and need to take the situation more seriously. The government should send medical staff in slum areas and educate people about the virus. More efforts need to be taken by city administration.
Shrikant Eklahare
Lack of awareness
The precautions taken by the city administration is good, but awareness about the virus is lacking. Despite directives from the state government, residents are still wearing masks, which is not right. Spreading awareness is a must. Keep doing regular workouts and stay mentally strong. Cases will only rise if people go into panic mode and start treating every single health issue as a symptom of coronavirus.
Saurabh Kakliya
Fact check before forwarding
It was good to see the authorities acting swiftly on the virus case. At the same time, it is important that no false information is spread. A lot of people are forwarding messages without checking its source. Residents must fact check before forwarding any information. The city police cyber cell must be on alert as non-credible information is going viral. It becomes very difficult to filter the false information from the truth. It is important for citizens to understand the gravity of the situation and stay safe and help others likewise. Help the local authorities to tackle the situation by playing our roles sincerely. Maintain social distance temporarily. I would also like to praise the doctors, nurses, support staff, pharmacists, people working at the airports, security personnel, drivers, and government officials for their time and effort and keeping their lives on line for the safety of others. We can’t thank them enough.
Ankit Rungta
Public transport hotbed for transmission
We as individuals and as a city have a mutual and co-dependent responsibility which, if carried out accordingly, can go a long way in curbing the spread of the virus. Even if we do not have the exact cure right now, we can collectively take measures to contain the spread of the virus. The city administration can take precautionary measures and restrict any mass gatherings in order to limit human-to-human contact and ensure that the spread does not increase manifold and the situation does not snowball into something grim and out of control. The public transport system in the city is hotbed for the virus transmission and should be sanitised effectively. We as individuals can take steps such as quarantining ourselves in case we develop flu-like symptoms. Residents must follow the guidelines issued by the health ministry.
Dr KJ Aga
Local media are doing a tremendous job
I think Pune as a city is definitely doing remarkable work to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Residents are voluntarily opting to wear masks and avoiding travel. The local media is doing an amazing job by providing information to residents. They are covering the happenings despite the risk involved. They are also sticking to guidelines and not going overboard while covering the case. The city mayor recently went live on social media and radio to spread awareness. This shows the right intent of everyone to fight the pandemic. What must be curbed is the malpractice of certain pharmacists that are selling sanitisers and masks at an exorbitant rate.
Aditya Gund
City is quarantining itself
As an individual, I feel Pune is taking preventive measures to tackle the virus. I see everyone around me wearing a mask and carrying sanitiser. Also, I see people washing their hands more frequently than usual. There are pamphlets on virus prevention being circulated. I think this is the basic procedure for any city to follow and to prevent an outbreak of an epidemic. Also I see lesser crowd on roads and public places. As a city, Pune is well educated about the spread of coronavirus. Various organisations have implemented the scheme of work from home for their employees while others are taking adequate preventive measures.
Zeba Sayed
Prevention is the only cure
I think prevention is the key to check coronavirus spread as there is no vaccination available yet. Even though the city authorities are ensuring all the precautionary measures to control the spread, we also can reduce the risk by making sure to stay at home when sick and enforcing simple guidelines like washing hands regularly and avoiding unessential public meets. Rather than panicking, people should seek authoritative information. Let’s try to avoid spreading misinformation or fake news related to coronavirus. Authorities also have to ensure that all required safety gears are made available to residents.
Prajakta Kumbhar
People with travel history should take pre-emptive tests
Here are a few points which are imperative to implement to curb the spread of virus. Construction, maintenance and furniture activities should stop for at least one month. People with asthma and other lung infections are at maximum risk and above activities cause maximum dust and particulate matter in surrounding areas, putting the immunity of such people at risk. People with travel history outside India since January 1 should all undergo pre-emptive tests irrespective of symptoms as people with strong immune system might be affected but no visible or mild symptoms might appear. This is to prevent secondary transmissions into people who have no travel history. Public events, malls and multiplexes should be open only during non-peak hours to avoid human interactions.
Santosh Mansharamani
Reduce rates of masks, sanitisers
People should refrain from going to public places such as malls, restaurants, cinema halls and religious places. The city transport buses must ensure hygiene as it is used by many residents. The pandemic is serious. Rates of masks and sanitisers must be reduced. Though the Naidu hospital is doing a commendable job, 30 per cent posts are lying vacant in the state health department. While the politicos blame each other, residents suffer the most.
Anoop Panjwani
