Disclaimer: I have created this page to share in a timely manner with my close friends, colleagues, students, and family members important information about the coronavirus outbreak that is ravaging the entire world right now. While I am making my best effort to fact-check each piece of information, the reader is solely responsible for the outcome of any of his/her decisions taken based on the data/information/suggestion/advice written on this website.
Posts are written in reverse chronological order.
Post 8: Entire India Under Lockdown
DATE/TIME: MARCH 25, 6:50PM (IST), 2020.
Yesterday, the PM announced that the entire India will be under lockdown for 21 days. It is unprecedented.
Post 7: Celebrities (Famous and Infamous) Infected With New Coronavirus
DATE/TIME: MARCH 23, 2:30PM (IST), 2020.
- Sophie Gregoire Trudeau
- Lorenzo Sanz (dead)
- Paulo Maldini
- Tom Hanks
- Rita Wilson
- Fellaini
- Idris Elba
- Harvey Weinstein
- David Bryan
- Prince Charles
Post 6: Lockdown of 75 districts in India and What It Means
DATE/TIME: MARCH 22, 9PM (IST), 2020.
The following districts will be under lockdown from tomorrow.
Andhra Pradesh: Prakasam, Vijaywada and Vizag Chandigarh: Chandigarh Chhattisgarh: Raipur Delhi: Central, East Delhi, North Delhi, North West Delhi, North East Delhi, South Delhi and West Delhi Gujarat: Kutchh, Rajkot, Gandhinagar, Surat, Vadodara, and Ahmedabad Haryana: Faridabad, Sonepat, Panchkula, Panipat and Gurugram Himachal Pradesh: Kangra Jammu & Kashmir: Srinagar and Jammu Karnataka: Bangalore, Chikkaballapura, Mysore, Kodagu and Kalaburgi Kerala: Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kannur, Kasargod, Kottayam, Mallapuram, Pathanamthitta, Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur Ladakh: Kargil and Leh
Now what is meaning of lockdown of an area?
Government of West Bengal Order below clarifies that. I assume it would be identical or very similar in other states.
POST 5: Indian Railways
DATE/TIME: MARCH 22, 3:30PM (IST), 2020.
In an unprecedented move, all passengers trains (not the freight/goods trains) will remain suspended from running until March 31, 2020.
POST 4: MHRD
DATE/TIME: MARCH 22, 3PM (IST), 2020.
The secretary of Ministry of Human Resource Development, GoI has issued the following guidelines to all autonomous institutes funded by it (like IIT Bhilai where I work). Main takeaway: work-from-home. (Courtesy: Dr. Santosh Biswas)
POST 3: USA
DATE/TIME: MARCH 22, 11:45AM (IST), 2020.
I do not know what I should say at this hour of procession of dead bodies worldwide, I see a silver lining that USA was able to reduce the daily new deaths for three successive days. (source: worldometers.info)
Post 2: Kolkata
DATE/TIME: MARCH 22, 11:15AM (IST), 2020.
Private testing labs in Kolkata are the following (source: NABL website https://nabl-india.org/). There are 74 testing centers.
Post 1: RAIPUR
Date/time: March 22, 10:45am (IST), 2020.
If I understand correctly, Indian health ministry has now allowed private labs to perform COVID-19 tests as well. See the circular: https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/NotificationofICMguidelinesforCOVID19testinginprivatelaboratoriesiIndia.pdf
Remember the private labs must have NABL accreditation for real-time PCR assay for RNA virus (I do not know exactly what it means.)
Based on The NABL website https://nabl-india.org/ the following private labs may be testing for coronavirus in Raipur:
Also do not forget that AIIMS Raipur is the only government lab in Chhattisgarh that tests coronavirus. http://www.aiimsraipur.edu.in/index.php
Apparently there are no testing centers at Bhilai (private or government).
