The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved an ordinance, making acts of violence and harassment against healthcare personnel deployed in combating COVID-19 a non-bailable offence with maximum punishment of seven years imprisonment and Rs 5 lakh fine.

A provision for withdrawal from the EPF Scheme to fight COVID-19 pandemic was announced by the government and an urgent notification issued, providing for non-refundable withdrawal to the extent of basic wages and DA for three months or up to 75 percent of the amount standing to member’s credit in the EPF account, whichever is less.

The court noted that guidelines indicate that the government has declared services for all crucial areas such as maternal, newborn and child health, prevention and management of communicable diseases, treatment for chronic diseases to avoid complications and addressing emergencies, as ‘essential services’.

There is a clear direction that all health services including Ayush would remain functional, such as hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, telemedicine facilities as well as dispensaries, chemists, pharmacies, medical laboratories and collection centres, it said.

Various aspects have been covered in these guidelines which also include measures with respect to illnesses like hypertension, diabetes and mental health and diseases such as tuberculosis, vector borne and viral hepatitis, it noted.

Such additional activities allowed by the government of Kerala, include opening of local workshops, barber shops, restaurants, book stores, MSMEs in municipal limits, bus travel in cities and towns for shorter distance (upto 60 km), two passengers in the back seat of four wheeler and pillion riding on scooters

The home ministry said in some districts, a number of violations to the lockdown measures have been reported, posing a serious health hazard and risk for spread of COVID-19 which include attacks on frontline healthcare professionals, complete violations of social distancing norms outside banks, PDS shops and in market places, movement of private and commercial vehicles with passengers in urban areas and so on.
The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 543 and the number of cases climbed to 17,265 in the country on Monday, according to the Union health ministry.

“The index has dropped 7 per cent more than it did during the 2009 financial crisis. The near halt in almost all non-essential activities in the industrial and services sectors due to the nation-wide lockdown has led to a fall in the optimism levels for net sales and new orders to the lowest level in 18 years,” Dun & Bradstreet Chief Economist Arun Singh said.

“Airlines are advised to open their bookings only after a decision in this regard has been taken by the government,” the minister added.Earlier on Saturday, Air India said it has opened bookings on select domestic flights from May 4 and on select international flights from June 1.