Govt begins Phase 3 of Vande Bharat, 165k brought back in first two rounds
The Indian government on Thursday launched the third phase of the Vande Bharat Mission to repatriate stranded citizens, after more than 165,000 Indians returned to the country in the first two phases.
The third phase of the programme will continue till August 2 and more than 400,000 Indian nationals have registered with missions abroad for repatriation on compelling grounds, external affairs ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava told a weekly news briefing. “The focus of the ministry continues to be on the repatriation of stranded Indians. As of Thursday, 165,375 Indians have returned. They include 29,034 migrant workers, 12,774 students and 11,241 professionals.”
More than 61,000 Indians have also returned through land border immigration checkpoints from Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, he said.
The government launched Vande Bharat Mission in April to repatriate Indians who had been stranded around the globe because of Covid-19-related restrictions. The initial phases of the programme focussed on West Asian countries, which are home to around 8 million expatriates.
The third phase of Vande Bharat Mission will significantly accelerate the rate of repatriation in June as there will be 432 flights from 43 countries to 17 Indian states and union territories, Srivastava said.
Besides Air India, private carriers will operate 29 flights.
There will also be flights from six countries in Africa, 53 flights from the US, 24 flights from Canada, a total of 170 flights from GCC states, and 16 flights each from Paris and Frankfurt, which will serve as hubs in Europe for Vande Bharat Mission.
World Health Organisation (WHO)’S regional director (South-east Asia) Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh says there is no difference in the protection medical masks and N95 respirators offer. She says scientific evidence shows both result in large reduction in the spread of Covid-19. In an interview to Sanchita Sharma, Singh also spoke about the need for the general population to wear fabric or medical masks in public places. Edited excerpts:
What is better? N95 respirator or surgical mask?
Randomised controlled trials do not show any difference between medical/surgical masks and N95 respirators in reducing the transmission of airborne infections. Some observational studies also show both medical masks and N95 result in large reductions in the transmission of coronavirus. WHO recommends health care workers use N95 masks and other protection when conducting aerosol-generating procedures or in settings where these procedures are occurring. It is usually in health care settings, for example, when a health worker is intubating a patient.
What is the evidence regarding the protection provided by masks? Masks are a part of a comprehensive package of measures to suppress transmission and save lives. The use of a mask alone is insufficient to provide an adequate level of protection.
What kind of mask should the general public wear?
The general public is advised to wear non-medical, fabric masks where there is a widespread transmission and limited capacity to implement control measures, such as casefinding and contact tracing. Wearing masks is important where physical distancing is not possible, such as on public transport, in shops or in other confined or crowded environments.
Following WHO research and development meeting in February, a research group was requested to conduct a study on masks. The study identified preferable types of fabrics, the number of layers, and the composition of a non-medical mask. It should include an inner layer of absorbent material such as cotton, a middle layer of nonwoven material such as polypropylene, and an outer layer of a non-absorbent material such as polyester or polyester blend. The mask should allow you to breathe while talking and walking briskly.
With cases rising, what actions are needed to prevent a surge?
The transmissibility and severity of Covid-19 have not changed . ... Severity also remains consistent. We know that the virus causes a range of illnesses, with a majority of people having experienced mild symptoms and 20% a more severe disease. As the transmission of Covid-19 is not typically homogenous within the country, a national risk assessment should be supported and implemented through sub-national or even community-level risk assessment. We need to aggressively