Coronavirus: Cyclists deliver groceries to the sick and the elderly in Bangalore

Avid cyclists of Bangalore are volunteering to freely serve the sick and the elderly in their areas as relief riders. Without charging for their service, they will fetch supplies for senior citizens and the ailing, be it groceries, milk or medicines. The riders will even periodically check on the aged people on the request of family members who are staying far away from them.

So far, 36 riders are serving their areas spread across Bangalore. “The Bengaluru Relief Riders program is an initiative of CycleToWork ambassadors along with other interested cyclists across the city of Bengaluru under the Bicycle Mayor of Bengaluru,” says Sonal Kulkarni, co-founder, Urban Morph.

COPS LENDING A HELPING HAND
The cops are busy serving the migrants and the poor in the city by cooking  or arranging food for them across the city. There is also a dedicated number that the residents can call in case they spot quarantined people in public areas: 9154153916. In addition, the BBMP has launched a Quarantine Watch Mobile App that requires the quarantined citizens to send a selfie every waking hour. “If the GPS coordinates change, they will be sent to a government-run mass quarantine centre,” says BBMP commissioner BH Anil Kumar. However, some residents expressed doubts on the efficacy of this exercise as a person can take multiple photos and ask someone to mail the cops every hour. Rakesh Kumar Singh had a better suggestion: “The telecom companies can already monitor the location of the mobile numbers. This could have been done from day 1 of Corona reaching India. IT could have been used over this application to trigger alarm if the subject moves by x distance.“

YOU CAN DO YOUR BIT
Praveen Sood, DGP, Karnataka, has asked all philanthropists to support the poor by leaving packed food at the nearest police stations. He has instructed the city police commissioner to appoint a nodal officer to ensure fair distribution in every area. Similarly, Hemant Nimbalkar, IGP & Additional Commissioner of Police (Administration), has asked the residents to call 100 anytime they require transport for reaching the nearest medical facility for emergencies, dialysis, chemo, emergent heart issues, and so on.

COVID-19 STATS: 8 LAKH AND COUNTING…
So far, over eight lakh people are affected by the novel coronavirus around the globe, while India has recorded over 1250 people, despite the week-long lockdown. Two more weeks to go before the moratorium is removed, if the centre’s assurances are to be believed. The top countries affected by this pandemic are the United States (1.64 lakh), Italy (1.01 lakh), Spain (94,400), China (81,500), Germany (68,000), Iran (44,600), France (44,550), U.K. (22,800), Switzerland (16,000), Belgium (12,800), and Netherlands (12,600), among others.