Tuesday Brief

1 As expected yesterday both Bharati Singh and her husband were granted bail by the Magistrate’s court. The couple were arrested and booked under charges relating to possession and consumption of Ganja, and as per NCB both had admitted that they consume Ganja. The funny part is Neither the NCB nor the public prosecutor representing the agency appeared before the magistrate court to make submission on the bail pleas. The NCB did not even submit replies on the bail pleas. Which only proves that the couple’s arrest was just to get cheap publicity, in turn this shows NCB in rather sad position. Now if the officers  of NCB have little sense then instead of apprehending small time user of drugs they should go after drugs peddlers and main culprit who supplies drugs to these peddlers.

2 Maharashtra govt  is very worried because after few days drop in number of Covid cases, post Diwali there has been surge in cases all over the state. Yesterday they imposed stringent /restrictions for people coming into state from Gujarat, Goa, Rajasthan and Delhi, all of which  recently seen spike in Covid cases. The which will be effective from 25^th Nov 2020, are as follows:

For Flyers- They will have to submit RT-PCR negative test report on arrival in Maharashtra. The test should have been done within 72 hours before landing. Otherwise they will be tested on arrival and follow protocol. People from Maharashtra flying to these 4 states for short visit, can get tested here and submit the report on return.

For Train Travellers- Have to carry RT-PCR negative test report, which should have been tested  at least 96 hours before landing. Otherwise if symptomatic, they will be given antigen test, if found +ve they will be sent to Covid centres.

For Road Travellers- Those symptomatic have to take antigen test and if find positive they will be sent to Covid centres or they have choice of returning to home state.

At last the Maharashtra govt is woken up, if they had taken this step during /after Ganpati festival then the surge in number of cases after Ganpati festival could have been curbed.

3 There is news item today, which made me think how the people can be so innovative, when Covid pandemic is concerned. A Mumbai based travel company, is offering ‘vaccine tourism’, which will fly you to USA for Rs1.75 lakh those who want to get a dose of Covid vaccine. Their teaser message “Be among the first to get Corona vaccine” is doing rounds in various WhatsApp groups for last one week. As soon as it was announced that Pfizer vaccine is officially allowed to sell from 11^th  December, this tour will be operative after that date. The travel agency said that we are ready to few VVIP clients for vaccine shot to USA. The cost will include to and fro airfare from Mumbai to New York,  stay for 3 nights and 4 days with breakfast and shot of one vaccine dose. The travel agency further added that “ We are developing Vaccine tourism, and then listed out the manner in which US might offer access to it, beginning with healthcare workers, those who are suffering from lifestyle conditions, those aged over 65, and finally it would be commercially available in hospitals. We are not holding or procuring any vaccine. Everything we will arrange well within laws of US. We will only process your requirements. We are not collecting any advance or deposits now. We just your registration with us with your name, email, cell phone number, age, any other physical/medical complications and passport details. Rest everything will be done as per official permissions of health department  in USA. Unless they announce official sales to other than American citizens, we can not get any vaccine.”

Other people from travel industry are saying that “ question here ie whether it is legal to collect personal information such as medical records and passport details from the people who want to be vaccinated, when the vaccine is not even out in the market, and no body knows when it will be available for non US citizens.

Whatever may be end result of this “vaccine tourism”, one thing is again prove that we Indians are very innovative and can grab any business opportunity.

Awaiting your comments/views/feed backs.

Anil Malik

Mumbai, India

24^th November 2020.