The agency also left open the possibility it would issue an emergency use authorization for a vaccine.
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Tuesday, June 30, 2020
Trump officials suggest some states skipped over reopening guidelines
“I am quite concerned about what we are seeing evolve in four states,” Anthony Fauci told the Senate health panel, without naming the states.
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Bengaluru reports 503 new cases, contacts of all patients not known yet
Karnataka reported 20 more COVID-19 deaths, taking the state’s death toll to 246.
Representational image/PTI
Karnataka reported 947 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday according to the state health bulletin taking the total number of cases in the state to 15,242. More than half of the new cases reported in the state came from Bengaluru city. With 235 discharges across the state and 20 more deaths, the number of active patients undergoing treatment across the state stands at 7,074. The statewide COVID-19 death toll as of Tuesday is 246. In another day of high cases for Bengaluru, 503 new cases were recorded in the capital city Bengaluru. With 10 discharges and four more deaths recorded in the day, the number of active patients in the city stands at 3,916. For the first time since Saturday, the infection history column in the new case details section of the bulletin has resurfaced. Incidentally, all cases reported in Bengaluru were designated as “contact under tracing,” suggesting that the patients had no known source of infection either by travel history or contact with already infected patients. Other than Bengaluru, no other district reported more than 100 cases in the state. Ballari (61), Haveri (49) Dakshina Kannada (44), Uttara Kannada (40) and Vijayapura (39) are the other districts which reported more than 30 cases on Sunday. Shivamogga district reported 22 cases while Bengaluru Rural reported 21 cases. Dharwad and Bidar reported 17 cases each. Hassan reported 16, while Kalaburagi and Raichuru districts reported 15 cases each. Chikkaballapura (13), Davanagere (12), Ramanagara (12), and Chikkamagaluru (10) were the other districts which reported more than 10 cases. All other districts reported less than 10 cases for the day. Patients under critical care A total of 271 patients in the state suffering from COVID-19 have been admitted to the intensive care units (ICU) of which Bengaluru had 171 patients. Dharwada is treating 17 patients in ICUs, while Kalaburagi has 14 patients who are on ventilator support. Other districts reported less than 10 patients currently in ICUs. Case fatalities Among the 20 patients whose deaths were registered on Tuesday, two persons were in their early thirties. Eight of them were 60 years of age or above. One 31-year-old woman in Ballari who had diabetes and complained of breathlessness and another 32-year-old man in Belagavi who had Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) succumbed to the disease. A 36-year-old man in Mysuru who was diagnosed with Influenza-like Illness (ILI) was also among the 20 deceased. Other than a 44-year-old man from Kolar and a 45-year-old man from Bengaluru, both of whom were diagnosed with SARI, the rest were all either 50 years of age or above.
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Bangalore Uni students left in lurch as govt converts hostels into COVID Care Centres
The move has left the students angry about the sudden development forcing them to pack up and leave without any prior arrangements made for their stay or transportation.
Representative image
The administration at Bangalore University asked its students staying in two women’s hostels to vacate. There are about 550 students currently staying in the hostels - one for Northeast students and one SC/ST students. TV9 reported that this sudden announcement to move the hostel dwellers from their accommodations comes as the government has asked Bangalore University to convert its hostels into a COVID Care Centre(CCC). These COVID Care Centres will be used to house those who test positive for the novel coronavirus but are asymptomatic. The move has left the students angry about the sudden development forcing them to pack up and leave without prior arrangements made for their stay or transportation. Though the number of students currently staying in the women’s hostels is less, many have left behind their belongings in their rooms and have returned to their hometowns, TV9’s report said. The students who are currently still staying in the hostels may not have a place to go, or have come from far flung places and are left in the lurch. Students alleged that they were threatened by the police with cases if they refused to leave. They also said that the locks of the doors were broken. Kataria, an official with the Bruhut Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) said that they had requested the students to vacate the hostels, with one already having been converted into a CCC. The official also claimed that there was no one in the girls hostel. “It was locked, and there are about 200 rooms in the hostel. Each room has two beds, and we have to only add two additional beds into each room, as the rooms are quite spacious.” Students, who had been forced to vacate the hostel, however said that there is no transportation arranged for them to return to their native places, with neither the BBMP nor the Bangalore University Registrar helping.
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Videos from Ballari raise 'mass burial' suspicions of COVID-19 patients
“Let us put it in one hole and close it. Put it slowly,” says one man heard in the video that emerged from Ballari.
Screengrab
Two videos showing five men wearing personal protective gear and throwing four body bags, one after the other, into two large pits have emerged from Ballari district in Karnataka. “Let us put it in one hole and close it. Put it slowly,” says one man heard in the video. Another voice can be heard saying, “Two(bodies) have been already...” To this, the first man responds saying, “Let us put it in this and then close it.” The five men in PPE are accompanied by a man in a mask standing by a black van (seemingly referred to in the video as 'driver sir'). Another man is seen walking away, presumably taking a video on his phone. One video shows the men dropping three black body bags into a pit. In another video from the same spot, four of the men are seen running towards another pit. They drop the body bag that they are carrying into the pit and two of them return with another. In both the videos, an earthmover equipment is also seen in the frame. While the district administration said that the site resembles a designated burial site for COVID-19 patients, a probe has been initiated to verify the authenticity of the video and the incident depicted in the video. Sources however say that there has been immense pressure to bury bodies immediately and the administration has faced stiff resistance over choice of place. Till Monday evening, Ballari has reported 23 deaths due to COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic, and more than a dozen deaths of this total was reported in the last two days alone. Health Minister Sriramulu told the media, “By any chance, if the burial has not happened according to the Centre’s rules, I will serve them notice. I am given to understand that it has not happened that way. I will ensure it is examined and action is taken." Reports however say that the burial was conducted with the government’s permission and the place was chosen in a hurry as local residents had objected at the first site that the administration had chosen. Ballari Public Information Officer Ramalingappa said the site seen in the video resembles the land behind Maramma Temple in the Ballari Industrial Area. He said the last burial activity for COVID-19 patients by the district administration took place on Monday evening. “We have seen the viral video. A committee headed by Additional Deputy Commissioner PS Manjunath has been formed to probe the incident as directed by the Deputy Commissioner today. So they will investigate the matter and send a report to the DC,” Ramalingappa told TNM. The Ballari DC could not be reached for a comment. Opposition party JD(S) has also tweeted the video and questioned the ruling party's management of the COVID-19 crisis in the state. In the tweet it said, “BEWARE! By chance, if you or your family members die because of COVID-19, this is how the BJP Govt. in Karnataka throws away your body with many others into a single pit! This is the 'well-planned COVID management' that the Govt. talks about everyday in the media!.” BEWARE! By chance, if you or your family members die because of COVID-19, this is how the BJP Govt. in Karnataka throws away your body with many others into a single pit! This is the 'well-planned COVID management' that the Govt. talks about everyday in the media! pic.twitter.com/jwIfhrcjN1 — Janata Dal Secular (@JanataDal_S) June 30, 2020 There were others too who shared the video on Twitter and outraged how the dead were denied dignity. This is how dead #Corona victims bodies are being disposed in #Ballari #Karnataka. No dignity. #DC has now ordered an inquiry. Sad, when the end cometh. #COVID #COVIDIOTS @CovidKarnataka @kappansky @writetake @GauthamMachaiah @nimmasuresh @vinaysreeni #death pic.twitter.com/ZVkXROVqRA — anil lulla (@anil_lulla) June 30, 2020
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IMD issues yellow warning for three coastal Karnataka districts
Winds blowing at speed of 40-50 km per hour are expected on the coast and the Met department warned fishermen against venturing into the sea.
Courtesy: PTI
The Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert and forecasted heavy rains for three coastal districts and 12 more in the south interior Karnataka region, an official said on Tuesday afternoon. "Thunderstorm with lightning is likely to occur at isolated places over south interior Karnataka from Tuesday to Wednesday," said a Met official. For Bengaluru city, the Met department has forecast a generally cloudy sky with light rain for the next three days. Coastal Karnataka -- Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada districts have been issued a yellow alert for the next two days with thundershowers and gusty winds. Winds blowing at speed of 40-50 km per hour are expected on the coast and the Met department warned fishermen against venturing into the sea. Meanwhile, heavy showers on Sunday night in Vijayapura district gave rise to flash floods in the Doni river and Sogali stream. An overflowing Doni river submerged the Talikote - Hadaginal bridge, a remnant from the colonial era, and also submerged some agricultural lands. Only recently, these agricultural lands were sown with toor dal plants. Similarly, many SSLC students also struggled to cross the bridge to reach their examination centres on Monday. Many houses were also flooded due to the rainfall at Nalatwad and Talikote taluk. Muddebihal, Basavana Bagewadi and Sindagi taluks also witnessed heavy rainfall. A 40-year-old farmer from Dharwad district was washed away in the Tuppari Halla stream, which is prone to flood during the monsoon season. Likewise, a truck carrying cotton also got washed away in a stream in Yadgir district. "There is an offshore trough and a circulation, because of which rain will continue in the coastal area. Only Malnad has not got sufficient rain this year. Probably after two days, Malnad may get some rains," Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) Director Srinivas Reddy told IANS. Otherwise, entire state got normal rainfall, said Reddy, though it is not active over Malnad.
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Bengaluru’s recent spike in COVID-19 due to flaw in accounting cases?
Sources told TNM that at least 1200 COVID-19 cases from mid June have been added to the last three bulletins.
Representational image/PTI
Bengaluru reported over 2100 COVID-19 cases in the last three days alone, a sharp rise compared the previous weeks. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner BH Anil Kumar conceded that a portion of the rise in numbers was due to to some 'accounting issues' and a reconciliation process. Sources in the state government however told TNM that the BBMP did not reconcile numbers for quite a few days, leading to the backlog. Bengaluru recorded a 75% increase in the number of COVID-19 cases from June 26 to June 27, going from 144 new patients to 596. On June 28, Bengaluru saw another jump, with 783 new cases reported. On Monday, Bengaluru Urban recorded 738 new COVID-19 cases, with the total number of patients in the district crossing 4000. Speaking with TNM, Commissioner BH Anil Kumar said a change in the window of recording newly detected cases earlier this month had led to some “accounting problems” in BBMP updating the daily numbers. He, however, emphasised no COVID-19 patient was delayed hospitalisation or left untraced. “This is because some days back, we have changed our format (window of reporting) of reporting in line with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR),” said Anil Kumar. He explained that ICMR’s COVID-19 data is uploaded from 12 midnight to 12 midnight. While BBMP changed their format from June 15, the Commissioner said that earlier new cases would be tallied up to 9pm. As a result, he said, “Between 9pm to 12am in the night, ICMR used to receive slightly around one-third of the cases of the day. So that would have to be carried forward to the next day. There were some kind of accounting problems for this transition period.” Anil Kumar explained, “We realized our problem around June 20 and that has led to some amount of reconciliation and this has led to the rise of the numbers. We have not missed any patient or delayed their hospitalization. All the patients were shifted, only the data reconciliation had not been done in line with the ICMR accounting.” On June 15, when BBMP changed their format, Bengaluru had recorded a total of 725 COVID-19 cases, while five days later, 1076 patients had overall tested positive in the city. The city had recorded an average of 70 COVID-19 cases between the five days. The BBMP Commissioner, however, did not specify how many reconciled cases were added to the recent bulletins. Two independent sources within Karnataka's COVID-19 management team told TNM that the BBMP had started reconciling the data only after being prompted by the state government. The sources confirmed that around 1200 patients who had earlier tested positive for the coronavirus have been included in the last three COVID-19 bulletins. While one source told TNM that these 1200 COVID-19 patients had tested positive over a 10-day period beginning June 15, another source was unable to confirm the exact timeline of these cases. “They are now being stage managed by putting data of 300 such patients on average for the last 3-4 days,” the source said. One source told TNM that state Chief Secretary TM Vijaya Bhaskar is aware of the matter. Sources in the Chief Minister’s office denied knowledge about the incident and claimed that the CM BS Yediyurappa has not been apprised about the issue. No source of infection in daily bulletins In another significant development, between June 27, June 28 and June 29, the state COVID-19 bulletin had no mention of the source of infection for the new COVID-19 patients reported on those days. This was not restricted to patients from only Bengaluru but the entire state. There was no clarification by Health Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey or Additional Chief Secretary, Health, Jawaid Akhtar why this was done. Until then, all bulletins had details on the source of infection, whether a patient had travel or contact history.
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COVID-19: Karnataka High Court closed for sanitization work for a day
Earlier the Mayo Hall court complex was shut down after a police constable posted there tested positive for coronavirus.
The Karnataka High Court premises will remain closed and all judicial, non-judicial and administrative work will remain suspended on Tuesday due to COVID-19 sanitization work. Chief Justice AS Oka passed an order to this effect. IANS reported that the decision came after a relative of a High Court functionary tested positive for the coronavirus on Monday. “It is hereby notified to the Litigant Public/ Learned Advocates/ Party-in-person/ Officers and Staff of the High Court of Karnataka, Principal Bench, Bengaluru that, the Judicial/Non-Judicial/Administrative functions of the High Court of Karnataka, Principal Bench, Bengaluru is hereby suspended for one day Viz., on June 30th 2020 for sanitization of entire High Court Complex, due to unavoidable circumstances. By the Order of the Hon’ble Chief Justice,” said the closure notification issued by Rajendra Badamikar, Registrar General of the HC. Earlier this month, the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court (the Mayo Hall court complex) in the city was sealed off for two days after a police constable working there tested positive for the novel coronavirus. That time the Registrar of the Karnataka High Court had passed an order to close the court complex for the sanitization process. For the closure period all sorts of work were also suspended. The order had said only emergency cases would be heard by theThe Principal City Civil and Sessions Judge, Bengaluru through video conferencing. Earlier, CJ Oka had said that the HC will be closed down if lawyers fail to maintain physician distancing norms and crowd in courts. There have been instances of police stations being sealed off, with police officers and accused who are detained or arrested testing positive. The Central Crime Branch (CCB) office in Bengaluru was sealed for two days in mid-June. That time one of the accused who were brought into the station had tested positive. Other police stations that were subsequently shut down for sanitization process include Cubbon Park, VV Puram Traffic, Shankarapuram and Kalasipalaya police stations. On June 21, alarmed by the high rate of infections among the police, Commissioner of Police Bhaskar Rao instructed all the 155 police stations to set up kiosks outside for public to register complaints to minimize contact.
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Turned away by 18 hospitals in Bengaluru, 52-year-old man with breathlessness dies
According to the man’s family, several reputed hospitals in Bengaluru refused to admit him citing lack of beds.
PTI : Image for representation
A 52-year-old man in Bengaluru died on Sunday night, shortly after he was admitted to a hospital and put on a ventilator. The patient, a resident of Nagarathpet in the city, was experiencing shortness of breath for over a period of 24 hours prior to his death. According to his family members, the 52-year-old was turned away by several hospitals before he was finally admitted to Bowring Hospital on Sunday night. While the family managed to arrange an oxygen cylinder on Saturday night, his samples for the COVID-19 test was collected by a private laboratory in Rajajinagar on Sunday morning. Speaking to TNM, the victim’s nephew said that the family was refused treatment in 18 hospitals in Bengaluru over a 24-hour period. He also alleged that they had contacted around 32 other hospitals, which did not agree to accommodate the patient. "For two nights, we were roaming in Bengaluru, going from one hospital to another. We begged and pleaded with many reputed hospitals to give us a bed but they turned us away, citing lack of beds. The authorities at Bowring Hospital asked us to wait until his coronavirus test results had returned before admitting him," said the nephew. The hospital finally admitted the 52-year-old on Sunday. However, the patient, who manages a garment shop in Austin Town, eventually died the same night. '18 hospitals refused treatment' “My uncle developed breathing issues on Saturday evening and we took him to a private hospital after calling an ambulance. We were turned down because we had told the hospital that the patient is experiencing breathlessness. We went to three more hospitals and it was the same story. By Saturday night, we had visited 18 hospitals," said the nephew. The nephew said that the list of hospitals they tried to reach included Sakra Hospital, Aster, Apollo, Manipal and Fortis Hospital. "We decided to wait till the test results were back the next day (on Monday) but by Sunday evening, his condition started to deteriorate. We called an ambulance and began searching for a hospital again," says the nephew. According to the nephew, hospitals mentioned in the list of designated private hospitals for COVID-19 treatment also declined to admit the patient. "We managed to convince the hospital authorities in Bowring Hospital on Sunday night to admit him since his condition had turned critical. He was taking a breath once in 20 seconds at the time. But within minutes of putting him on a ventilator, he passed away," he told TNM. 'No one should go through a night like this' The 52-year-old man’s death has once again turned the spotlight on the lack of beds available in hospitals in Bengaluru. "We are reporting this death in the media to make sure no one goes through a night like this. I know what it is like to have someone from the family in an ambulance and begging hospitals to treat them. You lose him in front of you and you cannot do anything. There is no humanity in this," the nephew said. The family is now waiting for the results of the COVID-19 test. The family's ordeal comes at a time when Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa is trying to convince private hospitals to allocate more beds for COVID-19 patients. Private hospitals and nursing homes in the city were directed to set apart an additional 2,500 beds for treatment of COVID-19 patients on Monday. However, the management of various hospitals, who held a discussion with the Chief Minister, said they were ready to set aside only 2,000 beds. 16 government hospitals and a number of private hospitals have been listed as designated COVID-19 hospitals in Bengaluru. Incidentally, Bengaluru has been reported a spike in COVID-19 cases over the last three days with 738 (Monday), 783 (Sunday) and 596 (Saturday) cases. The victim’s nephew alleged that there were a limited number of beds available for patients with breathing ailments. "Private hospitals should allocate more beds for patients who need to be isolated. There should also be an application or a platform to access information on the number of beds available in hospitals," said the nephew. The Karnataka government is currently developing an application which will help patients to find a hospital bed. However, the app will verify with the ICMR (Indian Council for Medical Research) database and allocate beds for only those who test positive for coronavirus.
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Bengaluru has 495 active containment zones now: BBMP
On Monday, 738 COVID-19 cases were reported in Bengaluru, continuing the spike in cases in the city.
There are now 495 active containment zones in Bengaluru, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) stated in its daily bulletin on Monday. The civic body reported that as many as 55 containment zones have returned to normal. The bulletin did not reveal the list of areas where containment zones have come up in the city. Speaking to TNM, Hepshiba Korlapati, who is in charge of the BBMP's COVID-19 war room, said that the spike in cases in the city was largely reported in the same areas where cases were observed earlier in the city's south, east and west zones. On Monday, 738 COVID-19 cases were reported in Bengaluru, continuing the spike in cases in the city. In the previous two days, Bengaluru reported 783 and 596 cases. This prompted officials to announce a lockdown in the state on Sundays starting from July 5. The curfew in the state from 9 pm to 5 am was changed and it is now from 8 pm to 5 am every day. Due to the spike in cases, BBMP is yet to map the location of over 2,000 patients in the city. The city's western zone with areas like Rajajinagar, Mahalakshmi Layout, Malleswaram and Chamarajpet, Govindarajnagar, Gandhinagar, with busy commercial areas has reported many cases, Deccan Herald reported. Malleswaram has reported 40 cases and Dasarahalli has reported 24 cases so far. The containment zone is now restricted to just the house of the infected person in a change introduced by BBMP. Bengaluru has so far reported 4,052 COVID-19 cases of which 3,427 are active cases. The city accounts for 91 of the 226 deaths reported among COVID-19 patients. Karnataka has reported 14,295 COVID-19 cases so far of which 6,388 cases are currently active.
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Pandemic unleashes a spike in overdose deaths
The coronavirus threat put on hold a billion-dollar research program focused on new forms of addiction treatment.
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House Democrats approve health bill, seeking contrast with Trump’s Obamacare assault
The vote was aimed at shoring up Democratic support in swing districts that fueled the party's House takeover in 2018.
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Monday, June 29, 2020
Bengaluru reports 738 COVID-19 cases on Monday as spike continues
The state health department's daily bulletin also stated that the 738 cases in Bengaluru accounted for 66.7% of the 1,105 cases reported in Karnataka.
The Karnataka Health Department reported 738 new COVID-19 cases in Bengaluru on Monday, continuing the spike in cases in the city. The state health department's daily bulletin also stated that the 738 cases in Bengaluru accounted for 66.7% of the 1,105 cases reported in Karnataka. This takes the total number of COVID-19 cases in Karnataka to 14,295 and the total active cases is now 6,388. In the previous two days, Bengaluru reported 783 and 596 cases prompting officials to announce a lockdown in the state on Sundays starting from July 5. The curfew in the state from 9 pm to 5 am was changed and it is now from 8 pm to 5 am every day. Bengaluru has reported 4,052 COVID-19 cases so far of which 3,427 are active cases. Nineteen deaths were reported in the state on Tuesday including 12 deaths in Ballari district, three in Bengaluru and one each in Hassan, Ramanagara, Bagalakote and Dakshina Kannada. The state health department reported eight of the patients had known comorbidities. Six deaths in Ballari were reported among patients without comorbidities and between the ages of 31 and 56. The deaths reported on Monday took the total number of deaths in the state to 226 including 91 from Bengaluru. Two hundred and sixty eight patients in Karnataka are currently in the ICU including 178 patients in Bengaluru. A total of 176 people recovered on Monday. Elsewhere, 76 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Ballari while Dakshina Kannada (32), Bidar (28), Uttara Kannada (24), Kalaburagi (23), Hassan (22), Vijayapura (22) also reported an increase in cases.
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Spat on, intimidated: Neighbour alleges harassment by B'luru IPS officer’s family
Vandana told TNM that she has spoken to the CIty Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao on the matter and has been assured of all assistance.
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, a Bengaluru-based IPS officer’s family has been accused of abusing power. The concerned officer is Ajay Hilori, who is facing probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation for the IMA Ponzi scheme scandal since 2019. Incidentally, the IPS officer is currently undergoing treatment for COVID-19 at a city hospital. In a Facebook post, Bengaluru-based lawyer Vandana Sudha Venkatesh alleged that the IPS officer’s wife abused her and spat on her. She further said that the family called the police on her. This happened after Vandana – who lives in the same building as Ajay Hilori’s family – made a complaint to the family about their child making noise. “Today while I was on a call and I was getting distrubed by the loud screeching of the child, so I called his mother whom I could see two floors below me along with the child. I politely asked her if she could manage to keep the child’s voice a little low. And after that around one hour later, around eight uniformed police staff came and rang the bell. They started shouting that they would book me for child abuse and started shooting video of me without my consent,” Vandana said. “They asked me how I yelled at a kid. This is when I lost my temper and shouted at them back stating that this was intimidation and they can't have eight policemen coming and threatening us. I also asked them which child abuse law they were going to book me under,” she added. Vandana said after an hour after the police left, she decided to confront Hilori's wife which is when the wife allegedly spat on her. Vandana told TNM that she spoke with CIty Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao on the matter. “He was very receptive and said that the city police will help me and he will send an officer to my home to register a complaint,” she said.
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NIOS postpones board exams again, leaving students in the lurch
Most teachers and parents are demanding that the exams be cancelled, and students be judged on internal marks.
Representative image courtesy PTI/Bengaluru
When Rahul began preparing for his Class 10 board exams with the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) in February this year, little did he know that he’d still be preparing for the exams even five months later. The practical exams have been postponed indefinitely, while it was announced that the theory exams will be held between July 17 and August 13. Rahul’s teacher Ambika says, “As children with disabilities, they need special training, and need to be continuously coached to write their exams. They have difficulty remembering things, and the constant postponements is adding to the stress of writing the exams.” She adds that this is the second time that the NIOS Class 10 and 12 board exams are being postponed, owing to the coronavirus pandemic. Ambika who is the Head of Centre for learning difficuties, Vidyaniketan Academy, adds that most of the children who opt to take the exams under NIOS have learning difficulties. “Usually, children with various challenges opt for NIOS. This means that the majority of the students writing under NIOS are children with disabilities. The postponement of exams is adding to their trauma,” she says. The teacher points out that other boards have chosen to cancel their board exams and are instead assessing their students based on internal marks. However, there has been no such announcement from NIOS, where the number of students is much smaller compared to other boards. Most teachers and parents are demanding that the exams be cancelled, and students be judged on internal marks. Ambika laments, “Everyone talks about inclusivity, but when it comes to the education of children with disabilities, nobody speaks up. There is no big lobby fighting for them.” Srinivas, a parent of a student enrolled in the NIOS system, says, “The board should look into averaging out the marks from the previous exams. Some students have already written certain exams and taken practical exams too. Supposing the exams get further postponed, our children lose out to students who are registered with ICSE and CBSE. Admissions will begin and all the seats will be taken. We don’t want our children to lose out an entire year,” pointing out that children with disabilities were already marginalised. According to official data, about 3,000 Class 10 and 12 students have registered to write the NIOS board exams in Karnataka this year. V Satish, the Regional Director of NIOS in Karnataka, says, “Deliberations are going on at the headquarters level. They have to make a decision jointly with the Education ministry. We’re hopeful that a decision will be reached soon.”
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Late care, comorbidities: Why Bengaluru’s COVID-19 fatality is more than rest of state
Experts have pointed out that where Bengaluru has failed, other districts in Karnataka have done remarkably well in limiting mortalities by using tele-ICU facilities.
Image for representation
The case fatality ratio of COVID-19 patients in greater Bengaluru (rural and urban) is close to double, at a rate of 2.70, compared to the overall state tally of 1.60. As per the COVID-19 medical bulletin issued on Sunday, while the case tally of Karnataka is at 13,190 and the death toll is 207, the combined death toll of the Bengaluru Rural and Urban districts is at 92 with a total of 3,419 cases among them. This means 2.7 out of 100 or 2.7% persons testing positive for the novel coronavirus die in greater Bengaluru while for the rest of the state the fatality is 1.6 out of every 100 patients or 1.6%. Further analysis of data by the State COVID-19 War Room states that the mortality rate of high risk patients (aged above 60 years or with comorbidities or both) in Karnataka is at 7.9%. At present, there are 1,415 patients undergoing treatment in the state. Epidemiologist Dr Giridhar R Babu attached with the Public Health Foundation of India, who is working closely with the state government, said that Bengaluru has the third largest case fatality rate (CFR) in the country. This is worsening the picture of overall Karnataka in terms of COVID-19 indicators, he said. Only Tumakuru (6.7), Bengaluru Rural (3.8) and Bidar (5.4) had worse CFR than Bengaluru Urban. When it comes to COVID-19 deaths per million, Bengaluru fared second worst — Bidar was first at 9.80 deaths — at eight deaths per million. “In the cases of both Udupi and Kalaburagi, medical colleges have shown how they can reduce mortality with the help of experts but Bengaluru, having the highest number of medical colleges in the state, has failed to realise its potential so far,” Dr Babu told TNM. Dr Babu said that a tele-ICU (intensive care unit) protocol, devised by Dr Rangappa Pradeep and a team of doctors led by him, has maintained a case fatality rate of 0.54 in 13 districts across the state. Explaining the high cases of deaths, Dr Pradeep Rangappa stated that two prime reasons have emerged on the basis of interim data inference. One was the issue of patients reaching the hospitals late. The second was that, on average, patients from Bengaluru who succumbed to the disease had many more comorbidities, of which chronic kidney disease proved to be the most fatal. Dr Trilok Chandra, senior IAS officer heading the COVID-19 Critical Care Support Committee said now a team of specialist doctors from Narayan Hrudayalaya run by prominent cardiologist Dr Devi Shetty will look after Bengaluru’s critical patients. Acknowledging the issue, the IAS officer said, “Medical colleges are now hand-holding all the district health administrations now. Over the last three days, we have started the tele-ICU facility for Bengaluru patients too. Previously all districts, except Bengaluru, were already being monitored by the tele-ICU team.” He added, “In Bidar, there is a specific issue. There is a lapse in surveillance as many patients are being underreported or reported late from private hospitals. In Bengaluru, we are trying to be proactive in all aspects now, but there is also a high number of cases with comorbidities.” He said initially, it was thought not to use the tele-ICU facility for Bengaluru as it was deemed there would be enough specialists physically available. Top sources in the state’s Health Department and the Bengaluru city administration have told TNM there have been lapses in recent days. Dr CN Manjunath, Director of the Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, told TNM on Sunday that efforts are on to get things back on track in Bengaluru. He is also the nodal officer for COVID-19 testing in the state. He said that there have been issues with the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the state government has instructed officials to hire more ambulances. There is a need for BBMP to mobilise more man power, he added.
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Gilead sets price for Covid-19 treatment as HHS buys doses
That means that the cost of a five-day treatment course in the U.S. and other developed countries will jump to $3,120.
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‘Recipe for disaster’: Fauci urges Americans to buckle down on coronavirus preventative measures
"What has happened, I guess understandably, but nonetheless regrettably, [is] that people took the attitude in some places of either all or none."
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Infosys begins contact tracing in Bengaluru after campus bank staff gets COVID-19
The contact tracing exercise was taken up after a staff member working in the bank of the terminal building of the IT company's Bengaluru office tested positive.
Information Technology (IT) company Infosys is taking measures to trace contacts of a vendor staff member who tested positive for the novel coronavirus in the company's Bengaluru office premises. The contact tracing exercise was taken up after a staff member working in the bank of the terminal building of the IT company's Bengaluru office tested positive. "To take further precautionary measures, we are now conducting a contact tracing exercise to identify any employees who may have visited the bank branch during the week commencing 22nd June or come in contact with the specific vendor staff member," Gururaj Deshpande, Head of Infosys' Bengaluru Development Centre said in a statement. The terminal building and the food court will be closed down until further notice. An alternate food court in building 27 of the premises will be operational alongside the food court at the heritage building. The medical centre at building 18 will also remain closed till Tuesday and an alternative medical centre at gate 4 will be operational. "Precautionary measures in order to ensure safety at the workplace, please wear your facemask at all times, maintain social distancing as well as adhere to all precautionary advisories from Govt Public Health authorities as well as the company. Please pay attention to the self declaration on a daily basis and do not come into office if you have any signs of being unwell," the statement from Gururaj Deshpande added. Earlier in June, Infosys had said that 5% of its workforce was working from the office while the rest were working from home. The company was looking to increase the number of people turning up for work over time. Over the last three months since the start of the coronavirus outbreak in India, Infosys has outlined long term plans to have its employees work from home rather than turn up at their offices. In an interview with Business Today, the IT major’s Head of HR and Executive Vice President Richard Lobo said that they expect as many as 80,000 of the company's 2.42 lakh employees could be working from home when the restrictions due to the pandemic are lifted.
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Karnataka government allocates land, funds for actor Ambareesh's memorial
In a meeting chaired by Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, it was decided that 1.34 acre of land at Kanteerava Studio and Rs 5 crore will be allocated for the memorial.
The Karnataka government on Monday approved the construction of a memorial in honour of late actor Ambareesh. Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa chaired a meeting on Monday along with Member of Parliament from Mandya, Sumalatha Ambareesh, who is the late actor's wife. ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿ ಶ್ರೀ @BSYBJP ಅವರ ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷತೆಯಲ್ಲಿ, ದಿವಂಗತ ಡಾ. ಅಂಬರೀಶ್ ಸ್ಮಾರಕ ಪ್ರತಿಷ್ಠಾನದ ಪ್ರಥಮ ಉನ್ನತ ಮಟ್ಟದ ಸಮಿತಿ ಸà²ೆ ವಿಧಾನಸೌಧದಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆಯಿತು. ಅಂಬರೀಶ್ ಅವರ ಪತ್ನಿ ಹಾಗೂ ಸಂಸದೆ ಸುಮಲತಾ, ಪುತ್ರ ಹಾಗೂ ಕಲಾವಿದ ಅà²ಿಷೇಕ್, 1/2 pic.twitter.com/ywZWBt8ET1 — CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) June 29, 2020 It was decided that 1.34 acres of land at Kanteerava Studio will be set aside and an initial fund of Rs 5 crore will be allocated for the memorial. Sumalatha Ambareesh thanked BS Yediyurappa for recognising the social and political significance of the late actor. "Heartfelt thanks to the CM of Karnataka BS Yediyurappa for honouring the memory of Ambareesh and as a recognition of his social, films, political services and contributions by granting 1.34 acre of land at Kanteerava Studio and proposing an initial fund of Rs 5 crore for Ambareesh Smaraka," she said in a social media post. ಅಂಬರೀಷ್ ಅವರ ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಹಾಗೂ ಚಿತ್ರರಂಗದ ಸೇವೆಯನ್ನು ಗೌರವಿಸುತ್ತ ಅಂಬರೀಷ್ ಸ್ಮಾರಕಕ್ಕೆ ಒಂದು ಎಕರೆ 34 ಗುಂಟೆ à²ೂಮಿ ಹಾಗೂ ಅದರ ನಿರ್ಮಾಣಕ್ಕೆ ಮೊದಲ ಕಂತಾಗಿ Rs 5 ಕೋಟಿ ಘೋಷಿಸಿದ ಸನ್ಮಾನ್ಯ ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿ @cmofkarnataka @BSYBJP ಬಿ ಎಸ್ ಯಡಿಯೂರಪ್ಪ ರವರಿಗೆ ನನ್ನ ಮನಪೂರ್ವಕ ಧನ್ಯವಾದಗಳು. https://t.co/8HMJYvA8q5 pic.twitter.com/qy5p3NzbQw — Sumalatha Ambareesh ಸುಮಲತಾ ಅಂಬರೀಶ್ (@sumalathaA) June 29, 2020 Film actor Doddanna, director and producer Venkatesh (better known by his moniker Rockline Venkatesh), and Sumalatha's son Abhishek, who is also an actor, were present at the meeting along with the Chief Minister. Ambareesh, known as the 'rebel star' in his career, passed away in November 2018. Following his death, Sumalatha Ambareesh decided to contest the Lok Sabha elections in 2019 as an independent candidate in Mandya constituency. After a bitter, drawn out contest against Janata Dal (Secular) candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy, the son of HD Kumaraswamy, the then Karnataka Chief Minister, Sumalatha emerged victorious and became the MP of Mandya, the hometown of Ambareesh. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) did not field a candidate in the election and backed Sumalatha's candidature in her fight against the JD(S). During the lockdown, Sumalatha took the initiative of distributing food to those in need in Mandya. Sumalatha will soon be shooting for Darshan-starrer Gandugali Madakari Nayaka which is being produced by Rockline Venkatesh.
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Deep-red Oklahoma could become first to expand Medicaid during pandemic
A ballot measure on Tuesday, if successful, could also set back Trump's efforts to block grant Medicaid.
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Siddaramaiah, DK Shivakumar cycle to party office protesting fuel hike in Bengaluru
The latest increase in the fuel prices on Monday meant that the prices have increased on 22 of the last 23 days (with no rise on Sunday).
The leaders including the party's state president DK Shivakumar and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah were followed in the rally by party workers on the route to the party office. Karnataka Congress leaders led by former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and current state president DK Shivakumar held a cycle rally in Bengaluru to register the party's protest against the fuel price hike in India. Congress leaders cycled to the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office in Bengaluru's Queens Road on Monday morning. Similar cycle rallies were replicated in the district offices of the Congress party in the state. The leaders were followed in the rally by party workers who shouted "Down Down BJP" and "Down Down Central Government" on the route to the party office. In New Delhi on Monday, the petrol price stood at Rs 80.43 per litre while diesel prices stood at Rs 80.53 per litre. The latest increase in the fuel prices meant that the prices have increased on 22 of the last 23 days (with no rise on Sunday). The fuel prices in India have been increasing since June 7 after oil companies began the daily price revision mechanism following a hiatus of 82 days during the lockdown. Similar cycle rallies were held in Madhya Pradesh by Congress workers. Rajya Sabha member Digvijaya Singh and 150 Congress workers were booked for carrying out the protest disobeying prohibitory orders. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leaders Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav along with party workers held a cycle rally to protest the hike in fuel prices in Patna. Although most leaders and workers in Bengaluru were wearing masks, there was very little physical distancing followed in the protest with party workers congregating close to each other at the party office on Queen's Road. DK Shivakumar, who was announced as the KPCC President in March, is yet to formally take oath as the party's chief in Karnataka. A swearing-in ceremony - 'Prathigna Dina' (oath day) - is set to be held on Thursday in the party office in Bengaluru and in the party's offices across the state. Watch TNM's video explained on the fuel price hike:
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Karnataka govt allows online classes with limited timings: Here’s the schedule
Earlier this month, the Karnataka government had banned online classes for students below class five.
File photo
The Karnataka government has tentatively allowed schools to conduct online classes, following a petition in the High Court challenging the ban on live and pre-recorded online classes for children in classes below standard 5. The permission has been granted until the government receives the report from the expert committee formed by the Department of Public Instruction. The state government has put out a schedule of the amount of time each level of student can have for online classes: LKG and UKG: 30 minutes a week Classes 1-5: 30-45 minutes (in two sessions) every alternate day Classes 6-8: 30-45 minutes (two sessions a day) for five days a week Classes 9 and 10: 30-45 minutes (four sessions a day) for five days a week Earlier this month, the Karnataka government had banned online classes for students below class five. The government had cited the advice from NIMHANS, which stated that children below five should not be forced to have that prolonged screen time. Several groups had also raised objections to online classes citing lack of access for children from lower-income families, or children living in rural areas. While the government proposed classes through television, Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka had observed that this was not much different from online classes. Read: Karnataka HC asks govt to consider online classes for limited hours The High Court had asked the government to look into allowing online classes until the report from the expert committee comes in. The expert committee, which comprises health experts, educationists and child psychologists, among other stakeholders, will submit its report on how children can be engaged, including the permitted screen time for each age group. The petition to the High Court was filed by several interested parties, especially from parents and private schools. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for Monday, June 29.
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Expert committee to submit report to Karnataka govt on possible community transmission
Minister R Ashoka told reporters that the government was looking at a tag system to make sure that people who were quarantined were staying indoors.
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With a spike in coronavirus cases in the city, Revenue Minister R Ashoka on Sunday said an expert committee advising the Karnataka government on COVID-19 related matters would soon submit its report on possible community transmission. "...There is a committee of experts, who have had discussions with the Chief Minister. They will take three-four days to survey the entire Bengaluru after which they will give a report. Once they submit it, we will inform you," he told reporters in response to a question on whether there was community transmission. The statement from the Minister, who is currently in-charge of COVID-19 management in the city, has come amidst media reports quoting some senior experts indicating that community transmission might have begun in some places, especially in certain parts of Bengaluru. The number of COVID-19 cases in the state, which stood at 3,408 as of June 1, was 11,923 on Saturday with the capital city topping the districts in the infection count. Read: COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Bengaluru, 783 people test positive A cumulative total of 2,531 cases have been reported in Bengaluru as of Saturday evening, which includes 84 deaths and 533 discharges. The Minister said a new tag system, "a model to the entire country," would be introduced to keep a watch on those in quarantine and to prevent people from flouting this norm. Once the person is tagged, it would remain active for 14 days and if the individual tried to cut it, a beep sound would alert officials manning the system, he said. This was being done following complaints that those supposed to be in quarantine were roaming outside, keeping their phones at home, Ashoka said, adding that there were even reports of people escaping from hospitals. “It (tag system) is in the process...we are in talks with a company in this regard," he added.
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Sunday, June 28, 2020
Pence attributes coronavirus spike to young Americans ‘disregarding’ Covid guidance
Many more people are testing positive, the vice president said.
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Azar warns 'window is closing' on combating Covid spread
The HHS secretary also called for shifting the country's Covid-19 testing strategy to broadly test pools of people in high risk populations.
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Andrew Cuomo: Trump ‘in denial’ about coronavirus
“You can’t tweet at it,” New York’s governor said.
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COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Bengaluru, 783 people test positive
The number of cases in Bengaluru accounted for over 61% of the 1,267 cases reported in Karnataka on Sunday.
PTI : Image for representation
For the second consecutive day, Bengaluru reported a significant jump in COVID-19 cases after 783 more people tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in the city on Sunday. This is the highest increase in cases reported in a day in Bengaluru so far. It also comes a day after the capital city reported 596 COVID-19 cases on Saturday. In the three preceding days, the city reported 144, 113 and 173 cases respectively. The number of cases in Bengaluru accounted for over 61% of the 1,267 cases Karnataka on Sunday. It is also the highest increase in cases reported in Karnataka. A total of 5,472 patients are undergoing treatment in Karnataka. Of this, 243 patients are being treated in intensive care units (ICU), of which Bengaluru accounts for 155 patients. Five other districts reported more than 30 cases on Sunday: Dakshina Kannada (97), Ballari (71), Udupi (40), Hassan (31) and Kalaburagi (34). Gadag reported 30 cases while Bengaluru Rural reported 27 cases. Dharwad and Mysuru reported 18 cases each. Bagalkot (17), Uttara Kannada (14), Haveri (12) and Kolar (11), too, reported COVID-19 cases. Sixteen COVID-19 deaths were reported in the state on Sunday, of which four were from Bengaluru. Three deaths were reported in Dakshina Kannada, two each in Tumakuru and Bagalkote districts and one each in Kalaburagi, Ballari, Mysuru, Hassan and Dharwad. The Karnataka government has identified more spaces in Bengaluru to be turned into COVID-Care Centres, where asymptomatic patients will receive treatment. Patients with symptoms, including mild to moderate symptoms, will be treated in hospitals. The state also tweaked its quarantine rules on Sunday. It has removed the three-day mandatory institutional quarantine for travellers coming to the state from Tamil Nadu and Delhi. Now, travellers from all states, barring Maharashtra, will have to undergo 14-day home quarantine while travellers from Maharashtra have to undergo seven days in institutional quarantine followed by seven days of home quarantine.
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Teen dies outside exam centre after dropping sister, family claims cops assaulted him
The police have denied the family’s allegation, and said the 18-year-old died because of a heart ailment.
Shivappa Chalavadi, the father of the victim speaks to the media
A teenager who dropped his sister at a Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examination centre in Vijayapura district on Saturday, died outside the exam centre. He was suffering from a heart ailment but his family members told media personnel that police officials assaulted the youth before his death. Sagar Chalavadi (18) from Basavana Bagewadi taluk had come to the Vishwachetana School examination centre in Hoovina Hipparagi village to drop his sister, a class 10 student, for her examination. After dropping her, he was reportedly waiting outside the examination centre when the police asked him to move away. Sagar's family members alleged that he died due to an assault by the police. "My son came to drop his sister to the examination centre and the police have hit my son. He died due to that,” the victim's father Shivappa Chalavadi said. The witness is a resident of the same village and he answered questions from the media along with Shivappa on Saturday. The police have denied this allegation. According to Anupam Agrawal, Superintendent of Police of Vijayapura district, the teen was dispersed by police officials along with other people who were near the examination centre. The police official said that Sagar left from the examination centre at 1.30 pm to pick up some seeds for his farm along with another resident of his village – Basappa Lakshman Chalavadi. “He travelled on a bike and had an accidental fall. He died due to a heart ailment. The rumours of police officers assaulting him to death are false,” the SP told TNM. “How can the police say this (that they did not hit Sagar)? The proof is with us," Shivappa said. Sagar was rushed to the health centre at Hoovina Hipparagi and later shifted to the taluk hospital. When the family members reached the Basavana Bagewadi taluk hospital, Sagar was declared dead on arrival. Tension prevailed in the victim's village on Saturday after the family held the police responsible for the victim's death. However, the police insisted that the post mortem report had suggested that there are no external injuries on Sagar's body and that a heart ailment was the reason for his death. The post mortem report is yet to be made public.
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‘Don’t inform patients directly’: Karnataka govt notification to COVID-19 labs creates stir
A public health professional aware of the COVID-19 situation in the state has criticised the move too.
Representational image/PTI
In a controversial development regarding COVID-19 pandemic management, the Karnataka government on Saturday passed a notification prohibiting labs of informing patients immediately once they test positive for the novel coronavirus. They said that the labs will have to send the details to respective district administration or local bodies, who will then inform patients. The decision sparked outrage from some activists and medical professionals as this may lead to more people ending up getting infected due to lack of timely intervention. Dr CN Manjnath, state nodal officer for COVID-19 testing, said there is a need for the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) to ramp up their squad to tackle the current crisis so that they can act much more swiftly. He said, “At this point there are some constraints, they are trying to digitally streamline the process further and reduce the inconvenience. We cannot let patients wait without a follow up. So the government has told us that we have to hire more ambulances and other infrastructure.” Taking it to Twitter, Tara Krishnaswamy, a Bengaluru-based activist said, “Not informing positives immediately due to data logjam could cost lives and exacerbate spread. Please rectify the order immediately; your obligation is to people, not data.” A public health professional aware of the COVID-19 situation in the state criticised the move too. Speaking on condition of anonymity, he said, “Particularly, we should be careful that infected people do not wander around spreading the infection. Hence, during this 4-5 hours, they should be in strict quarantine. This order only helps administrators for arranging logistics and isolation facilities.” But a BBMP officer involved in COVID-19 surveillance work for the disease defended the decision. He said, “The decision was made to streamline the entire exercise. Labs often have too much data to feed to the portal through which we get information and often the lag is 4-5 hours. In this mean time, often patients panic and call us or elected representatives. But once we have aggregate data of patients, we can work much more efficiently in a systematic manner.” Further Dr Pradeep Banandur, an epidemiologist working at National Institute of Mental Health And Nuuerological Sciences and closely working with the state government defended the move citing practicalities. He said, “Although the concerns raised by those opposing the move are genuine. In the past days we have seen that people often panic and try to make their own arrangements or go to their hospital of their choice. This multiplies the chance of infection where as per protocol it is expected those who are being tested remain isolated until test results are out.” Details of notification The notification dated Saturday (June 27) signed by Om Prakash Patil, Director of Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Services has asked both government and private labs not to inform the patients directly. The text of the notification reads, “Maintaining the confidentiality of the result status is also crucial. Therefore, exercising power under Epidemic Diseases Act 1897 (Central Act 3 of 1897) & also in view of public interest, the following notification is made.” “1. The COVID Positive result status should not be conveyed to the individual by the authorities of the Govt Private Laboratories by any means. 2. All Govt, Private Laboratories should upload the details of COVID positive & negative cases in the ICMR Portal daily. 3. The details of the Positive results should be submitted to the concerned District Surveillance Officers, COVID Surveillance officer, BBMP, Bengaluru & State Surveillance Unit, Bengaluru,” the notification stated.
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Karnataka waives institutional quarantine for Delhi, TN returnees
The quarantine rules for people coming to the state from Maharashtra remained unchanged.
Karnataka has tweaked quarantine rules for inter-state returnees yet again, waiving off the 3-day institutional quarantine requirement for returnees from Delhi and Tamil Nadu, a government official said on Sunday. "Persons coming from states other than Maharashtra shall be placed in 14-day home quarantine," said N Manjunatha Prasad, Principal Secretary, Revenue Department. On June 15, Chief Secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar ordered a 3-day institutional quarantine, followed by 11-day home quarantine for people returning from Delhi and Tamil Nadu which now stands waived. However, quarantine requirements for Maharashtra returnees remains the same. "Persons coming from Maharashtra shall be placed in 7-day institutional quarantine, followed by 7-day home quarantine," said Prasad. Returnees from all other states will not have institutional quarantine but a fortnight's home quarantine. The senior officer said quarantine surveillance has been augmented through the application of technology and increase in the number of surveillance teams. Similarly, most of the conditions mandated in the June 15 order will continue to remain in force. The Karnataka government is also looking to increase surveillance and strictly impose home quarantine rules in the state. The move comes after a spike in cases in Bengaluru with 596 cases reported on Saturday, the highest increase in a single day. The state government also reported that there has been more than 1.3 lakh home quarantine violations in the last three months.
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No private hospital in Karnataka can deny COVID-19 treatment: Govt order
State Health Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey also clarified that no private medical college, hospital or similar establishment can deny treatment to COVID-19 patients.
Representational image
No private hospital or medical establishment in Karnataka can turn away or deny treatment to COVID-19 patients, said a top official on Sunday. "Private medical establishments in the state shall not deny, refuse or avoid treatment to patients with COVID-19 and COVID-19 like symptoms," ordered Chief Secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar. Bhaskar highlighted that the government took note of some private medical establishments in the state refusing treatment to COVID-19 patients. According to the chief secretary, such refusals amount to violating Section 11 of the Karnataka Private Medical Establishment Act, 2017, which mandates that every private medical establishment should actively participate in the implementation of all national and state health programmes. "Private medical establishments shall actively participate in the implementation of all national and state health programmes in such manner as the state government may notify," said Bhaskar. The chief secretary said it is also the statutory duty of all private medical facilities to prevent the spread of communicable diseases and adhere to the Patient's Charter. Bhaskar invoked the Disaster Management Act 2005 and passed the orders in the capacity of the chairman of the State Executive Committee, Disaster Management, under the powers vested under Sections 24(f) and 24(I). He also directed the private hospitals to strictly comply with the provisions of Sections 11 and 11 A of the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Act 2017 and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). State Health Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey also clarified that no private medical college, hospital or similar establishment can deny treatment to COVID-19 patients. "Private medical colleges, hospitals and establishments cannot deny, refuse or avoid treating COVID-19 patients and persons with COVID-19 symptoms," said Pandey.
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States scramble to contain Covid spikes without enough workers to track outbreaks
The failure to stage the tracing workforce harks back to U.S. officials’ inability to build up adequate testing in the early days of the pandemic.
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Bengaluru cop dies after collapsing in his residence, tests positive for coronavirus
The 57-year-old Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) is survived by his wife and daughter.
A 57-year-old Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) from Whitefield Police Station in Bengaluru died on Saturday night after he collapsed in the bathroom at his residence. He was immediately rushed to the hospital but he was declared dead on arrival. Swabs taken from his body later tested positive for coronavirus, Whitefield Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) MN Anuchet said. "He was at his home when it happened. He had no known comorbidities," Anuchet said. The ASI is survived by his wife and daughter. Police officials above the age of 55 have been stationed at their home since June 10. Health department officials are now tracing the contacts of the police officer. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, more than 50 police officials in various police stations in Bengaluru have tested positive for the virus. At least four deaths have been reported among the city's police, including a 59-year-old ASI attached to Wilson Garden Traffic police station and a 56-year-old police constable from Kalasipalyam police station. The death was reported on a day 596 COVID-19 cases were reported in Bengaluru. This was a significant increase from the cases reported earlier in the week which was less than 200 per day. The cases in Bengaluru made up around 65% of the 918 COVID-19 cases which were reported in Karnataka on Saturday. The state government led by Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa held a meeting on Saturday and decided to impose a lockdown on Sundays starting from July 5. In addition, a curfew will be in place in the state from 8 pm to 5 am starting Monday. Currently, a curfew is in place from 9 pm to 5 am everyday. Bengaluru police is currently subjecting all arrested or detained persons to COVID-19 tests. In addition, the police have been tasked with strictly imposing fines against people who are not wearing masks and take action against people who are violating home quarantine rules.
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