200 people from Karnataka who attended Jamaat meeting, traced and quarantined

Coronavirus

The Karnataka government has called upon those who attended the Jamaat conference to report to the government as they are at risk of infection.

Alithea Stephanie Mounika

200 of the 342 people from Karnataka who attended the Tablighi Jamaat conference in New Delhi have been traced, state Health Minister B Sriramulu said on Wednesday. They have since been quarantined. The Minister added that the remaining 142 people who had attended the meeting would be traced in short order. The Minister said that of the 200 identified, four were from Bengaluru, five were from Belgaum and two from Ballari. The rest hail from other districts in Karnataka.   ದೆಹಲಿಯ ಬಾಂಗ್ಲಾವಲಿಯ ನಿಜಾಮುದ್ದೀನ್ ಜಮಾತ್ ಮಸೀದಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆದ ಪ್ರಾರ್ಥನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾಗವಹಿಸಿದ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಮೂಲದ 342 ಜನರಲ್ಲಿ, ಈಗ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿಂದ 4 ಹಾಗೂ ಬೆಳಗಾವಿ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಯಿಂದ 5 ಜನರನ್ನು ಸೇರಿ ಒಟ್ಟು 200 ಜನರನ್ನು Quarantine ಮಾಡಲಾಗಿದೆ. ಉಳಿದವರನ್ನು ಶೀಘ್ರವೇ ಗುರುತಿಸುವ ಕಾರ್ಯ ನಡೆದಿದೆ — B Sriramulu (@sriramulubjp) April 1, 2020   Pankaj Pandey, Commissioner of Health and Food Safety, called upon those who had attended the conference to report to the government as they are at risk of infection. They have been asked to contact 080-29711171.   A Kind Appeal to Tablighi Jamaat Brothers! Anyone who has attended Nizamuddin Tablighi Markaz at Delhi between 8th-20th March 2020 might be at the risk of COVID19 Infection. You are requested to contact us on 080-29711171@CMofKarnataka @PIBBengaluru @ITBTGoK @KarnatakaVarthe pic.twitter.com/WK87zBYfyk — Pankaj Pandey (@PankajPande_IAS) March 31, 2020   People who travelled in trains that were used by two conference participants who later tested positive for the virus from Ballari district have also been asked to contact the Health Department helpline. These are the Jan Shatabdi Express— train number 12080— from the Davangere railway station to Bengaluru City railway station on March 16 (Coach D3 Seat 39 and 40) and the Hospet passenger— train number 56909— from Bengaluru City railway station to Hosapete railway station on March 18 (Coach S1, Seat No 70 and 72). The numbers to contact are: 104 or 080-46848600 or 080-66692000.   Immediate Attention! Travel History of COVID19 positive cases of Bellary District (P89 & P90). Anybody who were their co-passengers in the below mentioned trains immediately contact Health Dept. Helpline 104/ 080- 46848600 or 08066692000@CMofKarnataka @KarnatakaVarthe pic.twitter.com/u0nSWx63wW — Pankaj Pandey (@PankajPande_IAS) March 31, 2020   On Monday, it emerged that a conference of Islamic preachers in New Delhi between March 8 and 10 had been the common link to many of the COVID-19 cases reported in Telangana and Tamil Nadu, including those of foreign nationals from Thailand. The conference by the Tablighi Jamaat was held at a mosque in Nizamuddin, New Delhi. As of April 1, there have been 105 cases of the coronavirus in Karnataka. So far, there have been three deaths reported in the state. Meanwhile, nine people who had previously tested positive for coronavirus have been discharged after they recovered, and their tests came back twice as negative. A new cluster of cases have been reported in Mysuru district's Nanjangud. A man working in the Quality Assessment department of a pharmaceutical company tested positive, and shortly afterwards, several of his colleagues also tested positive for COVID-19. The government is yet to find the source of infection. Those who are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 are instructed to contact their respective state government helplines, set up specifically for the coronavirus pandemic. They can take further assistance from there. Karnataka helpline numbers: 9745697456, 080-46848600, 080-66692000 & 104 Arogya Sahayavani Tamil Nadu helpline number: 04429510500, email: ncov2019@gmail.com Telangana and Andhra Pradesh helplines: 104 for health, 108 for ambulance and 100 for police Kerala helplines: 0471-2309250 0471-2309251 0471-2309252

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‘Confident that we’ll come out of this crisis’: Uttara Kannada DC Harish Kumar to TNM

Coronavirus

The DC speaks to TNM after the eighth case of coronavirus was confirmed in the district on Tuesday.

Prajwal Bhat

Uttara Kannada DC Harish Kumar (pictured right)

On Tuesday, a fresh case of COVID-19 was reported in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, taking the total number of cases in the district to 8. Karnataka has reported over 100 cases in total till date, including the three deaths. The first signs of trouble in Uttara Kannada district emerged on March 19, when a 22-year-old man from Bhatkal, arriving from Dubai, landed at the Mangaluru International Airport. After he was screened at the airport, a decision was taken to isolate him at the Wenlock District Hospital in Mangaluru. “In a discussion with the Dakshina Kannada district administration, I informed them to isolate the man in a government hospital,” Uttara Kannada Deputy Commissioner (DC) Harish Kumar tells TNM. He tested positive for coronavirus three days later on March 22. By then, protocols had been initiated in Uttara Kannada district to take precautions against the possible spread of the virus. “Even though the first case in Uttara Kannada never set foot in the district after contracting the virus, we decided to initiate the protocols on the day the case emerged,” says Harish Kumar. Since then, eight people from Uttara Kannada have tested positive for COVID-19 including the family of a man who returned from Dubai via Mumbai.  While seven patients are isolated in a hospital in Uttara Kannada, one patient is currently isolated in a hospital in Bhatkal. In a conversation with TNM, the DC talks about the challenges facing the district and its preparedness against the spread of coronavirus. Since Uttara Kannada district has many areas frequented by foreign tourists, what were the precautionary measures taken in the district? Since the first few cases of coronavirus in India were known in February itself, we decided to survey the foreign citizens staying in the district. We found that there are more than 500 foreign citizens staying here and this is due to popular tourist spots like Gokarna and Mundgod, and the proximity of the district to Goa. We conducted door to door surveys to collect information about foreign citizens starting March 7 itself. In Gokarna, even though there is a significant number of foreign citizens, they are not recent travellers and were here for the last 2-3 months. Even in Mundgod, the population of Tibetan refugees had travelled within the country up to Dharamshala and not to Tibet.  What about Indian residents who had recently returned from abroad? We enlisted ASHA workers and anganwadi teachers to collect information about residents in the district who had returned from a foreign country. We were able to find as many as 1,500 people through this method and we asked each of them to strictly be at home. What about providing protective equipment fr ASHA workers? They were provided with masks but it has run out and we need to replace them. Since ASHA workers are collecting information, they have been asked to maintain sufficient distance while speaking to people.   An ASHA worker collects information from a resident in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. What was the reaction after the first case emerged on March 22? It was not a surprise to us. We had informed the Dakshina Kannada DC to isolate this person when he arrived on March 19 at the Mangaluru International Airport. Even though the first positive case in Uttara Kannada never set foot in the district after contracting the virus, we decided to initiate the protocols on the day the case emerged   Has any area been identified as a containment zone? We have identified a cluster in Bhatkal. The population density here is high and there are many foreign-returned residents. In this place, everything is seen with the lens of a communal angle, but so far we are managing the situation. We have imposed a health emergency in Bhatkal and imposed stringent lockdown measures. We have initiated doorstep delivery of essentials and healthcare facilities and we have also set up helpline members for the public to call the control room. The helpline numbers are - 1077 and 08382-229857.  Helpline numbers for towns in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. What about the migrant workforce in the district?  We have managed to convince employers to shelter their workforce for now. There were issues when migrant workers from north Karnataka working in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada tried to travel through our district. We have managed to stop and shelter most of them in Udupi itself while a few are staying in government hostels in our district.  There were reports of people crowding at the Goa border since it was sealed. Uttara Kannada has many workers, especially fishermen, who work in Goa. Did this cause an issue? Yes, there was an issue of workers in Goa returning to their homes in our district. At this time, they wanted to stay at home and did not make use of the facilities provided by the Goa government. We are in constant touch with the administration in Goa to ensure that there is no further movement of people.  You are not only fighting the spread of coronavirus but also fighting against the spread of fake news and rumours reported about the disease. There was a report which falsely claimed Muslim youths in Karnataka refuse coronavirus testing for “religious reasons.” How are you managing this situation? We immediately clarified that there was no such incident of people refusing to be tested for religious reasons in the district as reported by Public TV on March 14. It was the anchor who made the mistake in this case. There was another news item reported that a person who was quarantined in a government hospital had escaped. This is false and the person came with a complaint of sore throat but he was checked and the doctor had decided that it was not related to coronavirus.  District officials in Uttara Kannada conducting a meeting. Are there any more steps planned? District administrations are worried about arranging basic infrastructure and facilities to people because they are distressed. But we should keep in mind that this is a public health issue. We need to monitor people with fever symptoms and carry out drives to periodically keep a check on people who have returned to the district from abroad. Anyone reporting symptoms will be checked at fever clinics set up in the district.  What about the lockdown measures implemented in the district?  Over the next two weeks, we will be able to ascertain whether the lockdown needs to continue. In Bhatkal, we will continue to maintain strict vigil. We are confident that we will come out of this crisis. 

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Protect civic workers collecting waste from homes with quarantined persons: K’taka HC

Coronavirus

In view of the lockdown, the HC asked the state government to ensure breakfast and transportation facilities for the sanitation workers.

TNM Staff

photo by BHAVANI SEETHARAMAN

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday noted that there was a need for a policy decision to protect pourakarmikas (civic workers) in the state amidst the 21-day lockdown announced to check the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). The HC directed the state government to take extra measures to protect the workers engaged in collecting waste from households where people have been advised to remain in home quarantine, reported The Hindu.  Not only pourakarmikas, the HC said this should apply to all workers in the sector including all drivers and helpers of solid waste management. This includes auto tippers, lorries, tractors, contractors and workers employed in the dry waste collection centres and other solid waste management related establishments. A bench led by Chief Justice AS Oka and Justice BV Nagarathna was listening to the matter via video conferencing, relating to containment measures to prevent spread of the COVID-19 disease. After hearing that the BBMP is giving only Rs 100 as an additional allowance for transportation during this period, the HC noted this was not enough as there was no public transport. Instead, it asked BBMP to arrange transportation facilities for pourakarmikas across the state. Further, the HC also ordered that these workers be given breakfast every day at their mustering points and that their working hours be restricted from 6:30 am to 10:30 am. As part of the hearing, the state government said that all 17,767 pourakarmikas in the state have been provided with protective equipment such as two masks, gumboots and gloves. For Bengaluru city specifically, the counsel for the civic body said that all pourakarmikas in the state have been given sanitisers and disinfectants in addition to the personal equipment. This was contested by the lawyer representing the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) Pourakarmika Sangha. The next hearing of the case will be on April 3. In a press release, the BBMP Pourakarmika Sangha urged the state government to ensure that the orders of the Hon’ble High Court of Karnataka are implemented at the earliest, in letter and spirit, in the interest of the safety and welfare of the workers in these trying times.

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Karnataka says two and four wheelers banned on roads during lockdown, will be seized

Coronavirus

The post comes when another 14 days are left to go for the lockdown to come to an end.

TNM Staff

The Karnataka police has warned that all two wheelers and four wheelers that ply on the roads will be seized during the 21-day nationwide lockdown imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In a tweet, the official handle of the police chief of the state, said, ”This is not an April Fool's prank. Two/ four wheelers are banned from use till the 14th of April. We will SEIZE your vehicle if you CEASE to ignore this lockdown regulation.”  This is not an April Fool's prank. Two/ four wheelers are banned from use till the 14th of April. We will SEIZE your vehicle if you CEASE to ignore this lockdown regulation. — DGP KARNATAKA (@DgpKarnataka) April 1, 2020 The tweet comes when another 14 days are left to go for the lockdown remaining as announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The tweet drew many responses from the public with many asking if already exempted vehicles and pass holders can use their vehicles. Already police in many districts in the state including Bengaluru had started seizing bikes of people when they suspected that users were out on the streets for flimsy reasons. Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao told TNM that police across the city had already been seizing vehicles for the last two days. "Here, we gave the order two days ago. We have already seized 5200 vehicles. Walk to your grocery store, don't use a vehicle," he said.

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Bengaluru cop suspended for allegedly issuing curfew passes to migrant workers

Coronavirus

This action has been taken as the curfew passes were meant to be issued only for people engaged in essential services.

TNM Staff

Representational image

A Bengaluru policeman has been suspended after it came to light that he had allegedly handed out curfew passes to 25 migrant workers from Rajasthan to leave Bengaluru amidst the 21-day COVID-19 lockdown. This, when only people engaged in essential services have been made eligible for acquiring those passes. The police official has been identified as one Veerabhadrappa, posted as a head constable at the Sarjapur Police Station on the southeastern outskirts of Bengaluru city. Bengaluru Rural Superintendent of Police Ravi D Channavar has suspended the official until further orders and even the sub inspector to whom Veerabhadrappa reported, will face departmental enquiry, Deccan Herald reported. Veerabhadrappa had allegedly issued passes to two multi-utility vehicles (MUVs) bearing registration numbers KA 41/A 4723 and KA 05/AE 7343. The passes issued on March 27 were valid till March 31, the report states.  The incident came to light after the people in the two vehicles were only stopped at another state border and police there, contacted the city police. The report said the incident apparently shows Bengaluru police in poor light with regards to implementation of the lockdown call issued by Prime Minister Modi. The pass was issued to one Pookraj and it was reported that 24 of his associates were travelling with him in two vehicles for apparently attending a family function.  The Hindu reported that there was a case of bribery involved. Quoting one police officer, The Hindu report said that a detailed probe by the Rural Bengaluru SP revealed that the head constable under probe had received huge sums of money to issue these passes and this act amounts to not only negligence and dereliction of duty on his part but also negligence on his reporting officer’s (the sub inspector’s) part. The report further said that from now on, passes of vehicles entering and leaving the city will be double-checked.

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Wife's texts, mental preparation: How this Bengaluru man survived COVID-19

Coronavirus

Venkat was admitted at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases, Bengaluru on March 9 and was discharged on March 23.

Soumya Chatterjee

Nearly two weeks after battling the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) disease in hospital and currently home for a week, Bengaluru-based IT professional Venkat Raghava wants to stress on the mental health aspect of combating the illness. The 50-year-old had tested positive on March 9 after his return from the United States via London and was treated at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD) in Bengaluru. He was allowed to return home on March 23 after he tested negative twice, as per the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) protocol. Speaking to TNM, Venkat says, “When you are in isolation, you have to prepare yourself to survive on your own and your frame of mind is the most important part. There is consistent fever but that may not kill you. You have to be mentally ready for isolation and you need to call for help as and when required. This is not like regular hospital wards, there won't be anybody who will come to you (physically). Thankfully your phone is your only saviour. And once panic kicks in, you yourself speculate about what will happen to you. And this is when people slip and I was at that point of slipping myself.”  Venkat says that in addition to a spiritual guru whom he follows, text messages from his wife were saviours. “My wife wrote to me 'I do not want to lose you’. She said ‘I don't want to be alone and I want you back'. These are the things that kept me going,” he says. Apart from doctors treating him for fever and subsequent complications due to COVID-19, Venkat was also cared for by psychiatrists from The National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS) to deal with the stress associated with the disease. During his hospitalisation, despite having no diabetes, his blood sugar had shot up abnormally and subsequently, he suffered from stomach upsets as well.  “I was not very worried about the fever as I was constantly watching it and controlling the fever with the medications the doctor gave. The doctors were vigilant of any chest congestion and were judiciously administering antibiotics. Even the doctors from NIMHANS were very cautious to give me medicine for my stress. They feared it might worsen the chest condition. All these have contributed to my healing. I can only thank these people because they used their experience very well and controlled my varying conditions,” he says, as he recounts his journey to recovery.  Venkat narrates that once he landed in Los Angeles, he had a fever which shot up and this forced him to cut short his trip and cancel his appointments subsequently. He fears that he picked up the infection at the Heathrow Airport in London while returning to Bengaluru. “I landed at the airport on March 8 and asked to be tested. In my declaration form, I declared that I had fever and I told the airport officials that I wanted to be tested and did not want to meet my family. And at that time, they were not equipped nor did they have any test kit. In fact, I remember contacting the airport authorities and telling them 'what you are doing is not right'. Now I hear that they are doing it well,” Venkat recalls. The same day he went to get tested at RGICD and returned home. Fearing that he contracted the disease, he decided to isolate himself and chose to sleep on another floor of the house rather than sleeping on the ground floor with his wife and daughter.  “Things were very professional from the beginning; they screened me and because of my travel history, they took my test and the next afternoon, I got a call from the RGICD telling me that my virus load was very high. All this while at home, I made sure that my daughter and wife never came near me,” he says.  Stressing further on social distancing, he adds, “I am extremely happy that in the entire process, I never infected anybody. I consider this my achievement even though I could not avoid the fever. I want to spread positivity. You can isolate yourself, you can get through the fever and there are positions where you can slip so you have to keep your mind clear.” Recounting his experience at the hospital, Venkat says, “The room was set up well and it was very airy.” Up to March 19, Venkat had constant high fever which resulted in boils in his mouth for some time and he could not consume food orally and he had to rely on intravenous (IV) fluids. “I had days of gruelling fever and this was relentless. Owing to the medicines, I was sleeping all day and was awake mostly in the night and the fever would be back again at 3- 4 am,” he says.  Apart from his recovery, Venkat is also thankful to the Health Department for allowing his daughter to write her 10th standard exams even though her school had initially refused permission and asked her to write supplementary exams.

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Grocery shops in Dakshina Kannada to be open from 7 am to 12 pm

Coronavirus

After three days of stringent lockdown measures in the district, officials finally announced new timings for grocery shops.

Prajwal Bhat

Sahana/ Twitter

After reports of crowded grocery stores with very little physical distancing emerged from Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka, the district administration decided to keep shops open from 7 am to 12 pm.  For the last three days, stringent lockdown measures were imposed in the district after a 10-month-old boy from Sajipanadu village in Bantwal taluk tested positive for coronavirus on March 27. On the same day, stringent lockdown measures were implemented in the district. Under these measures, milk supply was allowed and pharmacies were kept open. Grocery stores remained closed over the last three days in many parts of the district.  On Tuesday morning, panicked residents lined up to stock up on groceries as early as 7 am. "In our area, there was very little distancing followed. The queue was already long early in the morning even though shops remained open till later in the evening," says Jafar, a resident of Kalladka in the district.  The situation was similar in other parts of the district including Uppinangadi, Vittla and Mangaluru city. Long lines were seen outside popular grocery stores in the city including in Fathima Stores. In DK, there is a total chaos. Please don't change lockdown rules often!! Follow Bengaluru model. Why is it that only @DCDK9 suffering this? Does it look like some #lockdown for you?!! Why to limit buying hours?!!! people panic and rush!! @DIPR_COVID19 @CMofKarnataka @nistula pic.twitter.com/Vs3RsxzxSI — Sahana A (@SahanaA09) March 31, 2020 District Minister In-Charge Kota Shrinivas Poojary announced that shops will remain open from 7 am to 12 pm from Wednesday. "Today we had given permission to open the shops to buy essentials but we found that people failed to maintain distance. Keeping this in mind, the district administration has decided to keep the shops open from 7 am to 12 noon so that people can buy essentials every day," he said. One more case of coronavirus was reported in Dakshina Kannada on Tuesday taking the total number of cases in the district to 8. So far, 101 cases of coronavirus have been reported in Karnataka

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