K’taka govt plans health survey for all residents, begins pilot in Chikkaballapura

Coronavirus

The state government, however, has not issued an order demarcating the specifications of the survey.

Theja Ram

The Karnataka government is mulling over maintaining a health-related database of all its residents. In a statement released on Monday, Karnataka Minister for Medical Education, Dr K Sudhakar, said that the Health Register would be maintained to keep a check on all the health issues that its residents face.  The survey will be piloted in Chikkaballapura, the constituency of Dr K Sudhakar. Minister Sudhakar held a meeting with officials attached with the Chikkaballapur Deputy Commissioner's office. However, the district administration did not clarify the parameters of the survey.  According to Chikkaballapura district officials, the survey has already begun in Gauribidanur taluk. “We went door to door in all 31 wards. We asked people about their health-related ailments. We wanted to see how many senior citizens, children and patients with high-risk categories are there. When we found any symptoms, we took swab samples,” a senior official with the district administration said.  He said that the survey was being conducted to determine whether there is community spread. So far, he says that they found no such evidence in Gauribidanur. The survey will now be conducted in Chikkaballapura taluk. TNM was not able to procure a copy of the questionnaire at the time of writing.  After the meeting, Minster Sudhakar announced that officials at various primary health centres, the Revenue Department, the Education Department and Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) workers would conduct a survey of the health-related ailments of its residents.  The state government claimed that the data collected would be used to implement “citizen-centric schemes,” though further details were not immediately available.  This comes in the wake of the Union government making it mandatory for employees of the public and private sector to download the Arogya Setu app. Allegations of invasion of an individual's right to privacy have risen.  Speaking to TNM, Vinay Sreenivasa, a lawyer with Alternative Law Forum, said that unless the government issues an order regarding the specification of the survey, we cannot determine what laws it can violate.  “They will have to give specifics about what kind of personal information people are to be asked. The government cannot begin a survey without giving specifics and issuing a government order. That would be a violation of norms,” he said.

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Over Rs 2 lakh collected as fine in Bengaluru for not wearing masks in public

Coronavirus

A fine of Rs 1,000 was earlier imposed before it was reduced to Rs. 200 on Monday.

TNM Staff

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has so far collected Rs 2,39, 505 lakh as fines from residents for not wearing a mask in public places. This comes after the recent circular, issued by the BBMP on Thursday, charging a fine of Rs 1,000 for those who are not wearing a mask in a public place. The fine is Rs 2,000 for repeat offenders. BBMP then revised its earlier fine to Rs 200 and the fine is now Rs. 200 in municipal areas and Rs 100 in other areas, Times of India reported. On the first day, the BBMP collected a fine of Rs 51,700. On Sunday, the BBMP collected Rs 98,350 while on Monday, it collected Rs 89,455 as fines from residents violating the rule, The Hindu reported. The highest number of fines were levied in the city's east zone where Rs 21,305 was collected in fines from 55 persons. Rs 16,200 was collected from Bommanahalli zone and Rs 15,000 was collected from Mahadevapura zone. An amount of Rs 14,800 was collected in the west zone and Rs 10,000 from the Dasarahalli zone. On Monday, restrictions of the lockdown were eased to allow movement of people between 7 am and 7 pm in the city, including those without an exemption pass. Police officials patrolled the city, particularly keeping an eye on liquor stores where hundreds of people queued up.  Physical distancing norms were not strictly followed in these locations. A partial lockdown was enforced in Karnataka on March 13 when pubs, malls and educational institutions in the state were closed down. Since then, lockdown regulations were increased in the state until Monday, when restrictions were eased for the first time in over a month. Barricades placed in various areas across the city were kept in place on Monday and the speed of vehicles moving in the city was restricted to 30 km/hour. Bengaluru Urban is a red zone in Karnataka. The state is currently reporting 657 cases, including 150 cases in Bengaluru, the highest among the districts in the state. 

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Karnataka reports Rs 45 crore worth of liquor sales on first day after stores reopen

Coronavirus

The State Excise department revealed that around 3.9 lakh litres of beer and 8.5 lakh litres of liquor were sold across the state on May 4.

TNM Staff

The Karnataka Excise department estimated the value of the sale of liquor on the first day wine stores in the state opened following relaxations in the lockdown, to be around Rs 45 crore.  The state Excise department revealed in a press release that around 3.9 lakh litres of beer and 8.5 lakh litres of liquor were sold in liquor stores across the state on May 4. The value of the sale of liquor was estimated to be Rs 45 crore.  An Excise department official stated that the value of the sale of liquor in the state before the lockdown imposed due to the coronavirus outbreak, was between Rs 90-95 crore.  The decrease in the figures on May 4 was reported since all liquor stores in the state did not begin functioning on Monday. Liquor stores in marketplaces, malls and those that are located within containment zones remained closed.  Some other liquor stores remained closed for unknown reasons. Outside Bengaluru, some districts like Tumakuru continued to restrict the sale of liquor. Moreover, restrictions were put in place allowing stores to sell three bottles of spirits and six bottles of 650 ML beer or 12 bottles of 330 ML beer per person.  On Monday, the Karnataka government relaxed restrictions on certain liquor outlets, which were closed for over a month since March 22, the day of the Janata Curfew called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In Bengaluru, hundreds queued up outside liquor stores starting from dawn with long lines reported in several parts of the city. The stores were allowed to be open from 9 am till 7 pm in non-containment zones. Customers were asked to wear masks and maintain physical distancing while standing in queues. Read: Hundreds queue up from dawn as Bengaluru liquor stores open after over a month

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Karnataka reports Rs 45 crore worth of liquor sales on first day after stores reopen

Coronavirus

The State Excise department revealed that around 3.9 lakh litres of beer and 8.5 lakh litres of liquor were sold across the state on May 4.

TNM Staff

The Karnataka Excise department estimated the value of the sale of liquor on the first day wine stores in the state opened following relaxations in the lockdown, to be around Rs 45 crore.  The state Excise department revealed in a press release that around 3.9 lakh litres of beer and 8.5 lakh litres of liquor were sold in liquor stores across the state on May 4. The value of the sale of liquor was estimated to be Rs 45 crore.  An Excise department official stated that the value of the sale of liquor in the state before the lockdown imposed due to the coronavirus outbreak, was between Rs 90-95 crore.  The decrease in the figures on May 4 was reported since all liquor stores in the state did not begin functioning on Monday. Liquor stores in marketplaces, malls and those that are located within containment zones remained closed.  Some other liquor stores remained closed for unknown reasons. Outside Bengaluru, some districts like Tumakuru continued to restrict the sale of liquor. Moreover, restrictions were put in place allowing stores to sell three bottles of spirits and six bottles of 650 ML beer or 12 bottles of 330 ML beer per person.  On Monday, the Karnataka government relaxed restrictions on certain liquor outlets, which were closed for over a month since March 22, the day of the Janata Curfew called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In Bengaluru, hundreds queued up outside liquor stores starting from dawn with long lines reported in several parts of the city. The stores were allowed to be open from 9 am till 7 pm in non-containment zones. Customers were asked to wear masks and maintain physical distancing while standing in queues. Read: Hundreds queue up from dawn as Bengaluru liquor stores open after over a month

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CDC document projects as many as 3,000 coronavirus deaths per day by June

The health agency projected a wide range of possible outcomes, however, reflecting uncertainty about the course of the disease.

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Free bus service for migrant workers from Karnataka extended for two more days

Coronavirus

Earlier, the state government had announced that the service will be available till Tuesday, May 5, but it has now been extended to May 7.

TNM Staff

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa announced that the free bus service for migrant workers from Karnataka to return to their homes will be extended in the state till Thursday. Earlier, the state government had announced that the service will be available till Tuesday, May 5, but it has now been extended to May 7.  The state government announced that as of Monday, around 2,000 buses had transported 59,880 migrant workers back to their homes. "Today (Monday) also around 800 buses form Bangalore city and 200 from other parts of the state operated to ferry migrant workers," a press release by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) stated.  The decision to make travel arrangements free of cost for migrant workers was taken on Sunday after the state government came under intense pressure for charging workers exorbitant fares to travel by bus.  On Friday and Saturday, hundreds of workers paid high fares to return to their homes.This angered migrants who have been without a job since the lockdown was imposed in the country on March 25. Many workers said that they are going home because they are struggling for food and water, and did not want to live on the kindness of strangers.  Read: At Bengaluru’s bus stand, migrant workers have to pay exorbitant fares to get home On Sunday, the state government also started train services to send workers from Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha back to their hometowns. "Four trains have transported 4,800 passengers to these states," stated a press release by the CMO.    On Monday, two more trains set off to Jaipur in Rajasthan and Patna in Bihar. Free food and drinking water has been provided to all the passengers, said the release by the CMO.   

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Free bus service for migrant workers from Karnataka extended for two more days

Coronavirus

Earlier, the state government had announced that the service will be available till Tuesday, May 5, but it has now been extended to May 7.

TNM Staff

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa announced that the free bus service for migrant workers from Karnataka to return to their homes will be extended in the state till Thursday. Earlier, the state government had announced that the service will be available till Tuesday, May 5, but it has now been extended to May 7.  The state government announced that as of Monday, around 2,000 buses had transported 59,880 migrant workers back to their homes. "Today (Monday) also around 800 buses form Bangalore city and 200 from other parts of the state operated to ferry migrant workers," a press release by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) stated.  The decision to make travel arrangements free of cost for migrant workers was taken on Sunday after the state government came under intense pressure for charging workers exorbitant fares to travel by bus.  On Friday and Saturday, hundreds of workers paid high fares to return to their homes.This angered migrants who have been without a job since the lockdown was imposed in the country on March 25. Many workers said that they are going home because they are struggling for food and water, and did not want to live on the kindness of strangers.  Read: At Bengaluru’s bus stand, migrant workers have to pay exorbitant fares to get home On Sunday, the state government also started train services to send workers from Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha back to their hometowns. "Four trains have transported 4,800 passengers to these states," stated a press release by the CMO.    On Monday, two more trains set off to Jaipur in Rajasthan and Patna in Bihar. Free food and drinking water has been provided to all the passengers, said the release by the CMO.   

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