'No plan to impose two-day curfew': Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa

Coronavirus

Yediyurappa was speaking to journalists in a briefing held after after a meeting related to COVID-19 crisis held on Monday.

TNM Staff

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Monday rejected suggestions for a curfew to be imposed in the state for two days in a week. Speculation was rife on Monday that the Karnataka government would impose a total curfew for two days in a week in the wake of the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in Karnataka. However, Yediyurappa rubbished such claims during an interaction with the media on Monday.  Responding to a journalist’s question on whether there would be a curfew for two days a week in the state, Yediyurappa said, "There is no such plan. We will request Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow (Tuesday) to ease more restrictions that are currently being followed. The COVID-19 cases in Karnataka are increasing due to people coming in from Maharashtra, Gujarat and Delhi. The cases are increasing not people of the movement of local residents. We have to stop those who are coming from outside and quarantine them. That is the plan for now, which we are executing to the best of our abilities,” he said.  Yediyurappa's statement comes on the day a complete lockdown was announced in Chennai and parts of Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram and Thiruvallur districts of Tamil Nadu between June 19 to 30. The lockdown was imposed as the number of cases in Tamil Nadu is much higher with over 44,000 cases reported so far. The number of coronavirus cases in Karnataka, however, reached the 7,000 mark on Sunday and is currently 7,213. Currently, interstate and inter-district travel is allowed in Karnataka with certain restrictions on people coming to Karnataka from Chennai, New Delhi and the state of Maharashtra. Asymptomatic people returning from New Delhi and Chennai will now be asked to undergo mandatory institutional quarantine for three days followed by home quarantine for 11 days. People coming from Maharashtra will remain in institutional quarantine for seven days before quarantining themselves at home for seven more days.  Meanwhile, a 'mask day' will be held on Thursday to spread awareness about wearing masks and maintaining distancing in Karnataka. Film actors and sports personalities will come together at Ambedkar Bhavan near Vidhana Soudha to spread awareness about the need to wear masks.

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With no govt order, online classes for students upto Class 5 continue in Karnataka

Education

Parents tell TNM that their wards still have to attend online classes, as the institutions say they have not received any official order from the Karnataka government.

Sanyukta Dharmadhikari

PIXCY-LAKSHMIPRASAD S

It has been four days since the Karnataka government directed schools in the state to stop online classes for students up to Class 5. However, a government order has not been sent to schools in the state yet, leading to virtual classes still being conducted for many students. Several parents in Bengaluru told TNM that since the schools had not received an order directing them to stop holding online classes, students have been attending them for the past four days. “My son is in Class 4 and has had to attend classes over the past few days," a parent whose son attends Vibgyor School in Bengaluru’s Bannerghatta, told TNM. "The school says they have not received information about the government’s decision. Anyway, the school is not very communicative. They don’t respond to emails. When we called the school, they said they have not heard anything from the management and that they will follow the management’s instructions only.” “Other schools have suspended classes which means they know of the decision. But my children have to sit through these classes, the parent added. Parents have also said that complicated concepts cannot be taught that easily over the internet and virtual classes come with their own challenges. “One day the lesson was complicated and my son who is in Class 1 did not understand properly. So I had to sit with him for the class. I can’t work and attend my son’s classes at the same time,” a parent told TNM, whose son usually has to attend classes from 11.30 am to 2.30 pm. "The school management said they haven't received an order and continued with live online classes for students in Class 1 today (Monday). It has been made compulsory. The kids in Class 1 cannot be virtually taught to read and write," another parent of a student studying at Ebenezer International School in Bengaluru's Electronic City said. The parent also shared a screenshot of the timetable sent out to the student for online lessons from 8.30 am to 11.30 am on June 15. The Karnataka government had stopped online classes — first, live and later,  pre-recorded as well — for students up to Class 5 on June 11. Education Minister Suresh Kumar stated that a committee comprising experts will be formed to decide how to limit screen time for children and plan proper guidelines for the use of the internet in education. There is no word on the expert committee from the government, either. When TNM reached out to authorities of the Karnataka Education Department, they admitted that an order had not been issued, and was still being processed. "The order is being issued at the government level. It is being processed. The order will have the details of the expert committee also. We will take action after the order is issued,” Commissioner of Public Instruction, KG Jagadeesh, told TNM.   With inputs from Prajwal Bhat

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Travellers from Chennai, Delhi to Karnataka will have to undergo 3-day institutional quarantine

Coronavirus

State Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa announced the change in inter-state travelling policy on Monday.

TNM Staff

PTI : Image for representation

The Karnataka government on Monday made another change to its policy of quarantining interstate travellers by imposing a 3-day institutional quarantine and 11-day home quarantine for travellers who arrive in the state from New Delhi and Chennai, two cities with a high number of COVID-19 cases. The policy will come into effect starting Monday, June 15, Yediyurappa said.  Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa announced the change after a meeting related to COVID-19 crisis held on Monday. A week ago on June 8, the state government had issued  orders stating that self-registration on the Seva Sindhu portal is mandatory for travelling in and out of the state but added that no approval (or e-pass) was required to travel.  While a seven-day institutional quarantine was announced for those returning from Maharashtra, there was no mandatory institutional quarantine for asymptomatic people returning to Karnataka from other states. Those returning from other states were asked to quarantine themselves at home.  Read: Travelling to Karnataka from other states? Here are guidelines from June 8 This is now overruled and replaced by the rules announced on Monday. Asymptomatic people returning from Tamil Nadu and Chennai will now be asked to be in institutional quarantine for three days followed by home quarantine for 11 days. However, the quarantine rules for travellers from Maharashtra will not change as they will continue to follow the same police of seven days of institutional quarantine followed by seven days of home quarantine. Karnataka has reported 6,516 COVID-19 cases so far. 4,386 cases among these are linked to people who returned from Maharashtra while 1,340 were contacts of existing patients. Among the other cases, 216 people returned to the state from other countries, 87 from New Delhi, 67 from Tamil Nadu and 62 from Gujarat. "We have to keep an eye on those who come from outside the state. The cases are not spreading among local people in the state," Yediyurappa said. A 'mask day' will be held on Thursday and a group of film actors and sports personalities will come together at Ambedkar Bhavan near Vidhana Soudha to spread awareness about the need to wear masks.  Yediyurappa stated that the rules of wearing masks and maintaining physical distance would be enforced strictly in the state. He said that this is because 93% of coronavirus cases in the state do not show symptoms and only 7% show visible symptoms of the virus.  "Action will be taken against those who do not wear masks and maintain distancing throughout the state. This will start from a Rs 100 fine imposed on them. Wearing masks is crucial to saving lives," Yediyurappa added. 

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CM BSY lights 'virtual' lamp to kick start construction of Shivamogga airport

Airport

The 'land worship' programme and the laying of the foundation stone for the airport was conducted in Shivamogga.

TNM Staff

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Monday lit a customary lamp via video conference to mark the laying of the foundation stone and the start of works for the construction of the airport in Shivamogga district. Yediyurappa, whose constituency Shikaripura is from Shivamogga district, initiated the work on the airport in a symbolic manner from his home office 'Krishna' in Bengaluru.  The 'land worship' programme and the laying of the foundation stone for the airport was conducted in Shivamogga. ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿ ಶ್ರೀ @BSYBJP ಅವರು, ಶಿವಮೊಗ್ಗ ವಿಮಾನ ನಿಲ್ದಾಣ ಕಾಮಗಾರಿಗೆ ಆನ್ ಲೈನ್ ಮೂಲಕ ಗೃಹ ಕಚೇರಿ ಕೃಷ್ಣಾದಲ್ಲಿ ಚಾಲನೆ ನೀಡಿದರು. ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯ ಹೆದ್ದಾರಿ ವಿಭಾಗೀಯ ಕಚೇರಿ ಉದ್ಘಾಟನೆ ನೆರವೇರಿಸಿದರು. ಉಪ ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿ ಗೋವಿಂದ ಎಂ ಕಾರಜೋಳ, 1/2 pic.twitter.com/uTaqfbQIiF — CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) June 15, 2020 This is the first airport to be built in the Malnad region of Karnataka and it is expected to take a year for the construction to be completed.  Govind Karjol, Deputy Chief Minister, and Shankargouda Patil, political secretary to the CM, and officials from the Public Works Department were present for the event.  ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿ ಶ್ರೀ @BSYBJP ಅವರು, ಶಿವಮೊಗ್ಗ ವಿಮಾನ ನಿಲ್ದಾಣ ಕಾಮಗಾರಿಗೆ ಆನ್ ಲೈನ್ ಮೂಲಕ ಗೃಹ ಕಚೇರಿ ಕೃಷ್ಣಾದಲ್ಲಿ ಚಾಲನೆ ನೀಡಿದರು. ಜೊತೆಗೆ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯ ಹೆದ್ದಾರಿ ವಿಭಾಗೀಯ ಕಚೇರಿ ಉದ್ಘಾಟನೆ ನೆರವೇರಿಸಿ ಮಾತನಾಡಿದರು.#ShivamoggaAirportWorkInauguration pic.twitter.com/lqZg1vZW9L — CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) June 15, 2020 TNM had earlier reported that the airport in Shivamogga might stop Montagu’s Harrier, a European/Central Asian migratory bird, from visiting Shivamogga due to the habitat loss and disturbance caused by flight operations.The migratory bird visits Sogane village every year, the same place the airport is set to come up.  Read: Migratory bird Montagu’s Harrier may lose habitat with airport coming up in Shivamogga Yediyurappa had earlier laid the foundation stone for the construction of an airport in Shivamogga in 2008 but the construction did not commence for years due to differences between the partners of the company which was contracted to build the airport and the delay in clearing the hurdles for safe operation of flights.  The proposal was brought back to life in 2019 after Yediyurappa once again took charge as Chief Minister in the state. He was toppled from his position in 2013 by Congress led by Siddaramaiah and in 2018 by HD Kumaraswamy who led a coalition government for a year working with the Congress.

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White House pressure for a vaccine raises risk the U.S. will approve one that doesn’t work

Drugmakers and health agencies have already begun rewriting the rules of vaccine research.

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Door-to-door survey shows 2.3% influenza-like illness patients positive in Bengaluru

Coronavirus

A door-to-door survey was launched on April 23 in Karnataka to identify ILI patients and other vulnerable individuals.

Soumya Chatterjee

Representational image

More than 2% of patients with influenza-like illness (ILI) in Bengaluru who were screened have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The data is based on an initial analysis by the Karnataka COVID-19 State War Room following door-to-door surveillance for COVID-19 across the state.   Out of 24.81 lakh households surveyed in Bengaluru Urban, 12,556 or  0.33% persons A presented with fever, cold and flu symptoms. However, according to the data, only 3007 ILI patients were tested for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Out of this, 69 persons or 2.3% tested positive. “Very high ILI cases and high test positivity rate,” reads the official comments in the data sheet prepared by the State War Room. The door-to-door survey, which began on April 23, to identify ILI  and other vulnerable patients and to contain the spread of COVID-19, has covered 89% of households in the state as of June 13. While more than 1.75 lakh people presented with fever, cold and flu symptoms, data shows that just over 44,000 or 25% were tested for COVID-19. However, only 123 or 0.3% people tested positive for the novel coronavirus in the state.  The same data sheet also revealed that eight districts- Belagavi, Kalaburagi, Mandya, Raichur, Mysuru, Shivamogga,Ramanagara  and Gadag - need to carry out more tests among ILI patients due to low testing rate for this category of patients. As per the latest testing guidelines issued by the Indian Council for Medical Research, an ILI case is defined as one with acute respiratory infection with fever and cough. All those displaying ILI symptoms and have travel, contact history, are healthcare workers or are hospitalised can be tested for COVID-19.   Karnataka, however, has gone a step further in identifying ILI patients as part of its door-to-door survey across.  “The situation is nothing necessarily different from what is happening elsewhere. We are trying to categorise elederly patients with more comorbidities and are more susceptible. There should be early reporting of such cases and they should be brought to hospitals at the earliest,” Dr Sachinand, Vice Chancellor, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, who is heading the technical team to limit the number of COVID-19 cases in the state. He added, “What we are doing better probably is surveillance. We are trying to catch cases of persons with ILI (influenza like illness) and SARI (Severe Acute Respiratory Infection) early. We are more vigilant about all these cases among 60+ age group patients. We have put in systems to report persons asking for drugs for fever, cough and cold from pharmacists. Further we are making all clinics report cases of ILI/ SARI through centralised portals. But in spite of these exercises, there are cases which are detected late and that is where we are facing problems. Nowadays we are seeing SARI/ILI cases are much more lethal in patients suffering with other comorbid conditions.”  As of June 14, Karnataka has 7000 cases with 3955 patients who have already recovered and another 86 people have succumbed to the disease along with their comorbidities.

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4 Bengaluru clinics shut down for not reporting ILI and SARI cases

Coronavirus

This comes at a time when ILI patients are testing positive for coronavirus in Bengaluru.

TNM Staff

Karnataka’s Health Department has shut down four city clinics for not reporting Influenza Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) cases, which are coronavirus symptoms, a health department official said on Sunday. “We have closed four Bengaluru clinics for not reporting ILI and SARI cases,” a health department official stated. The clinics are Namma Clinic at Sahakaranagar, Panchamukhi Specialty Clinic at Peenya 2nd Stage, Mathru Chaya Clinic at Sudhama Nagar in Bommanahalli and Nayak Hospital in Gayathri Nagar. This comes at a time when ILI patients are testing positive for coronavirus in Bengaluru. “We gave notice to 17 clinics for not reporting ILI and SARI medical conditions in patients. Out of the 17, 13 reverted that they did not do so far and will start reporting,” said the official. However, the four named clinics did not revert, prompting the Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner to issue orders to shut them down. According to the official, the clinics failed to adhere to the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1987, the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and others. All medical facilities and hospitals, including smaller clinics, should report all patients with ILI and SARI symptoms as many COVID-19 patients have them as underlying conditions. On June 10, more than half (22) out of 42 COVID-19 patients reported in the city turned up at hospitals with ILI symptoms. Three days later, 12 out of 31 cases reported in Bengaluru were ILI patients. This marked a growing trend of ILI patients testing positive for coronavirus in the past week. Dr Lokesh, the special commissioner and COVID-19 surveillance in-charge from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), told TNM that the rise in ILI cases now suggests the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the city. Read: Bengaluru sees rise in patients with ILI turning positive for COVID-19: What to know

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