Spike in COVID-19 cases in Bengaluru, 596 new cases reported

Coronavirus

Officials are yet to acknowledge whether community transmission has started.

TNM Staff

Karnataka reported 918 COVID-19 cases on Saturday, the highest single day increase reported in the state. 596 cases were reported in Bengaluru taking the number of active cases in the city to 1913. Though the numbers have been going up steadily in the city, Saturday witnessed a sharp spike. Bengaluru reported 144, 113 and 173 cases in the previous three days. The high number of cases were confirmed in the state health department's daily bulletin listing the COVID-19 cases reported in the state. However, the bulletin on Saturday did not specify the details of travel and contact history of the patients.  Health officials are yet to acknowledge that community transmission has begun in Bengaluru. Community transmission is when people are infected with the virus without known contact with another confirmed case nor having travelled from a place affected by the pandemic.  The high case load was reported even though the number of tests done - 13,577 -  was lesser than the previous two days. The total number of COVID-19 cases in Karnataka rose to 11,923 of which 4441 are active cases.  The spike in cases in the state was reported even as Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa announced that a lockdown will be in place in the state on Sundays starting from July 5. In addition, the curfew currently in place from 9 pm to 5 am will be effective from 8 pm to 5 am starting on Monday.  Elsewhere, 49 new cases were reported in Dakshina Kannada district and 33 new cases were reported in Kalaburagi district.   As many as 197 COVID-19 patients in the state are currently in the ICU. Of this, 125 patients are in Bengaluru.  11 deaths were reported on Saturday including 3 patients from Bengaluru and 3 more from Bidar district.  The state health department is in the process of identifying more spaces in Bengaluru to be turned into COVID-Care Centres where asymptomatic patients will receive treatment.     

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Karnataka issues new guidelines: Curfew to begin at 8pm and full lockdown on Sundays

Coronavirus

This comes after the Chief Minister has said that there would not be a new complete lockdown in the state, ‘taking into consideration the economy’.

TNM Staff

CMofKarnataka on Twitter

The Karnataka government has issued new guidelines for the state as the number of COVID-19 patients increase steadily.  The government has said that the daily curfew would be imposed an hour earlier, from 8 pm to 5 am instead of the existing curfew from 9 pm to 5 am. Further, the government has stated that full lockdown would be imposed every Sunday, with effect from July 5, 2020 until further orders. No activities shall be permitted on that day except essential services and supplies. The government has also said that government offices will work on fewer days. From July 10 onwards, government offices will be closed for the weekend, and will work for only five days a week. This comes after the Chief Minister held a meeting with his officials on Saturday evening. In Bengaluru, the Commissioner, BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) has been directed to set up more smaller wholesale vegetable markets, to avoid crowding in the large wholesale vegetable markets of the city. The Bengaluru Urban District Commissioner was told to identify more places to conduct the last rites of dead patients. The Chief Minister has also directed the formation of teams to conduct the last rites. Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has directed officials to increase the number of ambulances to carry COVID patients. He has also ordered for separate ambulances for carrying the mortal remains of patients who pass away. He also directed that the police control room wireless system should be used to identify the location and the easy movement of ambulances. Yediyurappa directed officials to publish the details of nodal officers working on COVID Management. Further, it was decided to give additional responsibilities to the BBMP Joint Commissioners of the eight regions, and to appoint KAS officers to assist them to lessen the burden on the BBMP Commissioner and the central office of BBMP. The government has already begun to take necessary steps to reserve large marriage halls, hostels and other institutions in Bengaluru to make them into COVID Care Centres (CCCs, meant for asymptomatic coronavirus patients) and to avail railway coaches with beds as treatment centres. Officers were directed to have centralised bed allocation system to speed up the hospitalisation of COVID-19 patients. Previously, the BBMP Commissioner was directed to notify reservation of 50 per cent of beds in Medical colleges and private hospitals. He was also directed to notify tie up of hotels with hospitals to avoid any shortage of beds for treatment. Read: No question of fresh lockdown in Karnataka: BS Yediyurappa

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Foundation stone laid for 108-ft statue of Bengaluru founder Kempegowda at airport

Politics

Leaders cutting across political parties were present for the event marking the start of the construction of the statue.

TNM Staff

Work on installing a 108-feet statue of Bengaluru founder Nadaprabhu Kempegowda began near the international airport in the city on Saturday. The foundation stone for the statue was laid on the 511th birth anniversary of the city's founder. "Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa laid the foundation stone for the statue of city founder Kempegowda near the airport where a 23-acre central park will also be built around it as a star attraction to thousands of visitors flying in and out of Bengaluru," an official said. The Rs 80-crore statute will be built in a year for unveiling in 2021. Yediyurappa also unveiled a replica of the statute at the venue. The Bengaluru International Airport is also named after the city founder. Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, Congress state unit president DK Shivakumar, state Deputy Chief Minister CN Ashwath Narayan, state Revenue Minister R Ashoka and others were present on the occasion. "We are here for the laying of the foundation stone of the statue and without any party difference, we respect the decision to install this statue. (Deputy Chief Minister) Ashwath Narayan met leaders from other parties and convinced us to come here for the foundation ceremony under the leadership of Yediyurappa," Deve Gowda said speaking at the event. "The Chief Minister has decided to introduce Kempe Gowda to an international audience here. I appreciate this initiative and it has our complete support.  It is our duty to introduce Kempegowda to the world. We decided to start Kempe Gowda Jayanti on this day and now Yediyurappa has taken it forward by laying the foundation stone for the statue," Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President DK Shivakumar said. Adichunchanagiri Mutt pontiff Nirmalananda Swami, JSS Mutt pontiff Shivaratri Deshikendra Swami and Siddagagna Mutt pontiff Siddalinga Swamy graced the event. Born on June 27, 1510 in Magadi, Kempegowda built four towers in the north, south, east and west of the garden city, with a view to limiting its growth up to a point at 3,000-feet above the sea level. He also developed water bodies, including lakes and tanks for its supply to its people through the year. "The Nadaprabhu's birthday celebration is meant to educate the people on the founder's grand vision, planning and building a futuristic city. Kempegowda's development works, including building the city's infrastructure during his regime inspires us even after 500 years," said the official. "The state government will also develop Kempapura village in Magadi taluk, where Kempegowda's tomb is present, as a historical destination," said Narayan. The state's Infrastructure Development Corporation (Karnataka) Ltd will also develop Kempapura into an all-season tourist centre. A state-run board which is managing the restoration and protection of Kempe Gowda monuments in the state will oversee the statue's construction."The statue has been a long-pending demand of the people of Karnataka," asserted Narayan. A board that has been managing the restoration and protection of Kempe Gowda monuments in the state will oversee the statue. With inputs from IANS

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Class 10 student in Karnataka writing SSLC exams tests positive for coronavirus

Education

The student, who is writing the exams in Hassan district, also wrote his second examination on Saturday despite being tested for the virus.

Prajwal Bhat

Students waiting to write the SSLC examination in Bengaluru

A Class 10 student writing the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examinations in Karnataka has tested positive for the coronavirus.  The student, who took the board exams in Arkalgud in Hassan district, also wrote his second examination on Saturday, despite being tested for the virus. KG Jagadeesh, Commissioner of Public Instruction, confirmed to TNM that the student had tested positive on Saturday.  “We have received the information from the Health Department. Measures will be taken after consulting with the Department,” Jagadeesha told TNM. Despite being tested for the coronavirus, the student turned up at the examination centre to write the second board examination scheduled on Saturday. The student’s corona positive results came shortly after he finished writing his exam. “The policy is to disallow the students who tested positive from writing examinations,” the Commissioner of Public Instruction said.  The Education Department is currently preparing a report on the incident and will be checking if the COVID-19 positive student came in contact with other students at the examination centre. Karnataka's Education Department has allowed students from containment zones and students with COVID-19 symptoms to sit the exams in a separate room, despite outcry from parents and activists who have urged the state government not to hold exams.  More than 8.45 lakh students have registered for the SSLC board exams, which began on Thursday with the second language examination. On the day, the state reported a turnout of 98.3% and as many as 7.71 lakh out of the 7.85 lakh students who had registered for the particular exam attended it.  Students were asked to wear masks and maintain distancing at exam centres. Temperature checks were conducted at exam centres.    Students who shifted to their hometown during the prolonged lockdown have been allowed to write exams from the nearest centre. While states like Tamil Nadu and Telangana decided to cancel their board examinations this year, Karnataka decided to go ahead with certain restrictions in place. The state government submitted Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of the examination guidelines to the High Court and the Supreme Court to ensure that there are no legal hurdles to conduct the exams.  The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) board examinations for Class 10 and 12 students have been cancelled.

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Bengaluru's Mysore Road partially closed after wall collapse on Vrishabhavathi river

Civic issues

Civic officials closed the west lane of the road to carry out repair work.

TNM Staff

File photo

After persistent rain in Bengaluru resulted in the collapse of a retaining wall on the Vrishabhavathi river along Mysore Road near Mylasandra on Thursday, civic officials closed the west lane of the road to carry out repair work. Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) issued orders to engineers to prevent mishaps on the road after the collapse of the wall. The orders were issued after BBMP Commissioner BH Anil Kumar and BBMP Mayor M Goutham Kumar inspected the site on Friday. The road was closed up to one kilometre in the area along the river to ensure that there are no traffic mishaps. "The westward lane was closed for repair work. To ensure there is no more damage, sandbags have been placed and barricades have been erected," BBMP Mayor Goutham Kumar told reporters. The water level in the Vrishabhavathi river had risen by 3-4 feet, which increased the pressure on the retaining wall, BBMP Commissioner BH Anil Kumar said. Around 130 to 140 metres length of the wall was washed away by persistent rain in Kengeri, which recorded 185 mm of rainfall. According to Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) director Srinivas Reddy, Kengeri received the most rainfall in Bengaluru. An enquiry is underway to ascertain what led to the collapse of the retaining wall and to detail the work done and funds spent by the BBMP on the retaining wall. The details will be submitted to the state government. The stormwater drains across the city will be reviewed following the incident. With the monsoon season set to be active for at least two more months, BBMP is hoping that there are no more untoward incidents.   A portion of Mysore Road, just before Kengeri, which was laid 1.5 yrs ago was washed away during yesterday's rain.@AAPBangalore Rajarajeshwari nagar Assembly President @rathod_aap and his team filed a complaint with BMTF ADGP against contractors & BBMP Engineers #SaveBengaluru pic.twitter.com/OCOOBpJsyq — Prithvi Reddy (@aapkaprithvi) June 26, 2020   Read: Heavy rain in Bengaluru leads to collapse of retaining wall along Vrishabhavathi river

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312 kg marijuana seized in Karnataka in 2020 so far, making it most peddled drug

Crime

"As many as 510 cases have been registered, leading to the seizure of 312 kg of ganja in 2020," CCB Deputy Commissioner of Police Kuldeep Jain said.

IANS

Marijuana or ganja as it is known locally, has emerged as the most peddled and seized drug in Karnataka in the first six months of 2020, a police officer has said, commemorating the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. "As many as 510 ganja cases have been registered, leading to the seizure of 312 kg of ganja in 2020," Central Crime Branch (CCB) Deputy Commissioner of Police Kuldeep Jain told IANS on Friday. Cases and seizures of other drugs paled in comparison to Marijuana. Only one case each has been registered on Brown Sugar, Opium and other drug forms. Hashish was the only other seized narcotic which weighed more than a kg at 17 kg, rest all were under a kg. Other banned substances included charas, cocaine and MDMA. Police also seized 91 papers of LSD and 550 tablets belonging to the Yaba, Restyl, Anxit and Nitrosun category of drugs. Similarly, 781 Indians and 14 foreigners have been arrested in the drugs cases. Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Director General of Police Praveen Sood and Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao were among the officials who commemorated the event which recognised police staff who cracked drug cases. "Bommai reaffirmed the pledge to fight against drugs and continue the policy of zero tolerance (of drug abuse)," Joint Commissioner of Police Sandeep Patil said. Police showcased the seized haul of drugs to Bommai in the past one year, and the minister later rewarded the policemen involved in cracking the drugs cases in Karnataka. Bommai and the police officials took a pledge to fight drugs on the occasion. "The Karnataka police has been taking strict action against the drug peddlers while at the same time creating awareness among youth," added JCP Sandeep Patil. Police also roped in celebrities such as Milana Nagaraj, Darling Krishna and former cricketer Anil Kumble to send across a social message to give up drugs.

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Karnataka health workers with COVID-19 to undergo home isolation if asymptomatic

Coronavirus

A circular was issued by the Health Department on a new protocol for health workers, including nurses, doctors and paramedics.

TNM Staff

Pixcy

The Karnataka government has issued a circular urging home isolation for all health workers, including nurses, paramedics and doctors who test positive for coronavirus but are asymptomatic. The rising COVID-19 cases in Bengaluru could mean that health workers are vulnerable to contracting the disease while treating patients. According to procedure, all asymptomatic patients are treated in a COVID Care Centre. Now, this excludes health workers, according to the circular which was issued on Friday evening. According to the circular passed by Jawaid Akhtar, Additional Chief Secretary the Karnataka government, “These health workers are well aware of the isolation procedure and are in a position to monitor their health during isolation.” According to the Health Department, the majority of the health workers who tested positive for coronavirus are asymptomatic. The COVID-positive doctors, nurses and paramedics will be given pulse oximeters to keep track of their oxygen level. They will also be provided with personal protective equipment (PPE) which these health workers will be expected to use during their home isolation, the circular said. Those who are under home isolation after testing positive for coronavirus need to report to their health supervisor every day. On the completion of seven days of home isolation, if the patient remains asymptomatic, a swab test will be taken. If the health worker remains asymptomatic and tests coronavirus negative after a week of home isolation, then they will be allowed to step out of home isolation. Karnataka has so far reported 11,005 cases of coronavirus in the state, as of Friday, June 26. Out of this, 6,916 cases are active in the state. The capital city Bengaluru has 1,327 active cases in the city, with 1,935 cases of coronavirus reported in Bengaluru so far.

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