Home Minister and district in-charge Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Thursday that the State government had set up COVID-19 testing laboratories in 17 districts and 10 more districts would get such facilities by April 30.
Addressing presspersons after chairing a review meeting, Mr. Bommai said that a COVID-19 testing laboratory would set up at the District Government Hospital here. He would get clearance for the testing laboratory here from the State government immediately.
More Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) kits were required in Udupi district for healthcare sector workers. Hence, he would ask the Directorate of Drug Control in Bengaluru to release 3,500 PPE kits for Udupi immediately, he said.
A 50-bed ward with centralised oxygen supply would be set up at the District Government Hospital here for treatment of patients with moderate COVID-19, while a 10-bed ward with centralised oxygen supply would be set up at the taluk headquarters in Udupi district, he said.
When Udupi district was put in the Green Zone category, the government would decide on what relaxations could be given with regard to sand removal and other such issues. It would take three more days for Udupi district to enter the Green Zone provided no new COVID-19 positive case was reported, he said.
Though fishing had been permitted, it was incumbent upon fishermen to follow social distancing while fishing and selling fish. The State government would deal sternly with any attack on healthcare staff and police dealing with COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Bommai said.