Karnataka Bengaluru Coronavirus Updates: Govt deploys 1,246 employees for contact tracing of COVID-19 patients

Karnataka, Bengaluru Coronavirus Latest News Updates: In Karnataka, the state government has fixed the rate for RT-PCR Covid19 testing at Rs 4,500. (Representative image by Reuters)

Karnataka, Bengaluru Coronavirus Latest News Updates: The Karnataka government on Tuesday deployed 1,246 employees from various departments for contact tracing of COVID-19 patients with special focus on Bengaluru and surrounding areas and warned of strict action in case of refusal to undertake the work, PTI reported. Noting that contact tracing was crucial in controlling COVID-19 spread, Chief Secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar in an order on Monday said as more human resources were required for this purpose, group A, B and C officials and workers from various departments have been deputed for contact tracing.

Earlier, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa  held a meeting with a team of officials from the Union Health Ministry in Bengaluru in view of COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. Karnataka Minister JC Madhuswamy has claimed that Coronavirus is spreading at the community level in Karnataka. The minister said that “we have reached a point where it is difficult for the district authorities to restrain it.”

Karnataka State Medical Education Minister D K Sudhakar has visited Victoria hospital in Bengaluru today and interacted with coronavirus patients through video. conference.

Coronavirus cases in Karnataka have crossed 25,000-mark even as the state capital Bengaluru’s COVID19 tally surpassed 10,000-mark. With coronavirus cases rising in the state, the Karnataka government is mulling inducting medical and nursing students from medical colleges and nursing schools in Bengaluru. While the state reported 1,843 new Coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, Bengaluru has registered 981 COVID19 cases on Monday. Karnataka now has 25,317 coronavirus cases, and Bengaluru has 10,561 COVID-19 cases. 680 COVID19 patients recovered and were discharged from hospitals in the state in the last 24 hours, Bengaluru accounted for 278. Karnataka has reported 30 coronavirus deaths, Bengaluru has registered 10 COVID19 fatalities. In Karnataka, there are 14,385 coronavirus active cases till July 6. In the state, Ballari reported 99 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, Uttara Kannada 81 COVID19 cases, Bengaluru rural 68, Dharwad 56, and Kalaburgi 53 cases.

In Bengaluru, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister CN Ashwath Narayan has launched 6 devices built by Department of Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science and Technology in collaboration with Bangalore Bio-Innovation Centre in view of COVID-19. The Deputy CM said, “They are maintenance-free and cost-effective.”

Karnataka government has announced new quarantine rules in the state. According to the new quarantine rules, people returning from other states must be placed under 14-day home quarantine. People arriving in the state are screened at checkpoints, airports, seaports, and railway stations. People, who will be detected with symptoms, will be referred to 7 days of hospital isolation.

The Karnataka government has banned all tourism activities in Kodagu district with immediate effect, in view of rising number of COVID-19 cases. An order issued by the Deputy Commissioner of Kodagu, Annies Kanmani Joy, asked all resorts, home-stays, lodges and other tourist accommodations to close till further orders. Tourist operators have also been asked to cancel all future bookings with immediate effect As many as 14 coronavirus positive cases were recorded in the district, which has reported one COVID-19 death, in the past 24 hours taking their total to 92.

Meanwhile, the Kerala government has decided to cancel daily travel passes of commuters to Karnataka’s Mangaluru after coronavirus cases have started rising in the district.

Karnataka government is facing the possibility of a shortfall in healthcare workers to tackle the coronavirus crisis in Bengaluru. The Karnataka government is mulling inducting postgraduates and final-year MBBS and nursing students from 17 medical colleges and 12 nursing schools in Bengaluru. Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar, Chief Secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar, and other officials held a meeting in this regard.

In Karnataka, the state government has fixed the rate for RT-PCR Covid19 testing at Rs 4,500. The state government has said anyone charging more than Rs 4500 for RT-PCR Coronavirus testing will attract legal action.

Coronavirus COVID19 Helpline numbers in Bengaluru: Karnataka government has issued two helpline numbers for citizens of state capital Bengaluru. The two helpline numbers are — 108 (All health emergencies including COVID19), 1912 (For grievances related to denial of hospital admission for COVID19).

Karnataka government has revised its CIVID19 quarantine norms. As per the latest guidelines, persons coming from other states to Karnataka, including Maharashtra, will be placed in 14-days home quarantine, as per ANI report.