Home Guards to join marshals in fighting Covid

Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta on Tuesday said that from Wednesday, marshals will be accompanied by Home Guards while they crack down on those violating Covid-19 protocols.Speaking to media persons after visiting Victoria Hospital to check the vaccination drive and availability of beds, Gupta said, “Though the penalties will be levied by marshals, Home Guards will assist them. They will also help in creating awareness.” 

Gupta said that a meeting had already been held with resident welfare associations and that more meetings would be held with other RWAs, Asha workers and private hospitals for support in spreading the message of getting vaccinated. He said that they had been offered empty apartments, hotel rooms and hostel rooms to be used as Covid Care Centres. He added that two lakh vaccines were arriving in Bengaluru on Wednesday. He said that there was a need to beef up the vaccination drive in the city. 

He said the testing numbers have been increased in places where cases are on the rise. He said officers have also been instructed to check the positivity rate in apartment complexes besides conducting tests in wards and PHCs.  He said talks have also been held with private hospitals to reserve 20 per cent of their beds for government referred Covid-positive patients. 

He said as per the state government’s decision, negative RT-PCR test reports were compulsory while entering from four states only. “The decision to make it compulsory for those coming from other states is under discussion,” he added. 

SSLC EXAMS: MINISTER TELLS OFFICIALS TO BE READY
Bengaluru: Minister for Primary & Secondary Education Suresh Kumar on Tuesday asked officials to start preparations for the SSLC examinations on the lines of the preparations held last year. He was speaking at the SSLC and PUC board examination preparation review meeting in Dharwad. He told officials to do a SWOT analysis on the way last year’s exams were conducted during the start of the Covid pandemic. He also said that a decision to hold exams for children from Classes 1 to 9 will be taken in a week’s time.