Karnataka Covid lockdown news live: Holding discussion on extending lockdown, decision soon, says CM

Amid all indications that the Karnataka government will be extending the lockdown as the state battles second wave of Covid-19, CM BS Yediyurappa on Friday said he is holding discussions in this regard and will take a decision soon. The state is currently under complete lockdown till May 24. "We will sit and discuss tomorrow, tonight also I'm meeting Ministers, we will take a decision," Yediyurappa told reporters to a question on extending the lockdown. (PTI)

Accusing the Karnataka government of showing laziness towards managing epidemic diseases, JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy on Friday urged it to immediately declare "black fungus" as an epidemic. The former CM in a series of tweets, warned that there is danger of Karnataka witnessing higher number of black fungus infections as according to experts those recovered from Covid are getting infected by the disease, and the state has a big number of coronavirus cases. (PTI)

Researchers who conducted the seroprevalence survey in Bengaluru’s 24 slums were shocked when they found that only one in five people had developed antibodies against SARS-CoV2 and one in 15 had active Covid infection. The study, ‘Accessing the burden of Covid-19 in the slums of Bengaluru city’, was carried out by 11 medical colleges here with Centre for Public Health, Nimhans. Researchers had thought the seroprevalence would be higher in slums.

Anjanappa Kallimani (name changed), 50, a farmer from Ankalagi village in Vijayapura district, 475kms from Bengaluru, complained of severe breathlessness on May 1. He was taken to the district hospital where he died the following day. His wife Sujatha Kallimani complained of similar symptoms on May 5 and died the same evening. This sad story actually starts on April 25 when Anjanappa had fever, cough and cold. Soon, Sujatha too contracted them. Both had influenza-like symptoms, but decided to stay home and self-medicate, thinking it was a seasonal flu. They had comorbidities. Following their deaths, residents of the village are worried but those with symptoms hesitate to get tested or get admitted in Covid Care Centres. Government doctors and health experts say this is a common cause of Covid deaths in villages across the state over the past 15 days. They say more deaths in rural areas occur because people don’t go to hospitals despite symptoms.

Defunct ventilators coupled with lack of technicians to handle them are giving doctors at the taluk Covid hospitals a tough time. In the seven districts of Belagavi division, over 213 ventilators are available. Of them, hardly 108 are functioning or being utilised by the health department. And nine machines are yet to be installed.

Four persons, including two doctors, were arrested on Wednesday for allegedly selling remdesivir vials at a higher price and issuing fake Covid-19 reports. The accused are — Dr B Shekhar, 25, a medical health officer and Dr Prajwala — both attached to the Urban Primary Health Centre, Chamarajpet and their associates — Kishore, 22, and Mohan Y, 29, — both assistants (swab collectors) in the PHC’s lab.

Karnataka Deputy CM and state Covid task force head Dr CN Ashwathnarayan on Thursday said that Mucormycosis or black fungus has been declared as a notifiable disease and none of the hospitals should give treatment for this disease without bringing to the notice of the concerned government authorities. He said, "Government is providing treatment for black fungus in all the six division centres of the state and Mysuru Medical College will be providing the treatment in this region. Apart from this, the treatment is available in private hospitals also." (ANI)

Former union minister and eminent farmer leader Babagouda Patil died a hospital here on Friday, family sources said. The 76-year old leader was undergoing treatment at the KLES Dr Prabhakar Kore Hospital where he died, the sources said. He is survived by his wife, two sons and two daughters. Born on January 6, 1945 at Chikka Bagewadi in Belagavi district, Patil did his BSc RL Science Institute in Belagavi. He became an independent MLA from Kittur in 1989 and he won the Lok Sabha election from Belgaum constituency on the BJP ticket in 1998. (PTI)

There has been a sharp jump in the number of children and adolescents in Karnataka testing positive for Covid-19 in the second wave of infections. The number of children aged 0-9 years testing positive in the past two months is 143% of the total infections reported till March 18 this year, while it was 160% in the 10-19 age group. According to the state war room, 39,846 children aged 0-9 years and 1,05,044 aged 10-19 years have tested positive between March 18 and May 18 this year. The corresponding numbers till March 18 this year since the pandemic began were 27,841 and 65,551. READ MORE

The Karnataka government’s decision to announce a Rs 1,112-crore relief package for sections affected by the lockdown is a welcome move, but labour organisations and activists say it may not be enough. The second wave of Covid-19 has hit hundreds of workers and impoverished scores of households, and they will need more than just a one-time dole. READ MORE

Home minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday said his department will ensure stricter implementation of the lockdown to curb unnecessary movement of people in the coming days, and a decision on extension of the curbs will be announced by the chief minister on May 23. READ MORE

The Karnataka high court on Thursday questioned the state government for providing special permission to Vijayendra, son of Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa for travelling to Mysuru while lockdown was in force. Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa's son Vijayendra visited a temple in the Mysuru district's Nanjangud, while lockdown was in force. (ANI)