Karnataka Bengaluru Coronavirus July 3 Highlights: State government hikes pay of contractual doctors

The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) Friday stated that 53 of its employees have tested positive for coronavirus so far, of which 17 have recovered.

"With a view of early detection and speedy treatment of COVID-19, BMTC had organised random testing of the crew. This proactive step was taken in the interest of employees," a statement read.

Further, officials added that all primary contacts of employees who tested positive are tracked by the BBMP and have been put on home quarantine "after due briefing regarding dos and don'ts of the same."

A week back, BMTC had stated that four out of the total 16 employees who tested positive for the infection had recovered. The numbers have multiplied over three times since then, in the last seven days.

In the wake of the Sunday curfew announced by the Karnataka government beginning this week, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation has clarified that none of its buses will operate then, adhering to the norms. 

"Due to lockdown on Sunday bus operation will be suspended from Sunday morning to till Monday morning," an official statement issued on Friday read. 

Minister of State for Railways Suresh Angadi Friday announced that the world's longest platform in Hubballi Junction railway station will be commissioned in December later this year.

"I had inspected the work there very recently. It is expected to be dedicated to the nation by December," Angadi said.

Also read | Karnataka’s Hubballi to get world’s longest railway platform

The Karnataka government has allowed asymptomatic and mild symptomatic Covid-19 patients, including those in Bengaluru, to be in home isolation. The decision was taken after Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa met medical experts in Bengaluru who suggested the measure in a bid to lessen the burden on hospitals.

While only patients who are asymptomatic or mild symptomatic shall be permitted for home isolation, they will be oriented to the protocol of home isolation by a health team from the district health authority.

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The Bengaluru Police paid tribute to police personnel who died of Covid-19. Bengaluru city Police commissioner Bhaskar Rao along with other senior officers paid a silent tribute at his office in Infantry Road in Bengaluru.

Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya, who got himself tested for COVID-19 after coming in contact with an infected doctor at the Victoria Hospital has tested negative for coronavirus.

Surya and Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa’s political secretary S.R. Vishwanath underwent a test recently. Both are exempted from quarantine by Victoria Hospital dean.

"Doctors asked me to take the Covid 19 test and the report came out negative. I’m relieved now," Surya said.

Visa processing for the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland will resume after the coronavirus-induced lockdown on Monday, visa service providers in Bengaluru said.

According to VFS Global, a visa outsourcing services firm, applications for all categories of visas to the UK and student, long-stay visas for Ireland can be made from Monday at their office located at Langford Town. However, the firm's branches in Whitefield and Electronic City will remain shut.

Meanwhile, the e-visa process for travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for all categories has begun since June 25. Other countries to which visa application processes have started include Turkey, Norway, Denmark, Belarus, South Korea, Dominican Republic and Portugal.

However, a representative of VFS said that the process for these countries can be done only from its centre in New Delhi.

Karnataka Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar visited a SSLC examination centre at Anekal taluk in Bengaluru Urban district today. The minister was also seen interacting with the students who were set to wite their examinations there.

The Karnataka government has ordered a Rs. 15,000 hike in the salary of MBBS doctors working on contract basis at government hospitals. According to the order, the hike will benefit as many as 507 doctors.

The government hiked the pay of doctors working under contract from Rs. 45,000 to Rs. 60,000 per month according to the health department. The move came after demands by contractual doctors that their services be made permanent.

On Thursday, Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu urged contract doctors to continue offering their services after their demand for regularisation of services.

"I request the contract doctors with folded hands to continue offering their services. With regard to their two demands, one of salary hike and the other being permanency, I assure all of them that I stand with them and their requests will definitely be fulfilled," said Sriramulu.

As Bengaluru continues to report the biggest hike in the number of fresh Covid-19 cases in the state on consecutive days since June 19, local civic body the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has issued a list of wards that recorded more than 10 cases in the last 24 hours.

Here are the wards that recorded most cases in Bengaluru, as on July 2:

Over 89 per cent of the cumulative 6,179 cases in Bengaluru are active as on Thursday, statistics issued by the Department of Health and Family Welfare Services indicated.

The Karnataka capital tops the list of 30 districts in the state in most fresh cases reported on July 2 (889), most cumulative deaths (100), and most active cases (5505) among other parameters.

After a Karnataka Health department office driver tested positive, nine health department officials, including Karnataka health commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey, gave their swabs at Malleswaram’s KC General Hospital for the Covid-19 test.

“I have given a swab test today as one of our office drivers who resumed work just yesterday has tested positive. He has not travelled with me for the last 14 days. The driver was on leave for the last seven days. He is healthy and under medical supervision. Those who were likely in his contact have given swab tests and have been sent to home quarantine,” Pandey tweeted.

With the number of deaths due to the novel coronavirus reaching 100 in Bengaluru, the Karnataka government Thursday decided to turn 35.18 acres of land in different locations in the city to public burial grounds.

According to an official order signed by Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner G N Shivamurthy, ten different spots within BBMP limits have been identified for the same.

As per the list approved by the Revenue Department, these burial grounds are situated across four BBMP Zones — Bengaluru North, Bengaluru South, Anekal, and Yelahanka.

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The Central Crime Branch of the Bengaluru city police conducted a raid and arrested three men for their involvement in a prostitution racket on Thursday night.

Central Crime Branch’s Women Protection Wing, who conducted a raid rescued 27 women and arrested 3 men, informed Joint commissioner of Police, Sandeep Patil.

“The CCB Women wing led by ACP Mudvi and team detected a prostitution racket and raided a house in the Puttenahalli police station limits in Bengaluru on Thursday night. A total of 27 women have been rescued. Among them, nine are from Nepal, nine from Punjab, four from Delhi, one from Jammu and Kashmir, two from Maharashtra, one each from West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. Yogesh, a native of Rajasthan who was running prostitution racket is arrested along with two others,” Sandeep Patil said.

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