Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa. (File Photo)Karnataka Bengaluru Coronavirus News April 16 Highlights: Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa has tested positive for Covid-19 infection today and has been shifted to Manipal hospital, Chief Minister Office confirmed. According to a statement by CMO, Yediyurappa was taken to MS Ramaiah hospital for checkup since he was suffering from fever from yesterday. After his sample tested positive for Covid, he was immediately shifted to Manipal hospital for treatment.
He had tested positive last year in August and recovered.
Meanwhile Karnataka reported its sharpest single day spike of 14,738 fresh coronavirus cases and 66 related fatalities, taking the total number of infections to 11.09 lakh and the toll to 13,112, the Health department said on Thursday. The state had previously reported its biggest single day spike of 11,265 cases on Wednesday. The day also saw 3,591 patients getting discharged after recovery.
As of April 15 evening, cumulatively 11,09,650 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 13,112 deaths and 9,99,958 discharges, the Health department said in its bulletin. It said, out of 96,561 active cases, 96,006 patients are in isolation at designated hospitals and are stable, while 555 are in ICU. (PTI)
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According to officials, US, UK, Canada, the Gulf countries and Netherlands are among the main mango importers from Karnataka. (Representational)
Decision on the next set of measures to contain second wave of Covid-19 will be taken in the all party meeting to be chaired by CM B.S.Yediyurappa on Sunday, said Health & Medical Education Minister Dr. K. Sudhakar. He was speaking to the media in Bengaluru on Friday after attending an high-level meeting with the CM regarding Covid situation.
"An all party meeting is scheduled to be held on Sunday which will be chaired by CM himself. Decision will be taken on controlling the pandemic after a detailed discussion. Government will also seek the advise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi", he said.
"We have ensured there is no shortage of Remdesivir in the state. A tender has been floated to purchase 84,000 units of Remdesivir. We have already established sufficient oxygen plants to meet the demand. Tenders have been floated to establish oxygen plants at all districts, said", Dr. Sudhakar
"95% of the infected persons have no or mild symptoms during second wave. Only 5% needs hospitalization. Therefore, it is requested that only those with severe symptoms must approach hospitals for treatment. We have instructed the private hospitals to admit only those who need critical care and open quarantine centres in collaboration with hotels for asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients", he said.
Test report within 24 hours: "It has come to my notice that there is delay in getting Covid report. I have instructed the labs to give test reports within 24 hours of collecting the sample". Explaining the steps taken by the government to contain the spread the minister said, "We have ensured all necessary steps to provide treatment to covid patients. 50% beds must be reserved in private hospitals. Nodal officers have been appointed to every hospital to supervise and streamline bed availability. One ambulance is deployed in each BBMP ward. Hand Stamping and strict vigilance of those in quarantine will be ensured. Additional health care staff will be recruited on temporary contract basis."
Free treatment is available for Covid patients in govt hospitals and govt referred patients in private hospitals. "No fee should be charged for final rituals of deceased. 49 shraddhanjali ambulances have been dedicated for final rites of deceased", said the minister.
The University of Mysore announced the Karnataka State Eligibility Test (KSET) 2021 exam date on Thursday. The KSET 2021 is scheduled to be conducted on April 25. The KSET will be held for assistant professorship posts.
“The exam was postponed due to unavoidable reasons. The revised date is April 25. Prof H Rajasekhar, co-ordinating officer, informed that all Deputy Commissioners, related government workers, and police from across districts cooperate to ensure the exam is conducted successfully,” reads the official notification.
The KSET 2021 will be conducted in 11 centers in Karnataka. Candidates will be allotted one center based on their roll number.
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Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Friday tested positive for Covid-19. This is the second time the 78-year-old has tested positive, the first being in August last year.
According to a statement from the chief minister’s office, Yediyurappa was taken to MS Ramaiah hospital for a routine checkup after he developed a fever. As his sample tested positive for Covid-19, he was immediately shifted to Manipal hospital for treatment.
Yediyurappa had taken the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine last month and his second dose was due in a few days.
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Amid restrictions in place due to the ongoing second wave, owners of hotels, restaurants, and pubs in Bengaluru have demanded the state government to cut property tax, fixed charges in electricity bills, and exemption in excise license rates to help them survive in the industry.
According to a letter addressed to Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, President of Bruhat Bangalore Hotels Association (BBHA) P C Rao mentioned, “While the hotel industry is yet to resurrect from the losses experienced during the coronavirus-induced lockdown last year, the second wave has hit the industry again. The 50 per cent seating rule and night curfew have further burdened us with more losses this time.”
Among other demands put forth by the BBHA are 50 per cent exemption in license charges of the Pollution Control Board, Food Safety and charges levied as per the Karnataka Shops and Establishment Act.
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With two more deaths in Tumakuru linked to Covid-19 on Thursday, the death toll in the district rose to 11 in the first half of April 2021 alone.
Meanwhile, as many as 2923 people tested positive for Covid-19 since the beginning of this month as the total active caseload rose to 2634. 387 people contracted the infection in the last 24 hours within the neighbouring district of Bengaluru, just 70 kilometres away from the Karnataka capital.
Meanwhile, 21 patients among those admitted to designated Covid-19 hospitals in the district are in the Intensive Care Unit, according to data issued by the Department of Health and Family Welfare Services.
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With two more deaths in Bidar linked to Covid-19 on Thursday, the death toll in the district rose to 17 in the last 15 days. Among the deceased were an 82-year-old male patient and a 40-year-old male patient, both diagnosed with Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) while getting admitted to a designated hospital on April 6 and 12 respectively.
Meanwhile, 363 more people tested positive in the north Karnataka district that shares borders with Maharashtra and Telangana. The active caseload in Bidar stands at 2314 as 191 others recovered from the infection in the last 24 hours.
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The Belgaum Lok Sabha bypoll on April 17 has turned into a prestige battle for the BJP and Opposition Congress in Karnataka. Top leaders from both camps including Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddirappa and Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah have campaigned for the two candidates.
The bypoll was necessitated after Minister of State for Railways Suresh Angadi died due to Covid last year. His wife Mangala Angadi is contesting from the constituency against Congress’s Satish Jarkiholi, the sitting MLA of Yamkanmaradi.
While the BJP hopes to bank on sympathy factor, the Congress is playing the anti-incumbency card.
Meanwhile, the Shiva Sena’s move to support Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) candidate Shubham Shelke is also expected to have some impact on the result. With many areas in the constituency home to a Marathi-speaking population, Sena hopes to play its part in the bypolls. Though Shelke could bag only 670 votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the MES is hoping for a better showing with Sena throwing its weight behind him.
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Supreme Court Judge S Abdul Nazeer’s mother Ameedabi (88) passed away in New Delhi on Thursday night.
A native of Beluvai near Moodbidri, she had been residing with her son Justice Abdul Nazeer in New Delhi. According to reports, her mortal remains will be flown from Delhi to Bengaluru and later brought to her native residence in Moodbidri via an ambulance.
Meanwhile, 29 people died of Covid-19 in the last 15 days in Kalaburagi district as a total of 3850 new infections were reported during the same time. On Thursday alone, 624 more people contracted coronavirus infection, as the total active cases in Kalaburagi rose to 2,666.
The cumulative tally in the Kalyana-Karnataka region has risen further to 27,829 since March 2020. At the same time, 24,791 have recovered from the infection to date.
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As many as 3938 new infections were reported from Mysuru in the last fortnight as 42 more fatalities were linked to the pandemic. Of these, 327 new Covid-19 cases identified on Thursday alone, as the active caseload in Mysuru rose to 2508. Meanwhile, 199 others recovered from the infection as the cumulative recoveries since March 2020 rose to 56,142 in the district.
At the same time, among five new fatalities confirmed in the last 24 hours were of a 78-year-old female patient, a 77-year-old female patient, a 75-year-old male patient, a 65-year-old female patient, and a 63-year old patient, all diagnosed with Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) before testing positive. Mysuru is the only district other than Bengaluru Urban to have reported over a thousand Covid-19 deaths (1098 till date) since the pandemic broke out.
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Bengaluru’s civic body BBMP Thursday announced free cremation and private ambulance facilities for those succumbing to Covid-19 in the city.
BBMP Commissioner Gaurav Gupta tweeted, “Owing to difficulties faced in performing the last rites of those who died due to #COVID19 infections, it has been decided that private ambulance and cremation will be available at no cost for the family of the deceased.” He added that the local body was trying its best to ensure hassle-free facilities for the people of the Karnataka capital “burdened immensely” by the pandemic.
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As the statewide indefinite strike called by various employee unions of road transport corporations in Karnataka continued for the ninth day, Kannada superstar Yash Thursday called for peaceful dialogue to resolve the issue.
In an open letter posted on Twitter, Yash made references to his own life, saying he was the son of a bus driver. Addressing the protesting employee unions, he offered support to them. “Be it the workers who are currently on strike demanding justice or the public, especially from the middle class, who are affected by the fewer buses plying, I am quite aware of the troubles faced by people on both sides,” he said.'
Further, he claimed that he met Transport Minister Laxman Savadi, who promised to look into the wage demand of the employees after consulting CM BS Yediyurappa.
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The Karnataka High Court Thursday directed the Director-General and Inspector General of Police (Praveen Sood) to ensure that the police register first information reports (FIRs) against violators of Covid-19 norms. The HC also maintained that such violations are cognisable and non-bailable in nature, according to the Karnataka Epidemic Diseases (KED) Act, 2020.
Further, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Suraj Govindaraj directed the top cop to set up a team, including senior police officers, to educate the police on effective enforcement of laws to prevent the spread of the coronavirus infection. Such teams should also monitor the registration of FIRs and investigation in cases of violations, including failing to wear masks, not maintaining social distancing, and congregating in large numbers in violation of the norms.
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Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar on Thursday warned of strict action against private hospitals if they do not follow its instructions on reserving 50 per cent of the beds for Covid patients. "Government hospitals in Bengaluru are instructed to reserve more beds for Covid patients. Private hospitals have also been instructed to reserve 50 per cent of the beds. Strict action will be initiated against those who do not cooperate," Sudhakar said.
Noting that private hospitals have reserved only 15-20 per cent of what has been asked for, he said the government will consider it as a serious lapse, and strict measures will be initiated, if they do not follow the orders.
"Only critical non-Covid patients who need hospitalisation should be treated in hospitals. Government cannot keep quiet if Covid patients are denied treatment. I once again appeal to the private hospitals to cooperate with the government," he said, adding that private hospitals can arrange Covid care centres at hotels.
Noting that 400 doctors have been transferred from the Medical education department to the Health department, Sudhakar said the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Disease (RGICD) has been kept reserved for severe acute respiratory infection and influenza-like illness related cases.
Presently 300 beds are available in Bengaluru's Victoria hospital, for Covid patients and will be increased to 500 shortly, the minister was quoted as saying by his office in a release. According to the release, 300 beds in Bowring hospital, 150 in Charaka, 100 beds in HSIS Gosha and 100 beds will be reserved in KC General hospital within two weeks.
Stating that the state's Technical Advisory Committee on COVID (consisting of experts) will be submitting its report on surging cases and containment measures to the government, Sudhakar said it will be handed over to the CM and he will take a decision after discussion with leaders at the all party meeting and cabinet colleagues. (PTI)
With rising Covid-19 cases in the state, uncertainty looms large among Karnataka’s mango growers over the selling and export of the fruit, though the state government has stepped in with an online sale portal for Bengaluru.
Karnataka is among the top mango growers in India, cultivating the crop on 1.68 lakh hectares in 16 districts, such as Bengaluru Rural, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Dharwad and Ramanagara.
Speaking to indianexpress.com, Chikka Byregowda, a member of Ramanagara Mango Growers Association, said, “Compared with last year, we have had a better crop this time, which we have already started harvesting and sending to markets in Bengaluru and other cities. Though transportation has not been a problem, if Covid cases continue to increase, we may face a drop in demand this year too.”
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Four drug peddlers including two Nigerians and a Keralite, who were selling drugs outside a montessori school have been arrested with synthetic drugs worth Rs 20 lakh, police said on Thursday.
Acting on a tip-off, the police arrested the drug peddlers when they were selling drugs outside Vriddhi Montessori School at Bagalur on Tuesday afternoon.
Those arrested have been identified as Ajah Francis Obasi (34) and Charles Chima (29), both natives of Nigeria, Jasir Thanicheri Kanday (33) and Malang Pasha (30), Bengaluru.
Police seized 200 Ecstasy pills, 153 grams MDMA crystals, five mobile phones, 2 two-wheelers, Rs 4,000 cash and three sharp-edged weapons. (PTI)
The Bengaluru’s civic body Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has reserved seven of the 13 electric crematoriums in the city solely for COVID-19 related deaths.
The BBMP is also working towards organising at least two ambulances in each ward and one advanced life support ambulance with oxygen supply for every Assembly constituency, according to BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta.
“These services will be free for citizens. At each of the seven crematoriums reserved for COVID-19 cremations, there are two furnaces adding up to a total of 14 furnaces,” he added.
Space agencies of India and France Thursday inked an agreement for cooperation for the country’s first human space mission Gaganyaan.
Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France Jean-Yves Le Drian visited the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Bengaluru as part of his three-day official visit to India, which started on Tuesday.
During the official visit, Le Drian announced a new space cooperation agreement with ISRO from the Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC) in the city. “Under this agreement, France will be contributing to India’s Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme,” French Embassy said in a release.
“The first space agreement between France and India dates back to 1964. Existing partnerships between the two nations cover almost all areas of space activity. ISRO will also be launching the joint Oceansat 3-Argos mission this year. With the new agreement, France will be taking part in the great technological and human challenge that is the Gaganyaan programme,” added the release.
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In the sugarcane-growing, water-rich, feudal region of Belagavi in north Karnataka, use of sting videos to trigger the fall of political rivals is not exactly new.
The by-election to Belagavi Lok Sabha seat, triggered by the death of four-time BJP MP Suresh Angadi, takes place on Saturday in the backdrop of a video allegedly involving Ramesh Jarkiholi, BJP MLA and former state minister who was forced to resign in March after being accused of rape by a woman in the video.
Twenty years ago, a secretly recorded video of an act of alleged corruption had led to the downfall of then state Congress chief V S Koujalgi, leading to the rise of the Jarkiholis brothers as a major force in Belagavi politics.
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With reports coming in about black marketing of Remdesivir injection, which is vital for treatment of coronavirus, Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday warned stringent action against those creating false scarcity of the drug. "The Karnataka Health Minister has already said there is no scarcity of Remdesivir injection in the state but a false scarcity is been created in the state," he told reporters in Humnabad.
Bommai said there were reports that the injection is being sold at higher prices. "The government has taken the matter seriously and will initiate stringent action against those who are making a fast buck by creating false scarcity and black marketing this important drug," he added.
According to him, the state government had faced many challenges last year. Taking lessons from it, the government this year has taken measures well in advance and has enhanced the health infrastructure in government hospitals.
The Home Minister also said there was no shortage of vaccines in the state. Bommai said he would be holding a meeting with senior police officials on Friday to discuss ways to protect the police force from coronavirus and also about the measures to contain the disease.
"We will monitor at every level of supply, storage and distribution of Remdesivir. We will keep a track right from pharmaceuticals to the hospitals and initiate action under the Epidemic Act," he added. (PTI)
Karnataka has reported over 1.12 lakh new infections and 545 deaths in the first 15 days of April alone as the second wave of the pandemic continues to strike the south Indian state harder than ever before.
To put things into perspective, 45,753 new and 210 fatalities were recorded during the whole of March 2021. The case tally and the death toll have seen a hike of 2.5 times at the end of the first half of April 2021 itself. On Thursday alone, 14,378 more people got infected across the state while 66 deaths in the last few days were linked to the pandemic, as per statistics issued by the Department of Health and Family Welfare Services.
Meanwhile, the daily test positivity rates (TPR) has shot up by nearly three times in the last fortnight. The TPR, which was 3.89 per cent on March 31 rose to 11.38 per cent on April 15. The same was at 0.62 per cent on February 28.
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Karnataka reported its sharpest single day spike of 14,738 fresh coronavirus cases and 66 related fatalities, taking the total number of infections to 11.09 lakh and the toll to 13,112, the Health department said on Thursday. The state had previously reported its biggest single day spike of 11,265 cases on Wednesday. Out of the 14,738 fresh cases reported on Thursday, 10,497 cases were from Bengaluru Urban alone. The day also saw 3,591 patients getting discharged after recovery.
As of April 15 evening, cumulatively 11,09,650 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 13,112 deaths and 9,99,958 discharges, the Health department said in its bulletin. It said, out of 96,561 active cases, 96,006 patients are in isolation at designated hospitals and are stable, while 555 are in ICU.
Among 66 deaths reported on Thursday, 30 are from Bengaluru Urban, Ballari and Bengaluru Rural (6), Mysuru (5), Hassan (4), Dharwad (3), Bidar, Tumakuru and Uttara Kannada (2), and one each from Belagavi, Kalaburagi, Kolar, Ramanagara, Shivamogga and Vijayapura.
Among the districts where the new cases were reported, Bengaluru Urban accounted for 10,497, Kalaburagi 624, Tumakuru 387, Bidar 363, Mysuru 327, Mandya 211, Ballari 200, followed by others.
A total of over 2.31 crore samples have been tested so far, out of which 1,29,400 were tested on Thursday alone. (PTI)
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