The daily positivity rate was recorded at 2.28 per cent while over 1.12 lakh samples were tested in the last 24 hours. (PTI)Karnataka Bengaluru Coronavirus News March 26 Highlights: Bengaluru Urban reported 1490 new cases of Covid-19 out of the total 2566 from across the state on Friday. Meanwhile, the daily positivity rate was recorded at 2.28 per cent while over 1.12 lakh samples were tested in the last 24 hours.
Other districts that reported most cases are Udupi (210), Tumkur (126), Kalaburagi (109), and Dakshina Kannada (72). At the same time, 1207 others recovered from the infection while 13 more deaths in the last few days were linked to the pandemic on March 26.
Meanwhile, beginning April 1, all interstate travellers to Bengaluru will need to furnish a negative RT-PCR Covid-19 test report, Health and Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar announced on Thursday.
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Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT) continued to witness a growing cluster of Covid-19 cases on Friday as well, with 184 more people in the campus testing positive for the infection. With MIT reporting over 87 per cent of the total cases reported from Udupi district in the last 24 hours, surveillance continues to be at a high level in the zone.
"We have already completed one round of testing among everyone who is at campus as of now. Second round of testing, which includes contacts of Covid-19 cases, are now underway," Dr Prashant Bhat, district Covid-19 nodal officer told Indianexpress.com.
The active cluster with the most caseload in the state, MIT had reported 111 new cases out of the 145 total in Udupi on Thursday.
Congress leader and businessman Rakesh Malli has sought police protection after he received an alleged life-threat, police sources said on Friday.
In his petition to the police, Malli claimed that the sons of the late underworld don-turned-social activist Muttappa Rai and Bengaluru-based rowdies Onti Rohit and 'Silent' Sunil were conspiring to eliminate him.
Mangaluru city police commissioner N Shashi Kumar said the request would be verified and processed.
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Days after Opposition Congress demanded the registration of a rape case against Gokak MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi, the woman linked to the alleged sex CD involving him released another video on Friday. In the 29-second-long video, the third since she went missing, the woman said she would file a complaint against the former BJP minister who was forced to resign earlier this month.
The woman thanked the people, leaders of political parties and other organisations for supporting her. “This (widespread support) has given me the courage to file a police complaint,” she said.
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Karnataka Health and Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar Friday said the government was not hiding any Covid-19-related data. "Our Government neither intends nor it is possible to hide any details. Only factual data is made public," he said.
Further, he urged the opposition to provide suggestions to contain the second wave of the pandemic. "All opposition leaders are welcome to give their valuable suggestions for controlling Covid. They can also figure out any flaws in the system. CM may call an all-party meeting to discuss the issue. We are free to discuss anything in this regard," he said.
Customs officials at Karnataka's Mangalore International Airport (MIA) Friday confirmed the arrest of a passenger who arrived from Dubai for allegedly trying to smuggle 1.23 kilograms of gold.
According to the customs department at MIA, the passenger has been identified as Ismail Ahamad Kallar, a native of Kasaragod in Kerala. "Kallar had arrived from Dubai by SpiceJet flight No. SG 146 today (Friday). He was carrying gold powder mixed with solid gum and concealed in his undergarments. The precious metal in the form of crude chains (weighing 160 grams) was also seized. He has been arrested," the official said.
A customs release added that the valuables seized from the accused were net valued at Rs 57,14,940.
The Bengaluru City Police has informed that the public interaction for this month will take place in all police stations in the city on Saturday. Called 'Maasika Janasamparka Divas’, City Police Commissioner Kamal Pant has ordered all police inspectors to be present at their stations to address public grievances.
While Pant himself will interact with the public in Kamakshipalya police station, other top cops and Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) will be present at a key police station within their respective areas of jurisdiction between 11 am and 1 pm as follows:
The Congress Friday officially announced Satish Jarkiholi as its candidate for the upcoming byelection to the Belgaum Lok Sabha seat, scheduled to be held on April 17.
Bypoll was necessitated at the segment to find a successor to former Minister of State for Railways Suresh Angadi who succumbed to Covid-19 in September 2020. His wife Mangala Suresh was picked as BJP candidate on Thursday.
One among the five Jarkiholi brothers, Satish is at present the Congress MLA from Yamakanmardi assembly segment in Belagavi. His brother, Ramesh, however, is the BJP MLA of Gokak in the same district now amid the alleged sex-for-job CD controversy.
Ending speculations regarding its delayed candidate list, the ruling BJP in Karnataka Thursday evening announced candidates for all three segments of the upcoming bypolls.
In a surprise pick, Mangala Suresh, wife of late former Minister of State for Railways Suresh Angadi, was given a party ticket at the Belgaum Lok Sabha segment. The move, however, has raised eyebrows within the party as it went against the party’s “anti-dynasty” stand. During the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Tejaswini Ananthkumar, wife of late former Union minister Ananthkumar, was denied a ticket in Bangalore South when the party cited this as the reason.
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With the successful touchdown of an IndiGo flight from Lucknow at the refurbished north runway on Thursday, the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru became the first in south India to have operational parallel runways.
It also marked the resumption of flight operations from the north runway, which was closed for renovation and upgrades in June 2020.
A spokesperson for the Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL), which operates KIA, confirmed that approval to begin operations on the north runway was obtained from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
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As Bengaluru’s local civic body the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is set to present the budget for the financial year 2021-22, activists from across important sectors of the city’s infrastructure are hopeful that resources are used in complete public interest.
While the impact of the pandemic is likely to affect the outlay of the budget, a call to improve public health infrastructure in the city itself is one of the major expectations put forth by experts this time.
“Most people from low-income groups who cannot afford to get insurance benefits or private treatment depend on these primary health centres (PHCs). The BBMP should ideally set aside more budget to improve the basic infrastructure at PHCs in this regard,” Ameen Mudassar of the CIGMA foundation opined. Also, as an active member of the Emergency Response Team (ERT) set up by individuals and members of various NGOs and other organisations in the city, he added that the municipal body should involve more volunteers for better public outreach.
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The Karnataka government on Thursday issued an order not allowing public celebrations, gatherings or congregations during the coming festivals like Ugadi, Holi, Shab-e-Barat and Good Friday following a spike in COVID-19 cases.
In an order, Chief Secretary P Ravi Kumar, who is also the State Disaster Management Authority’s State Executive Committee Chairperson has directed authorities concerned to ensure that public gatherings and congregations during the upcoming religious festivals not be allowed in public places, including parks, markets and religious places.
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Beginning April 1, all interstate travellers to Bengaluru will need to furnish a negative RT-PCR Covid-19 test report, Health and Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar announced on Thursday.
“With cases likely to increase further in the coming days and after observing that interstate travellers account for over 60 per cent of cases in Bengaluru, it has been decided that all such persons have to arrive with a negative RT-PCR report from April 1,” Sudhakar said. He added that the rule will be applicable to those, including permanent residents of the city, who arrive in the city from any place outside Karnataka.
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A 25-year-old woman linked to the alleged sex CD that forced the resignation of BJP minister Ramesh Jarkiholi has claimed in her second video statement since disappearing that a police complaint of her “abduction” was filed by her parents against their will.
“My parents could not have given the complaint of my abduction of their own volition because they know that I have not done anything wrong. The first thing I want is the safety of my parents. When I know my parents are safe, only then will I appear before the SIT to give my statement and follow procedure,” said the woman in a statement received by the media on Thursday.
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With Bengaluru continuing to witness a steady surge in new Covid-19 cases, BBMP identified has identified 23 active containment zones in the city as on Thursday. While most of these (9) are in locations that fall under the Dasarahalli zone, Yelahanka zone has seven others of them.
Other areas that have containment zones in the Karnataka capital are West Zone, East Zone (3 each), and one in South Zone. As per state government data, Bengaluru Urban has 12,472 active cases, as on March 23.
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