Bengaluru: Instead of adopting a statewide decision on restrictions and lockdown, the Karnataka government decided on Saturday August 14 to delegate management of Covid-19 to district authorities.
It also decided not to open schools in districts where the rate of positivity is higher than 2 per cent.
According to the sources, the government developed district-specific plans, because the Technical Advisory Committee on Covid-19 believed the second wave was not yet over.
“We are unable to develop a Covid-19 management strategy for the entire state. After chairing a meeting with experts, ministerial colleagues, and officers. It should be district specific,” said Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
He stated that restrictions will be imposed based on the positive rate in the affected district.
According to Bommai, experts voiced alarm that the positivity rate was not decreasing and was hovering between 1,600 and 1,800 cases per day. He explained that towards the end of the first wave, the cases had dropped to 300 per day.
”We need to prevent Covid-19 since it is still a concern. We must be cautious because the number of patients is still between 1,600 and 1,800,” he warned.
In Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Mysuru, Hassan, Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga, and Bengaluru Rural, it was decided to boost vaccination and testing.
In addition, testing and vaccination should be expanded in communities up to 10 kilometres inside Karnataka from the Kerala and Maharashtra borders, where cases are on the rise.
According to the Chief Minister, Bengaluru, Raichur, Kalaburagi, Ballari, Bidar, Koppal, Haveri, Vijayapura, Tumakuru, and Chikkamagaluru should all have more testing.
To track the new variants, the government has also decided to open six genomic testing facilities in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Shivamogga, Kalaburagi, and Belagavi in the next three weeks. In terms of vaccination, CM stated that four crore people have been inoculated as of Saturday. The State currently has roughly 15 lakh vaccines on board, with another 30 lakh on the way by the end of the month.
”We’re asking for more vaccines. I’ll meet with the Union Health Minister next week. Every month, we get 65 lakh vials, which should be increased to one crore. If that arrives, we’ll be able to vaccinate all of the districts,” added Bommai.
He believes that the number of beds and intensive care units available to children in Bengaluru should be enhanced. He stated that the City’s positivity rate is 0.75.
”At the moment, hospitalisation is very rare less. If 40 per cent of the oxygen beds are occupied, more stringent measures will be implemented. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike commissioner has been given this authority,” he added.
He further said that a case has been filed in the Kerala High Court against Karnataka for demanding a negative RT-PCR test report for those arriving from that state. “It’s a different thing, and we’ll fight it out legally. The majority of cases relating to the second wave are in Kerala. As a result, Kerala must keep Covid cases under control,” he said.
In terms of school openings, CM stated that they will begin on September 23 rather than August 23. Classes will resume in two batches, one after the other. In terms of festivals, Bommai stated that the rules and regulations would remain the same this year.
