JOIN USCovid-19 cases in 15 districts give Karnataka the jitters
Struggling to contain the spread of Covid-19 cases, Karnataka is worried about the positivity rate in as many as 15 districts. According to Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar, a total of 15 districts have reported more than 10 per cent positivity rate in Karnataka which was 'a cause of concern'.
The minister, along with senior officials of the state government, held a virtual interaction with the district administration of seven districts -- Mysuru, Hassan, Shivamogga, Dakshina Kannada, Tumakuru and Koppal -- on Wednesday and directed officials to take up various measures to contain the spread of the virus.
"We discussed the situation in seven districts on Wednesday and the remaining districts will be reviewed on Thursday. We have guided them on how to reduce the test positivity rate and other measures," Dr K Sudhakar said.
Acknowledging that the people have forgotten the rules of physical distancing when they step out especially at shops, malls and markets, Dr K Sudhakar said, "While it is the duty of the shop owners to ensure that customers adhere to the physical distancing rule, at the same time, citizens are also equally responsible to ensure they maintain a safe distance from others while shopping. Hence, we are thinking to hold shop and mall owners liable if a distance of six feet is not maintained. The action can be in the form of a fine, loss of license or serving of notice. The announcement will be made tomorrow."
Religious events, marriages to have only 50 people or less
The government is also mulling a cap on the guestlist for functions.
"We are planning to hold the owners of venues that host religious gatherings, marriages and traditional ceremonies like tonsuring, liable if the guest list exceeds 50 people," Sudhakar said.
"We have also observed that only 50% of commuters are complying with social distancing rules in buses. Compliance and fines will start with government offices first," he said.
Covid-19 testing to be hiked
The government is planning to increase its testing by three times its current capacity.
"Yesterday, we tested 94,886 samples. We intend to conduct 80% to 90% of daily Covid tests via the RT-PCR technique. We are targeting 1.2 lakh to 1.5 lakh per day," he said.
With 90% of the Covid-19 cases being in home isolation, IAS officer Ajay Seth is currently heading a committee to oversee home isolation of patients, Sudhakar announced. There are currently 73,599 beds available in the state including 19,892 beds with oxygen, and 2,715 ventilator beds, he said.
The minister has also asked for death audits to be done daily. "We have observed that 30%-35% Covid-19 patients died within 72 hours of hospitalisation. Even though co-morbidities are a factor, late reporting is a major concern," Sudhakar said.