<p>In order to ensure adequate infrastructure to handle the COVID-19 pandemic, the State government has allowed residential schools and hostels of the social welfare department to be used as quarantine facilities.</p>.<p>Deputy Chief Minister Govind Karjol, who also handles the social welfare portfolio, said on Friday that the schools were suitable for quarantining COVID-19 patients as they were located away from the densely populated areas.</p>.<p>"Holidays are declared for students already and all residential schools are well-equipped with separate rooms, kitchen, toilets, library and other basic facilities," he said. </p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-india-news-live-updates-statewise-total-number-of-cases-deaths-statistics-lockdown-latest-news-817763.html#1"><strong>For latest updates on coronavirus outbreak, click here</strong></a></p>.<p>Wherever required, these schools can be converted into quarantine centers without any expense and the district authorities can take a call on the matter, he said.</p>.<p>There are some 3,000 social welfare hostels and 800 residential schools that are run by the Karnataka Residential Educational Institutions Society (KREIS).</p>.<p>This is among the several measures initiated by the State government, after it announced a lockdown from March 24 - before the 21-day nationwide lockdown kicked in from March 26. Apart from identifying the district hospitals to exclusively treat COVID-19 cases, fever clinics and helplines have been setup to detect and prevent the spread of the viral disease.</p>
<p>In order to ensure adequate infrastructure to handle the COVID-19 pandemic, the State government has allowed residential schools and hostels of the social welfare department to be used as quarantine facilities.</p>.<p>Deputy Chief Minister Govind Karjol, who also handles the social welfare portfolio, said on Friday that the schools were suitable for quarantining COVID-19 patients as they were located away from the densely populated areas.</p>.<p>"Holidays are declared for students already and all residential schools are well-equipped with separate rooms, kitchen, toilets, library and other basic facilities," he said. </p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-india-news-live-updates-statewise-total-number-of-cases-deaths-statistics-lockdown-latest-news-817763.html#1"><strong>For latest updates on coronavirus outbreak, click here</strong></a></p>.<p>Wherever required, these schools can be converted into quarantine centers without any expense and the district authorities can take a call on the matter, he said.</p>.<p>There are some 3,000 social welfare hostels and 800 residential schools that are run by the Karnataka Residential Educational Institutions Society (KREIS).</p>.<p>This is among the several measures initiated by the State government, after it announced a lockdown from March 24 - before the 21-day nationwide lockdown kicked in from March 26. Apart from identifying the district hospitals to exclusively treat COVID-19 cases, fever clinics and helplines have been setup to detect and prevent the spread of the viral disease.</p>