ATMs remain shut as banks replace old currency notes

Bengaluru, May 25: After facing flak from the opposition for skipping quarantine rules to contain COVID-19 spread, Union Minister Sadananda Gowda on Monday said there are certain exemption clauses for those who hold certain responsible posts, adding that he cannot go under quarantine as he has to ensure medical supply in every part of the country.

"Guidelines are applicable to all citizens, but there are certain exemption clauses, for those who hold certain responsible posts," Gowda told media on being asked about allegations by opposition parties that he did not go to required institutional quarantine after domestic air travel from Delhi to Bengaluru.

"I am a Minister and I am heading Pharmaceutical Ministry. If the supply of medicines and other things is not proper then what doctors can do for patients, is it not a failure of government? It' is my responsibility to ensure the supply of medicines to each corner of the country," he said.

Earlier in the day, the BJP MP, who arrived at Bengaluru airport from Delhi and straight away got into his car and drove to his residence. He skipped the institutional quarantine measures as set by the Central government.

Karnataka Director General of Police Praveen Sood said: "Incoming domestic flight passengers from Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Delhi, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh will undergo 7-day institutional Quarantine followed by home quarantine."

Bengaluru, May 26: The state government today hinted that places of religious worship belonging to Hindus will be allowed to reopen from June 1, keeping social distancing and other norms in place.

In principle, the government has decided to open temples coming under the Muzrai department after Lockdown 4.0 ends on May 31. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa.

“Movement of people on air and rail has started. We have been receiving repeated pleas from devotees that temples should be opened. When this was discussed with the CM during a review of the Muzrai department, it was decided that temples can start from June 1,” Muzrai Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary told reporters. 

Poojary said all day-to-day activities will be allowed in temples. “But religious fairs and ceremonies will not be permitted,” he said. 

Mosques and churches

Asked whether his government will allow opening of mosques and churches too from June 1, he replied that they don't come under his Muzrai dept.

Howvever, government sources said this may apply to mosques, churches and other places of religious worship as well. However, this decision will be subject to whether or not the Centre will allow places of religious worship to be open for the public after Lockdown 4.0, an official said. 

All places of religious worship have been closed for the public ever since Karnataka enforced a state-wide lockdown on March 24 to contain COVID-19. 

Bengaluru, Jul 10: With 2,313 more people testing positive for coronavirus in Karnataka in the last 24 hours, its overall tally of patients rose to 33,418 on Friday, health officials said.

57 patients died in Karnataka in the last 24 hours, with majority (27) of them from Bengaluru, taking the state''s death toll to 543, the officials added.

Bengaluru accounted for 1,447 or 63 per cent of the new COVID-19 cases, spiking its tally to 15,329, out of which 11,687 are active cases.

The city alone accounts for 46 per cent of all the cases in the state.

As many as 45 deaths had Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) as a common symptom.

Among the new cases, excluding Bengaluru, Dakshina Kannada accounted for 139 infections, followed by Vijayapura (89), Ballari (66), Kalaburagi (58), Yadgir and Mysuru (51 each) among others.

On Friday, a record 1,003 patients got discharged, 601 of them in Bengaluru alone with the total number of discharges rising up to 13,836.

Until now, Karnataka has tested 7.79 lakh samples for Covid, out of which 7.28 lakh tested negative.

Despite the record number of discharges, patients in ICU rose to 472.

Of the 33,418 cases, 19,035 are active in the state.