Sri Sri Ravi Shankar promotes Pakistan Zindabad' slogan

Bengaluru, Apr 4: Sixteen coronavirus cases have

been confirmed in Karnataka, taking the total number of the affected in the state to 144, the Health department said here on Saturday.

A 75-year old man, who is a resident of Bagalkote, who was confirmed positive on Friday and was being treated at a designated hospital in the district, expired last night.

"Till this evening, 144 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes four deaths and 11 discharges," the health department said in a bulletin.

Out of the 129 active cases, 126 patients (including 1 pregnant woman) are in isolation at designated hospitals and are stable and three in Intensive Care Units (one on oxygen and two on Ventilators), it said.

Among the total of 144 cases detected and confirmed so far, eight are transit passengers of Kerala who landed in airports in Karnataka and are being treated in the state, it said.

Bengaluru, Mar 13: Amid coronavirus outbreak, all universities, malls, and clubs will remain closed for a week in Karnataka. Karnataka CM Yediyurappa has said no one should travel unless it's an emergency. "All malls, cinema halls, pubs, wedding ceremonies and other large gatherings in the Karnataka have been banned for another one week," Chief Minister Yediyurappa said. This comes hours after the Uttar Pradesh government had decided that all schools, colleges situated in the state will be closed till 31st March 2020.

Following the decision, the Karnataka government on Friday asked doctors and other health staff to work on public holidays also till the spread of coronavirus is contained. Leaves and all week off of state health ministry workers have also been canceled. The government issued a circular stating that certain emergency measures are being taken to control the spread of coronavirus is some parts of the State.

"To manage things in a result-oriented manner, doctors, office personnel, paramedical staff and other permanent and contract employees in hospitals coming under the Health Department have been instructed to work on all public holidays." the government order read.

The decision comes after 76-year-old man in Karnataka's Kalaburagi died of coronavirus and became India's first COVID-19 victim. 46 people in Kalaburagui have been kept under coronavirus quarantine since then. Out of 46, 31 have been put under the "high risk" category. The high-risk persons were shifted to ESIC hospital. Officials said four family members of the man have displayed flu symptoms and their swab samples have been sent for testing in Bengaluru.

Earlier on Friday, an employee of Google's Bengaluru office tested positive for n-coronavirus, taking the total COVID-19 positive cases in Bengaluru to 5. India's total coronavirus positive count rose to 75. Several other states including capital Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh invoked various sections of the epidemic disease act. Meanwhile, the Indian Army has also called off all recruitment drive in wake of coronavirus outbreak.

Bengaluru, Mar 5: At 11 am on Friday, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa will present the State Budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal. Coming at a time when the state is facing financial challenges, the budget is expected to have minor tax shocks for citizens, while making space for big-ticket allocations to the agriculture and water resources ministries. Thursday's budget will be Yediyurappa’s seventh.

“Agriculture is our primary focus. The recent gazette notification of the Mahadayi tribunal order is a welcome move for Karnataka and we will make budgetary allocations for this too,” the CM had said.

The cut back in devolution of funds for Karnataka from the divisible pool, trimming of funds from the Union Government for Centrally-sponsored schemes and tax collections falling short of revenue targets have made matters tough for Yediyurappa. The consolation may be the part payment of one installment of GST compensation from the Centre. The GST compensation, in part for the October-November period, was released to the state in time for tabling of the budget.