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Bengaluru, Jul 3: The Karnataka government is allowing select asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic Covid-19 patients to recuperate at home as part of home isolation guidelines, an official said on Friday.

"Only those who are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic shall be allowed to be in isolation at home," said a health official, highlighting that such patients should be properly oriented on home isolation.

However, before home isolation, a health team will visit the patient's house and assess its suitability for executing home isolation.

Similarly, the patient should be provided with a tele-consultation link for initial triage, daily follow up and during the entire home isolation time.

For a daily update, the patient isolated at home should give a report on his health status to the physician or health authorities.

"The home isolation shall be with the knowledge of the family members, neighbours, treating physician and local health authorities," said the official.

Though home isolation is allowed, it is not a blanket permission for all asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic cases in Karnataka to avail.

"Such cases should have the requisite facility at their residence for self-isolation and also for quarantining the family contacts. A care giver should be available to provide care on 24x7 basis," said the official.

Likewise, the caregiver should also have a regular communication link between him and the hospital during the home isolation.

No patient above 50 years will be allowed to avail home isolation.

"If the patient has the following comorbidities: hypertension, diabetes, obesity, thyroid disease, they shall be well managed and under good clinical control as assessed by medical officer," he said.

However, patients with comorbidities such as kidney diseases, dialysis, heart diseases, stroke, tuberculosis, cancer and HIV cannot avail home isolation.

Likewise, immunity compromised patients and those on steroids also cannot be on home isolation.

Though pregnant women are not allowed to avail this facility, lactating women are allowed after due instruction and assessment.

The Health Department has also issued several other guidelines and protocols for a patient choosing home isolation.

Bengaluru, Jun 8: More than two months after the nationwide lockdown was imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus, people offered prayers at Bengaluru's Saint Mary's Church and Shree Dodda Ganapathi Temple as the government has allowed reopening of religious places from today.

Fewer devotees here visited Saint Mary's Church in Shivaji Nagar and were seen maintaining social distancing inside the church premises.

Meanwhile, people queued outside Shree Dodda Ganapathi Temple at Basavanagudi to offer prayers in the wee hours of Monday.

Floor markings have been made here to maintain social distancing.

Social distancing norms are also being followed in Hubli's Nagashetty Koppa where only a few devotees thronged the temple on Monday morning.

In Kalaburagi's Sharana Basaveshwara Temple the visiting hours for devotees have been fixed from 7 am to 10 am and three hours in the evening from 5 pm to 8 pm.

Thermal screening is being conducted here and a disinfectant tunnel has also been installed at the entry point.

Floor markings have also been made here to ensure social distancing while barricades have also been installed on the temple premises.

Bengaluru, Jun 30: Private medical colleges in Bengaluru have agreed to join hands with the Karnataka government for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

The representatives from private medical colleges have promised the state government to provide 2000 beds immediately and another 4500 beds will be added within a week.

The development took place as Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Tuesday held a second round of meeting with representatives of private hospitals at Vidhana Soudha over COVID-19. 

The Chief Minister and Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar held separate meetings with the representatives from private colleges administration and all the private colleges have assured to extend their support to the government decision. 

"There are 11 private and three government medical colleges in the city and we will get about 6500 beds from these for COVID treatment," Dr Sudhakar informed media after the meeting.

He further said, "These facilities including doctors and staff will be made available to the government within a week and the beds will be allocated to COVID patients through BBMP's centralised system. The insurance facility will be extended to the doctors and staff serving in these private hospitals also."

PG students in private medical colleges and other staff will be utilised in COVID Care Centres, the minister said.

"There will be some changes in the treatment protocols going forward. The decision regarding this will be taken in the meeting that will be held in the evening under the chairmanship of the CM," the minister explained.

According to him, symptomatic patients, persons aged above 60 years and those with comorbidities like diabetes, hypertension and serious kidney, liver, lungs and heart-related ailments will be admitted to hospitals. 

Other asymptomatic persons will be monitored in COVID care centres. Detailed notification with these guidelines will be released tomorrow, the minister said.

The meeting was chaired by CM BS Yediyurappa and Deputy CM Ashwatnarayana, Ministers Basavaraj Bommai, R Ashoka and senior officials were also present.