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Bengaluru, Mar 7: As a precautionary measure to control the spread of coronavirus in Karnataka, the state government has planned to suspend biometric attendance for the time-being at its offices, also in corporate and IT companies, Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar said on Saturday.

He said the government has taken all precautionary measures to control the spread of the virus in the state.

"Our Additional Chief Secretary has already spoken to IT companies yesterday on behalf of the government regarding guidelines that need to be followed, it is part of it...we will do it in the government also in the days to come," Sudhakar told reporters here.

He was responding to a question about suspending biometric attendance at offices in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

Asked about suspending biometric attendanceat government offices, he said, "we have planned to do it yesterday."

Sudhakar said so far in Karnataka not even one case has been identified, to that extent we have been taking precautionary measures effectively.

He said from villages to state capital Bengaluru at all levels the health department officials have been activated as part of the precautionary measures.

Also, committees headed by Deputy Commissioners have been formed in all district, he added.

"We have given certain guidelines to people. We have also included private hospitals. We have taken all precautionary measures to stop the virus from entering the state," he added.

In response to a question regarding masks, the Minister clarified that those who have the symptoms of the disease only should use them.

He said, "N95 masks are required only for those who have tested positive, there is not even a single positive case in the state so far...surgical masks that will have three layers can be used by those who have symptoms like cough, cold, fever."

In the state as a precautionary measure 2,500 beds have been kept ready if the situation arises, despite not having a single case.

Bengaluru, Jan 24: On the last day of his four-day trip to Davos, Switzerland, to attend the World Economic Forum, chief minister BS Yediyurappa urged the global business community to invest in cities other than Bengaluru in the state.

On Thursday, while extending an invitation to entrepreneurs to participate in the Global Investors Meet in November in Bengaluru, Yediyurappa highlighted the “conducive investment climate” in the state vis-a-vis others by pointing to its 7% growth rate which is much higher than the national average of below 5%.

He also pointed to the state’s rich history and the fact that it is home to a number of desi MNCs such as Infosys, Biocon Wipro and Dynamatics. “At the same time, the state has one of the lowest unemployment rates compared to the national average,” Yediyurappa said.

In his address to heads of businesses, industries minister Jagadish Shettar also urged investors to consider Tier 2 and 3 cities for investment. “Land banks have been created in Tier 2 and 3 cities and regional connectivity has improved. Let us strive to place Karnataka on a highgrowth path,” Shettar said.

Lending a “helping hand”, Union minister Piyush Goyal, in his address, appealed to the community to invest in Karnataka, which “has a robust and congenial industrial atmosphere”, but also urged them to spread “tentacles” to all parts of the country.

Bengaluru, May 31: The coronavirus related fatalities in Karnataka rose to 49 with the death of a 47-year-old woman while 141 new coronavirus cases were confirmed on Saturday taking the infection tally to 2,922, Karnataka minister S Suresh Kumar said.

Among the fresh cases, 90 are inter-state passengers, he told reporters.

The deceased woman from Bidar was admitted on May 24 and died on May 28 at a designated hospital in Bidar, Kumar, minister for primary and secondary education and spokesperson for Covid-19 in the state, said.

The woman was diagnosed with influenza like illness with a history of paralysis and was bed-ridden besides having hypertension and convulsions, Kumar said.

According to him, the total cases include 997 discharges, 1,874 active cases, 49 Covid-19 deaths and two non-Covid related deaths.

Of the total active cases, 15 are in the ICU, he added.

The new cases comprise 33 in Bengaluru, 18 in Yadagir, 14 in Dakshina Kannada, 13 each in Udupi and Hassan, 11 in Vijayapura, 10 in Bidar, six in Shivamogga, four each in Davangere and Haveri, three in Kolar, two each in Kalaburagi, Mysuru, Uttara Kannada, Dharwad, and one each in Belagavi, Chitradurga, Tumakuru and Bengaluru Rural, the health department said in its bulletin.

The minister said the government has issued an order regarding relaxation of curfew on Sundays.

According to the order issued by Chief Secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar, there will not be any curfew on Sundays throughout the day following requests from people.

As per the previous order, curfew was from 7 am to 7 pm on Sundays.