DVS skips quarantine, says he has to ensure medicine supply across country

Bengaluru, Apr 16: The Karnataka government on Wednesday identified 14 departments as essential and asked all its employees to attend work during the extended period of lockdown to check coronavirus spread in the state.

According to a circular issued by Chief Secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar, all classes of officials/employees in these departments must attend to their work.

The departments are: Health and Family Welfare, Medical Education, Home, Revenue, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Urban Development, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Information and Public Relations, Transport, Energy, Personnel and Administrative Reforms (e-Governance), Finance (including treasuries), Animal Husbandry and Fisheries and Forest, Ecology and Environment.

In all other departments, only Group-A officers have been directed to report for duty.

However, those visually-impaired or physically-

handicapped are exempt from work, the circular said, adding that this norms will be valid till April 19.

Madikeri, Mar 29: In an alarming situation in neighbouring Kerala State and instances of inter-state migration of Coronavirus suspects, the authorities on Sunday sealed both Dakshina Kannada and Kodagu borders, prohibiting entry of people from Kerala into Karnataka.

Dakshina Kannada had sealed its borders after repeated instances of people misusing ambulance services to travel to Mangalore. Villagers along with the police hauled mud on to the roads that were used as alternate routes.

The road that connects the two States, which people from east Kasargod used to enter into Karnataka, were closed at Mulleria by dumping mud on the road.

Mangaluru, Mar 10: Tension prevailed in the city after an international flyer quarantined at the District Wenlock Hospital walked out of the facility.

The passenger, with a recent travel history to high-risk countries, refused to cooperate with health officials. The day-long drama ended when the district administration intervened and the flyer agreed to get himself re-admitted.

Deputy commissioner Sindhu B Rupesh said the passenger had fever and was sent to an isolation ward. “The passenger is cooperating with the treatment and samples have been collected for testing,” she said. The samples will be sent to a testing centre in Bengaluru.

Sources told  that rude behaviour by staff at Mangalore International Airport may have angered the passenger and he walked out of the quarantine facility.

She said if passengers show reluctance to be screened, they should first be counselled and allowed to get themselves admitted to a hospital of their choice with quarantine facility. If they still refuse to cooperate, they will have to be hospitalised forcefully, she added.