Indian constitution motivates me to promote rationalism: Bhagavan

Kodagu, Mar 19: One more person has tested positive for coronavirus in Kodagu on Thursday, taking the tally of confirmed cases in the state to 15.

The man has a travel history to Saudi Arabia.

"One person has tested positive for #COVID19 in Kodagu today; he has travel history to Saudi Arabia. He is being treated in an isolation hospital. Total number of positive cases reaches 15 in the state," said B Sriramulu, Karnataka Health Minister.

A total of 169 positive cases of coronavirus have been reported in India so far, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Thursday.

Globally, the virus has infected more than 184,000 people and killed more than 7500, as per the data available on the World Health Organisation website.

Bengaluru, May 19: In the wake of assurance by Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa to look into their demands, hotels and restaurants in Karnataka today decided to continue takeaway services for three more days.

Hotels were also exempted from the total lockdown on Sundays in Karnataka - under the state guidelines issued for Lockdown 4.0.

The Karnataka Pradesh Hotel and Restaurants' Association (KPHRA) had earlier threatened to stop takeaway services over refusal to allow dine-in facility in the fourth phase of the lockdown. 

B Chandrashekar Hebbar, president of KPHRA said that the CM urged hoteliers to wait for three days, assuring that a decision will be taken. 

"We appraised the government over the mounting losses by keeping just take-away services open. Noting that social distancing and other guidelines will be followed, we urged him to allow dine-in facility," he said.

The Association will wait three more days before discontinuing parcel services, Hebbar said. 

The government also provided relaxation to hotels from the total lockdown announced in Karnataka on Sundays, he said. 

A package for hotel employees such as cooks and waiters, along the lines of those announced for farmers, cab drivers and weavers, was also sought in a petition submitted to the chief minister.

In fact the state government had expressed its willingness to open hotels under the Lockdown 4.0, subject to restrictions. However, the central guidelines do not allow dine-in services.

Udupi, Mar 25: Fearing Corona infection a 56-year-old man has committed suicide over in Udupi. 

The deceased has been identified as Gopalkrishna Madivala.

He was a KSRTC bus driver and was currently performing a duty to train new drivers.

He suspected his friend had contracted COVID-19 and as he had a close association with him, he feared he too will be infected and hence hanged himself on a tree.

Although symptoms of Corona infection do not appear to him, he left behind a death note which stated that he resorted to the extreme step over suspicion of having been infected by a corona trait of a friend. 

Recently, the first COVID-19 positive case in Udupi where a 34-year-old man has been tested positive.

A press release issued by the District Health and Family Welfare Officer on Wednesday said that the man had come from Dubai to Udupi district on March 18.

Since he showed symptoms of COVID-19, he was admitted to the District Government Hospital on March 23. His throat swab was sent for test and the preliminary report stated that he had tested positive for COVID-19.