Karkala: Mother, son killed in horrific road accident

Bengaluru, Jul 16: Aiming to forge a citizen-government partnership in combating the Covid pandemic, the Karnataka government is seeking plasma donations from survivors for a token appreciation of Rs 5,000, a minister said on Wednesday.

"I request all those who have recovered from Covid-19 to donate plasma and save lives. As a token of our appreciation, we will give Rs 5,000 to patients who come forward and donate their plasma," said Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar.

He said the battle against the pandemic can only be won through citizen-government partnership.

On Wednesday, Covid cases swelled by 1,975 infections in Bengaluru, ground zero for the pandemic in the southern state, raising its total number of cases to 22,944, out of which 17,051 are active.

In the past 24 hours, the state as a whole registered a record 3,176 cases, raising Karnataka's tally to 47,253, even as 87 people succumbed to the virus.

Meanwhile, Sudhakar said 8,134 booth level workforce will conduct a house to house survey along with other Covid control measures in Bengaluru.

He said many locals and block level officers will be the members of the workforce.

Bengaluru, Jul 26: The government of Karnataka has urged the Muslims to celebrate Eid al-Adha in a simple manner and follow all guidelines amid mounting cases of covid-19.

The festival, also known as Bakrid, will be celebrated on July 31 in coastal districts of Karnataka and on August 1 in other parts of Karnataka. 

In an order, A B Ibrahim, secretary of the department of minority welfare, Hajj and Waqf has prohibited offering Eid prayers in open grounds (Eidgahs) in the wake of pandemic.

Eid prayers can be offered in mosques by following all the necessary precautionary measures including maintaining physical distance. The congregation should not exceed 50 worshippers. If they number exceeds, they should be divided into three groups. 

However, except for mosques, no other places should be used for offering congregational prayer. 

Besides, all those who attend Eid prayers at mosque should compulsorily wear face masks. Entry is banned for people who are above the age of 60 years and below the age of 10. At least six feet distance needs to be maintained while offering prayer.

Thermal scanning needs to be done before entering the mosque. Hands need to be washed in soap or sanitizer. No one should touch the holy books in the mosque. Hand shaking and embracing to greet will also not be allowed. If any strangers are seen, their movement should be monitored.

Bengaluru, Jun 24: Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah criticised the current state government rates for COVID-19 treatment in private hospitals and said that the patients must be treated free of charge in all hospitals.

"The state government has fixed rates for treating COVID-19. The current rates are shocking to the people," Siddaramaiah said.
Questioning the state government, he said, "Where can people pay these rates fixed by the government per day? Looking at these rates can be heartbreaking for the people. This raises the question of whether the government is sensitive to people's issues."

"The government must promptly announce free treatment and set up a standard treatment protocol. The government should appoint a panel of experts to continuously monitor whether treatment is being properly administered and create an environment where the public is free from anxiety," Siddaramaiah added.

Karnataka on Tuesday reported 322 fresh COVID-19 positive cases and eight deaths.
According to the state health department, the total number of positive cases has mounted to 9,721 and 150 deaths. So far, 6,004 people have been discharged.