Karnataka’s list of 30 ignored; Good news for SL Bhyrappa, 10 others

Mysuru, May 6: A seven-months pregnant woman fled Covid-19 hotspot Mumbai along with her family, and made it to her village 1000 km away in KR Pet taluka in Mandya district of Karnataka, flashing her mother's ID card at each checkpost. After reaching her destination, she got herself tested for Covid-19.

She tested positive for the virus on Monday in Mandya.

The 20-year-old woman (assigned the number P637) had been living with her husband and in-laws at Santa Cruz East, Agripada in Mumbai for the past three years. To get out of the containment zone, they started out from Mumbai at 7.30 pm on April 23 -- she, her husband, brother-in-law, co-sister and their children, and a 19-year-old girl. She made it past checkposts at Belagavi, Hubballi, Davanagere, Kadur, Arasikere, Channarayapatna and Shravanabelagola and reached her village Jaaginakere at 3 pm on April 24.

She stayed at her home in the village from 24 April to April 29. With the Mandya district administration testing people on a campaign mode in the entire district, she and her family got themselves tested on May 1.

Her test returned positive on May 4, according to deputy commissioner M V Venkatesh.

Along with her, the 19-year-old girl (P638) who travelled with the family also tested positive. The girl is in the sixth semester of her BE Electronics course at an engineering college in Mumbai.

This is not the first case of a corona fugitive from Mumbai. Earlier, a 50-year-old man who ran a hotel in Mumbai travelled in a vehicle carrying dates and reached Channarayapatna in Hassan district.

In fact there have been three such incidents, including that of seven people coming to Mandya from Mumbai transporting a dead man's body for cremation in his native village of B Kodagalli in Pandavapura taluk.

Mandya deputy commissioner Dr Venkatesh has appealed to natives of Mandya who are stuck in Mumbai to stay there till the Covid situation comes to control.

So far 28 people in Mandya diatrict have tested positive for Covid 19. Seven people have been discharged. Currently there are 21 active cases being treated at the Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences.

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 11: In a unique form of protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), a bridegroom in Kerala, Haja Hussain, came for his wedding ceremony riding on a camel holding an anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) poster in his hands, on the outskirts of the capital city on Monday.

Accompanied by a large crowd mostly comprising his friends and relatives, Hussain carried a placard which read "Reject CAA, Boycott NRC and NPR" as he arrived at the wedding hall in Vazhimukku, about 20 km from Thiruvananthapuram, on a camel back.

Haja Hussain said that he chose to do this to express his protest against the CAA.

"Along with the ' mahr' (the custom where the groom hands over gold or money to the bride), I also gave a copy of the Constitution. CAA should be rejected," said Haja Hussain, who is a local businessman.

Bengaluru, May 9: Karnataka government in its latest order has allowed restaurants, pubs and bars to sell liquor at retail prices from May 9 till May 17. The third phase of coronavirus lockdown is slated to end on May 17.

"Karnataka government has allowed restaurants, pubs and bars to sell liquor at retail prices from tomorrow till May 17. However, they can be sold only in take away form," read an order issued by the state government.

Earlier, the government had allowed the opening of liquor shops in order to mobilise revenue. However, bars, pubs, restaurants were ordered to remain close amid the COVID-19 lockdown.

As per the latest update by the State Health Department, the total number of coronavirus cases in the state is 753. "Of 753 cases, 346 are active cases. 376 persons were discharged after treatment while 30 people have succumbed to the coronavirus," the Health Department said in a release.