Kurubas, Dalits also may seek independent religion tags, says worried Eshwarappa

Mangaluru, June 10: The first direct repatriation flight from Damma to Mangaluru International Airport under Vande Bharat Mission will be operated on June 21.

Thousands of people from coastal districts of Karnataka are stranded without flights in different parts of Saudi Arabia after the announcement of covid lockdown in March this year. 

Even though the government of India launched Vande Bharat Mission to repatriate Indian expatriate through special flights, no flight was scheduled from Saudi Arabia to Mangaluru.

Several organisations had exerted pressure on the government of India and government of Karnataka to bring back stranded Kannadigas from Saudi Arabia.  

With the sole intention of helping the stranded Kannadigas, a few philanthropists in Saudi Arabia last month formed an NGO called Saudi Kannadigas Humanity Forum under the leadership of Zakariya Bajpe and Sheikh Expertise. 

Bengaluru, July 13: As Bengaluru prepares for a seven-day lockdown from Tuesday following the spike in COVID- 19 cases, opposition parties in Karnataka have urged the government to enforce the measure in the entire state.

JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda and Congress working president Eshwar Khandre have demanded that the entire state be placed under lockdown.

Welcoming the government's decision to implement the lockdown in Bengaluru Urban and Rural, Gowda said, "I urge the government through the media to enforce lockdown in the entire state."

The former Prime Minister in a statement appealed to people of the state and the entire country to wear masks while venturing out, maintain social distancing, clean hands with sanitizer regularly, and to come out only if there is necessary work.

Stating that allegations of misappropriation have been made by several leaders against the government in implementing measures and packages to control spread of the virus and its impact, Gowda said, "whatever it is let's discuss about it in the next legislature session, at present health of the people is important and let's focus on it."

The government should work in this direction, we are all with the government, let's not play with the health of the people, he said, adding that "I appeal that at least from here on work actively."

With a spike in Covid-19 cases, the Karnataka government on Saturday announced complete lockdown in Bengaluru Urban and Rural from July 14 to 22.

The lockdown is from 8 pm on July 14 to 5 am on July 22.

Congress leader Khandre, meanwhile reminded Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa that COVID cases and related fatalities were not only increasing in Bengaluru but also in the border districts of the state.

The situation was getting out of hand in Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal, Ballari districts, he alleged.

"So implement strict lockdown once again in the state at least for fifteen days."

"Bring the situation under control. I appeal to the government that in this lockdown period at least to correct its past shortcomings and take all measures to face the pandemic efficiently in the future," he tweeted.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa will be chairing video conference with Deputy Commissioners, Zilla Panchayat CEOs and Superintendents of Police of various districts regarding the COVID situation and the rains.

As of July 12 evening, cumulatively 38,843 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 684 deaths and 15,409 discharges.

Bengaluru Urban district tops the list of positive cases, with a total of 18,387 infections. Of the 2,627 fresh cases reported in the state on Sunday, a whopping 1,525 cases were from Bengaluru Urban alone.

Mangaluru, July 1: Even as the number of covid-19 positive cases is mounting with every passing day in the region, the Dakshina Kannada district recorded three new deaths due to coronavirus within 24 hours. 

According to sources, a septuagenarian from Bhatkal breathed his last on Wednesday afternoon. He was suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure and battling respiratory illness and pneumonia. His swab was collected and sent for test and the result came as positive.

Earlier in the day, two people had died in Mangaluru due to covid-19: A 31-year-old youth from Bhatkal and a 78-year-old man from Bengre in the city.

The coastal district has witnessed seven deaths from Sunday due to coronavirus.

The 31-year-old man, who was battling health issues due to high blood pressure, breathed his last at a private hospital. His swab was collected after his death. The report came as corona-positive.

The elderly man from Bengre was suffering from diabetes and pneumonia. He passed away at a private hospital.

With this, the total number of death of covid patients in the district reached to 17. Among them two people died due to non-covid reasons.