'Lockdown has improved air quality of Bengaluru'

Bengaluru, Jul 4: Karnataka Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao said on Saturday that he and his family would get tested for COVID-19 after one of his security persons tested positive for the infection.

Rao's family will also be in-home quarantine for the stipulated time.

"One of my police security person has tested positive for COVID yesterday. My family members and I are getting tested now and will be in-home quarantine for the stipulated time period. None of us are showing any symptoms," he said.

The total number of cases in Karnataka stands at 19,710. Out of them, 8,805 have recovered and 293 patients have lost their lives, according to the Union Health Ministry.

Across the country, the total number of cases stands at 6,48,315. As many as 3,94,227 patients have recovered so far and 18,655 have lost their lives due to the virus.

Bengaluru, Jul 15: With the state capital along with a few districts under lockdown to control the spread of Covid-19, Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said the measure was important to break the chain and people seem to have understood its importance.

Appealing for cooperation from the people, he asked them not to make it inevitable for police to use force in implementing the lockdown. "Traffic movement is less, there is a lockdown atmosphere everywhere, I feel that people have understood the importance... cooperation is required. I appeal to the people, if this lockdown has to be effective it has to be voluntary, only then we can control the rapid spread of coronavirus," Bommai said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said this lockdown is important, last time the infection was not up to this level. "This time areas that have a high number of infections- about five districts and Bengaluru city are going for lockdown. People have understood that this lockdown is to break the chain," he said. "Please don't make it inevitable for police to use force," he added.

Bengaluru urban and rural areas are under "complete lockdown" since last night at 8 pm and it will be effective till 5 am on July 22.

Following Bengaluru urban and rural, administrations in several districts like Dharwad, Dakshina Kannada, Kalaburagi (only in Urban areas), Bidar, Raichur (in Raichur city and Sindhanur) and Yadgir too have announced lockdown.

Noting that Police have taken all necessary strict measures to enforce lockdown in Bengaluru urban and rural districts by restricting the movement of vehicles and people, Bommai said barricades have been erected at various places and flyovers have been shut. People have been allowed to purchase vegetables and groceries till 12 noon, he said.

The government has warned of action in case of any violation of the lockdown rules. As of July 14 evening, cumulatively 44,077 Covid-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 842 deaths and 17,390 discharges. Bengaluru Urban district tops the list of positive cases, with a total of 20,969 infections.

Bengaluru, May 8: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said his government is clear in its stand on extending every possible help to the farmers. The Chief Minister spoke to the farmer-leaders of the state, who wanted their concerns to be heard and addressed, with regard to the problems the agrarian community has been facing in the wake of the COVID-19 lockdown.

"We will soon make our position clear on supporting the farmers. We will not allow any hindrance to come in the way of agriculture activities," Yediyurappa told the farmer- leaders.

The Chief Minister told the delegation that the pre-monsoon activities are in full swing in the state.

The government has also set up help centres and been providing agriculture equipment on rent, the Chief Minister said. In most of the places, at least 80 per cent of the standing crops have been harvested.

Arrangements have been made to bring equipment from neighbouring states to harvest the standing crop, he said.

Yediyurappa said fertilisers and seeds are available in abundance in the state.

He informed the farmer-leaders about the arrangements made to transport flowers, vegetables and fruits to other states.

Similarly, the market has been developed for the farmers to sell their products, said the Chief Minister.

He said the government is working out a compensation for farmers who lost their crops due to hailstorm in Raichur, Koppal and Ballari. Agriculture Minister B C Patil, Horticulture Minister Narayana Gowda, Revenue Minister R Ashoka, Chief Secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar and Development Commissioner Vandita Sharma were also present in the meeting.