Politicians are like 'Dasaiahs,' says CM

Mangaluru/Udupi: A total 237 people tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Dakshina Kannada (DK) and Udupi on Sunday, a day that DK scaled yet another peak with 196 cases and Udupi tallied 41. 

The grim reaper came calling on patients with co-morbidities, harvesting five souls, to take the total tally of deaths in DK to 46. The spurt also saw DK’s tally of positive cases rise to 2,230 and Udupi’s to 1,608.

The 196 fresh cases in DK included 91 cases of influenza like illness (ILI), the cause of infection in 57 people is yet to be known, 20 are primary contacts, 16 are those with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI), 10 are those with international travel history and two are pre-surgery samples, said deputy commissioner Sindhu B Rupesh. The five deceased include three men and two women, the youngest victim being a 50-year-old man and oldest a 72-year-old man.

A total 94 patients were discharged from the designated Covid-19 and private hospitals in the city, taking the total number those discharged to 876, and paring down the number of active cases to 1,309. The commissioner of Mangaluru City Corporation, tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Sunda. Deputy Commissioner (revenue), MCC, a primary contact, has home quarantined himself in the wake of this development.

In neighbouring Udupi, the double-digit blip on the Covid-19 radar included 32 primary contacts, six with inter-district travel history, two with inter-state travel history and one patient with international travel history, said district health officer Sudhir Chandra Sooda. The fresh cases also included four children. The discharge of 28 patients took the total numbers of those discharged to 1,273, and there are 332 active cases now. The district has recorded three deaths due to the pandemic thus far. 

Bengaluru, Mar 23: Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi cautioned private bus transport services operators, taxis and autorickshaws from exploiting commuters in wake of bus and train services being suspended by the government as precautionary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

In a statement released here on Monday, Transport Minister Savadi said it has come to the notice that private buses, taxis and autorickshaws were misusing the opportunity and exploiting commuters. Inter-district bus services have been suspended in the districts wherein lockdown has been announced to protect the health of people and none should violate the decision of the government, he stated.

Transport and Police Department officials have been asked to taken action against those violating norms and exploiting commuters. Service providers for their profit cannot risk with the health of the people and repeated cases if come to the fore, they will not be spared, Savadi cautioned.

Government has taken measures to prevent spread of COVID-19. Private transport service providers and people should join hands and cooperate to contain it, he appealed. 

Mangaluru, Jan 31: Mahesh Vikram Hegde, the co-founder of website 'Postcard News', known for spreading fake news on behalf of Sangh Parivar, was taken aback when he was asked to sing 'Vande Mataram' to prove his patriotism by a group of women activists at Mangaluru International Airport.

The video of the incident which occurred on Friday, days after editor-in-chief and co-founder of Republic TV Arnab Goswami was heckled by comedian Kunal Kamra on a flight, went viral on social media within hours.

Hegde was spotted by social activist Kavitha Reddy, and other young orators – Najma Nazeer and Amulya Leona – at the airport where he was waiting to board a plane to Bengaluru.

In a video, the three women are seen coercing Hegde to sing 'Vande Mataram' and prove his patriotism. In another video being circulated, the women are heard telling the journalist that he is getting an opportunity to become a 'hero' from 'zero' if he sings 'Vande Mataram.' However, he refused to open his mouth.

Reddy is seen asking Hegde whether he knew the time when Nathuram Godse assassinated Mahatma Gandhi.

Hegde was arrested in 2018 for posting a fake news aimed at creating communal conflict.

When saffron journalist Vikram Hegde refuses to sing 'Vande Mataram' pic.twitter.com/4TZHbpkvtd

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