Ramanath Rai aiding killers of RSS worker in Bantwal, claims Ashoka

New Delhi, Mar 21: Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Minister B. Sriramulu on Saturday informed that one more person was tested positive for the coronavirus in the state.

He said that a total of 16 persons have been tested positive for COVID-19 in the state so far.

The victim had come from Mecca and was kept in quarantine facility by the state authorities.

"For a 32-year-old man, who had just returned from a trip to Mecca has found COVID-19 positive. The infection has been confirmed. He has already been treated at an isolated ward of the hospital. Citizens must not have any sort of anxiety," tweeted Sriramulu.

Also, the news and public relations department, the Indian Red Cross Society and the Karnataka State Labour Studies Institute have invited volunteers for the programme to provide real-time information to people to avoid spreading rumours and misinformation about coronavirus.

At least four volunteers will work in four shifts per day in each taluk of the state. There are about 120 volunteers in Bengaluru city and about 3,000 Corona Warriors are expected to register from across the state. Over 400 volunteers have registered via online application on the first day.

Bengaluru, Mar 10: With concerns growing by the day, the Karnataka government is readying three more labs to test throat swab samples.

Currently, only two labs in Bengaluru — National Institute of Virology and Virus Research and Diagnostics Laboratory (VRDL) lab attached to Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute — are categorised biosafety level 2+, a requirement for coronavirus tests.

Now, the government is working on upgrading three more labs, one each in the government medical colleges at Hassan, Mysuru and Shivamogga. “The labs will be ready within one week,” the authorities said.

Currently, the labs are testing only throat swab samples of suspected patients and taking 24 hours to give the results. “A patient’s blood sample will be collected only if he or she tests positive for covid-19 infection in the first throat swab sample.

While earlier the state would send all samples of suspected coronavirus cases to NIV, Pune, the two labs were upgraded to biosafety level 2+ in mid-February.

Bengaluru, May 20: Karnataka Congress leaders held a protest against the state government against amending of APMC Act, at the premises of Vidhan Soudha here.

Few days ago, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa had said that the new amendment in the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Act will substantially aid the farmers in getting remunerative price for their produce.

"Amendment will not dilute the powers of the work of the APMCs. All these marketing activities will be monitored by the Directorate of State APMC. This new amendment Act will benefit farmers in improving their income & suffering from losses due to market fluctuations," the Karnataka CM tweeted.

Yediyurappa further said that the amendment will indirectly help farmers in doubling their income by 2022.

"This amendment will indirectly help farmers in doubling their income by 2022. I want to clarify that we have not removed the APMC Act, we are only amending 2 sections of the APMC Act which enable farmers to sell their produce at the markets where they intend to," he tweeted.