Rich haul of gold seized at Mangaluru Airport in January

Mangaluru, Apr 18: A case has been registered against a man for spreading communal hatred by sharing objectionable and sensitive posts on social media, Commissioner of Police Harsha said here on Saturday.

In Twitter Mr Harsha wrote, ” We have registered a case against a person claiming himself as Vishwa, Mangalore for making Statements promoting enmity and hatred between communities on social media with crime number 46/20 at the south police station under 505 IPC.”

He further warned, “We will not spare anyone trying to disturb communal harmony in the district.”

Bengaluru, Jun 21: As many as 453 new coronavirus cases were confirmed on Sunday including 196 in Bengaluru alone, taking the total number of infections in Karnataka to 9,150, the Health Department said.

Five more deaths took the toll due to COVID-19 in the state to 137, a bulletin issued by the department said.

An assistant sub-inspector posted in a traffic police station died due to coronavirus on Saturday night taking the number of policemen succumbing to the contagion to three, police said.

The entire police station has been sealed for sanitisation and 25 people including five primary contacts of the deceased have been quarantined at the designated hospitals.

The total number of COVID-19 cases include 5,618 discharges, 3,391 active cases, 137 deaths, four deaths due to non-COVID causes and 77 patients admitted in Intensive Care Units.

The 196 cases confirmed in Bengaluru today is the highest single-day spike ever since the outbreak of the pandemic.

With 64 deaths so far, the city's share in the total fatalities in the state due to COVID is 47 per cent.

The five deaths reported on Sunday included three in Bengaluru.

"Yes. It is a major single day spike in Bengaluru," a health department official told P T I.

Of the total cases reported in Bengaluru, 101 are Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and 68 are those whose contact tracing is underway.

Apart from 196 in Bengaluru, 40 cases were reported in Ballari, 39 cases each in Kalaburagi and Vijayapura, 18 each in Mysuru and Gadag, 15 in Dharwad, 14 in Bagalkote, 13 in Bidar, eight each in Davangere, Uttara Kannada and Kolar.

The five deaths reported on Sunday consisted of four men and a woman.

In view of the rising cases in Bengaluru, the Chief Secretary on Saturday formed three teams.

According to an order, Principal Secretary in Cooperative department Tushar Girinath will head the team that will ensure shifting the patients from their houses or the institutional quarantine facilities to the designated hospital.

The second team headed by the Karnataka Public Service Commission secretary G Sathyavathi will monitor the containment zone and carry out extensive surveys of people with COVID-19.

The third team is headed by Karnataka State Mineral Development Corporation managing director Naveen Raj Singh and Additional Commissioner of police Hemant Nimbalkar who will ensure social distancing at public places.

These three teams will have senior bureaucrats and top police officers as members.

Bengaluru, Jun 25: Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Thursday asked people to cooperate by following the measures put in place for the control of COVID-19 if they don't want another lockdown or sealing in Bengaluru.

Amid talks about re-imposing lockdown in the city following the recent spike in cases, the Chief Minister said he will hold discussions on Thursday and Friday regarding the strict measures that need to be taken to control the virus.

"COVID pandemic is increasing, we are making all efforts and we have even sealed some areas. Today afternoon at Krishna (the CM's home office) I have called a meeting with Ministers and officials and will discuss the strict measures to be taken to control COVID," Mr Yediyurappa said.

Speaking to reporters, he said, "Tomorrow noon I have called a meeting of legislators of all political parties from Bengaluru and all Ministers from the city to discuss with them, seek their opinion and take stringent measures."

Citing an increase in cases, Health Minister B Sriramulu on Tuesday had said the government may have to think about imposing lockdown in the city if the situation continues.

Following this several Ministers in the state cabinet on Wednesday had said, any decision on re-imposing lockdown in the city will be taken only after consulting experts.

Some reports had even suggested that a decision on lockdown is likely at the cabinet meeting scheduled today.

The Chief Minister said there is no lockdown in the entire city, adding only in a few areas it has been imposed and would continue.

Concerned over the increase in COVID-19 cases in the city, Mr Yediyurappa on Monday had directed officials to implement lockdown measures strictly in certain clusters which have reported greater number of coronavirus infections.

The city's busy K R Market and Kalasipalya Market have been sealed for 15 days by the civic body Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) as part of measures to check the spread of the deadly virus.

Stating that Bengaluru is a model for the whole country in COVID-19 management, Mr Yediyurappa on Thursday said, when you compare with other major cities, "we have not yet lost control."

A total of 1,678 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the city till last evening.

This includes 78 deaths and 475 discharges.

The number of COVID-19 cases in the state which stood at 3,408 as of June 1 has crossed the 10,000 mark on Wednesday with the state capital topping the districts in the infection count.

Seeking public cooperation in controlling the spread of the virus, Yediyurappa said social distancing and other measures in place were not followed, there has been spread to slums and other places.

"If you don't want Bengaluru to be sealed once again please cooperate and maintain distance," he added.

Mr Yediyurappa also said, the government has taken all measures for the safe conduct of SSLC (class 10) exams from today, and students should come out and write exams for their bright future.