Sabarimala row | Muslim Jama-ath Council expels Rehna Famtima for hurting Hindu sentiments

Mangaluru, May 9: A team of doctors at Mangaluru's Mangala Hospital has developed a 'bubble helmet' that will provide an alternative to patients who need an oxygen mask.

The team was led by Dr Ganapathi, medical director of Mangala Hospital and Mangala Kidney Foundation in the city.

The bubble helmet, which has a special collar attached to it, helps the patients with breathing issues, and to avoid using ventilator facility.

Dr Ganapathi said, "When a patient needs intubation we will be providing them oxygen bubble helmets and we will first give it a trial before we intubate a patient."

"I have converted an ordinary snorkelling mask into a ventilator assist device, this mask can be used as a personal protection device by connecting it to a bacterial viral filter," he added.

Dr Ganapathi said that the connector has been made available in India and a snorkelling mask can be easily converted into a ventilator assist device. And it will make the management of coronavirus patients easy.

Bengaluru, Apr 5: Opening of Karnataka's borders to Kerala at this point in time will be like "embracing death," chief minister B S Yediyurappa said on Saturday making clear his government's stand not opening the state border.

The chief minister repeatedly said that for his government interest of the people of the state was supreme.

Yediyurappa made his stand clear in a letter to former prime minister and JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda.

Gowda had recently written to the chief minister on March 31 seeking relaxation of the border restrictions on "humanitarian" grounds.

He had also written to Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressing his anguish against Karnataka authorities for imposing restriction and promising to raise the matter with prime minister Narendra Modi.

Stating the decision to close the border was not sudden, Yediyurappa said, it was a conscious decision after analysing the health situation in the area following the spread of COVID-19.

The chief minister cited the Indian Medical Association, Mangaluru branch data regarding the spread of Covid-19 in Kasargod of Kerala and surrounding areas which was alarming.

Noting that the region has nearly 106 positive coronaviruscases, he said, "this is the region with most number of infections in the country."

If this restriction is removed, it puts the health of the people of Karnataka in to risk and create a situation of "embracing death", so we will not be able to open the border, Yediyurappa said.

He also clarified that there was no prejudice behind his government's decision, and the interest of the people of the state was of utmost importance.

"...There is also no political maliciousness. We want to have good and brotherly relationship with neighbouring states," he said, adding that opening the border will open a pandora's box that will be disastrous for the state.

Yediyurappa also thanked opposition parties for their support to his government in its fight against COVID-19.

Bengaluru, Jun 15: The total number of COVID-19 cases in Karnataka reached the 7,000-mark on Sunday, with the state reporting 176 new cases and five related fatalities, taking the toll to 86.

The day also saw 312 patients getting discharged in the state after recovery while the total number of positive cases in the Udupi district alone breached 1000 cases mark.

As of June 14 evening, cumulatively 7,000 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 86 deaths and 3,955 discharges, the health department said in its bulletin. It said, out of 2,956 active cases, 2,940 patients are in isolation at designated hospitals and are stable, while 16 are in ICU.

The five dead include- thee from Bengaluru urban, and one each from Dakshina Kannada and Bidar. The three from Bengaluru include- two women aged 57 and 60 respectively and a man who was 50 years; while the person who died in Dakshina Kannada was a 24-year-old man.

Also, a 76-year-old man from Bidar, who died at his residence on June 6, later tested positive for COVID-19. Out of 176 new cases, 88 are returnees from other states, the majority of them from neighboring Maharashtra. While 6 are those who returned from other countries.

Among the districts where new cases were reported, Bengaluru urban accounts for 42, Yadgir 22, Udupi 21, Bidar 20, Kalaburagi 13, Dharwad 10, Ballari 8, Kolar 7, Uttara Kannada 6, five each from Mandya and Dakshina Kannada, Bagalkote 4 and Ramanagara 3. Besides, two each from Raichur and Shivamogga, and one each from Belagavi, Hassan, Vijayapura, Bengaluru rural, and Haveri.

Udupi district tops the list of positive cases, with a total of 1,026 infections, followed by Kalaburagi 896 and Yadgir 809.

Among discharges also Udupi tops the list with total of 713 discharges, followed by Kalaburagi 427 and Bengaluru urban 327. A total of 4,43,969 samples were tested so far, out of which 7,451 were tested on Sunday alone. So far 4,27,608 samples have been reported as negative, and out of the 6,835 were reported negative today.