Saudi Defense minister Mohammed bin Salman supports women driving

Bengaluru, Jun 17: Amid rising COVID cases in the past two weeks, the Karnataka government is planning to increase testing capacity to 25,000 samples a day, said a minister.

"Due to increase in cases in the last two weeks, the government is trying to scale up testing to 15,000 to 25,000 samples per day," said Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar.

He said people living in crowded places, sanitation workers, street vendors, healthcare workers, police and other frontline staff would be extensively tested.

"It has also been decided to mandatorily test all those who have symptoms of Influenza Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI)," he said.

Similarly, all people over 50 with ILI symptoms will be tested.

The health department will also randomly test samples in old containment zones to make sure that the infection is not recurring.

Currently, there are 72 Covid testing labs in the southern state, 41 government operated and 31 private labs.

However, for a few days, the number of Covid tests in the state have plummeted.

On Monday, the health department has tested only 5,362 samples across the state.

Likewise, on Tuesday, only 7,936 samples were tested, diverging from earlier weeks when around 10,000 cases were tested on an average.

In all, 4.57 lakh samples have been tested so far, of which 4.39 lakh have tested negative.

Bengaluru, Jul 22: Congress MLA Priyank Kharge has questioned the Karnataka government on the alleged breakdown of oxygen in the intensive care unit (ICU) at ESIC hospital in Kalaburagi, saying he had got complaints that eight persons who were on ventilators had died.

He asked the government if it is "deliberately" hiding something about the patients that were admitted in ESIC.

"I have got complaints that eight people who were on ventilators are dead in ESIC Kalaburagi because there was oxygen breakdown in ICU. ESIC has not been admitting patients as the issue has not been resolved. Nobody is confirming or denying it. Is the Government deliberately hiding something?" he asked.
Kharge also accused the government of not having adequate facilities to combat COVID-19 in different parts of the state.

"I hope I am wrong, but if it is a fact, this ascertains that the administration has lost control over Corona pandemic in the district. No addition testing centre. No beds are available. PPE Kits and medical waste is thrown in Gulbarga Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS)," he added.

According to the Union Health Ministry, there are 67420 COVID-19 cases in the state.

Bengaluru, Mar 22: The Karnataka government on Sunday afternoon announced that 9 districts in the State will be under lock down till March 31, barring essential services. It also announced imposition of Section 144 across the state for 3 hours - between 9 p.m. (when the "Janata curfew" will end) to 12 midnight.

The nine COVID-19-affected districts are Bengaluru, Bengaluru Rural, Mysuru, Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada (Mangaluru), Dharwad, Belagavi, Kalaburgi and Chikkablapur.

Announcing these measures after attending a meeting chaired by Chief Minister B. S Yeddyurappa, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that there will be no commercial activity in these districts till March 31.

Inter-district movement, including public transport will be restricted. "Public transport will not work across the state tomorrow too. Air conditioned buses will be stopped till March 31," he added. He also clarified that while public transport, including KSRTC, BMTC and Namma Metro, will be withdrawn, private transport services such as cabs and autos will continue to ply.

According to Mr. Bommai, the State government will put in place further measures next week depending on how the situation will unfold in the State and the neighbouring States.

"Government offices will be operational in the State, including in the nine COVID 19-affected districts. As per the current schedule, the legislature sessions will also continue. Pourakarmikas will be working at 50% strength," he added.