Udupi CMC polls | People should not forget BJP’s corruption, Cong’s development works: Madhwaraj

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 10: Eight foreign nationals from Italy and United Kingdom, who were undergoing treatment in Kerala, have recovered fully from COVID-19, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Thursday.

The state reported 12 more positive cases of coronavirus on Thursday taking the total number of confirmed cases to 357, Vijayan said as he cautioned that the strict vigil against the pandemic will continue.

While the northern districts of Kannur and Kasaragod reported four cases each, two cases were reported from Malappuram district and one each from Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts, Vijayan told reporters after a COVID-19 review meeting here.

Of the eight foreign nationals, seven were undergoing treatment at the Ernakulam Medical College Hospital and one in Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital, Vijayan said, adding that some of the patients were in a serious condition.

The seven foreigners from UK, admitted in Ernakulam medical college, were part of the group which had on March 15 tried to leave the country without permission while being under observation at Munnar, a hill station in the state.

The Italian tourist in Thiruvananthapuram was staying at a resort at Varkala near here and was admitted to hospital on March 13, Vijayan said.

"The recovery of this UK tourist group, which comprised of 83 and 76-year-olds is a testimony to our robust healthcare system and good treatment extended to these patients," the chief minister said.

It has been 100 days since the first COVID-19 case was reported in the state and since then, a total of 357 cases have been confirmed and currently, 258 patients are under treatment in different hospitals.

Bengaluru, July 20: The Karnataka government has reiterated that no final decision has so far been taken on reopening of schools in the state.

The clarification comes after minutes of the July 15 HRD ministry meeting where Karnataka education department officials said schools are reopening on September 1 went viral on social media. 

“The state government has not decided yet on starting schools. That they will reopen in September was only a general opinion expressed by our officials at the meeting. At present, we have no plans to start schools unless there is a conducive environment. There’s no need for anxiety,” said primary and secondary minister S Suresh Kumar.

Kumar said the government is involved in meeting the education sector’s changed priorities in the current scenario.

The minutes were of a virtual conference on school-safety plans, with representatives of state governments and Union territories expressing views on reopening of schools. 

Against the name of Karnataka, “After September 1” was written. Similar datelines were given by Kerala, Ladakh, Manipur, Rajasthan, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, while in case of many other states it said “no decision”.

An education department official said Karnataka submitted to MHRD that it will be able to take a decision only after September 1, depending on the situation in the state.

Mangaluru, June 10: Former minister and Mangaluru MLA U T Khader has hit out at the Karnataka government for what he opined that it is misusing the Epidemic Diseases Act to target opposition parties. 

The statement comes in the backdrop of state government’s move to scuttle oath taking ceremony of KPCC president designate D K Shivakumar.

Asserting that the oath taking will be a grand affair, Mr Khader said that Congress will not be browbeaten by the tactics of the BJP.

Citing the blatant violation of all norms laid down under the Act by minister for health B R Sriramulu at Chitradurga earlier this month, Khader told reporters that the BJP is using the Act for its narrow political gains.

“KPCC has twice deferred swearing in ceremony of Shivakumar after being given the oral go ahead,” Khader claimed, adding the state government must explain to people the issue it has with the Congress organising this function.

Referring to the back-to-back virtual political rallies – one for Bihar and the other for Odisha – on Sunday and Monday that union home minister Amit Shah conducted, Khader wondered if the Act did not apply to the BJP leadership.