Rising Covid: Masks back, but no fine yet

By NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: With Covid cases rising in some north Indian states, the state government has made masks compulsory indoors as well as in public places with immediate effect. However, the situation of slapping fine for not wearing masks has not yet come, maintained Health and Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar.

He told reporters here on Monday after a high-level meeting convened by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to take stock of the Covid-19 situation that the authorities of BBMP were asked to be on high alert as the Test Positivity Rate (TPR) stood at 1.9 per cent and there has been a spike in Corona cases. “Testing has been made mandatory for symptomatic patients. Luckily, patients do not require hospitalisation or treatment in ICUs.”

The minister also said people who had already taken two doses of the vaccine should take the booster dose for extra protection. The number of booster dose takers is very less and without showing laxity, people must take the dose by paying a nominal fee. The World Health Organization has opined that those who had not been vaccinated, are falling prey to the pandemic in other nations. “ We do not know if the spurt in cases is because of the new variant. Genomic sequencing has been done and the results will be known in two or three days. Our government will issue a fresh set of guidelines after the meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 27”.

With the outbreak of new variants in Japan, Thailand and Korea, travellers landing at Bengaluru airport have to share details of their stay in the state capital so that a vigil can be maintained on them. This will help BBMP health authorities track their health condition.

Asked about restrictions on travellers from neighbouring Kerala,Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Maharashtra, the minister said the government will take a call on this after the video conferencing with the PM. In Delhi, despite a spike in positive cases, the deaths are very low mainly due to vaccination. In Karnataka, the booster dose is given free of cost to citizens above 60 years. Dr Sudhakar also appealed to all political parties to strictly follow Covid Appropriate Behaviour (CAB).

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