Karnataka fares well in war against COVID-19

Positivity rate at 2.5% in state better than Kerala, M’rashtra; Govt to decide on red, orange, green zones after discussions with PM, says Minister Suresh Kumar
A lone cyclist on Bengaluru’s iconic MG Road on Monday | pandarinath b
A lone cyclist on Bengaluru’s iconic MG Road on Monday | pandarinath b

BENGALURU: Karnataka has fared much better compared to many other states in tackling the COVID-19 infection spread. The positivity rate of coronavirus cases is 2.5% in Karnataka, which is lesser than Kerala (2.63 %), Rajasthan (2.82 %), Maharashtra (5.53%), Delhi (9.13%)and Tamil Nadu (11.52%), Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Suresh Kumar revealed on Monday. Positivity rate refers to the number of positive cases out of the total samples tested. Karnataka’s success can be attributed to the three ‘Ts’ method -- trace, test and treat.

The minister said Karnataka has seen a 6.42% growth rate in the last five days. In Bengaluru, 27 out of 77 patients have been discharged. In Mysuru, 10 out of 48 have been discharged, seven out of 12 in Dakshina Kannada, and six out of nine in Chikkaballapur. “In the last four days, 30 people have been discharged. The average daily growth rate since 100 cases is 7.1% in Karnataka as opposed to 16.5% for India, 23.7% for the USA and 24.5 % for Turkey.

After discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we will decide on red, orange and green zones along with further lockdown measures,” Suresh Kumar said. Joint Secretary, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Lav Agarwal at a press conference on Monday, too, appreciated the technology being used at Karnataka’s corona war room to provide information and to help common citizens.

“Bengaluru’s war rooms are an example of how technology is being used to support the state’s COVID-19 management,” he said. An audio-visual was played displaying the control room at the Department of Information and Public Relations office, the Chief Minister’s war room, Hunger helpline and BBMP war room.

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Health dept tracking down contacts of patients

Inclusion of software engineers, doctors, pilots, citizens and others volunteering to answer calls made by citizens was highlighted in the video. Real-time information on positive case movement up to 14 days prior to testing positive on corona watch mobile hall, quarantine app to monitor those under quarantine, heat maps, hotspots, statistics compiled and analysed of positive cases all over the state were acknowledged.

The state health department meticulously tracked down primary and secondary contacts of COVID patients by forming separate teams to do the tracking as well as surveillance of those home quarantined.Chief secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar, along with the State Executive Committee, State Disaster Management Authority, formed 15 special teams involving senior officers under various departments and issued directives to deal with various aspects of COVID management and containment. Containment zones were formed in residential areas reporting COVID deaths and positive cases all over the state.

IT/BT companies were asked to provide a list of all employees who travelled to the virus-hit countries after February 21 and from March 22, international flights were stopped to and from Bengaluru airport with domestic flights following suit soon after.The state expanded its testing protocol starting from those who have returned from abroad and their primary contacts to include those with Severe Acute Respiratory Illness, Influenza-like Illnesses, secondary contacts of patients and symptomatic health workers.

The state government on March 13 ordered closure of all universities, malls and places of entertainment which encourage big gatherings to contain the virus spread. Government medical colleges in 19 districts were converted into war rooms. In remaining districts where there are no government medical colleges, private hospitals were roped in.  

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