No more guard of honour in public places: Karnataka CM to issue directive after receiving one

MANGALURU: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that he will issue a directive to the police on Friday to stop giving a guard of honour in public places.

Bommai received a guard of honour at Mangalore International Airport before heading to a review meeting on the Covid-19 situation in Dakshina Kannada. After a discussion with senior police officers, the CM said that henceforth the police need not give a guard of honour during his arrival be it in airports, railway stations or other public places to avoid inconvenience to the public.

Keeping in mind the third wave of Covid-19 which is likely to affect children, Bommai said that separate pediatric departments will be started in all government as well as private hospitals for their treatment.

Speaking to reporters, the CM said that cases are increasing in some districts in the state and to control the spread of the virus further, strict surveillance measures are being implemented in the border districts.  

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"I do not want to impose a lockdown which will cause hardship to the people. Prevention is better than cure. We are concentrating on testing and tracking and improving our health infrastructure. We are focusing on making task forces at the village levels active and stepping up triaging. Also, managing home isolation and Covid Care Centres effectively so that cases come down. We are keeping an eye on areas where there is a high positivity rate," he said.

Regarding vaccination supply, the CM said that he will ensure adequate supply of vaccines to the border districts including Dakshina Kannada in a few weeks. "The state government and private sector will work hand in hand to bring the Covid-19 situation under control.

Special focus on children ahead of third wave

Children in rural areas especially those who are below the poverty line suffer due to malnutrition. "To identify such children, we have come up with a special programme called 'Vatsalya'. In Udupi and Haveri districts, we have already started it which we will do in Dakshina Kannada and elsewhere in the state also. In the next one-and-a-half months, health check-ups should be conducted in all schools and the women and child welfare department will ensure they get nutritious food. Their health status should be monitored every 15-20 days. If they are suffering from heart and other ailments, the children should be referred to the district hospitals," he said.

He added that an expert committee meeting will be held next week and further measures will be taken to control the Covid-19 situation.