BENGALURU: Concerned over an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases in the State and a spike Kerala, the Karnataka Government has directed officials to strictly monitor the situation and impose additional containment measures if necessary.
“We have taken a serious note of the increase in Covid cases in Kerala and we are taking all measures to contain the spread in the State,” Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai told reporters in Delhi on Friday. He is in Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Ministers.
On Friday, Karnataka reported 1,890 new cases and 34 deaths. While Bengaluru reported 426 new cases, Dakshina Kannada had 345 cases, Udupi 155 and Hassan 135. The State had 2,052 new cases on Thursday.
Bommai spoke to Chief Secretary P Ravi Kumar and deputy commissioners from bordering districts to get information on the situation, and directed them to monitor those coming in from Kerala by road or train. He will hold a video-conference with DCs, SPs and health department officials on Saturday, while the chief secretary conducted a virtual meet with deputy commissioners on Friday.
Health Commissioner Dr KV Trilok Chandra said they have been consistently conducting around 1.5 lakh tests per day. Testing will be increased in places where a high number of cases are being reported, he added.In districts bordering Kerala, officials are insisting that those entering the State should have RTPCR negative reports regardless of their vaccination status, an official said.
Meanwhile, the government issued an order directing the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) chief commissioner and deputy commissioners to strictly monitor the situation in their respective jurisdictions. It allowed them to impose additional containment measures based on their assessment of the situation. Officials have been told to implement strict surveillance measures at border check-posts.
“It has been observed that there is a spike in the number of new Covid cases in the bordering states as well as in a few places in the State, which entails close monitoring and stringent micro-containment measures to contain the spread of Covid19 locally,“stated the order issued by Principal Secretary, Revenue Department, and Member Secretary State Executive Committee, N Manjunatha Prasad.