Karnataka CM Yediyurappa orders COVID-19 isolation centres to be set up in rural areas

In the latest development, Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa has directed the Deputy Commissioners and Zila Panchayat CEOs to create COVID isolation centres in rural areas as the state battles the second wave of the pandemic. Days after striking down home isolation for COVID patients in rural areas, the Karnataka CM asked the officials in the rural areas to convert marriage halls, govt schools, hostels into COVID isolation centres in order to monitor COVID patients. Chairing a meeting via videoconferencing with the officials, Karnataka CM asked the officials to ensure that patients who tested positive for COVID must be taken to the isolation centres within two hours of their test report. Further, he said that the state govt had taken all measures to tackle the Black Fungus disease, noting that it wasn't a new disease and added that treatment centres would soon be set up in district hospitals and medical colleges in a phased manner.

Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa on Thursday informed that the state government would be assisted by Professor Gagandeep Kang in formulating a vaccine strategy, while Narayana Hrudyalaya founder Dr Devi Shetty will head a task force to assist in the preparation against the third wave of COVID. Taking to Twitter, CM Yediyurappa announced Prof Gagandeep Kang's role in assisting the state govt with a vaccine strategy and Dr Devi Shetty's role in helping the government prepare for the mitigation of the third wave of COVID. 

Karnataka's COVID situation

Karnataka reported 38,603 new cases of COVID-19, and 476 fatalities, taking the total number of infections to 22,42,065 and the toll to 22,313, the Health Department said on Monday. The day also saw 34,635 patients getting discharged after recovery. Bengaluru Urban accounted for 13,338 new cases.

As of May 17 evening, cumulatively 22,42,065 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 22,313 deaths and 16,16,092 discharges, a department bulletin said. The total number of active cases in the state stood at 6,03,639. While the positivity rate for the day stood at 39.70 per cent, the case fatality rate (CFR) was at 1.23 per cent. Among 476 deaths reported on Monday, 239 are from Bengaluru Urban, Hassan (29), Ballari (17), Kalaburagi, Shivamogga and Uttara Kannada (15), Tumakuru (14), Bengaluru Rural (13), Mandya (10), followed by others.

Hassan recorded 2,324 new cases, Ballari 2,322, Mysuru 1,980, Tumakuru 1,915, Belagavi 1,748, followed by others. Bengaluru Urban district tops the list of positive cases, with a total of 10,64,396, followed by Mysuru 1,14,107 and Tumakuru 83,394. Among discharges too, Bengaluru Urban tops the list with 6,90,291, followed by Mysuru 98,669 and Ballari 56,265. A total of over 2,79,76,933 samples have been tested so far, of which 97,236 were tested on Monday alone.