From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Apr 17: With 38 new coronavirus positive cases being reported from different parts of Karnataka, the state government has decided to opt for a four-fold increase in the number of tests from the present 500 a day to 2,000 tests per day.
This was decided at a high-level meeting chaired by chief minister B S Yediyurappa in Bengaluru on Friday to review the situation in Karnataka with more COVID-19 positive cases had been reported in the State during the last three to four days.
The meeting decided to take care of people undergoing treatment in ICUs to prevent fatalities and to work out a suitable protocol for the treatment of COVID-19 patients all over the state.
The medical experts who participated in the meeting felt that people having influenza-like symptoms of fever, cold, breathlessness etc, need to get tested for COVID 19.
The meeting decided to develop a separate app for the purpose and officers were directed to conduct tests on people with influenza-like symptoms in the districts where nil cases have been reported.
The meeting was informed that the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) has issued circular to set up 2 labs in each district and one lab in each medical college.
Efforts are being made to set up 10 more labs in the State by the end of April, the chief minister was informed.
The meeting also decided to be prepared for treating an increased number of patients after relaxing lockdown from April 20 and issue guidelines to companies that would start working after relaxing lockdown.
It also decided to appeal to people to download Aarogya Setu App.
The high-level committee headed by the chief minister will be meeting again on April 21 to decide further course of action.
New Guidelines on Akrama Sakrama in a week
In another meeting chaired by chief minister B S Yediyurappa on regularization of unauthorized constructions in the urban areas under the Akrama Sakrama scheme, a decision was taken to reframe laws on regularising unauthorised properties and study how other states have done on the issue.
The Urban Development Department will be preparing new guidelines on the regularization issue.
The meeting decided that the State Government should take steps to collect revenue from about 2.93 lac unauthorised buildings in Bengaluru City as the buildings were getting all facilities from the government without getting any revenues.
As per an old survey, there are 35 lac unauthorised buildings across the state, the chief minister was informed with estimates that such buildings may have doubled at present.