From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Jul 13: Chief Minister (CM) B S Yediyurappa has expressed concern over the sharp spike in the COVID 19 infection cases in Bengaluru Urban and Rural districts as well as Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Dharwad, Kalaburagi and Ballari districts besides the increased fatalities in the districts of Bidar, Dharwad, Gadag and Mysuru districts. The CM later held a task force meeting also.
The Chief Minister was speaking at a meeting with Deputy Commissioners, Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officers and senior police officials of the districts causing concern due to growing number of Corona virus infections and deaths. He also took stock of the agricultural activities, sowing and flood situation due to rain havoc.
The meeting was held through video conferencing along with Revenue Minister R Ashok, Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Chief Secretary T M Vijaya Bhaskar, Chief Minister’s Additional Secretary P Ravi Kumar and Principal Secretary Selva Kumar in Vidhana Soudha on Monday even as the Bengaluru Urban and Rural districts are gearing up for a week-long lockdown from Tuesday night.
Yediyurappa said the State Government accorded highest priority for rapid antigen tests and has already purchased 1 lakh test kits. The test kits have already been supplied to the districts and directed that the test kits must be used in emergency situation after due diligence.
The Chief Minister wanted the district police and revenue administrations in Bengaluru Urban and Rural as well as Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Dharwad, Ballari, Kalaburagi, Bidar, Mysuru, Gadag districts which had the highest infection and fatalities to take stringent measures to check the pandemic.
Fatalities in Bidar is worrying
The highest fatalities due to Corona virus in Bidar was a matter of serious concern as the district has been ranked among the top 5 districts in the country in the number of deaths due to COVID 19, he said directing an expert panel to be sent to district for studying the situation.
Advising strict measures to check the spread of the pandemic in the containment zones, he suggested that medical staff be appointed on contract basis for a period of 6 months at the block levels in the event of shortage of medical staff. "Containing the spread of the Corona virus through rapid testing, tracing and treating must be the top priority,’’ he said.
The Chief Minister directed the district administrations of both revenue and police officials in the hotspot districts to maintain a strict control and vigilance over the arrival of the migrants and those coming from outside.
Testing, Tracing, Treatment
Under no circumstances, Yediyurappa said the treatment of non-COVID patients must be hindered and also to ensure that all types of public celebrations and observation of festivals were avoided.
The Chief Minister instructed the officials to take strict action against hospitals refusing to provide treatment to both COVID and non-COVID patients in Bengaluru.
The district officials were directed to constitute booth-level committees to conduct survey of all quarantined persons at the booth levels and involve people’s representatives as well as volunteers.
Persons above 60 years and those suffering from serious ailments must be isolated and those with breathing problems must be identified and subjected to compulsory COVID testing, the Chief Minister said.
The seal-down process must be effectively enforced in the containment zones and the people in such areas must be subjected to testing to identify infected persons, Yediyurappa said.
Another direction from the Chief Minister was to ensure that public assembly must be prevented in all religious places, markets and fairs so that the chances of spreading the infection were minimized.
Yediyurappa promised that the State Government will take steps to enhance the incentives to Group D employees involved in sanitization work in the COVID treatment hospitals besides ensuring that ambulances and beds were made available.
He also advised that the process of quick identification of COVID infection by using digital x-ray machines and checking the lungs must be used even while reassuring the people that COVID infection can be cured and the people need get unnecessarily worried over the virus.
Good Monsoon, Bumper Crop likely
On the agricultural front, the Chief Minister expressed happiness that the State was blessed with good rains in different parts and farming activities were gaining momentum.
Karnataka was likely to enjoy bumper crops this year due to satisfactory monsoon and asked the officials to ensure that early precautionary measures were taken regarding storage, transport and harvesting.
He also wanted the officials to be vigilant in shifting people from low-lying areas due to heavy rains or floods. The State Government was already in discussion with the Maharashtra government over the release of water from Koyna dam and the possible flooding in the Krishna river.