From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Mar 17: Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed concern over the spike in COVID positive cases in Bengaluru city, Bidar and Kalburgi districts in Karnataka and has asked the State Government to take special attention to control and prevent the spread of pandemic.

In his meeting with all Chief Ministers in the country through video conferencing on Wednesday, the Prime Minister tasked the State Government to take suitable precautions against the spread of the pandemic in Tier 2 and 3 cities and neighbouring areas.

Modi also asked the State Government to strengthen the referral system in all smaller towns and ambulance facilities.

The Prime Minister told the Chief Ministers that the Centre was ready supply adequate quantities of the vaccines to all States and urged the Chief Ministers to ensure that the vaccines were not wasted.

The Government of India was fully geared to utilize the vaccine manufacture and supply facilities available in the country and wanted the State Governments to join hands with the Centre in its efforts.

“Vaccines will only help in building immunity against the disease and will not eliminate the virus from the environment,’’ the Prime Minister said exhorting the State Government to ensure that all the precautionary measures against COVID pandemic were mandatorily followed. “It is necessary to create public awareness among the people,’’ he said.

1,439 hospitals yet to commence vaccination

The Prime Minister advised the State Governments to increase the testing facilities and the Centre would also step up its efforts in this direction.

Modi voiced concern that as many as 1,439 hospitals out of the 2,042 hospitals which have enrolled in the COWIN portal were yet to commence the campaign to administer the vaccines and wanted the State Government to make use of the facility

The Prime Minister emphasized on the importance of 3Ts – Test, Track and Treat – in following the COVID maintenance guidelines and wanted the government to intensify the efforts along with vaccination drive in districts which have reported spurge in the number of positive cases.

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr K Sudhakar and others, who participated in the video conferencing meeting along with senior government officials in Bengaluru, apprised the Prime Minister about the situation in the State.

Over 12,000 persons have died and little over 9.61 lakh cases have been reported in Karnataka so far.

The COVID 19 pandemic had witnessed a surge in the number of cases from August 2020 to October 2020 and the number of cases started reducing from November and even further in December.

Situation grim in last 10 days

But during the last 10 days, the COVID 19 cases have witnessed a spike and the positivity rate was as high as 1.65% on March 15, the State Government said pointing out that the number of cases were increasing in Bengaluru and districts adjoining neighbouring Maharashtra and Kerala states.

The State Government informed the Centre that the testing has been intensified and more testing is being done in the districts and places where the number of cases was increasing. A high-level meeting of officials and experts had been held to chalk out a programme to tackle the situation, the government said.

The State Government has sought Centre’s permission to take up the vaccination campaign in Old Age Homes, Apartment Complexes and Distant or inaccessible places as under the existing Central guidelines the vaccination is permitted only in authorized hospitals or health centres. The government expressed its willingness to depute health workers to administer vaccination in all the places besides providing ambulances and other facilities to ensure that all the eligible people were vaccinated.

The State Government also informed the Prime Minister that the situation in the State was being closely monitored and steps were being taken to follow the directions issued by the Prime Minister and the Government of India.

The State Government has decided to implement the following measures as part of the new campaign based on the suggestions at the March 15 meeting:

• Implementing an intensive public awareness campaign on the need to take precautionary measures against COVID 19;
• Directions to officials to enforce mandatory wearing of masks and prevent large gatherings in public places;
• Prevent gatherings of big crowds during marriages and other functions and ensure that more than the number of people permitted under the guidelines were allowed to gather in such events;
• Steps to increase the availability of number of beds and reservation of ICUs to treat the affected people;
• Establish 3 Covid Care Centres in Bengaluru city;
• Intensify vaccination drive in the State’s 3,500 plus vaccination centres;
• Target to vaccinate 3 lakh people daily.