COVID-19 Karnataka wrap: Bengaluru, Mysuru among top 25 hotspots in India; cops seize fake hand sanitisers

This is not an April Fool’s prank. Two/ four wheelers are banned from use till the 14th of April. We will SEIZE your vehicle if you CEASE to ignore this lockdown regulation.

— Praveen Sood (@Copsview) April 1, 2020

The order is effective for another 14 days of the lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 25.

Meanwhile, the Bengaluru police began started seizing two-wheelers on March 30 and booking cases against the violators and booking cases against motorists who stepped out of their houses under the National Disaster Management Act. Recently, Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai requested people to purchase vegetables, fruits and provisions locally and on foot as much as possible.

According to Bhaskar Rao, Bengaluru City Police commissioner, police have seized 5,106 two-wheelers, 181 three-wheelers and 263 four-wheelers in the city till Tuesday.

The Karnataka government is also issuing passes to the people working for essential services. The Bengaluru police have issued around 70,000 passes manually and 10,000 e-passes electronically to allow essential services providers to smoothly operate amid the ongoing lockdown,

Karnataka Police seize fake hand sanitisers, infrared forehead thermometers

Karnataka’s Bengaluru Central Crime Branch (CCB) police Tuesday conducted a raid in an apartment in Srirampura and arrested a 46-year-old man for manufacturing fake sanitisers in his house. The police seized 180 litres Isopropyl alcohol, 65 litres surface cleaner, 10 litres glycerine, 5,382 bottles of fake hand sanitisers.

According to police, the accused, identified as Shivakumar, was manufacturing =fake sanitisers in his flat. “The Isopropyl alcohol which the accused was using is a highly flammable chemical. Had there been a fire, it could have resulted in a major accident in the apartment,” said Sandeep Patil, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime).

In a separate raid, the police arrested the manager of Prajval Surgical & Scientific store in Rajajinagar for selling fake infrared forehead thermometers sold at Rs 10,000. The CCB police seized 70 thermometers.

On Monday, the Police seized over 12,000 fake N95 masks in a raid conducted in Bengaluru and arrested one person. On March 19, CCB police had conducted raids on two chemical companies manufacturing fake sanitisers and arrested two people.

Bengaluru, Mysuru among top 25 hotspots in India

The Health Ministry has identified Bengaluru among the top seven cities in India with high COVID-19 case loads. Bengaluru Urban and Mysuru districts are among the 25 hotspots in the country and Chikkaballapura among emerging hotspots during the last 14 days.

Bengaluru recorded 47 of the total 105 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state to date. This includes nine people who have recovered and discharged from the hospital. In Mysuru, On Wednesday two more employees of the Jubilant Life Sciences, a pharma company in Nanjangud, tested positive. The number of COVID-19 positive cases recorded from the same company alone is now 14.

Yediyurappa to donate one-year’s salary to fight COVID-19

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa Wednesday announced he will donate his one-year’s salary to the Chief Minister Relief Fund COVID-19.

He has appealed to ministers, legislators, Members of Parliament, officials and citizens to also do their bit and contribute in whatever capacity possible to help the state in fighting the coronavirus outbreak.

“It is a very difficult time that we are all going through. And it is important that we fight this epidemic together. Personally, I am donating my one year’s salary to the #CMRF Covid19. I request you all to contribute, however small, and help #Karnataka fight #Corona.Thank you,” Yediyurappa tweeted along with a video message announcing the same.

Chief Minister Shri @BSYBJP has announced that he will donate his entire one year’s salary to the CM Relief Fund Covid 19.
He has appealed to the citizens to also do their bit and contribute in whatever capacity possible to help the state in fighting the Corona outbreak. pic.twitter.com/qh11n6HyLk

— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) April 1, 2020

‘Agri War Room’ to assist farmers

To solve the problems faced by the farmers and other stakeholders in the agriculture sector during the lockdown, the Karnataka government launched an ‘Agri War Room’ in Bengaluru. Agriculture Minister B.C. Patil and Cooperation Minister S T Somashekhar held a meeting on Tuesday with the officials and took the decision to set up the warroom.

The helpline numbers are 080-22212818 and 080-22210237, BC Patil said, “The war room is set up to resolve the problems in getting agricultural inputs and farm implements. Four officers will operate the war room in two shifts from 8 am to 2 pm and 2 pm to 8 pm.”

1500 Tablighi Jamaat attendees from Karnataka; over 800 screened

Out of 1,500 attendees of Tablighi Jamaat from Karnataka (as notified by the Centre), over 800 have been screened as on Wednesday (April 1). “As many as 143 samples collected from symptomatic patients of these groups have been sent for COVID-19 testing,” Jawaid Akhtar, Additional Chief Secretary (H&FW) said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Health Minister B Sriramulu had tweeted that the attendees hail from different districts of the state.

The government has issued a public appeal on Sunday asking attendees of the Nizamuddin Tablighi Markaz held in Delhi between March 8 to 20 to report to the nearest government hospital or at 080-29711171.

While 30,349 international passengers are under observation in the state, another 8,437 contacts of COVID-19 patients – 1150 primary and 7287 secondary – are also under observation.

The total number of positive patients in Karnataka (as at 2 pm, April 1) is 110. This includes 16 cases from the same pharmaceutical company in Nanjangud, Mysuru and three patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. While nine patients have been cured and discharged so far, the active number of cases in the state is 98.