The sanitisation hubs have been set up in Uber pick-up zone at Bengaluru airport to disinfect cars before every single trip, as part of safety standards for passengers and drivers.
Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Siddaramaiah on Thursday said it was not appropriate to reopen schools for two more months, given the current rate at which coronavirus infection is spreading. He also advised Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and Primary and Secondary Education Minister Suresh Kumar not to take any hasty decisions in this regard.
“As corona infection is spreading in the state beyond limits, it is not appropriate to open schools for at least two more months. Chief Minister and Suresh Kumar should not make any hasty decisions,” Siddaramaiah tweeted.
The Karnataka Health Department has issued a fresh set of guidelines related to opening up religious places (across faiths), malls, hotels, restaurants, and other hospitality services which will be opened from June 8 as part of the second phase of unlock post the coronavirus-induced lockdown.
The government has ordered shops, commercial establishments, offices, malls, places of worship, and others to check for quarantine stamp before customers are given entry.
“General public and resident welfare association are advised to report any violation of the quarantine in their neighbourhood to the police at telephone number 100,” a government order issued on Wednesday mentioned.
According to the survey, 87 per cent participants also felt airports are safer compared to train and bus stations.
Karnataka reported 257 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday taking the total tally of infections in the state to 4,320. The death toll also rose to 57 after four new Covid-19 fatalities were reported.
“As of today, 4320 cases have been reported in Karnataka. This includes 1,610 discharges. Today, 257 new positive cases have been reported and 106 people have been discharged,” Karnataka Health Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey confirmed.
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Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president DK Shivakumar’s daughter Aisshwarya is set to marry Amartya Hegde, the son of Cafe Coffee Day founder late VG Siddhartha, later this year.
Confirming this, sources close to Shivakumar’s political aides in Bengaluru told Indianexpress.com that the duo might get engaged by August.
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Uber has started a sanitisation hub at the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru to disinfect cars before every single trip, as part of safety standards for passengers and drivers.The sanitisation hubs have been set up in Uber pick-up zone at Bengaluru airport, it said in a statement.
“Besides vehicle sanitisation before every trip, Uber’s partnership Bengaluru airport includes decontamination of Uber’s pick up zones as well. Uber is also offering digital and contactless payment options,” added in the statement.
Uber has made face masks mandatory for both drivers and riders.
The Karnataka government Thursday decided to continue services of 3000 home guards in their current capacities itself. Earlier, they were at risk of losing jobs based on govt decision to depute them to other departments.
"The proposal to provide services of home guards to private companies in the coming days should be reviewed," Yediyurappa directed officers of the Home Department.
Further, in the meeting with the Home Department also attended by Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Chief Secretary T M Vijaya Bhaskar, Additional Chief Secretary Rajaneesh Goel, and DG-IGP Praveen Sood, the CM was apprised that training has been initiated to 200 SDRF Staff to handle monsoon situation. "They would be deputed to four divisions shortly," officials said.
Karnataka senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah opposed the state government’s proposal to reopen schools. Siddaramaiah said in a tweet that Primary and Secondary Education Minister Suresh Kumar has placed a proposal to reopen schools in July and the Chief Minister has to take note of worried parents.
"As corona infection is spreading in the state beyond limits, it is not appropriate to open schools for at least two more months. Chief Minister and Suresh Kumar should not make any hasty decisions," Siddaramaiah tweeted.
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Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa Thursday directed the State Home Department to strengthen CEN (Cybercrime, economic offense, and Narcotics) police stations, in the view of the changed scenario the COVID-19 lockdown has brought in the state.
"Further, forensic laboratories should be strengthened to hasten the investigations of the crimes. Under Emergency Response Scheme, allocations should be made for the purchase of more (police) vehicles," he said.
As the Karnataka government decided to continue Shramik Special trains to ferry migrants back home to their natives in north India, the South Western Railway has planned to run five such trains on Thursday.
Here's the list of trains that will operate today:
1. Bengaluru area to Arariya (Bihar)
2. Bengaluru area to Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh)
3. Bengaluru area to Balasore (Odisha)
4. Bengaluru area to Howrah (West Bengal)
5. Bengaluru area to Balasore (Odisha)
The Karnataka government on Thursday handed over 463 houses to 2018 flood victims at Jambur and Made villages in Kodagu district.
The Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation Limited constructed the houses on the sites developed on government land and each house has been constructed at a cost of Rs 9.84 lakh.
According to the district administration, each house is built on 30X40 sq. ft dimension and has two bedrooms, a hall, and a kitchen. In June last year over 35 houses had already been handed over to the victims at Karnangeri near Madikeri.
Demanding legal action against Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu for flouting social distancing rules, leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party led by Karnataka state convener Prithvi Reddy will meet Karnataka DGP Praveen Sood later this evening.
"The Minister of Health and Family Welfare of the Karnataka State Government B. Sriramulu took part in a mega rally with over a thousand people organised to welcome him to Chitradurga District at Parashurampur village in Chitradurga district on June 2. He has violated the laws our country and lockdown guidelines by moving without a mask and physical distancing amid frenzied supporters," AAP Karnataka said in a statement issued on Thursday.
The incident took place at Parashurampura in Chitradurga district where the Minister was seen welcomed by his followers with a huge apple garland and flowers in a procession. In a video that surfaced online, Sriramulu was seen waving at a large crowd and was not wearing a mask, which is compulsory in public places.
S Suresh Kumar, the state Minister for Primary and Secondary Education announced on Wednesday the date for the reopening of schools in Karnataka is yet to be finalised, even as the department is looking at reopening schools on July 1.
According to the minister, the opinions of parents and other stakeholders will be collected at a meeting and considered before reopening schools in the state.
In a bid to help daily wagers hit by the coronavirus-induced financial crisis, a group of Grade 11 students of a private school in Bengaluru raised over 6.5 lakhs by crowfunding since last month. Students of Greenwood High joined hands with Habitat for Humanity -- an NGO which provides essential kits to help support unemployed daily wagers -- to ensure the funds they collected reached the needy.
"Crowdfunding allowed me to utilise my time at home to bring awareness about the crisis faced by these workers and help them in a small way. This experience enabled me to do my part regardless of how small it may be in helping those who need it.” Rishi Shah, a student said.
The University of Mysore (UoM) is conducting examinations for Chinese students after the Chinese Embassy in India decided to evacuate students from India. According to UoM vice-chancellor G Hemantha Kumar, as many as 80 Chinese students who are pursuing higher education at UoM are appearing for the examination that commenced on June 1 and examination will conclude on June 6.
UoM Registrar R Shivappa said, “the varsity has a total of 120 Chinese students, but few students have already reached their country for the Lunar new year holiday, we are conducting online examinations for those in China.” As part of the twinning programme between India and China, 120 Chinese students are presently pursuing their studies at the UoM.
The CBI has questioned two serving IPS officers and a retired IPS officer in connection with the murder of a BJP worker in Karnataka.
Sources said the CBI questioned Pandurang Rane, retired IPS officer and former Commissioner of Police of Hubli; Jinendra Khannagavi, SP, security division, Bengaluru; and Mallikarjun Baladandi, Haveri Additional SP, regarding the Yogesh Gowda murder case, in which eight people were charge-sheeted on May 21.
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As many as 205 Shramik Special trains operated by the South Western Railway (SWR) has ferried over 3 lakh migrants from Karnataka to different parts of north India since May 3.
According to statistics shared by SWR, 2,97,274 migrants boarded these trains from Karnataka till Wednesday as the government decided to continue to operate trains even after the May 31-deadline announced by CM Yediyurappa for the state bearing the cost of their travel.
Meanwhile, 38 trains were cancelled during the same time placing Karnataka third on the list of most such trains cancelled during the lockdown, only behind Maharashtra (105) and Gujarat (47).
H R Mahadev was appointed the commissioner of the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) on Wednesday by the Karnataka government. He replaces G C Prakash. Prakash, who was appointed the BDA commissioner in August 2019, has now been transferred as regional commissioner, Mysuru, in the existing vacancy.
Mahadev, an IAS officer of 2008-batch was previously the deputy commissioner of Bidar district. Ramachandran R, who was the mission director of the National Health Mission and the directorate of health, has been posted as Deputy Commissioner of Bidar. Arundathi Chandrashekar will replace Ramachandran. Arundathi was previously the mission director of the National Urban Livelihoods Mission.
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