All returnees will be quarantined

The State Government has decided to quarantine Kannadigas returning to their homes from other states and abroad. “On their arrival into the State they will not be allowed to got their hometown or home directly. They shall be kept under quarantine for 14 days. Only those who are ready to undergo quarantine must register their names, ’’ Primary Education Minister Suresh Kumar told Bangalore Mirror.

The decision was made at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Sunday. It is also decided test anyone before they leave the quarantine center.

On Saturday, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had directed the State not to test mild and very mild patients before discharging them from the hospital.

But the State has decided to conduct the test anyway. “We have decided to quarantine all and conduct a test on first or second day in quarantine. They will again be tested on the 12th or 13th day to rule out Covid-19, ’’ Said Kumar, who is also in charge of the labor issues related to Covid-19. Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar said that the State has been conducting 5,000 tests a day and the ICMR directive is making them think whether to set up more labs or not.

Dr PK Shetty, virologist and former dean at NIAS, Bengaluru said that with the number of cases on a rise, it would be difficult to keep patients with mild infections as more attention must be paid to serious cases.

“I think ICMR’s suggestion is right. We don’t have the infrastructure and medical professionals to treat a large number of patients, ’’ he said.

It was also decided at the meeting that whoever is stranded outside the State due to lockdown must register online and inform the dates and place of their arrival. It was also decided at the meeting not to allow the dead to be brought to the State. Even those who die in the State have to be cremated or buried in the the place of death.

‘Allow full business activity’


The State Government has asked the Center to allow full business activities. This was conveyed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah when I called Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa to elicit his views on easing the lockdown from Sunday.

Sources said Yediyurappa is told him that businesses should be allowed to operate to their full capacity.