From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Dec 3: The high-level technical advisory committee, which met under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai after his return from Delhi with senior cabinet colleagues and officials in Bengaluru on Friday, has decided to issue new guidelines in view of the detection of India’s first two Covid omicron virus infection cases in the city under which entry to malls and cinema houses shall be restricted only to those who have taken two doses of vaccines.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Revenue Minister R Ashok said two cases of Covid omicron virus infection have been detected in the State in Bengaluru with about 400 cases all over the world.
Even though no official study reports are available as of now, the minister said the unofficial information points to the fact that the omicron infection has not resulted in serious problems so far and the infected persons have only mild symptoms with no fatalities.
However, the State Government has directed that the strict vigilance must be maintained, especially in airports and all international passengers will be allowed to leave the airport only after being tested and obtaining negative test reports. In order to ensure that the passengers are not put to hardships, the number of testing machines will be increased and steps are being taken to streamline the entire process in consultation with airport authorities, who will also be asked to create public awareness, the minister said.
Apart from omicron infection, vigilance shall be maintained over the Delta virus, the minister said.
Further, wearing of face masks and compulsory adherence to all Covid protocols, especially social distancing and sanitation shall be enforced and the violators shall be penalised, the minister said.
For the visitors to cinema houses and malls as also to the parents or guardians of the students to educational institutions, vaccinations shall be mandatory and those who have not received vaccine jabs will not be allowed, the minister said pointing out that the State Government has made it mandatory for the government employees to be vaccinated.
No functions and public gatherings shall be allowed in schools and colleges and even when conferences, wedding receptions etc. are held, the number of participants shall be restricted to 500, Ashok said.
The minister said full 100 per cent testing is mandatory in all nursing and para-medical institutions and compulsory testing shall be done for all persons above 65 years and also for persons with comorbidities.
Status quo shall be maintained in schools and colleges for the time being with strict vigilance being maintained.
The testing capacity and numbers shall be increased to 1 lakh per day and all health workers shall be tested. Additional manpower shall be deployed to carry out the increased workload of testing.
In addition, the health infrastructure for testing, treatment and other facilities besides provision of oxygenated beds shall be enhanced and the oxygen plants shall be revamped to meet sudden surge in demands to ensure the availability and supply of oxygen along with sufficient stocks of essential drugs.
Ashok said a centralised control room shall be established to monitor the situation and trace all contacts of the infected persons.
The passengers arriving from South Africa and the discrepancies in the test reports will be probed in detail by the High Grounds Police, the minister said.
The meeting was attended by Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr K Sudhakar, Higher Education Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan, Public Works Minister Govind M Karjol, Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary N Manjunath Prasad, BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta, Medical Expert Dr Sudhakar and other senior officials.
The guidelines issued by govt:
