Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SD)

Bengaluru, Oct 7: In a bid to contain the spiking cases of coronavirus in the state, the state government on Tuesday, October 6 invoked the Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Ordinances 2020 to book people refusing to get tested.

The government invoked powers under section 4 of the Ordinance and stated, "All individuals who are identified for Covid-19 test by the government shall get tested so that the spread of the disease can be contained and lives can be saved."

A person refusing to get tested can face jail term up to three years and a fine up to Rs 50,000 as per the Ordinance.

In a report on the challenges of Covid-19 in the state said that as much as 60 percent of the primary and secondary contacts of Covid patients in the state refuse to get tested. Due to which the officials stated that it was creating a serious impediment in the efforts of the government in controlling the pandemic.

Dr Omprakash Patil, director of the department of Health and Family Welfare in the order said, "It has come to notice that certain individuals are refusing to get tested and thus hampering the efforts to stop the transmission of Covid virus. The timely testing will only help the family member, co-workers etc of Covid patients to identify disease early and go for treatment."