16 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Karnataka on Thursday, tally rises to 197
Bengaluru: A 80-year old woman from Gadag district became the sixth COVID-19 related fatality in Karnataka, where 16 new positive cases were confirmed, pushing the tally in the state to 197, the Health department said on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Thursday said all his cabinet colleagues are of the unanimous opinion to extend the lockdown for about 15 days after April 14 and a final decision in this regard will be taken after consulting the Prime Minister on Saturday.
The elderly woman who died in Gadag, had a history of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI), officials said.
"The patient got admitted at Gadag hospital on April 4, on 6th her test results came out as positive, investigation is on to find the source of infection to her," Primary and Secondary Education Minister Suresh Kumar told reporters briefing about the bulletin.
He said about 42 contacts of the deceased patient have undergone test and all results were negative, results of eleven more contacts were still awaited.
According to bulletin as of 5 pm on April 9, cumulatively 197 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, it includes sixth deaths and 30 discharges.
Among the 16 positive cases, two from Bengaluru city and one from Dharwad had attended Tablighi-Jamaat congregation at Delhi from March 13-18; while 10 are contacts of patients who have already tested positive- one each from Mandya and Chikkaballapura, two from Mysuru, and three from Bagalkote and Belagavi.
Three others from Bengaluru city are with a history of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI). Out of 16 cases, three from Bagalkote are children- two boys aged 4 and 13 and the girl is 9 years old. Contact tracing has been initiated and is in progress for all the cases, the department said.
Citing progression of cases, Kumar said, it some where shows the containment measures were yielding results to an extent.
Out of 161 active cases, 159 patients (including 1 pregnant woman) are in isolation at designated hospitals and are stable, while 2 are in ICU (one each on oxygen and ventilator).
Out of total 197 cases detected and confirmed in the state so far, 6 cases are transit passengers of Kerala who have landed in airports in Karnataka and were being treated.
From across the state most number of infections have been reported in Bengaluru with 68 cases, followed by Mysuru 37 and Dakshina Kannada (12).
Those discharged include seventeen patients from Bengaluru, four from Dakshina Kannada, three from Davangere, two each from Kalaburagi and Uttara Kannada, and one each from Bengaluru Rural and Kodagu; while among those dead are two from Kalaburagi and one each from Bengaluru, Bagalkote, Gadag and Tumakuru.
Sharing details about Tablighi-Jamaat cases, Kumar said out of total 1,176 samples tested, 976 are negative, and 40 are positive, while results of 160 are still awaited.
The Minister said COVID-19 task force of Karnataka that met on Thursday has decided that all the secondary contacts will be tested for the infection.
He also said, list of COVID-19 hotspots is the state will be out probably by tomorrow.
A committee of health experts tasked with devising an exit strategy for coronavirus lockdown in Karnataka have recommended its continuation in "hotspots" along with some relaxations. Several members of the cabinet had also supported these recommendations.
Meanwhile, stating that all his cabinet colleagues have unanimously opined that the lockdown should be extended for about 15 days, after April 14 to check COVID-19, Yediyurappa after the cabinet meet said, "we will take a final call on whether to relax the lockdown after April 14, following discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow (April 11)."
Ministers and Members of Legislature in Karnataka will take a 30 per cent cut each in their salaries and allowances to fund the fight against coronavirus in the state, for a year.
An ordinance to reduce the salaries of Ministers and Legislators by 30 per cent for one year to meet the exigencies arising out of COVID-19 pandemic was approved by the state cabinet headed by Yediyurappa on Thursday.
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Congress chief Kharge writes to PM Modi, seeks time to explain party's 'Nyay Patra'
New Delhi, Apr 25: Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought time from him to explain in person the party's 'Nyay Patra'.
In his two-page letter, he told the prime minister that he is being misinformed by his advisors about things that are not even written in the 'Nyay Patra' -- the Congress' manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections.
The letter comes after the prime minister attacked the Congress over its manifesto, alleging that the party aims to "redistribute the wealth" of people and give it away to "infiltrators".
Modi also accused the Congress of snatching women's "mangalsutra".
In his letter, Kharge said the Congress' 'Nyay Patra' aims at providing "nyay (justice)" to the youngsters, women, farmers, labourers and marginalised people across all castes and communities.
"It has become your habit to seize on a few words taken out of context and create a communal divide. You are lowering the dignity of the chair by speaking in this manner," he said.
"You are being misinformed by your advisors about things that are not even written in our manifesto. I would be more than happy to meet you in person to explain our 'Nyay Patra' so that, as prime minister of the country, you don't make any statements that are false," he added.
The Congress chief also said he is neither shocked nor surprised by the language used by the prime minister in his recent speeches.
"It was expected that you and other leaders from your party would start speaking in this manner after you saw the dismal performance of the BJP in the first phase of the elections," Kharge said in the letter.
The Congress has been talking about the deprived poor and their rights ("nyay"), he said and added, "We are aware that you and your government do not have any concern for the poor and dispossessed."
"Your 'suit-boot ki sarkar' works for the corporates whose taxes you reduced while the salaried class pays higher taxes. The poor pay GST even on food and salt and the rich corporate claim GST refunds. That is why, when we talk of inequality between the rich and the poor, you are purposely equating it with Hindu and Muslim," Kharge claimed.
"Our manifesto is for the people of India -- whether they are Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Jain or Buddhist. I think you have still not forgotten your pre-Independence allies the Muslim League and colonial masters," he charged.
Kharge claimed the Congress has always served to empower the poor while "you have ruled to snatch the earnings and wealth of the poor".
He said in the letter, "Your government was the one who used demonetisation as an 'organised loot and legalised plunder' to transfer the money deposited by the poor in the banks to the rich in the form of loans. Then, as part a of conscious design, these loans were surreptitiously written off by your government. The lakhs of crores of corporate loans that your government has written off since 2014 is a transfer of wealth from poor to rich. No farmer's loans, artisan's loans, MSME loans or student loans were waived off by you."
"You and your government have repeatedly turned away from the atrocities that the poor and backward women are facing … Today, you talk about their 'mangalsutra'. Isn't your government responsible for the atrocities against women in Manipur, against Dalit girls, garlanding of rapists? When farmers are committing suicide under your government, how are you protecting their wives and children?," Kharge asked.
The Congress chief suggested that Modi read about "Nari Nyay" that, he said, the party will implement when its comes to power.
Kharge also advised the prime minister to not "get carried away by your own people who are clapping at your speeches".
"They are not allowing you to hear the crores of right-thinking citizens who are disappointed by your speeches," the Congress chief said.
Sharing Kharge's letter on X, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge ji has just written to the prime minister, saying that he would be happy to meet him to explain the reality of the Congress' 'Nyay Patra', which Mr Modi may have missed in his persistent efforts to distort and defame it."
कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष मल्लिकार्जुन @kharge जी ने अभी प्रधानमंत्री को पत्र लिखकर उनसे मिलने का समय मांगा है। प्रधानमंत्री #CongressNyayPatra पत्र की जिन चीज़ों को लेकर भ्रम फैला रहे हैं और लोगों को गुमराह करने की नाकाम कोशिश कर रहे हैं, उन्हें खरगे जी प्रधानमंत्री को मिलकर सही अर्थों… pic.twitter.com/7D4Mk085je
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) April 25, 2024
