Monkeypox suspect undergoes test, report awaited: Karnataka Health minister K Sudhakar
Bengaluru, Aug 3: A Belgium national was tested for suspected monkeypox after he showed symptoms of the infection, Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar said on Tuesday.
No monkeypox case has been reported in Karnataka so far. There were three suspects out of which two in Bengaluru have turned out negative. The third suspect, a Belgium national, found in Uttara Kannada district, was subjected to a test and his report is awaited," he said.
Sudhakar was talking to reporters after a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on monkeypox.
The health minister said there was no need to panic as the government is taking all precautionary measures including thermal screening at airports and strict surveillance in districts bordering Kerala.
"The WHO declared the monkeypox outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on July 22. About 20,000 cases have been reported in 80 countries across the world, he said.
Epidemic Diseases Hospital in Bengaluru and Wenlock hospital in Mangaluru are identified as designated hospitals for isolation of monkeypox suspects. Confirmed cases will be isolated and treated for 21 days until the rashes on skin are cured, the minister said.
Fever, rashes on skin, swelling of lymph nodes are common symptoms of monkeypox and our government has already issued a circular for mandatory thermal screening at airports and other entry points, Sudhakar said.
He said all district authorities have been alerted to take precautionary measures. Particularly, a strict vigil is kept on districts bordering Kerala, he added.
The minister, however, said monkeypox is not as contagious as Covid and it spreads only when a person is in prolonged contact with the infected person.
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Trump says EU has until July 4 to approve last year's trade deal or it will face higher tariffs
Washington (AP): President Donald Trump has said in a social media post that goods from the European Union would face higher tariff rates if the 27-member bloc fails to approve last year's trade framework by July 4.
The announcement on Thursday appeared to be a deadline extension after the president said last Friday that EU autos would face a higher 25 per cent tariff starting this week. Trump made the updated announcement after what he described as a "great call" with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Still, the US president was displeased that the European Parliament had yet to finalize the trade arrangement reached last year, which was further complicated in February by the US Supreme Court ruling that Trump lacked the legal authority to declare an economic emergency to impose the initial tariffs used to pressure the EU into talks.
"A promise was made that the EU would deliver their side of the Deal and, as per Agreement, cut their Tariffs to ZERO!" Trump posted. "I agreed to give her until our Country's 250th Birthday or, unfortunately, their Tariffs would immediately jump to much higher levels."
It was unclear from the post whether Trump was implying that the tariff rates would jump on all EU goods or the increase would only apply to autos.
His latest statement indicates he might be backing away from his earlier threat on EU autos by giving the European Parliament several more weeks to approve the agreement.
Under the original terms of the framework, the US would charge a 15 per cent tax on most goods imported from the EU.
But since the Supreme Court ruling, the administration has levied a 10 per cent tariff while investigating trade imbalances and national security issues, aiming to put in new tariffs to make up for lost revenues.
