7-day institutional quarantine mandatory for those coming to Karnataka from Kerala
Bengaluru (PTI): People entering Karnataka from neighbouring Kerala will have to remain in institutional quarantine for a week even if they are vaccinated and carry a negative RT-PCR test report, Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar said.
The measure is also applicable to air passengers from Kerala and they can choose a hotel of their choice, which had been designated for institutional quarantine.
Such travelers undergoing institutional quarantine will be tested on the sixth day and if the report comes out negative for COVID-19 on the seventh day, they will be allowed to go. "It has been decided in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday that travelers coming from Kerala, whether they have taken vaccines or have a negative RT-PCR test report, will have to compulsorily stay in institutional quarantine," Sudhakar told reporters here.
According to Sudhakar, the government is working out a strategy in consultation with experts on how to further strengthen COVID prevention drive in the districts bordering Kerala such as Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Chamarajanagar. He also said the government may take "even more" stringent measures in the border districts to control the spread of COVID-19. The government has imposed stringent restrictions in view of increasing number of COVID cases in Kerala. Kerala on Monday reported 19,622 new positive cases and 132 COVID-19-related deaths, taking the caseload to 40,27,030 and the toll to 20,673. As the Karnataka government decided to restart from September 6 offline classes for students from class six to eight, Sudhakar said schools cannot be kept shut permanently and have to be reopened because children were lagging behind in their studies.
"For the past one-and-half years, our children have made slow progress in education. Education is important for the growth of children. It is the duty of the government to ensure academic future of the children," the Minister pointed out.
He added that all preparations have been made and guidelines have been made public on reopening of schools. "In case the positivity rate in certain areas goes beyond two per cent, the schools will be shut and everyone will be tested", the Minister said.
Asked if there will be COVID-19-related restrictions during the upcoming Ganesha festival, Sudhakar said the health department has been insisting that no public function should take place, because wherever people gather in large numbers, the threat of the spread of the pandemic increases.
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PM did not mention Trump, US; for first time a third country interfered in our matter: Kapil Sibal
New Delhi, May 12 (PTI): Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Monday questioned why Prime Minister Narendra Modi neither mentioned the US nor President Donald Trump in his address to the nation despite them "interfering" in India's conflict with Pakistan.
Sibal also said the prime minister did not even state how the understanding with Pakistan on halting military hostilities was reached.
Sibal's attack came after Modi's address to the nation in which he sternly warned Pakistan that India will not succumb to nuclear blackmail and sent a clear message to the world -- terror and trade, terror and talks cannot go together.
"Any talks with Pakistan can happen only on terrorism and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir," the prime minister said.
Modi's assertions about not doing trade with Pakistan came minutes after US President Donald Trump said that he told India and Pakistan that his administration will do trade with them only if they end the conflict.
Reacting to the prime minister's remarks, Sibal said, "We all laud the courage of the armed foreces. People of the country salute them for giving a befitting reply to Pakistan. Whenever such terror attack (Pahalgam) takes place, our army will give a befitting reply."
"Some questions arise from the prime minister's address. He neither mentioned the US nor President Trump. Everyone knows that we were told that on May 10, 3:30 pm DGMO Pakistan called our DGMO and then at 5:30 pm Trump made a post on social media. He (Trump) claimed that the 'US mediated the ceasefire...and we were talking with India and Pakistan for the last 48 hours'," Sibal said at a press conference here.
The Independent Rajya Sabha MP also referred to Trump's remarks just ahead of the PM's address to attack Modi.
President Trump on Monday claimed that his administration stopped a "nuclear conflict" between India and Pakistan, adding that he told the two countries America will do a "lot of trade" with them if they stop the conflict.
"And we helped a lot, and we helped also with trade. I said, 'Come on, we're going to do a lot of trade with you guys. Let's stop it. Let's stop it. If you stop it, we're doing trade. If you don't stop it, we're not going to do any trade'," he claimed.
Referring to Trump's remarks, Sibal said Modi did not speak anything on that also.
"He (Modi) said that we have established a new dimension with Operation Sindoor. Yes, for the first time in India's history, a third country interfered in our matter and told us that they will decide what is to be done...you don't even mention how this understanding was reached (with Pakistan)," Sibal said.
"The second thing was that Modi said if Pakistan does such a thing again, we will give a befitting reply, which means terrorism has not been ended, all terrorists have not been killed and it can happen again. Mr. Prime Minister, I would like to say something, Pulwama happened under whose watch? Pahalgam happened under whose watch? Who will take responsibility for it?" Sibal said.
President Trump did not even mention terrorism in his remarks as if it is not an issue, the former Congress leader said.
India and Pakistan have reached an understanding to stop all firings and military actions on land, air and sea with immediate effect after four days of cross-border strikes that triggered fears of a wider conflict.
In a short announcement, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the directors general of military operations of the two countries agreed on the understanding during a call this afternoon.
The decision by India and Pakistan was first made public by Trump in a social media post while claiming that the talks between the two sides were mediated by the US.
