Coronavirus: Toll increases to 32 in Karnataka, 26 new cases reported
Bengaluru: A 60-year-old man from Kalaburagi district became the 32nd COVID-19 related fatality in Karnataka, where 26 new positive cases have been confirmed, taking the total number of infections to 951, the health department said on Wednesday.
The deceased man from a containment zone was brought dead on May 11 to a designated hospital in Kalaburagi, and he has tested positive for COVID-19, it said.
"26 new positive cases have been reported from last evening to this noon.... Till date 951 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed.
This includes 32 deaths and 442 discharges," the department said in its mid day situation update.
The fresh cases include- eleven from Bidar, four from Hassan, two each from Kalaburagi, Uttara Kannada, Davangere, and Vijayapura, and one each from Bengaluru urban, Ballari and Dakshina Kannada.
Among the new cases, while eleven are from containment zone in Bidar, seven are with travel history to Maharashtra, five are contacts of patients already tested positive, one each are from containment zone in Kalaburagi and with history of SARI, and the other person's contact is under tracing.
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Bengaluru jail introduces biometric tracking system for prisoners
Bengaluru: In a bid to curb misconduct and illegal activities inside Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, prison authorities have introduced a new ‘Prisoners Tracking Movement System’ under which inmates will have to undergo biometric verification while entering every barrack.
According to jail officials, biometric systems have been installed across all major sections of the prison, including barracks, visitor rooms, hospital, canteen, kitchen, library, playground, handicraft units and bakery sections. Staff members have also been deployed at these locations.
Officials said inmates visiting the visitors’ room must now obtain a digital token after biometric verification. Details such as the prisoner’s name, identification number and entry time will be updated in the prison software system. This will help authorities maintain a complete digital record of inmates visiting and returning from meeting rooms.
Similar systems have also been introduced at entry points of the hospital, library and other barracks accessed for work-related purposes. Officials said the system will help identify prisoners involved in suspicious or illegal activities with other inmates and enable authorities to track how much time a prisoner spends at different locations inside the prison.
Authorities stated that AI-powered cameras were already being used inside the prison to monitor inmates as well as prison staff. Along with this, digital tracking of prisoner phone calls and a digital token system for visitor meetings have now been added to strengthen surveillance over inmate movement. Officials said the project has been implemented at a cost of around Rs 2.25 crore.
The prison department has also introduced a canteen usage tracking system to monitor prisoners’ spending patterns. Instead of direct cash payments, inmates can purchase bakery items and snacks using wallets or coupons issued within the prison system.
Officials said the digital system will record details including the buyer’s name, items purchased, quantity, date, time and remaining wallet balance. This will allow prison authorities to maintain complete expenditure records of inmates.
