COVID advisory panel recommends more stringent restrictions including lockdown in Karnataka
Bengaluru: With Bengaluru recording 1.5 lakh active coronavirus cases, the highest for any city in the country, the Karnataka Task Advisory Committee on COVID- 19 has asked the state government to impose stringent restrictions, including lockdown for 14 days to break the chain.
The members of the panel have also recommended to the government to increase the number of beds to tide over the crisis.
The TAC members also foresee the third wave COVID in October-November and have, accordingly, insisted that the government should complete the vaccination of vulnerable age groups before the next wave hits.
Professor and Head of Lifecourse Epidemiology, Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), Giridhar Babu told PTI: "I have on record said that there are two main strategies.
Firstly, we need to reduce the number of cases and that will happen only by a stringent lockdown for at least 14 days.
Secondly, we should expand the bed capacity by taking as much as possible beds from all the private medical colleges, nursing homes and hospitals."
According to him, the 14 days lockdown will reduce the number of infections.
The TAC member said the state may witness the peak of the second wave by the May end or the first week of June.
Eminent cardiologist and director of the Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, C N Manjunath said he had in November 2020 predicted the arrival of the second wave of COVID in March or April based on the pattern of spread and resurgence in Europe.
While the COVID cases may come down by May end or the first week of June, people's behaviour for the next six to nine months will hold the key.
"The most important is when the cases come down, guards should not be let down.
Facemask wearing and physical distancing should continue while most importantly congregation should be banned," he told PTI.
The health experts were of the opinion that the healthcare system is totally suffocated.
"In the first phase, the cases were coming in a staggered manner. So the daily rise in a particular state was 200 to 300 cases. Now it's in thousands," the cardiologist said.
Giridhar Babu too concurred with him.
"The BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) has informed the high court that there are no more ICU beds.
So, the court has also said the situation is very scary. That will summarise the current status," Babu explained.
Both were unanimous that the vaccination drive should be completed by October before the possible third wave hits the nation.
"Vaccination should go on. By October- November the entire country should be vaccinated. Otherwise, we are in for a rude shock again," Manjunath said.
Meanwhile, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta said the officials at the civic agency's COVID war room are working over time.
On the shortage of oxygen and essential drugs such as Remdesivir, the Chief Commissioner told the news agency that the whole country was grappling with it and the Centre and the state are dealing with it in an effective manner.
To a query on the need for more ICU beds, he said already a few have been arranged and more have to be procured very soon. With 26,962 infections on Friday, the state touched the highest single-day spike in COVID cases.
There were 190 deaths too.
More alarming was that the active cases in the state crossed two lakh mark of which 1.5 lakh are in Bengaluru alone.
Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had during a video conference told the PM that the state needs about 1,500 tonnes of oxygen and two lakh vials of Remdesivir.
To contain the alarming rise in COVID cases, the state has imposed night curfew and weekend curfews while ordering closure of many shops and business establishments.
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Govt employees mandated to complete competency-linked courses: Centre in Rajya Sabha
New Delhi (PTI): All central government employees have been mandated to complete competency-linked courses relevant to their role or level on a dedicated online platform annually, which will reflect in their annual performance appraisal reports, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday.
The government has adopted a competency-based capacity building approach, focusing on role-based learning, continuous skill development, and alignment of training with role requirements, Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said in a written reply.
"The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has mandated all central government employees and officers of the all-India services to complete competency-linked courses mapped to their role/level and comprehensive assessments prescribed by their ministries/ departments/organisations (MDOs) or cadre controlling authorities (CCAs) on iGOT (integrated government online training) portal annually, which is to be also reflected in their annual performance appraisal reports (APARs)," he said.
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The minister was responding to a query about the government's plans to incorporate competency-based scores for promotion and appraisal processes of its employees.
A framework of roles, activities and competencies (FRAC) aims to align all positions in government with clearly defined roles, activities, and required competencies (behavioural, functional, and domain), Singh added.
In a separate reply, the minister said that details of the engagement of consultants are maintained by respective ministries and departments.
The General Financial Rules (GFR), 2017, administered by the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, provides for the fundamental principles applicable to all ministries or departments concerning the engagement of consultants and external professionals or consultancy firms for specific jobs, he said.
"As informed by the Department of Expenditure, data regarding engagement of consultants is maintained by respective ministries and departments," Singh said.
The minister was asked the year-wise number of consultants engaged by all the central ministries and departments during the last five years.
