Don't let your guard down as pandemic isn't over yet: Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar
Bengaluru, Mar 16: Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar on Wednesday cautioned people against letting their guard down against COVID-19 saying that the pandemic is currently under control due to widespread vaccination but not yet over.
"COVID-19 hasn't gone. However, it has been controlled by vaccination. There is a long way to go in controlling COVID-19. Even those who have taken the vaccine should not let their guard down against COVID-19," Sudhakar said after inaugurating the vaccination drive for children aged between 12 and 14 years and booster dose for senior citizens at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee medical institute.
Pointing out that there were apprehensions that a few more waves of COVID-19 may hit the nation, the minister said these potential waves can be mitigated to a large extent by vaccinations.
"Everyone must take precautions by wearing masks and maintaining physical distancing, Sudhakar said.
According to him, over 180 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been given across India, including over 10 crore doses in the state, till date.
The minister further said that when children aged from 12 to 14 years take the vaccine, they will gain immunity to fight against COVID-19. He said 20 lakh children in the state will be given the jab.
Sudhakar further pointed out that the COVID-19 vaccinations will be available for children aged from zero to 12 years in the coming days.
He also said the vaccines are being given to people after following due scientific process.
Regarding COVID-19 outbreak in several Chinese cities and other hotspots, Sudhakar said the Centre and state governments are gathering all information from these places to ensure that the country is prepared to fight possible future waves.
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Private bus operators in Karnataka to hike fares by 20-30 pc after fuel price rise
Bengaluru (PTI): In the wake of the hike in fuel prices, private bus operators have decided to increase fares by 20-30 per cent, depending on the route, effective from Friday midnight.
They have also called for government subsidies, a reduction in cess, and lower road taxes to improve the situation.
"The situation for bus owners in the state is already distressing due to high road tax and the impact of the Shakti scheme (free bus travel for women in government buses). On top of this, fuel prices have increased," Karnataka State Bus Owners’ Association President S Nataraj Sharma said.
"This will impose a burden of Rs 15,000 per vehicle per month on bus owners. If an owner has three buses, the burden will be Rs 45,000 to Rs 50,000 per month," he added.
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Speaking to reporters, he said the situation has made it inevitable for owners to increase fares by 20-30 per cent, depending on the route, under current conditions.
The increase may be roughly Rs 200 per seat, he added.
"For example, the current bus fare from Bengaluru to Belagavi is around Rs 1,000–Rs 1,200, which is likely to rise to Rs 1,350–Rs 1,400. Similarly, fares from Bengaluru to Mangaluru or Udupi currently range from Rs 900–Rs 1,000 and are expected to go up to Rs 1,100–Rs 1,200," he said.
Petrol and diesel prices were each hiked by Rs 3 per litre on Friday, the first rate increase in more than four years, amid mounting losses for fuel retailers due to surging global crude prices in the wake of the West Asia conflict.
The increase comes a couple of weeks after the Assembly elections concluded in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Puducherry.
