Karnataka announces total lockdown on Sundays starting July 5
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Saturday took a slew of decisions including imposing total lockdown on Sundays starting July 5 in view of the spike in the number of coronavirus cases in the state.
It was also decided that there will be night curfew from 8 pm to 5 am, which will come into effect from Monday, according to an official statement.
A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa with the ministers and officials amid growing opposition outcry to impose stringent lockdown to contain COVID-19 cases in the state.
"Lockdown would be imposed every Sunday, with effect from July 5, 2020, until further orders. No activities shall be permitted on that day except essential services and supplies.
All government offices shall remain closed on all Saturdays, along with second and fourth Saturdays with effect from July 10," the statement read.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike Commissioner was directed to set up more number of wholesale vegetable markets to avoid crowding in large wholesale vegetable markets in the city.
It was also decided to have a centralized bed allocation system to speed up the hospitalization of COVID-19 patients.
The Chief Minister directed the officials to enhance the number of ambulances to carry coronavirus patients and to arrange separate ambulances for carrying mortal remains of patients who die due to the contagion.
He also directed the officials to use the police control room wireless system to identify the location and easy movement of ambulances.
Yediyurappa told the officials to publish details of nodal officers working for COVID Management.
It was decided at the meeting to delegate more responsibilities to joint commissioners of eight municipal zones in Bengaluru and also appoint Karnataka Administrative Services officers in these zones to assist the joint commissioners.
The 180 ESI doctors appointed by the labor department will also be pressed into service and probationary Tahsildars will be appointed as nodal officers for coronavirus hospitals and COVID care centers.
Marriage halls, hostels, and other institutions in Bengaluru will also be reserved for COVID care centers and to avail railway coaches with beds.
The Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru Urban was directed to identify more places for the last rites of coronavirus victims.
Yediyurappa told the official to form teams for conducting the last rites.
Besides notifying reservation of 50 percent of beds in medical colleges and private hospitals, the BBMP Commissioner will also notify tie-up with hotels with hospitals to avoid any shortage of beds for treatment, the Chief Minister said during the meeting.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
