Mask-up, follow COVID appropriate behaviour: Karnataka govt
Bengaluru, Dec 26: Wearing masks, not sending children with symptoms to schools, adhering to COVID appropriate behaviour like social distancing, seven days home isolation and leave for infected patients, are among the measures that have been decided by the Karnataka government's cabinet sub-committee on coronavirus, amid a spike in cases and detection of JN.1 infections in the state.
It has also decided to administer "precautionary vaccine" for the aged and those with comorbidities and to get 30,000 doses of Corbevax vaccine from the Centre for this purpose.
Detailed guidelines in this regard will be issued by the government soon, with New Year too round the corner.
"The guidelines are- everyone is advised to wear masks, especially those above 60 years of age and those with comorbidities compulsorily. Children, those with symptoms like cold, fever among other things should not be sent to school and remain at home under watch, also tested if required," Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said.
ALSO READ: Karnataka logs 125 fresh Covid-19 cases, three new deaths
Speaking to reporters after chairing the cabinet sub-committee meeting on COVID, he said, the government is not imposing any restrictions on New Year celebrations and gatherings, but there is a general advisory to wear masks at crowded places and observe COVID appropriate behaviour like social distancing, using disinfectants or hand wash.
"Those infected with COVID should remain in home isolation for a week if not required to be hospitalised. All those who undergo home isolation and are working in government and non-government sectors should be given mandatory casual leave for a week, while those hospitalised should be given special leave for the hospitalisation period and guidelines will be issued on this," he added.
The Minister reiterated there is no need for people to worry, but stressed the need to be cautious and take precautions.
There is no restriction on movement of people, also no screening or testing of people at border areas as of now, he added.
This was the first meeting of the cabinet sub-committee on COVID which was attended by Social Welfare Minister H C Mahadevappa, Medical Education Minister Sharana Prakash Patil, and Higher Education Minister M C Sudhakar, along with Rao.
The Karnataka Department of Health & Family Welfare Services on Monday said 34 cases of COVID-19's variant JN.1 have been detected in the state so far, which include three deaths.
Stating that the cabinet sub-committee discussed the COVID situation with inputs on the situation both at the national and international level, Rao said the JN.1 infections are not surprising nor there is no need to panic about it, as its spread was expected.
The WHO and Union Health Ministry have classified JN.1 as Variant of Interest (VoI) and not Variant of Concern (VoC), he said, but precautions should be taken.
Admitting that though the state government had said 5,000 COVID tests per day will be conducted from Saturday, there was a slight delay and about 3,200 tests were done on Monday, the Minister said today the number of tests will reach 5,000 and necessary kits have been distributed to all districts and taluks.
"More tests will result in getting to know about more cases and infection spread."
As of Monday 4,110 active cases are there across the country, out of them 3,096 are from Kerala, 436 in Karnataka, followed by other states, he said and added "it is to be noticed that Kerala and Karnataka are doing more number of tests...so more number of cases are being reported."
Out of the 436 cases in Karnataka 400 are in home isolation, while 36 are in hospital, and out of them only 7 are in ICU, he further said and added those under home isolation will be tracked and follow-up will be done, also sewage surveillance in cities like Bengaluru and Mangaluru among others has been suggested for the sake of tracking.
Instructions have also been given to carry out a death audit, he said, adding "seven deaths have happened after the recent spike in cases and out of them as per current information at least three were with JN.1 infection and information regarding others are awaited, and all of them had comorbidities....out of seven four were unvaccinated."
Noting that it has been decided to ensure the availability and working condition of tele ICUs and ICU beds, pressure swing adsorption (PSA) oxygen plants and Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO), Rao said, directions have been issued to ensure all facilities are up-to-date and there are no shortcomings.
Pointing out that there is an opportunity for precautionary vaccine doses for those who have taken the first and second dose of COVID vaccine, the Minister said, "we have directed to get 30,000 doses of Corbevax from the Centre. These precautionary vaccines are for those with comorbidities, those using immunosuppressants and aged persons. It is for those who have not taken booster doses earlier."
There are no vaccine stocks, he said and added that the state government is also writing to the Centre to provide Covaxin and Covishield, for anyone who wants to take vaccination afresh.
It has also been decided to administer flu vaccines compulsorily to all health workers in the state for the sake of protection, and these vaccines will be purchased based on the requirement, Rao said. Also, separate COVID wards are being set up at Victoria Hospital and Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases in Bengaluru, all hospitals of medical colleges and all district hospitals.
Noting that a committee has been constituted for price fixation on testing at private hospitals and testing or diagnostic centres, he said, within a couple of days an announcement will be made to this effect. It is also being directed not to do unnecessary CT scan of patients until they are diagnosed with COVID "to avoid misuse," he added.
In response to a question, the Minister said the Indian Institute of Science and Indian Statistical Institute have been asked to do a predictive analysis with available data and submit a report about the possible spike in cases in the days ahead.
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Iran, US receive proposal for 45-day ceasefire and reopening of Strait of Hormuz
Dubai (AP): Iran and the United States received a draft proposal late Sunday calling for a 45-day ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, two Mideast officials speaking on condition of anonymity told The Associated Press.
The proposal comes from Egyptian, Pakistani and Turkish mediators, hoping the 45-day window would provide enough time for talks to reach a permanent ceasefire. Iran and the US have not responded to the proposal, which was sent to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff, the officials said.
The head of intelligence for Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard was killed Monday in an attack targeting him, Iranian state media said.
Strikes on cities across Iran have killed more than 25 people from Sunday to Monday, while in Israel's Haifa, two people were found dead and two others were missing in rubble a day after an Iranian attack.
US President Donald Trump on Sunday stepped up his threat to hit Iran's critical infrastructure hard if the country's government doesn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz by his Tuesday deadline.
Trump punctuated his threat with profanity in a social media post, saying Tuesday will be “Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran.”
The war began with joint US-Israel strikes on Feb. 28 and has killed thousands, shaken global markets, cut off key shipping routes and spiked fuel prices. Both sides have threatened and hit civilian targets, bringing warnings of possible war crimes from the United Nations and international law experts.
Here is the latest:
An Iranian drone strikes the UAE telecommunications building
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An Iranian drone attack damaged a telecommunications building in Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates on Monday, the state-run WAM news agency reported.
The attack targeted a building of the state-funded du telecom company.
No one was injured, WAM reported, quoting officials in Fujairah.
South Korea's spy agency sees no signs of North Korea supplying Iran
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South Korea's National Intelligence Service says there are no signs North Korea is providing Iran with weapons or other war-related supplies.
The spy agency's officials told lawmakers Monday that North Korea may be taking a cautious approach to preserve the possibility of dialogue with the Trump administration, according to two lawmakers who attended the closed-door briefing.
North Korea's Foreign Ministry has condemned the US-Israeli attacks on Iran as illegal, but the NIS said Pyongyang has not sent an official condolence message over the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's late supreme leader.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, in recent years, has embraced the idea of a “new Cold War” and attempted to expand cooperation with countries confronting the US, including an economic delegation sent to Iran in April 2024.
South Korea plans to send ships and special envoys to Saudi Arabia
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South Korea plans to send at least five ships to Saudi Arabia's Yanbu port in the coming weeks to establish new oil transport routes in the Red Sea.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources said Monday the ships will be deployed in phases beginning in mid-April, and the number of vessels could increase depending on contracts with Saudi partners.
Officials did not disclose the companies involved but said some domestic refiners may use non-Korean shipping firms.
South Korea also plans to send special envoys to Saudi Arabia, Oman and Algeria to step up diplomatic efforts to secure alternative fuel supplies, ruling party lawmaker Ahn Do-geol said.
The foreign ministry did not immediately reveal when the envoys would be sent.
Iran executes a man over the January protests
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Iran has executed another man convicted over charges stemming from the nationwide protests that swept Iran in January.
The judiciary's Mizan news agency identified the man hanged as Ali Fahim in a report on Monday.
It was unclear when he was executed.
Fahim had been convicted of allegedly storming a military base to seize weapons.
Amnesty International said Fahim and others convicted in the case “were subjected to torture and other ill-treatment in detention, including beatings, floggings, prolonged solitary confinement, and death threats at gunpoint before being convicted in grossly unfair trials that relied on forced confessions extracted under torture and lasted only a few hours.”
The Human Rights Activist News Agency had said Fahim and others had entered a Tehran base of the all-volunteer Basij militia, an arm of the Revolutionary Guard, after it had been burned, then had been forced into confessions.
Iranian missiles hit central Israel
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Israeli rescue services reported Monday morning that several sites were hit by missiles launched from Iran toward multiple cities in the centre of Israel.
In Petah Tikva, paramedics provided medical treatment to an injured woman in serious condition with a chest injury from shrapnel and evacuated her to the Beilinson Hospital.
Firefighters in that city are handling cars on fire and continue searching to ensure there are no people trapped in the rubble.
In Tel Aviv, a man slightly injured by glass shrapnel was evacuated to the Ichilov Hospital.
Footage provided by the rescue service Magen David Adom shows damage to residential buildings due to the attack.
Meanwhile, Israel's military warned the public Monday morning of another missile barrage coming from Iran, the fourth such alert of the day.
