No cause for worry, but precautions must: K'taka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Covid spike
Bengaluru, May 26 (PTI): Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Monday said there is no cause for concern, as most of the recent Covid-19 cases reported in the state involve only mild infections. However, he asserted that precautions still need to be taken.
He said there is no need to impose any restrictions at the moment, other than basic precautions for high-risk individuals. Any further measures, if necessary, will be taken based on the evolving situation, which is being closely monitored.
"There are 47 active Covid-19 cases in the state, but no one is on a ventilator or oxygen support. All are in home isolation, and no one is in critical condition," Rao said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah would chair a meeting later in the evening with officials from the Health and Medical Education departments, along with experts, to review the current situation and discuss future steps.
"RT-PCR kits will be supplied to all district and medical college hospitals starting today. Instructions have been given to collect the kits from the Karnataka State Medical Supplies Corporation Limited (KSMSCL) by this evening, so they will reach the facilities by today or tomorrow. Tests should be conducted only when necessary; there is no need for indiscriminate testing," he said, adding that public testing is not being launched at this point.
Observing the current symptoms in cases, Rao said the infections do not appear to be severe.
He added that similar information has been received from other states and the central government, so there is no reason to panic—but that does not mean precautions should be ignored.
"Let’s take precautions, observe the situation for a few more days, and take further action accordingly," he said.
"There are no specific guidelines from the Centre at this point, other than general advice to monitor the situation, ensure preparedness, conduct testing, and assess the Covid load factor."
Rao noted that while there may be a minor variation between earlier variants of Covid-19 and the currently prevalent strain, no serious health issues have been observed so far.
"The severity has not been found yet," he added.
Reiterating that there are no movement restrictions in place, he said elderly people, those with low immunity, women who have recently given birth, and small children should wear masks when going to crowded places.
Regarding schools, he said measures will be decided after observing the situation for three to four days.
"We will consult experts and make a decision based on their reports," he added.
Responding to a question, Rao clarified that there is no link between Covid-19 and rain.
Diseases like dengue and chikungunya are caused by rains, he claimed.
"We have already held review meetings on dengue prevention across the state, in every district. About 50 per cent of dengue cases are reported from Bengaluru," Rao said.
"We have mobilised more than 700 volunteers to help maintain cleanliness and create awareness. Sufficient precautionary measures have been taken, but public cooperation is essential. The situation is being monitored, and if cases rise, further steps will be taken," he added.
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Cong takes swipe at PM over India not being part of US-led 'Pax Silica' grouping
New Delh (PTI) The Congress on Saturday said it is perhaps not very surprising that India is not part of a US-led strategic initiative to build a secure silicon supply chain, given the "sharp downturn" in the Trump-Modi ties, and asserted that it would have been to "our advantage if we had been part of this group".
Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the news of India not being part of the group comes after the PM had enthusiastically posted on social media about a telephone call with his "once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC".
In a lengthy post on X, Ramesh said, "According to some news reports, the US has excluded India from a nine-nation initiative it has launched to reduce Chinese control on high-tech supply chains. The agreement is called Pax Silica, clearly as a counter to Pax Sinica. The nations included (for the moment at least) are the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia."
"Given the sharp downturn in the Trump-Modi ties since May 10th, 2025, it is perhaps not very surprising that India has not been included. Undoubtedly, it would have been to our advantage if we had been part of this group."
"This news comes a day after the PM had enthusiastically posted on his telephone call with his once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC," the Congress leader asserted.
The new US-led strategic initiative, rooted in deep cooperation with trusted allies, has been launched to build a secure and innovation-driven silicon supply chain.
According to the US State Department, the initiative called 'Pax Silica' aims to reduce coercive dependencies, protect the materials and capabilities foundational to artificial intelligence (AI), and ensure aligned nations can develop and deploy transformative technologies at scale.
The initiative includes Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia. With the exception of India, all other QUAD countries -- Japan, Australia and the US -- are part of the new initiative.
New Delhi will host the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 on February 19-20, focusing on the principles of 'People, Planet, and Progress'. The summit, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the France AI Action Summit, will be the first-ever global AI summit hosted in the Global South.
Prime Minister Modi and US President Trump on Thursday discussed ways to sustain momentum in the bilateral economic partnership in a phone conversation amid signs of the two sides inching closer to firming up a much-awaited trade deal.
The phone call between the two leaders came on a day Indian and American negotiators concluded two-day talks on the proposed bilateral trade agreement that is expected to provide relief to India from the Trump administration's whopping 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods.
In a social media post, Modi had described the conversation as "warm and engaging".
"We reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments. India and the US will continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity," Modi had said without making any reference to trade ties.
