No decision on Saturday lockdown: govt to decide, depending on situation: Karnataka Dy CM
Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwath Narayan on Saturday clarified that the government has not taken any decision on imposing lockdown on Saturdays, amid spike in COVID-19 cases and said necessary action will be taken if the need arises, depending on the situation.
Under Unlock 2.0 the state government has already announced complete lockdown on five Sundays in Karnataka, starting from July 5 to August 2.
Following the spike in COVID-19 infections, speculations are rife that the government was considering extending it to Saturdays too, aimed at controlling the spread by restricting the movement of people.
"As of now there is no (lockdown on Saturdays). It's Saturday today and there is no lockdown. No such decision has been taken so far," Narayan said in response to a question from reporters.
"Looking at the situation, in future if there is such a need, the Chief Minister will decide," he said.
Following the increase in cases, some experts have reportedly suggested that the government reimpose lockdown, if not for an extended period, at least on Saturdays, along with Sundays.
As of now, there is a complete lockdown on Sundays. However, essential activities and marriages already fixed on those days have been permitted by the government.
"Lockdown is one of the solutions, there is no doubt about it, as it restricts the movement of people.
But with lockdown you can only postpone the spread and not eradicate it," he said.
The government would also have to consider the impact of the lockdown on people, the Deputy Chief Minister said.
"Lets see, many in the government are of the opinion that there should be no lockdown.
Looking at the situation, the Chief Minister and the government will take appropriate decisions," he said.
As of July 10 evening, cumulatively 33,418 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 543 deaths and 13,836 discharges. Bengaluru urban district tops the list of positive cases, with a total of 15,329 infections.
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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.
