People must wear masks while celebrating New Year: Health Minister K Sudhakar
Belagavi (K'taka), Dec 26: In view of rising COVID-19 cases in some countries, the Karnataka government on Monday said masks will be compulsory during the New Year celebrations.
Celebrations on New Year's Day should last only till 1 am, Health Minister K Sudhakar said.
On the vaccination front, the minister said the government has insisted that people should take the booster dose. He appealed to senior citizens, people with co-morbidities, pregnant women and children to avoid crowded places.
"Masks will be compulsory at closed places, and air conditioned rooms, and crowded places in outdoor celebrations. There should not be more people than the permitted capacity in places where the celebrations take place," Sudhakar said.
He was speaking reporters after attending a meeting chaired by Revenue Minister R Ashoka, who is the vice-chairperson of the State Disaster Management Committee.
According to Sudhakar, two per cent random testing of international passengers will continue at the Bengaluru and Mangaluru international airports.
Bowring Hospital in Bengaluru and Wenlock Hospital in Mangaluru have been designated as two quarantine centres for international passengers who test positive for COVID-19, he added.
The samples of a passenger, who returned to the state from China, has been sent for genome sequencing to a lab, the minister said.
Regarding JD(S)' 'Pancharatna Yatra' led by its party leader H D Kumaraswamy, the minister stated that the foot march can continue but reiterated that participants should adhere to COVID appropriate behaviour to safeguard themselves.
The minister said the Deputy Commissioners, Chief Executive Officers of district panchayats, District Health Officers, District Surveillance Officers and the experts' committee members will oversee COVID management in all the districts in the state.
According to Sudhakar, the health infrastructure and staff have been increased substantially including ICU beds, oxygen beds, oxygen capacity and medical and paramedical staff ever since COVID-19 broke out more than two years ago, which will be sufficient to tackle any situation.
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Drug peddler's property worth Rs 1 crore attached in Srinagar
Srinagar (PTI): Property worth Rs 1 crore belonging to a notorious drug peddler was on Saturday attached in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar, police said.
A double-storey house on eight marlas of land situated at Wantpora Eidgah, belonging to Basit Bilal Dar, a notorious drug peddler, valued at approximately Rs 1 crore, a police spokesperson said.
He said Dar is involved in two cases registered under various sections of the NDPS Act.
During investigation, it was established that the accused had acquired the said property through illicit proceeds generated from drug trafficking activities, the spokesperson said.
Consequently, the property was attached under the provisions of the NDPS Act. The attachment proceedings were conducted in the presence of the two independent witnesses, strictly in accordance with the prescribed legal procedures, he said.
As per the attachment order, the owner has been restrained from selling, leasing, transferring, altering, or creating any third-party interest in the property till further orders, the spokesperson added.
