Second wave of COVID-19 has begun: Karnataka Health Minister
Bengaluru, Mar 21: Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar on Sunday said the second wave of coronavirus has begun and sought people's cooperation to contain the disease.
"We are at the beginning of the second wave of coronavirus. Let us all join hands to control it because the next three months are crucial for us," Sudhakar told reporters here as the coronavirus cases started shooting up.
He said he would discuss with Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa about the COVID-19 situation and measures to be taken.
He said the state Technical Advisory Committee on coronavirus has given clear guidelines to the government stating that people would be in for a trouble if certain activities were not controlled.
"We all will be responsible for the aftermath if the government and people do not respond to experts' report," Sudhakar said.
To a question whether election-related activities would be among those needed to be under check, Sudhakar sought to know, "Can any activity be an excuse for coronavirus? Will it spare VIPs, political parties or religious congregations?"
The Minister underlined the need for an all-party meeting in view of the coronavirus situation since the byelections were round the corner and all the political parties would take part in it.
Sudhakar's warning came as the cases in Karnataka shot upto 1,798 with seven deaths and Bengaluru urban district alone contributed 1,186 cases, including five deaths, on Saturday.
The Chief Minister too had appealed to the people to exercise caution as coronavirus was on the rise at an alarming proportion.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Everyone should have faith in Shubman, he will win games at World T20: Abhishek
Dharamsala (PTI): Having played alongside Shubman Gill since the age of 12, Abhishek Sharma knows that it is just a matter of time before his currently off-colour best buddy starts winning T20I matches for India, including games in the upcoming T20 World Cup next year.
Gill's selection in the Indian T20I playing eleven has been questioned after a settled Sanju Samson was benched. The vice-captain in the format has managed only 291 runs in 15 innings at a strike-rate of 137.3.
He struck only four sixes in those games and on Sunday against South Africa in the third T20I here, Gill scored a painstaking run-a-ball 28, which didn't matter much since Abhishek (35 off 18 balls) had given the team a rousing start in a chase of a paltry target of 118.
"I'll tell you one thing straight away, that trust me, these two guys are going to win matches in World Cup (in February-March) and in this series as well," Abhishek replied when asked about Gill and skipper Suryakumar Yadav's poor run of form in the ongoing five-match series which India leads 2-1 right now.
When it came to Gill, his closest friend of more than a decade, Abhishek was predictably protective.
"Because I've been playing with them since so long, especially with Shubman, so I know which match he can win, which conditions, irrespective of the team, whoever it is," he said.
"So I have a lot of faith in him from the beginning, and I hope everyone will see him very soon and everyone will have faith in him," added the world's No.1 T20 batter.
Once Abhishek got out at a team score of 60, India needed more than 10 overs to score the remaining runs with both Gill and Surya not able to bat freely.
"There was a bit of help for the fast bowlers, and as I was batting, I knew that if I gave a good start here, the match could get over in the Powerplay, and that's what happened.
"...that was the plan for the rest of the batters, that they would just knock out or finish the match, so it was a very simple plan after that," Abhishek explained the rationale behind taking it easy after a blistering start.
Abhishek said he had to keep in mind that in cold December evenings in this part of the country, the pacers would get movement both in the air and off the surface.
"Conditions of course, I mean, as a batter you have to keep those things in mind that the ball is swinging a bit or it's seaming a bit, so I tried to play a few shots which is suitable for those wickets and pitches, so that's the plan always."
