Covid-19 fourth wave scare: Karnataka issues new guidelines ahead of New Year, makes masks mandatory in theatres, bars, restaurants

New Delhi: Amid a Covid-19 fourth wave scare, Karnataka on Monday (December 26, 2022) made face masks mandatory in movie theatres, pubs, restaurants, and bars. Masks have also been made mandatory in schools and colleges. Two doses of coronavirus vaccination are compulsory at bars, restaurants and pubs, which will operate only up to the seating capacity for the New Year, celebrations for which should end by 1 am on January 1.

"Masks will be compulsory in closed places, 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," Health Minister K Sudhakar said.

On the vaccination front, the minister said the Karnataka 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.

Speaking after attending a meeting chaired by Revenue Minister R Ashoka, who is the vice-chairperson of the State Disaster Management Committee, Sudhakar said that 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 coronavirus, he added.

He also stated that the samples of a passenger, who returned to the state from China, have been sent for genome sequencing to a lab.

All those samples with positive report and CT value below 25, will be sent for genomic sequencing to identify whether it is BF.7 or another sub-variant or sub-lineage.

Sudhakar said that 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.

Clarifying that no programmes or activities have been restricted including New year celebrations, the Health Minister said political parties can continue with their planned rallies, tours and events, but they should abide by government's guidelines.

Earlier in the day, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that his government will implement preventive measures step by step, without hampering normal life and economic activities.

Stressing the need to create awareness with a spurt in Covid-19 cases in China and other countries, he said, "The current Covid-19 situation was discussed at the cabinet meeting today, about the need to create awareness among the public about an increase in booster dose, testing, making testing compulsory for Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) cases, wearing masks in closed places."

"We will have to bring in preventive measures step by step, without hampering normal life and economic activities in any way," Bommai said.

According to Union Health Ministry, Karnataka currently has 1,221 active Covid-19 infections. The state has so far seen 40,30,270 recoveries and 40,307 coronavirus-related deaths.

Today's Media Bulletin 25/12/2022
Please click on the link below to view bulletinhttps://t.co/lWd6wqtLz1 @PMOIndia @MoHFW_INDIA @CMofKarnataka @BSBommai @mla_sudhakar @Comm_dhfwka @MDNHM_Kar @BBMPCOMM @mangalurucorp @DDChandanaNews @PIBBengaluru @KarnatakaVarthe pic.twitter.com/7cvV8fQMJJ — K'taka Health Dept (@DHFWKA) December 25, 2022

As of Monday, there are a total of 50,817 beds under the government facility.

There are 2,896 ICU beds with ventilators, 28,206 oxygen beds, 426 beds under pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), 593 neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Regarding the doctors who are on the roster, there are currently 2,391 General Duty Medical Officers (GDMO), and 2,387 specialists, while there are 3,000 doctors under compulsory rural postings. Also, there are 8,182 staff nurses and 2,967 lab technicians.

The state has 553 LMO (Liquid Medical Oxygen) tanks with 630.42 metric tonne capacity, 16,387 oxygen cylinders, among others.