Karnataka: Amid rise in JN.1 cases, cabinet sub-committee issues advisory

Karnataka Cabinet sub-committee issues guidelines for healthcare staff and public.

The cabinet sub-committee on curbing Covid-19 in Karnataka, headed by the state Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao held a meeting on Tuesday and issued a number of guidelines for the healthcare staff as well as the public.

The committee reiterated its mask advisory, specially for senior citizens and immune compromised persons. (PTI)

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The committee reiterated its mask advisory, specially for senior citizens and immune compromised persons. “However, there are no fresh restrictions imposed on movement, travel and new year events and there shall be no screening at state borders,” it noted in a circular.

For parents of school-going children, the committee advised that children suffering from fever, cold and cough should not be sent to school till the symptoms subside. For employees, it said the public should avail home isolation leave for seven days, when tested Covid-19 positive.

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Here are a few other directions that the committee gave out:

1. Daily testing target of 5000 per day shall be achieved as Karnataka is the second highest testing state after Kerala. All the symptomatic primary contacts shall also be tested.
2. All those in ICUs will be monitored through Tele ICU from State headquarters, as done during Covid times earlier.
3. Adequate number of samples for Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) will be sent (as per GoI guidelines) to National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru and National Institute of Virology, Pune.
4. Mobile Oxygen generation and filling units will be procured on priority (at least one per division), to further bolster the oxygen filling capacity of the state.
5. Hospital beds and ventilators are to be kept readied.
6. Around 30,000 precautionary doses of Covid-19 vaccine will be procured for vaccination, with special focus for senior citizens and immune compromised persons.
7. The Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru / Indian Statistical Institute , Bengaluru, shall be asked to come up with Covid-19 prediction model in light of new JN.1 variant detected in Karnataka.
8. Flu vaccination will be provided for healthcare officials, and Covid-19 isolation wards shall be readied and activated in Victoria Hospital, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases, and in all district hospitals.
9. State Death Audit Committee has to study and identify underlying causes of death and recommend additional corrective measures, based on the findings.