Marshals at Karnataka wedding halls to ensure Covid-19 rules followed

Karnataka says it does not want a situation like that in Maharashtra, where cases are on the rise and fresh curbs have been introduced in a few pockets to stop the infection from spreading.

The Karnataka government on Monday said it will deploy marshals at wedding halls and other public events to ensure that guidelines against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) are adhered to.

People from Kasaragod Kerala stage a protest at Karnataka-Kerala border against Karnataka Government and Mangaluru district administration for asking to produce RT PCR test report before entering into Karnataka, in Mangaluru on Monday. (ANI)

“People attending large gatherings are not following the guidelines. In fact, people urged me to remove (my) mask when I attended a function. Therefore, it is necessary to deploy a marshal to ensure the Covid guidelines are followed,” Dr K Sudhakar, Karnataka’s minister for health and family welfare and medical education, said on Monday.

According to the latest central guidelines, social, religious, cultural, sports, entertainment and educational gatherings will be subject to standard operating procedures (SOPs) by states and Union Territories (UTs). The central guidelines say such gatherings are permitted, but with a maximum of 50% of the hall capacity and a ceiling of 500 people in closed spaces.

Sudhakar said Karnataka did not want a situation like that in Maharashtra, where cases are on the rise and fresh curbs have been introduced in a few pockets to curb the spread of infections.

Stricter curbs imposed in Karnataka (HT Graphics)

On Sunday, Karnataka recorded 490 daily infections, as compared with the 6,971 in Maharashtra.

Altogether 3,293 cases have been recorded across Karnataka over the last seven days till Sunday, government data showed. According to Covid19india.org, the number of new infections in Karnataka has grown by an average of 0% every day in the last one week. For Maharashtra, the growth rate is 0.3%.

Karnataka has already put in place strict guidelines, including mandatory Covid-19 negative certificates for people entering from neighbouring Kerala and Maharashtra.

Truck, bus and cab drivers protested in Talapady check post that connects Kerala with Dakshina Kannada district, about 350km from Bengaluru, after authorities restricted entry without Covid-19 negative certificates.

Bengaluru has recorded nearly 2,000 cases in the last one week (till Sunday). While Tumakuru recorded 120 cases in this period, the number was 145 for Dakshina Kannada. It was 150 for Mysuru and 114 for Kalaburagi, according to government data.

In Bengaluru, the number of cases reported on February 12 was 194, as against 248 on Sunday. “The six contiguous blocks with 10 cases have been declared as a Containment Zone by HO (health officer),” N Manjunath Prasad, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) commissioner said in a statement on Monday, referring to the apartment blocks.

Two other containment zones with over 100 cases were identified in the city last week.

Meanwhile, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday said the issue of closure of many border roads from Kerala to Karnataka will be brought to the notice of the central government.

“Karnataka government has taken the decision that only those who show a negative RT-PCR test certificate will be allowed to enter Karnataka. The state police chief has brought the matter to the notice of the Karnataka DGP. The Karnataka DGP assured that vehicles carrying essential items could be exempted from this requirement,” Vijayan said at a Covid-19 press briefing.

Vijayan added that Kerala would continue to take up the issue with the Karnataka government to resolve it.