People won't be allowed to enter cinema halls, malls unless completely vaccinated (Representational)
Highlights
- Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai reviewed Karnataka's Omicron situation
- Schools, colleges have been asked to postpone all cultural events
- Covid beds will be set up once again in hospitals across Karnataka
People won't be allowed inside malls and theatres in Karnataka unless they are fully vaccinated. Karnataka today issued a fresh set of guidelines to combat the spread of Omicron in the state a day after the Centre confirmed the detection of India's first cases of the new variant from the state. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai chaired a high-level meeting today with officials over the new variant that has triggered a global alarm.
Here are five points on the latest developments:
- Karnataka Revenue Secretary R Ashok, who attended the meeting, said that no one will be allowed to enter malls and cinema halls in the state unless fully vaccinated.
- Students will not be allowed to attend offline classes in schools unless their parents are fully vaccinated. Schools and colleges have been asked to postpone all cultural activities till January 15, 2022, in view of the new Covid variant Omicron, he said.
- Airports in the state will test all incoming passengers for coronavirus. Passengers will be allowed to leave the premises only after their test reports come in, R Ashok said. Officials have been instructed to set up more testing units at airports
- Compulsory testing of health workers and people above the age of 65 with comorbidities will be undertaken by the state government. The health department has been asked to increase the number of tests per day to one lakh from the current 60,000. People without face masks in public places will be fined Rs 250 in the Municipal Corporation Areas and Rs 100 in other areas, the government said.
- Covid beds will be opened up once again in hospitals across the state. Oxygen plants have been installed and they will be repaired and kept ready, R Ashok said. The availability of oxygen will be monitored by committees that were formed earlier and Covid control rooms will be resumed again across the state, he added. To ensure there is no shortage of Covid drugs, vaccines and drugs will be purchased in advance, the revenue secretary further added.