Bengaluru: Rising number of COVID cases in Bengaluru has forced Karnataka Government to come up with a law to make home isolation of people aged above 60 years mandatory. Priority is now for people with symptoms. And people aged above 60 years and are asymptomatic will have to be quarantined, Medical Education Minister Dr. K. Sudhakar said in a press conference here.

There is a rider to the new law which the State Government is planning to bring. There should be a separate room for the patient with a separate toilet. An attendant should also be there to exclusively take care of the patient. It could be a family member. Health and condition of the patient will be monitored by task force members.

Health officials said that it is mostly with asymptomatic patients that they are having problems with. Unless they have any medical condition like fever, cough or breathing issues – there is no medicine for COVID.

Criminal cases will be registered against private hospitals that refuse treatment to COVID patients, the Minister added. 

No hospital should refuse to admit patients and if any hospital is found denying treatment, criminal cases will be registered against them.

Government has come up with six different systems for treatment of patients. COVID Care Centres, Government Medical Colleges, Private Medical Colleges, Government Hospitals, Corporate Hospitals and home isolation with proper facilities and according to Government guidelines, the Minister added.

Dr. Sudhakar gave the statistics of four metropolitan cities in the country which includes Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru. Bengaluru’s mortality rate is the lowest at 1.46 percent. “The aim is to increase testing by optimal utilisation of capacity especially in private labs. Once we increase testing, it is natural that the positive cases will also increase,” he added. 

Appealing the citizens not to get panic due to this but to take all precautionary measures, he advised to get tested in the nearest Fever Clinics as soon as any symptoms like cough, fever etc. are found.