Minister hints at relaxation after June 7, due to fall in positive cases

Mysore/Mysuru: District-in-Charge Minister S.T. Somashekar said there mày be phase-wise relaxation in district after June 7 due to steady fall in Corona positive cases and deaths. 

However, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa will take a decision on extending or ending total lockdown during next week as restriction will end on June 7. The CM has been in consultation with the Ministers, legislators and district officers before taking a decision.

Speaking to reporters after opening the Maternity Section for COVID infected pregnant women at Seth Mohandas Tulsidas Hospital here this morning, he said the 50 bed ward was prepared as the COVID-19  dedicated Maternity Hospital in Jayalakshmipuram was full. In view of this, a new section was opened this morning with Operation Theatre and Labour Ward set up on war footing with the co-operation of MUDA Chairman H.V. Rajeev and Krishna Raja MLA S.A. Ramdas. I came to know there has been shortage of staff and it will be addressed soon. 

Pointing out that the house-to-house survey for  early detection and treatment of infected persons was supposed to end on May 31, the Minister said that already, 60-70 per cent of houses have been covered in district and added that the survey will be delayed by another 3 to 4 days. Once it is complete, they will get a clear picture. 

The positivity and mortality rate was coming down with hardly 20- 30 cases per every 1,000 tests. Even the house-to-house survey has detected around 25 to 30 positive cases out of 1,000 persons. Such patients have been shifted to COVID Care Centres. In rural areas, ASHA and Anganwadi workers are doing this survey, he noted. 

On Prime Minister Narendra Modi announcing a scheme for taking care of children who are orphaned following death of patients due to Coronavirus, the Minister said  that JSS Mutt has received 280 applications from all over the State seeking free education and boarding. Still the number of children who lost their parents, was not known. It will be known at the earliest, he added.

Even after phased manner relaxation, the existing COVID Care Centres will continue to function for the shifting of home isolated patients. The opinions of all MLAs and other elected representatives was being taken on lockdown extension. The aim was to make Mysuru free from Corona. Already, there are indications of fall in positive cases and deaths both in city and rural areas. It is definitely a good sign, Somashekar said.

MLAs S.A. Ramdas, L. Nagendra and Tanveer Sait, MP Pratap Simha, MUDA Chairman H.V. Rajeev, MUDA Commissioner Dr D.B. Natesh,  Zoo Authority of Karnataka Chairman L.R. Mahadevaswamy, Jungle Lodges and Resorts Chairman Appanna, DHO Dr. T. Amarnath and others were present.

Pratap Simha fires fresh salvo at DC: Launching a tirade against DC Rohini Sindhuri again, Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha has warned her not to test patience of the elected representatives any more as there was limit for everything. 

Speaking to reporters after the inauguration of the Maternity Section at Mohandas Tulsidas Hospital this morning, the MP said that the district was allotted 45 ventilators under PM Cares scheme for the Super- Speciality Hospital, which is still not installed for want of technicians. This shows the DC’s failure to get the things done, he added. “ We will wait till May 31 for the installation of the said ventilators, failing which we will go and fix it,” the MP said and added that the DC has to explain that from which money she had got the swimming pool constructed at her official residence.