Karnataka pulls in 960 persons for corona watch on one day

The Asian Age.  | n b hombal

Metros, In Other Cities

A small positive sign: Number of corona+ cases remains at 15

A worker fumigates the interiors of a Karnataka interstate transport bus to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus in Bangalore. The state government is considering a total ban on interstate bus services.(AFP)

Bengaluru: As many as 980 patients were taken in for monitoring on Friday alone while the count of people under observation for coronavirus infection has gone up to 4030 in Karnataka.

"The sudden rise in numbers on a single day is due to people returning from COVID-19 notified countries. We have sent as many as 88 patients for quarantine," said medical education minister K Sudhakar.

However, the number of coronavirus positive cases in Karnataka remained 15, a minor positive sign amid the pandemic looming over the state.

"One thing that this proves is that the virus can be contained if all public resolutely decide to maintain social distance for a few weeks,” Dr Sudhakar said.

As of now, the state government has not taken any decision on banning inter-state transportation to and from Tamil Nadu, Telangana or Kerala. 

Chief minister B S Yeddyurappa held another high-level meeting on the matter today and requested all hotels and restaurants to limit their service to takeaways. So all eateries will stop serving customers a la carte Sunday, while bars and pubs wil shut down from Saturday evening. The ban is applicable to restaurants, hotels and bars in the whole city corporation limits not just Bengaluru alone. The closure will remain in force till March 31.

This news was good for online food delivery platforms like Zomato and Swiggy. They will be in operation, but they have been told to drop off their deliveries at the apartment gate rather than at the doorstep in order to avoid contact.

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