With the COVID-19 positivity rate at 0.75% in Bengaluru, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said BBMP Commissioner Gaurav Gupta has been given full powers to implement strict rules and norms in case the positivity rate breaches 2%, and more than 40% of oxygen beds were occupied.
The BBMP has been instructed to be keep ready ICU and oxygen beds for children and adults in case the numbers rise in the city, Mr. Bommai said.
RT-PCR test certificate
The BBMP has clarified that not all inter-State travellers have to produce a negative RT-PCR report, not older than 72 hours. In keeping with the current guidelines issued by the State government, this is mandatory only for travellers from Kerala and Maharashtra, as both the States have reported an increase in the number of COVID-19 positive cases.
D. Randeep, BBMP’s Special Commissioner (Health), told The Hindu that the civic body’s advisory to residents’ welfare associations (RWAs), which was issued recently, had stated that residents coming from Kerala and Maharashtra had to either produce a negative RT-PCR report or undergo testing and remain under mandatory home quarantine till the results are declared.
“The civic body cannot be issuing revised guidelines every time a State is added to the list of those reporting increasing COVID-19 cases. Hence, the advisory was generic in nature and had mandated the RWAs to adopt the latest guidelines as and when issued by the State government,” he said.
