Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa asked the district administration to compulsorily send positive patients in rural areas to COVID Care Centres and ensure quality food and treatment to them, apart from ensuring proper hygiene. Speaking at the COVID-19 review meeting of Dharwad district in Hubballi on Friday, Mr. Yediyurappa said that there would be relaxations in lockdown regulations only if the positivity rate was brought down to 5%.
The CM said that the issue of bringing down the positivity rate was in the hands of the people. The State would be getting adequate quantity of vaccines in next two days and the government would give free vaccines to all, he said.
Referring to the death rate of 1.70% in Dharwad district, he said that it was more than the State average and asked the officials to focus on bringing it down further by taking requisite measures.
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Minister for Large and Medium Industries Jagadish Shettar said that the district recorded higher death rate as patients in advanced stage were brought to KIMS Hospital and other private hospitals in the district.
Hubballi Dharwad East MLA Prasad Abbayya urged the Chief Minister to supply required surgical equipment to KIMS Hospital for treating black fungus patients. He also sought relaxation in lockdown guidelines to allow grocery merchants to operate.
Kundagol MLA Kusumavati Shivalli urged the CM to address the issue of shortage of doctors in her constituency.
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Briefing about the COVID-19 situation in Dharwad district, Deputy Commissioner Nitesh Patil said that following effective measures, the positivity rate in the district had been brought down from 39.2% to 11.9% and the district had 4,385 active cases now.
He said that out of the total 20 lakh population in Dharwad district, 9 lakh people had been screened for COVID-19 so far and 3,31,717 people had received vaccine shots in the district.
Directing the KIMS Hospital authorities to immediately procure surgery equipment required for treating black fungus, Health and Medical Education Minister K.S. Sudhakar said that they will be treated for free under the AB-Ark scheme.
He also said that death of SARI patients will be treated as COVID-19 like disease and children orphaned by COVID-19 would get all government benefits.