1. Karnataka in Lockdown for a Week: Varsities, Malls, Pubs, Theatres Shut
A day after an elderly man from Kalaburagi became India’s first coronavirus casualty, the Karnataka government announced a virtual shutdown for a week starting Saturday.
Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Friday said all universities, colleges, malls, pubs, cinema halls and night clubs will remain closed for the next seven days to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the state.
Swimming pools and multi-sporting facilities will also be closed. Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and six cities in Maharashtra, including Mumbai, Nagpur and Pune, have announced similar measures.
No fresh cases were reported and the state’s count of patients stands at five.
(Source: The Times of India)
2. RSS Annual Meet to Go on in B’luru Despite Ban on Public Events
Despite Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa announcing a week-long ban starting 14 March on malls, pubs, marriage functions, conferences and sporting events across the state, the annual meeting of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's top decision-making body is set to take place at Janaseva Vidya Kendra, Channenahalli, Bengaluru as planned from 15-17 March.
More than 1,400 representatives from 11 zones will participate from all over the country and also pass resolutions on important issues. Senior RSS leaders like chief Mohan Bhagwat and executive head Bhaiya Joshi will be present.
Taking note of the rising threat of coronavirus, RSS's Prachar Pramukh (joint publicity chief) Narender Thakur said it is mandatory for RSS workers and office bearers to undergo screening for coronavirus before attending the Akhil Bharatiya Prathinidhi Sabha (ABPS) meeting.
Read the full report here.
3. After First COVID-19 Death, Karnataka Issues Protocol for Funeral Procedures
The death of a 76-year-old man in Karnataka due to COVID-19 has raised several questions about the precautionary measures the state government is taking as far as burying the body is concerned. The Kalaburagi man’s death is the first in India due to the coronavirus.
The Karnataka government has come up with a set of protocols to follow during the funeral procedure. Commissioner of the Health Department Pankaj Kumar Pandey said that the body of the 76-year-old man was disinfected and the burial was carried out in the presence of health workers with necessary precautionary measures.
he state government has prescribed certain procedures to be followed by health workers who will come into contact with the body of the patient. According to Dr BG Prakash, of the Health Department, the team handling dead bodies should wear protective gear and wash their hands with soap and disinfectant after touching the body.
(Source: The News Minute)
4. MP’s Rebel Cong MLAs Drop Plan to Return to Bhopal
About 23 Madhya Pradesh Congress legislators, who were expected to fly to Bhopal on Friday to meet speaker NP Prajapati, cancelled their trip at the last minute for reasons unknown.
The rebel MLAs, who were holed up at a resort on the outskirts of Bengaluru, were expected to land in Bhopal as the speaker had issued notices asking them to appear before him and clarify if they’d quit voluntarily or under pressure.
The 15-month-old Kamal Nath government has been facing deep crisis following the resignation of 23 Congress MLAs after former Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia quit the party and joined BJP.
(Source: The Times of India)
5. 25 Peddlers, Druggies Arrested Across Bengaluru
The Bengaluru police have started a special drive against those who consume marijuana and have arrested 25 people in separate incidents across the city.
Following complaints from the residents of Ramamurthy Nagar, Banasawadi, KG Halli and other areas, SD Sharanappa, DCP (East), initiated the drive. He said awareness programmes have also been initiated in schools and colleges in the east division.
The police seized 4 kg marijuana from Ramesh (38) and Ravi Kumar (25), natives of Andhra Pradesh, who were selling the substance in Ramamurthy Nagar. Another accused, Mudasir, was arrested from Banaswadi with 1 kg marijuana in his possession.
(Source: Deccan Herald)
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