Karnataka allows movement of stranded people, industrial activities;reports 30 new cases and a death

Migrant workers, students, tourists and others stranded in Karnataka due to COVID-19 lockdown will be able to return home with the state government on Thursday giving the nod for a one-time movement, while 30 new cases and a death was reported, taking the toll to 22.

It also resolved to permit industrial activities across the state barring coronavirus containment zones from May 4, when the second phase of national lockdown is expected to end.

By May 4, fresh directives were likely to come from the Centre, following which a decision will be taken on more economic activities like opening of salons, liquor shops, malls and cinema halls among others, the government said.

Announcing the Cabinet decision to allow inter-state and inter-district movement of people, which came a day after the Centre issued guidelines for the process, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy said this will be a one-time measure and the government would arrange buses for those in need but they should bear the expenses.

The government has issued order appointing senior IAS and IPS officers as as the nodal officers to facilitate smooth and orderly movement of persons across state borders as per SOPs.

The Minister also said, people willing to return to the state would have to undergo tests for COVID-19.

A 67-year-old woman from Dakshina Kannada became the 22nd COVID-19 fatality, taking the death toll to 22 in Karnataka, where 30 new positive cases have been confirmed. With this the total number of infections has gone up to 565, health department officials said Thursday.

The deceased patient was admitted to Wenlok Hospital in Mangaluru with SARI (past history of COPD and Diabetes) on April 18.She was on ventilator support and died today, they said.

Thirteen patients, including seven from Mysuru and three from Bengaluru Urban, were discharged, taking total discharges in the state to 229.

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said the government has decided to allow industrial activities across the state barring coronavirus containment zones from May 4.

There were total 123 containment zones in Karnataka till Wednesday evening.

He however said government would wait and take a call on easing curbs for industrial activities in the state capital.

Earlier, the state government had on April 8 decided to conditionally allow economic activities to restart in green zones by opening of shops and industries.

Yediyurappa said as the COVID-19 cases may continue for another 2-3 months, both economic activities and efforts to control the pandemic have to go hand-in-hand.

Later in the day, he held a meeting with members of various associations of commerce and industries and suggested them to be prepared for resuming industrial operations.

Appealing to industrialists to pay wages or salaries to the employees, he asked them to take all precautionary measures for the safety of workers in their factory premises, and also assured them government will consider their demands compassionately and respond keeping in mind, the constraints.

Among 30 new cases reported on Thursday, as many as 14 are from Belagavi, ten from Bengaluru Urban, two from Vijayapura, and one each from Davangere, Dakshina Kannada, Kalaburagi and Tumakuru.

From across the state most number of infections have been reported in Bengaluru Urban district with 141 cases, followed by Mysuru 88 and Belagavi 67.

Out of total 229 patients discharged maximum 63 are from Mysuru, 61 from Bengaluru, 11 from Chikkaballapura.

A total of 60,156 samples, including 4,752 on Thursday, had been tested with 57,548 of them reporting negative, the bulletin said.