Karnataka health staff leave to be restricted if Covid-19 cases rise, says Dinesh Gundu Rao

Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said masks aren’t mandatory for the general public but advised pregnant women and the elderly to wear them. Health staff leave will be restricted if COVID-19 cases rise. Testing focused on symptomatic individuals.

Bengaluru: We have discussed the spread and severity of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in the state with experts. Currently, it is sufficient for pregnant women, the elderly, and those with respiratory problems to wear masks. Masks are not mandatory for the general public. Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao stated that health department staff will not be granted leave if the number of infected people increases.

We have discussed the current COVID-19 situation with the expert advisory committee. The CM has instructed us to take all necessary precautionary measures to control the spread of the virus. There are currently no guidelines for taking vaccines. The central government needs to issue instructions regarding vaccines. School children have been advised to take leave if they experience fever or a cold. We will follow the previous guidelines for testing. It is advisable for pregnant women and the elderly to wear masks. We are also making the necessary arrangements for COVID-19 tests.

The CM has instructed us to monitor the daily increase in COVID-19 cases and stay in touch with the central government. We have instructed health staff and doctors not to take leave. We have prepared COVID-19 testing kits in the state. We are also prepared if the number of cases increases in the future. We have advised screening for those coming from abroad. However, screening is not currently mandatory for them. CM Siddaramaiah has instructed us to stay in touch with experts every two to three days.

We are procuring Remdesivir and RTPCR tests as we did before. Testing is not mandatory for everyone. Only those who are seriously ill need to get tested. Since this is the old Omicron variant of COVID-19, its adverse effects are not expected to be severe. The infection is currently spreading, and we will wait and see the effects in the coming days before taking further action. There is no mandatory testing for those coming from abroad.

Our officials are in contact with central government officials. They are discussing everything and submitting reports to the central health department. We currently have oxygen, ventilators, and beds in the state. We know how to handle the situation if the COVID-19 infection worsens. Therefore, there are no measures other than precautions, said Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao.

Those with cough, cold, or fever should get tested for COVID-19

We held a meeting today in light of the increasing COVID-19 cases. Pregnant women should wear masks. Precautions should be taken in crowded areas. There is no need for people to panic. The matter of mandatory masks has not been discussed yet. We have made arrangements for testing. We will not conduct mass testing at this time. Those with cough, cold, and fever should get tested. – Sharan Prakash Patil, Medical Education Minister