Curbs coming? CM leaves it to Cabinet

Bommai holds meet with officials, tells them to keep watch on Omicron and line of treatment adopted in other nations

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The state government will take a decision on issuing fresh guidelines to contain the spread of Covid- 19 virus after a thorough discussion in the Cabinet meeting to be held on Thursday, said Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

Talking to reporters here on Wednesday after a meeting with top officials of various government agencies and departments, he said the meeting took stock of the current Covid situation in the state in the wake of a rise in positive cases. Cluster management across the state was also discussed. The officials were strictly told to keep a watch on Omicron, a new variant of the Covid-19 virus and to focus on the line of treatment being followed in other nations.

The meeting discussed the amount spent on Covid-19 management during the outbreak of the Delta variant which wreaked havoc in almost all districts. Details about the number of oxygen plants planned, total number of plants commissioned, and other preparatory measures were also reviewed. Besides, the amount due to private hospitals, laboratories, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and revenue department for the purchase of medicine, setting up of Covid Care Centres, oxygen supply and treatment of Corona positive patients at the peak of the pandemic, was also taken note of.

The CM said the need of the hour was to take measures to check the spread of the new variant and this would be done in consultation with Dr Sudarshan Ballal, chairman of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) on Covid-19 management, before discussing it in the state Cabinet. Replying to a question, he said that it was true that positive cases have risen in some districts and the government would study whether there was a need to issue separate guidelines for them as the pandemic is under control in a majority of districts.

Since the government of India too has issued guidelines, these too have to be studied before issuing fresh norms, he added.