Govt plans jab in malls, offices: CM Bommai

By Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Bengaluru: With schools and colleges in Bengaluru, Mysuru and Dharwad turning Covid clusters and hundreds of students infected by the virus, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday declared that the government is keen on improving vaccine coverage and is contemplating vaccination in malls and government offices.

There has been a tepid response from citizens to getting vaccinated with the second dose with as high as 12 lakh people in the IT City missing their second jab.

Talking to reporters here on Sunday, Bommai said the Centre has been requested to grant permission to give the booster dose to health workers. The two-dose vaccine has been made mandatory for people visiting government offices and public places. Though Covid cases have ben declining in the state and across the country, the infection is largely being spread by people coming in from Kerala and Maharashtra where cases are relatively high which has made the government plan vaccination drives in malls and government offices.

Bommai said a strict vigil is being maintained in the border districts as it appears prima facie that people coming from Kerala are spreading the virus in Karnataka. The virus has been seen more in Kerala students who have come here to pursue nursing and para-medical courses.

In view of this, vigil has been intensified in border districts like Dakshina Kannada, Kodagu, Chamarajanagar and Mysuru. Only those with RT-PCR negative reports will be allowed into the state. Apart from this, Keralites entering Karnataka should have received both doses of the vaccine.

The virus had been found among students in Dharwad, Mysuru and Bengaluru and the hostels have been declared containment zones. The doctors, nursing staff and students of SDM Medical College in Dharwad have been tested and the OPD block had been closed temporarily. Entry of people from countries where the new variant had been discovered, would be allowed only if their RT-PCR report is negative; or else they would be sent to quarantine. The Central government has been requested to ban entry of people from South Africa, Botswana and Israel into Karnataka.

Students from Kerala who have come here 16 days ago, have to undergo another round of RT-PCR tests. Students staying in hostels who have a Covid negative report, will still have to undergo another round of RT-PCR tests within a week.