BackKarnataka government forms rapid response teams to contain coronavirus
The health authorities will now screen every passenger arriving at the two main airports in the stateThe Karnataka Health and Family Welfare department has issued guidelines and travel advisories
PremiumBENGALURU : Karnataka has formed a rapid response team and taken several other measures to contain the spread of COVID-19, also known as coronavirus, in the state, medical education minister K.Sudhakar said.
"A state nodal team and rapid response team have been formed," Sudhakar said on Wednesday in the state assembly.
The move comes a day after a person working in Bengaluru's tech corridor was put under observation for coming in contact with a patient who has tested positive for the virus.
Health authorities will now screen every passenger arriving at the two main airports in the state-- Bengaluru and Mangaluru --as well as other points of entry, including ports, Sudhakar added.
He said international passengers arriving from any of the 11 most affected counties will be tested for the virus and will be advised self-quarantine.
The chief secretary and senior officials from the medical health department will hold daily review meetings and will be in constant touch with central authorities.
Though unverified news of companies asking their employees to work from home flew thick and fast, few companies have actually made such offers.
"We’re monitoring the coronavirus situation closely and working to ensure that our employees have the information and resources they need to stay safe and informed. In India, we have implemented precautionary measures such as travel and event restrictions, visitor screenings at all our offices, increased frequency of office sanitization, and work-from-home provisions," Intel India said in a statement on Wednesday.
However, a company employee claims an email confirming the developments was received but it did not ask people to work from home.
The Karnataka Health and Family Welfare department on Tuesday had said that it was in touch with most IT companies and has issued workplace guidelines and travel advisories.
The Intel employee who is now quarantined has been admitted to Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases.
"He is fit and healthy and his test reports should come in later today," said a medical official, who inspected and interacted with residents of the area where the patient and his roommate lived, adding that there was nothing to panic about.
The department has so far cleared around 201 people who have completed the 28-day quarantine period and around 284 remain in home isolation, according to health department officials.
A total of around 60,000 people have been screened in the two international airports in Karnataka and around 4,500 people in the two major ports, officials added.
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