The Karnataka government on Friday permitted the reopening of academic institutions. However, as per the official order, colleges pertaining to the health and medical sector (medical/dental colleges, colleges and institutions related to Ayush, nursing colleges, and other allied health care academic institutions/colleges) are only allowed to reopen in the state.
Further, inside the university/college campus only teaching and non-teaching staff who have taken at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine will be permitted to attend the colleges.
The colleges and institutions have to follow strict COVID appropriate behaviour and guidelines by the concerned department, the Karnataka government added.
Violators of COVID guidelines will be liable to face legal action under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Meanwhile, medical and paramedical staff in Karnataka will be trained on Covid-19 management, State Health and Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar said on Friday.
Speaking at the inauguration of a training programme organised by the State Health Department for doctors in Bengaluru Urban District, Sudhakar said vaccine is being given to those aged above 18 years but experts have been of the opinion that the infection can also spread to those under 18.
He said treatment given to elders cannot be provided to children and hence pediatricians are being trained to handle COVID-19 among children.
Doctors in all districts will be imparted training on this.
"We are opening a special division for children care in every district hospital. We have provided necessary manpower for the purpose," Sudhakar said.
According to him, necessary measures have been taken as per the recommendations of the committee on the COVID-19 third wave management, headed by Dr Devi Prasad Shetty.
Karnataka on Friday reported 1,806 new COVID infections and 42 deaths, pushing the caseload to 28,80,370 and death toll to 36,079, the health department said.
Active cases stood at 31,399.
As many as 2,748 patients recovered today, taking the total recoveries to 28,12,869. The positivity rate for the day was 1.18 per cent and Case Fatality Rate 2.32 per cent, the department said.
Bengaluru Urban district reported 411 infections, highest among all the districts of the state whereas there were 10 deaths.The city has so far reported 12,21,371 infections and 15,781 deaths.
There were 12,376 active cases.
The state conducted 1,52,908 COVID tests including 1,22,758 RT-PCR tests and other methods.
So far 3.66 crore tests were done cumulatively.
There were 1,88,908 inoculations done on Friday taking the total vaccinations to 2.68 crore, the department added.
