In response to new COVID-19 concerns, the Karnataka government is exploring stronger containment measures to restrict the virus's spread, and the state cabinet is expected to make a decision later this week after consulting specialists.
To restrict the spread, the government has already implemented containment measures such as a "night curfew" from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. from December 28 to January 7 morning.
Karnataka Chief Minister, Basavaraj Bommai said on Monday, "We are monitoring both COVID and Omicron situation, it is spreading at a very fast pace in the country, in the state, and in neighboring states, so we need to have a discussion with experts. In this regard I will have a discussion with experts tomorrow evening," Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Monday.
He told reporters here that the cabinet will convene on Thursday to review the state's status and the necessary actions, as well as decide on long-term measures.
He further said, "Having the experience of managing the earlier two waves, we have already asked the experts to recommend containment measures, with limited impact on daily lives of the people," requesting citizens to follow the guidelines for COVID.
Over the previous five days, Karnataka has seen an increase in COVID cases, with daily counts exceeding 1,000.
Even as ten additional instances of the Omicron strain of the coronavirus were discovered in Karnataka on Sunday, bringing the total number of cases in the state to 76.
The administration aims to make this a wider push, the Chief Minister said, noting that a vaccination drive for 15-18-year-old children will begin today across the state. The goal is to bring minors into the "Corona safety circle."
He said, "The drive is being held at schools, where children between these age groups are being vaccinated, on the basis of their identity and Aadhaar cards." Asking for kids', parents', teachers', and health-care workers' collaboration.
In response to a query on Congress's Mekedatu padayatra (march) starting on January 9 despite COVID restrictions, Bommai stated, "Let's see, I'm paying attention to what they're doing. We will cover the general behavior that has to be followed in tomorrow's meeting, and it will apply to everyone, not just them."
The Congress is organizing a march from Mekedatu to Bengaluru, spanning a distance of nearly 100 kilometers, to urge that the Mekedatu project, which is opposed by Tamil Nadu, be implemented.