No lockdown in Karnataka: CM Bommai urges people to take precautions

• Addressing reporters in Davanagere, the Chief Minister urged people not to panic about the Omicron variant and strictly follow COVID-19 safety guidelines.

Seeking to allay apprehensions, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday, November 29, made it clear that there was no proposal to impose lockdown in the state. "We have instructed for strict precautions at schools and colleges, but not to close them. There is no proposal to impose a lockdown," he said. Addressing mediapersons in Davanagere, he urged the people not to panic about Omicron, the new strain of the COVID-19, and strictly follow safety guidelines.   "Those arriving from the Omicron prevalent countries are being screened at the airports. They are being allowed into the cities only if found negative on testing. COVID-19 negative reports have been made mandatory for students from Kerala who are studying in Karnataka and a second test is being done for them on the seventh day of the first negative report," Bommai said. The state government is in constant consultation with experts and the Union government, and precautions are being taken according to their guidelines, he added.

On a question about a person who arrived from South Africa found to be having different symptoms, Bommai said, "The test report of the person has been sent for genome sequencing. Exact variant of the virus would be known from the genome sequencing report."

He also said that the state government is awaiting the instructions from the Union government on administering booster doses of the vaccine. "Our concern is that it is already over six months since the health workers received two doses of the vaccine. We will act according to directions from the Union government," Bommai said.