Omicron Scare: Only Fully-Vaccinated Allowed In Karnataka Malls, Theatres

• Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai chaired a high-level meeting today with officials over the new Covid variant Omicron that has triggered a global alarm.

People won't be allowed inside malls and theatres in Karnataka unless they are fully vaccinated. Karnataka today issued a fresh set of guidelines to combat the spread of Omicron in the state a day after the Centre confirmed the detection of India's first cases of the new variant from the state. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai chaired a high-level meeting today with officials over the new variant that has triggered a global alarm. Here are five points on the latest developments:

1. Karnataka Revenue Secretary R Ashok, who attended the meeting, said that no one will be allowed to enter malls and cinema halls in the state unless fully vaccinated.
2. Students will not be allowed to attend offline classes in schools unless their parents are fully vaccinated. Schools and colleges have been asked to postpone all cultural activities till January 15, 2022 in view of the new Covid variant Omicron, he said.
3. Airports in the state will test all incoming passengers for coronavirus. Passengers will be allowed to leave the premises only after their test reports come in, R Ashok said.
4. A complaint has been lodged with the police after a 66-year-old foreign national who tested positive for Omicron allegedly fled. The police will see what went wrong at the Shangri-La hotel where the person was staying, Mr Ashok said.
5. Covid beds will be opened up once again in hospitals across the state. Oxygen plants have been installed and they will be repaired and kept ready, R Ashok said. The availability of oxygen will be monitored by committees that were formed earlier and Covid control rooms will be resumed again across the state, he added. To ensure there is no shortage of Covid drugs, vaccines and drugs will be purchased in advance, the revenue secretary further added.

(Source: BBC)