No COVID-19 duty for cops aged above 55 years in Karnataka

Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday said that the government would not deputy police officials aged above 55 years for COVID-19 duties.

“Some policemen have contracted novel coronavirus. It has been decided to restrict those aged above 55 years for duties at their police stations only,” he told reporters.

The Home department had taken measures to ensure safety of the policemen. They would be assigned duties in shifts. Weekly offs would be given once a week or once in 10 days, he said.

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Bommai said that the government would soon decide on shutting down KR Pet and some police stations as two policemen attached to KR Pet police station and one from Pulikeshi Nagar (Bengaluru) had contracted the virus. Travel history of the three policemen would be traced.

The Home minister did not buy claims of illegal entry of people from neighboring states. A large number of people from Tamil Nadu entered Karnataka after liquor outlets reopened. Special teams had been formed to restrict the illegal entry of people, he said.

“Karnataka doesn’t face the threat of community transmission of the virus as those entering the states from outside are under institutional quarantine. Over 30,000 people have returned to various districts. A large number of people are still in Maharashtra. People from other states were allowed only after mandatory institutional quarantine ,” he said.

On the permission to Nanjangud-based Pharmaceutical firm Jubilant Generics to resume operations, he said that the Health department wrote to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) which issued guidelines. An inspection would be conducted before the operations resumed at the company. Of 92 COVID-19 cases in Mysuru district, 74 were linked to the company.