Thermal screening of visitors at govt offices in Karnataka

Bengaluru: Stepping up measures to curb spread of coronavirus in the state, the Karnataka government would start thermal screening of visitors at various places including the vidhana soudha, high court, secretariat, and city civil courts, from Tuesday. In view of coronavirus scare, screening of visitors has already begun at Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa’s residence at Dollar’s Colony in the city.

A medical team has been deployed for the purpose, sources close to the CM told PTI. Medical screening of passengers arriving at the Kempegowda International Airport here was underway.

So far seven people have been tested positive in the state while one of them died due to COVID-19 in Kalaburagi. The Department of Health and Family Welfare said the procurement of equipment such as scanners would be completed by Monday.

“The procurement of scanners, other supplies, deputation of staff nurses and trainingshall be held and completed on March 16, Monday itself on war footing basissetting aside other works,” Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare department, Pankaj Kumar Pandey said in his order to district level health officers. He also said the urban health staff nurses and trainee staff nurses from government nursing schools would be utilised for screening purpose.

Ambulances would be stationed at all screening points with an easy access and fever cases shall be shifted to the nearby government hospital for preliminary clinical assessment by the duty doctor, the order said. The KarnatakaState Drugs Logistics and Warehousing Society (KSDLWS) would procure and give the thermal scanners to the district health and family welfare officers of Bengaluru Urban, Kalaburagi, Dharwad, it said.

Sufficient virus filtering N95 masks, handgloves and sanitisers would also be provided to the officers, it added.