Bhatkal: 'Permission should be given to let home quarantine for the asymptomatic COVID patients of Bhatkal, and the Central government's guidelines in relation to this should be implemented in Bhatkal as well, urged Janata Dal (Secular) Bhatkal taluka President Inayatullah Shabandari at a press conference held here on Tuesday.

Speaking to presspersons, he said, after swabs are collected for COVID testing, whatever the report is, it should be informed to the concerned person. But currently, the case is that only positive reports are informed over phonecall, and negative reports are delayed to almost a week in informing. Hence, he demanded this should not be continued, and the reports should be informed immediately.

Recalling the deaths of two Bhatkal citizens in Mangaluru due to COVID-19, he said, the dead bodies were not handed over to the family members despite requests. He urged the government that if the Bhatkal based COVID patients succumb anywhere outside Bhatkal after being unable to respond to the treatments, their dead bodies should be handed over to the family members, wherein the burials would be conducted as per the government's COVID-19 protocol. He said that in this regard he has spoken with various leaders including Uttara Kannada district In-Charge Minister Shivaram Hebbar and Former Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, requesting them to make the needful.

He also urged the people of Bhatkal to come forward and get COVID testings done. He said that there's no need to panic of anything if reports are received as positive, Bhatkal patients are not sent to Karwar or any other place henceforth, instead, they will be treated at Tanzeem facilitated COVID center in Bhatkal itself, wherein the clean and hygienic food is provided. 

In the press meet, JDS Bhatkal leaders Pandu Naik, Krishananad Prabhu, and Zainul Abideen were also present.

Watch full press conference here: