Stressing the need to create awareness with spurt in COVID cases globally and Omicron sub-variant BF.7 infections, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said the government will implement preventive measures step by step, without hampering normal life and economic activities. This was discussed at the cabinet meeting held here, earlier today.

“The current COVID situation was discussed at the cabinet meeting today, about the need to create awareness among the public about increase in booster dose, testing, making testing compulsory for Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) cases, wearing masks in closed places,” Bommai said. Speaking to reporters, he said, all these things will be discussed at a high-level meeting later in the day.

“We will have to bring in preventive measures step by step, without hampering normal life and economic activities in any way,” he said, adding for New Year celebrations there will be certain directions, in the wake of an increase in COVID cases in different parts of the world.

A meeting headed by the state’s Health Minister K Sudhakar and Minister in-charge for Disaster Management R Ashoka, along with technical experts is scheduled today, which is likely to decide on COVID preventive measures and guidelines to be followed in the days ahead, including for the New Year celebrations.