BENGALURU: Three wards in the city which were a cause of worry -- Padrayanpura, Hongasandra and Shivajinagar -- have emerged with zero cases after strict containment by officials. But now another ward -- Shantala Nagar -- is causing panic among residents.
According to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) war room statistics, the Shantala Nagar ward recorded 211 cases from July 2 to July 6. The ward covers localities like Lavelle Road, Vittal Mallya Road, Brigade Road, Victoria Layout and more.
While Padrayanpura, Hongasandra and Shivajinagar together contributed about 185 cases, Shantala Nagar alone has recorded 211 cases but BBMP medical officers in charge there said the war room had given the wrong figures and the total cases only came to 75 in total.
A senior health officer from Shantala Nagar ward said, "The figures are completely wrong. We do not have such a high number of cases in the ward. I handle the Shantinagar constituency, which includes six wards in total -- Shantala Nagar, Shantinagar, Vannarpete, Nilasandra, Domlur, Agara -- and even if count all the cases in these wards, we wouldn't get 211. The Shantala Nagar ward would have around 75 cases and right now wherever cases have emerged, we have contained them well. It is not spreading but is a cluster of cases in the families of patients or at a particular place."
He said certain cases are in places like the Philomenas Hospital where the virus has been contained now. "An 80-year-old patient was admitted in the hospital and later turned positive. The patient's son who was a doctor was working in the same hospital and was tested positive too as the doctor was in contact with the patient. Meanwhile, other staff who came in contact were tested positive as well. The total staff infected at the hospital was 16 in number and they are quarantined. Further, in a house at Vittal Malya road, a family with seven members tested positive as a family member was a health worker who was found to be positive. Similarly, some of the police officers in YG Palya, Austin Town tested positive. When such cases emerged, we curbed the infections and took quick measures. The disease has not spread across the ward," he said.
When The New Indian Express contacted Hephsibe Korlapati, director of the BBMP war room, and asked about the difference in numbers according to zonal officers and war room data, she said, "When a COVID positive result comes out, the patient's address, name and other details are taken. For these patients, the ward listed shows up as Shantala Nagar ward. However, their residences may be located in the periphery between two wards, but we take into consideration the address of the patient which mentions the ward. Due to the location of the houses, the ward numbers can be different."