BENGALURU: Chief minister BS Yediyurappa on Thursday said that the onus of ensuring there is no lockdown implemented in Bengaluru is in the hands of its citizens. Hinting that his government is not keen on a blanket ban, BS Yediyurappa said that precautions that need to be taken following the rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in Bengaluru will be discussed in a series of meetings on Thursday and Friday. Ahead of the cabinet meeting, the CM said that citizens will have to work with the government proactively to ensure home quarantine norms are followed diligently and social distancing norms and precautions are exercised voluntarily.
"Bengaluru has been a model for the entire country. When compared to other big cities in the country, we have things under control. We have taken the necessary precautions in the backdrop of rising COVID 19 cases. We will make our containment measures even more stringent but people have to cooperate. Even after making it convenient for people to move about, people are not following social distancing norms or other precautions leading to spike in cases especially in slums. If people would like to keep Bengaluru from another seal-down please cooperate with the government and ensure precautions are practiced," BS Yediyurappa appealed.
The chief minister also added that on Thursday a special meeting of ministers and officials from various departments will be held to assess the impact of sealing down measures taken by the government so far. On Friday, the chief minister will call for a meeting of all Bengaluru MLAs from all parties to discuss what further measures need to be taken. Even as fears over another blanket ban continue, sources from the Chief Minister's circle suggest that BS Yediyurappa is not keen on implementing another seal-down hampering economic activity as well as causing inconvenience to citizens. The chief minister is said to be keen on avoiding a blanket lockdown as much as possible given that the numbers are not as alarming as other cities across the country.