BENGALURU: COVID-19 cases have seen a rise in the city even from noncontainment zones after the government relaxed lockdown norms. But cases could rise further in the coming days if people don’t follow social distancing and other norms, warned Health Department and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike officials. “It is natural for cases to rise and BBMP’s task is to identify areas and seal them. The increasing numbers are not just because of migrants, but also local contacts.
The BBMP is aggressively working on reverse and prospect contact tracing,” said Ravi Kumar Surpur, BBMP Special Commissioner, Health. “People must be careful and follow all guidelines. Till now, there has been no community spread and to ensure that it doesn’t happen later, people must maintain social distancing. We have also reduced the size of containment zones from 100 metres to nearby streets for a tighter vigil.
Also, instead of sealing an entire apartment complex, only that particular floor and the one below are being sealed,” said Health Department Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey. People should give suggestions on how to handle the situation better, he added. But Bengalureans are worried that the government has no plan and departments lack coordination. “Cases are being reported from areas that did not have any positive patients earlier. The government should identify vulnerable pockets and start testing. They should pay more attention to areas based on the health survey data,” said a doctor working with BBMP in east Bengaluru.