BENGALURU: In a span of 14 days, Bellandur ward recorded 8,004 new Covid-19 cases and has consistently been the ward with the highest number of cases in Bengaluru. As per January 23 figures,
it comprises 3.45 per cent of the capital’s 2,31,833 active caseload.
As per the Bellandur Ward Decentralised Triage and Emergency Response Committee for Covid-19 management report on Sunday, the areas within the ward with the most cases are Bellandur, Doddakanahalli, Kasavanahalli, Devarabisanahalli and Haraluru.
“Bellandur is the second biggest ward after Horamavu. It has a population of over one lakh. There is a significant floating population, travellers, over 600 apartments, construction workers staying in colonies and IT companies. Clusters are being reported from apartments and this is due to Omicron. It is unlike the Delta variant, which resulted in hospitalisation,” said Dr Surendra, health officer, Mahadevapura zone.
Earlier, they sent samples from these clusters for genomic sequencing, but now officials do not see much use for it as Omicron has led to community transmission. As of Sunday, there are 10 active micro-containment zones. On January 17, there were 58 micro-containment zones and four clusters here.
Mahadevapura MLA Aravind Limbavali too pointed to travellers, software companies, apartments and villas as reasons for fast spread of the virus in Bellandur. “If one floor of an apartment block has four Covid patients, the virus spreads to others as residents would have used common areas such as the lift,” Limbavali said.
A source said that educated apartment dwellers often do not cooperate with officials and challenge Covid management rules. “They say they are vaccinated, so nothing will happen, and the new variant is not leading to deaths and hospitalisation. This mentality in the third wave is also being seen in areas such as Varthur, Hagadur and Doddanekkundi, where people stay in apartments and villas,” said the source, who did not wish to be named.
As per the ward report, phones of 590 Covid-19 patients are unreachable. As for gender-wise data segregation, in the past 14 days, more females (4,308) than males (3,695) have tested positive. With respect to age, the highest number of cases is in the 18 to 45 year age group, with 5,586 patients in this time period.
BBMP Special Commissioner for Health Dr Thrilok Chandra said testing has been ramped up in Bellandur, to track and isolate cases faster. In the past 14 days, 14,281 tests have been conducted at Doddakannelli Primary Health Centre, as per the ward report.
