BENGALURU: A confident Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Wednesday told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Karnataka is ready to completely lift the lockdown, but with some restrictions in place. Apprising the PM on Karnataka’s handling of Covid-19 so far, Yediyurappa said the state is already equipped to handle one lakh cases and is in the process of doubling its facilities.
The Karnataka Government is said to be keen on lifting restrictions on time, travel, services etc., while discussions on reopening of schools and colleges are under way. The CM is said to have conveyed to Modi that the state, despite a steady spike in cases, is set to end lockdown while retaining some restrictions in line with social distancing norms and mandatory precautionary measures.
Lockdown: K’taka to go with Centre’s decision
Karnataka, however, has assured the PM that it will adhere to any decision taken by the Union Government. The CM, who was recently applauded by BJP national president JP Nadda for his handling of the pandemic, apprised Modi of the use of technology to broaden Covid-19 containment measures in the state. “We are following five Ts in our fight against Covid-19.
Our Tracing, Testing, Treating, Tracking measures, coupled with Technology, have helped contain spread,” Yediyurappa told the PM. The 673 fever clinics across the state have ensured that hospitals do not become hotspots of infection, Yediyurappa pointed out. “Out of 1.68 crore families in the state 1.5 crore families have been surveyed to identify and give special attention to potential high-risk persons.
Labs to test for Covid-19 have been increased to 72 with a capacity of testing 15,000 samples a day”, Yediyurappa said, highlighting that the state’s testing rate per million stands at 7,500 while the positivity rate is 1.6 per cent. The Prime Minister’s video conference with Chief Ministers began with two minutes of silence as a mark of respect to the 20 soldiers of the Indian Army who lost their lives in Chinese aggression at Galwan Valley in Ladakh on Monday night.