BENGALURU: “No lockdown in Bengaluru, this is clear,” declared Revenue Minister R Ashoka on Thursday, reiterating that the government has no plans of shutting down the state capital. Ashoka, who was named Bengaluru Covid-19 in-charge since Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar is under home quarantine, said there will be no blanket lockdown in Bengaluru, but measures like sealing adjoining roads in containment zones and adjoining houses in areas where single cases are reported will continue. Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Thursday morning put the onus on citizens to prevent a lockdown in Bengaluru.
Later in the day, the CM held a special meeting to discuss containment measures and the preparedness in Bengaluru in the light of the spike in the number of cases. On Friday, the CM has called for a meeting of Bengaluru legislators from all parties to discuss the situation. Yediyurappa urged officials to ensure immediate admission of patients who test positive for Covid-19 without prolonged delays. For this purpose, he said that 100 ambulances have been deployed and more will be approved on a need basis. Following review of active cases, clusters, spread and predictions on infection made over the next two weeks, the CM was apprised that the situation in Bengaluru was in control despite the spike in numbers.
“Bengaluru has been a model for the entire country. Compared to other big cities, we have things under control. We have taken necessary precautions in the backdrop of the 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 a spike in cases, especially in slums. If people would want to spare Bengaluru from another sealdown, please cooperate with the government and ensure precautions are taken,” Yediyurappa appealed.
It is with this confidence that the State Government has decided not to go back on its decision of conducting SSLC exams despite opposition from students, parents and child rights activists. It was decided in the meeting to treat patients with moderate symptoms at Covid-19 Care Centres instead of hospitals where availability of beds should be ensured for severely symptomatic patients.
The CM instructed officials to shift asymptomatic patients to Haj Bhavan and private hotels. Ministers in charge of Covid- 19 management have been asked to hold meetings with private hospitals to address their concerns regarding treatment and to bring them on board to work in tandem with the war room for realtime updates to avoid any confusion. “The recovery rate in Karnataka is at 61 per cent and the number of active cases are under 4,000. In Bengaluru too, while the numbers may be rising, recoveries have also been steady,” said a minister who was part of the meeting.