BENGALURU: The Karnataka government on Saturday took a slew of decisions including imposing total lockdown on Sundays starting July 5 in view of the spike in the number of coronavirus cases in the state.
It was also decided that there will be night curfew from 8 pm to 5 am, which will come into effect from Monday, according to an official statement.
A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa with the ministers and officials amid growing opposition outcry to impose stringent lockdown to contain COVID-19 cases in the state.
"Lockdown would be imposed every Sunday, with effect from July 5, 2020 until further orders. No activities shall be permitted on that day except essential services and supplies. All government offices shall remain closed on all Saturdays, along with second and fourth Saturdays with effect from July 10," the statement read.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike Commissioner was directed to set up more number of wholesale vegetable markets to avoid crowding in large wholesale vegetable markets in the city.
It was also decided to have a centralised bed allocation system to speed up hospitalisation of COVID-19 patients.
The Chief Minister directed the officials to enhance the number of ambulances to carry coronavirus patients and to arrange separate ambulances for carrying mortal remains of patients who die due to the contagion.
He also directed the officials to use the police control room wireless system to identify location and easy movement of ambulances.
Yediyurappa told the officials to publish details of nodal officers working for Covid Management.
It was decided at the meeting to delegate more responsibilities to joint commissioners of eight municipal zones in Bengaluru and also appoint Karnataka Administrative Services officers in these zones to assist the joint commissioners.
The 180 ESI doctors appointed by the labour department will also be pressed into service and probationary Tahsildars will be appointed as nodal officers for coronavirus hospitals and COVID care centres.
Marriage halls, hostels and other institutions in Bengaluru will also be reserved for COVID care centres and to avail railway coaches with beds.
The Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru Urban was directed to identify more places for the last rites of coronavirus victims.
Yediyurappa told the official to form teams for conducting last rites.
Besides notifying reservation of 50 per cent of beds in medical colleges and private hospitals, the BBMP Commissioner will also notify tie-up with hotels with hospitals to avoid any shortage of beds for treatment, the Chief Minister said during the meeting.
Karnataka on Saturday reported a single day high of 918 new coronavirus cases taking the overall tally in the state to 11,923, the Health department said.
Eleven deaths took the COVID-19 toll in the state to 191, it further said.
According to the health department bulletin, 11,923 people have been tested positive so far since the outbreak of the pandemic, which includes 7,287 discharges, 4,441 total active cases and 191 deaths.
"This is the highest ever spike in the state as well as Bengaluru," a health department official told P T I after the capital city recorded 596 cases.
Of the 191 people who died of coronavirus in the state since the outbreak of pandemic, 84 are from Bengaluru alone.
As the state witnessed the unprecedented spike in the cases, the Health Department gave a go by to the details of the contact tracing and history of the patients in its bulletin.
Besides 596 in Bengaluru, 49 were tested positive in Dakshina Kannada, 33 in Kalaburagi, 24 each in Ballari and Gadag, 19 in Dharwad, 17 in Bidar, 14 each in Udupi, Hassan and Kolar.
According to the health department, 102 patients were discharged in Yadgir, 60 each in Ballari and Bidar, 41 in Raichur, 24 in Kalaburagi, 10 in Udupi, nine in Uttara Kannada, eight each in Shivamogga and Dakshina Kannada.
Of the 11 deaths due to coronavirus on Saturday, three each were reported in Bengaluru and Bidar, two each in Kalaburagi and one each in Gadag, Ballari and Dharwad.
Those who died due to the virus aged between 50 years and 95 years.