BENGALURU: As the number of Covid-positive cases are coming down in Karnataka, the State Government is likely to relax lockdown restrictions in districts with a positivity rate below 5 per cent, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa indicated on Saturday.
He said that the government will review the situation after four or five days and then take the decision. The government on Thursday extended the lockown till June 14 and the process of lifting the restrictions is likely to start only after that.
Fifty days after the second wave started in the State, the positivity rate has fallen below 10 per cent and on Saturday, it hit 9.69 per cent. Data from the Health Department showed that it has come down from a high of 32.73 during May 8-May 14 and 12.23 per cent between May 29 and June 4.
In Bengaluru too, the positivity rate has gone down from 32.89 per cent during May 8-May 14 to 6.96 per cent during May 29 to June 4. The Health Department is targeting micro-pockets within districts that have recorded a higher number of Covid cases. As on Saturday, the State had 2.68 lakh active cases.
Mysuru logs highest Covid positivity rate
Of the 30 districts (the Health Department still considers Vijayanagar as part of Ballari district), Bidar, Kalaburagi and Haveri have reported less than 5% positivity rate, while Yadgir, Bengaluru Urban and Ramanagara have less than 7%. Mysuru has the highest positivity rate at 30.54%.
Dr KV Thrilok Chandra, Commissioner, Department of Health, said that though some districts are showing lesser positivity rate, few pockets within those districts are reporting higher numbers. “We are micromanaging these pockets,’’ he said.
aid to construction workers
Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Saturday launched an initiative of depositing D3,000 each into the bank accounts of 25 lakh construction workers as part of Covid-19 relief announced under the first package. A sum of D749.55 crore has been earmarked for this purpose.