BENGALURU: Hours after the video-conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the local administration in several districts on Tuesday decided to enforce a complete lockdown for four days in a week in an attempt to check the spread of the virus.
Earlier, Chamarajanagar and Shivamogga districts had implemented similar measures. Hassan District In-charge Minister Gopalaiah said a full lockdown will be enforced in the district on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Shops selling groceries, vegetables and other essentials will be open only on Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 6am and 10am.
Other essential services including hospitals, nursing homes, medical stores, milk parlours and petrol pumps will function as usual. The lockdown will be in force till May 24 and the further course of action will be decided based on the directions from the state government, he added.
The district administration has formed a special team to supervise the facilities available for Covid patients in private hospitals and nursing homes. The team will also act on complaints from patients, if any, the minister added.In Chikkaballapur, a full lockdown across the district will come into effect from May 20, Deputy Commissioner R Latha said. Speaking to TNIE, the DC said the decision was taken after consulting Health and Family Welfare and District In- Charge Minister Dr K Sudhakar.
Essentials like milk and groceries will be available between 6 am and 10 am on the other days. Latha, however, said some exemption has been given for farmers to sell their produce on alternate days at the Chinthamani APMC in the morning. Also, cocoon growers will also be allowed at the Siddlaghatta market for a limited time. Interdistrict and inter-state movements will also be strictly restricted, but attendants of patients will be allowed with proper identification.
All bars and restaurants will also be closed. Chikkaballapur Superintendent of Police G K Mithun Kumar said additional forces will be deployed on the Chikballapur- Bengaluru border and also the Andhra border to regulate movement of traffic.In Kalaburagi, the lockdown will be implemented from 6 am on Thursday to 6 am on Sunday.
In Yadgir and Raichur districts, it will be in effect from 12 pm on Wednesday to midnight on Saturday. During this period, all activities except sale of essentials like milk, eggs, medicines, takeaways from hotels, petrol bunks and other emergency services, will be restricted. Indoor work in places like dal mills will be allowed but the workers cannot venture out, the orders issued by the district administrations said.