Keep Covid guard up to avoid lockdown: Karnataka CM

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January 3, 2022

KEY STORY

Amid a spike in Covid-19 cases in Karnataka and its borders, chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday asked people to cooperate with the government in containing the spread of the disease and avoiding a lockdown. He said the officials of districts bordering Maharashtra have been directed to be extra cautious as the neighbouring state is witnessing a spike in cases.
“Our stand is very clear. In the past, lockdown was imposed. The same should not happen again. For this, we are taking stringent measures. People have to cooperate with us,” Bommai told reporters in Bengaluru.
The statement comes as daily increase in Covid-19 cases in Bengaluru is inching towards the 1,000 mark. On Sunday, Bengaluru reported 923 new Covid cases and three deaths. Karnataka on Sunday added 1,187 new cases to the state’s overall infection count. In comparison, Bengaluru reported 1,033 new cases on Saturday, 832 on Friday, 707 on Thursday and 566 on Wednesday.
According to the health department bulletin, while the positivity rate for the day stood at 1.08%, the case fatality rate (CFR) was 0.50 per cent. There were 275 discharges on Sunday.
Of the six deaths reported in the state, three are from Bengaluru Urban, and one each from Tumkur, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada. After Bengaluru Urban, Dakshina Kannada accounted for the second-highest number of new cases with 63 .
Regarding extending the night curfew or imposing tough rules, he said it would be decided either on Monday or Tuesday. “We have to see how coronavirus is spreading. We saw it increasing in a big way in Bengaluru. We will take a call keeping that in mind,” he said.
Bommai said he has directed the officials to be cautious in the districts such as Belagavi, Vijayapura and Bidar bordering Maharashtra, which is witnessing a rise in cases. He added that those entering Karnataka would have to be fully vaccinated and they should also possess a negative RT-PCR test report. “These measures will cause trouble to the travellers but we are doing it keeping in view the public health of people of Karnataka, especially Belagavi,” Bommai said.
Keeping in mind the oxygen shortage last time, the government has now contacted the oxygen plants to supply life-saving to the state. “These plants have been asked to start operations in preparation for the spike in the cases. Also. I have directed the officials to add 4,000 more ICU beds in the state. We are also making preparations for adequate medicines,” he said.
Stating that the government was also focusing on the vaccination drive, the chief minister said vaccinating teenagers from 15-18 years would start from Monday. Booster doses would be given to those who have co-morbidities, he added.
Karnataka revenue minister R Ashoka said the spike in infections in Karnataka was a serious issue. “Bengaluru is in the Red Zone according to the list declared by the Union government. It is important to sound an alert in Bengaluru. We can save people’s lives if we impose more restrictions in Bengaluru and reduce the number of hospitalisations,” he said.

CONCLUSION

He said that the government is mulling to announce ‘some tough rules’ in coming days. “We will convene a meeting and announce some tough rules before January 7 when the night curfew will be lifted,” Ashoka said.
He added that the experts’ committee would convene a meeting before January 7. “We will implement the recommendations of the committee in toto because we have seen the sufferings and deaths last time,” the minister said.