The Karnataka government on Monday decided to reinstate a lockdown in some wards of Bengaluru, which have seen a surge in COVID-19 cases. The wards where lockdown would be imposed include Siddapura, VV Puram, Kalasipalyam and KR Market and surrounding areas.
The decision came following a meeting chaired by Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa. After the meeting, Yediyurappa said streets adjoining residences of COVID-19 patients would also be sealed.
Bengaluru has registered a seven-fold surge in COVID-19 cases in the past month. As of Sunday, Bengaluru had registered 1,272 cases and 64 deaths. There are a total of 298 containment zones in Bengaluru.
Dr C.N. Manjunath, director of the Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, told Bangalore Mirror that Bengaluru was just at the beginning of its peak, warning this pace of spike in COVID-19 cases could "go on for another two months".
The alarm in Bengaluru comes even as a government official projected Karnataka could have 25,000 cases by August 15.
“The projections are so sensitive that if the daily growth rate is at 3 per cent, then active numbers can reach 17,000 but if it is at 4 per cent then the state could see around 25,000 cases in about 50-60 days,” Munish Moudgil, chief of Karnataka COVID-19 War Room, said in a statement.
The state currently has 9,150 cases of which 3,391 are active cases, 5,618 discharges and 137 deaths.