A day after setting off a debate saying the government may have to consider re-locking Karnataka's Bengaluru, Health Minister B. Sriramulu maintained that if the cases in the city continued to increase, the matter would be discussed with an expert committee. The decision on whether to shut down Bengaluru, along with Kalaburagi, Dakshina Kannada and Bidar, is expected to be announced today, after the cabinet meeting at 11am.
Evading a direct answer on whether there should be a lockdown or not, the minister said more tests have to happen in the city, where 1,678 cases of COVID-19 have been reported so far. This includes 78 deaths and 475 discharges.
As part of Unlock-1 from June 1, Karnataka had further relaxed lockdown curbs and allowed various activities.
Concerned over the Bengaluru spike, Yediyurappa had directed officials to implement lockdown measures strictly in certain clusters which have reported more number of coronavirus infections. The city's busiest KR Market and Kalasipalya Market have been sealed for 15 days by the civic body Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) as part of measures to check the spread.
Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said whether to go for lockdown once again was an important issue. At a time when coronavirus cases were increasing, the decision has to be taken keeping in mind COVID-management, economic activities that were taking place, and the economic situation of the government. "Extensive discussions are taking place about lockdown. The chief minister is every day reviewing the corona situation in the state. He is holding meetings with senior officials and gathering information," he said.
Dr C.N. Manjunath, director of the Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, had earlier 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".
There were projections that 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, had earlier said in a statement.
Opposition reaction
"Instead of sealing a few areas, the entire state capital should be shut down for 20 days," said former Karnataka chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy. In a series of tweets, the JD(S) leader said sealing some areas would not serve any purpose and that weaker sections of the society should be taken care of immediately.
"Stop playing with human lives. It will not serve any purpose to seal a few areas. If you care for the human lives in Bengaluru, shut down the city totally for 20 days. Else, Bengaluru will become another Brazil. People's lives are more important than the economy," Kumaraswamy tweeted.
Asserting that "mere announcement" of relief package by the state government for drivers, weavers, washermen and various other sections was not enough, he asked it to immediately supply groceries to the weaker section and transfer at least Rs 5,000 to 50 lakh workers.
"Mere announcement of the package will not be sufficient. It should be implemented immediately. The government should not sit idly by showing a rosy picture," Kumaraswamy tweeted.
-Inputs from PTI