Bengaluru civic body amid Covid spike: "Wear mask in public' | Other updates

In the wake of rising coronavirus cases in the Karnataka capital, Bengaluru's civic body has imposed a mandate on wearing masks in all public places henceforth to ensure public safety and curb further spread of fresh infections.

As fresh cases surge in Bengaluru, the city's local administrative body has now mandated citizens to wear masks in all public places including malls. The civic body has also decided to increase daily testing to detect the spread of the virus 20,000 a day from the current 16,000.

Passengers wearing face masks stand in a queue for Covid-19 test at Krantiveer Sangoli Rayanna railway station in Bengaluru. (PTI Image)

Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) special commissioner, Dr. Harish Kumar, was quoted as saying by news agency PTI, “Everyday, more than 200 new COVID cases are being reported and we are conducting 16,000 tests. Now, the Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath has asked us to increase the tests to 20,000 from 16,000 by the BBMP and 4,000 at the private labs. We will strengthen the information, education and communication activities.”

Speaking to reporters, he added that the chief commissioner of the civic body has directed all the Marshals to educate people on the importance of wearing masks. These marshals shall ensure that all citizens follow appropriate COVID protocols and wear masks at public places like malls and shopping complexes. Kumar further said that people will be asked by marshals to wear masks at public places from Tuesday.

The BBMP is gearing up for a possible fourth wave soon as the chief commissioner has asked zonal officials to conduct surveys and submit reports from each zone. The body has also observed that an increased number of severe acute respiratory illnesses and influenza-like illness cases are being reported in private clinics. However, the special commissioner Dr Kumar has appealed to the people not to panic.

The state reported 301 new cases on Sunday and one death due to COVID-19. The state, however, reported around 230 new cases on Monday, of which 222 were from Bengaluru Urban district, according to data from the state health department. That takes the total active cases in the state to 2,441, while the positivity rate was hovering around 1.92%, reports said.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai indicated on Monday that his government is likely to take a decision on bringing back certain COVID control measures in a couple of days, aimed at containing the uptick in daily cases. The chief minister, however, said that there is no need for any unnecessary panic or worry, as the government has already put in place certain regulatory measures.

"In the wake of COVID cases increasing, our Principal Secretary-Health will hold meetings with officials of all districts to know about the situation there and review the COVID management measures being taken and will submit a report to me," Bommai told reporters.

(With PTI Inputs)