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Experts hint at possible second wave of Covid
Bengaluru Chief minister B
Bengaluru Chief minister B.S Yediyurappa on Monday said the rise in coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases was a possible warning of a second wave of the pandemic in Karnataka and particularly in its capital, Bengaluru.
“The Covid-19 infection rate in Bidar, Kalaburagi, Bengaluru Rural, Udupi, Tumakuru, Dakshina Kannada and Bengaluru has gone up. This is an indication of a second wave, is what the experts have conveyed to me,” Yediyurappa said in Bengaluru on Monday.
The chief minister held a meeting with the health department and other experts to discuss possible measures to deploy in order to contain the growing number of cases in the state.
His statements come at a time when Karnataka and Bengaluru in particular has seen a sudden surge in Covid-19 cases, raising cause for concern in the south Indian state, which has let its guard down to allow economic activities and bring in some much needed revenue to the cash-starved state.
There were 932 positive cases reported across Karnataka on March 14 (Sunday) and seven deaths. Of this, 550 were from Bengaluru, including five deaths, taking the total number of active cases in India’s IT capital to 6,454, according to the daily bulletin of the state health department.
The meeting raises alarm among the city and state’s residents of any decision of a relapse into the lockdown as a measure to contain the growing number of cases. He said the government will watch how the public reacts to the requests of maintaining safety protocols for a week before deciding its future course of action.
The chief minister also indicated further measures after a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 17.
“In order to balance economic activity and avoid lockdown, I request all citizens of Karnataka to wear masks, maintain social distance at public places,” he said.
Yediyurappa reiterated that people should cooperate with the safety protocols to help the government refrain from announcing further restrictions or another lockdown.
He said the health department should initiate talks with private hospitals to keep beds, oxygen tanks and other requirements ready like earlier.
Yediyurappa said that authorities should increase vaccinations in districts that have seen a rise in Covid-19 cases. He acknowledged that the rate of vaccinations was not going according to the rate at which the state would require.
The chief minister said the rate of vaccination among front-line workers was just around 58% and directed concerned authorities to increase the inoculation.
Karnataka has so far vaccinated over 14.96 lakh people (first and second dose).
The technical advisory committee also said that senior citizens should be identified with the help of voters’ list for vaccination. The committee also recommended setting up vaccination centres in large apartment complexes.
The chief minister said that the earlier decision to impose a cap of 500 people will continue in marriages, public and political events and violators will be penalised heavily. The committee also suggested testing shopkeepers, bus drivers and others to identify cases at the earliest and contain them.
The earlier directive of mandatory Covid-19 negative certificates for people coming from Maharashtra and Kerala will continue, according to the government.
