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Night curfew in Bengaluru, 6 other districts from April 10
Benglauru In the wake of growing coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases in Karnataka, chief minister BS Yediyurappa on Thursday enforced night curfew in some districts of the state from April 10 to 20
Benglauru
In the wake of growing coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases in Karnataka, chief minister BS Yediyurappa on Thursday enforced night curfew in some districts of the state from April 10 to 20.
“Night corona curfew from 10 pm to 5 am will be imposed in Bengaluru, Mysore, Mangaluru, Kalaburagi, Bidar, Tumkur and Udupi-Manipal districts from 10th April to 20th April. Essential services will be allowed,” Yediyurappa said on Thursday.
The decision came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with Covid-19 impacted states in the wake of a surge of infections across the country.
The night curfew will be enforced in the urban areas or district centres, Yediyurappa said.
The state government on Thursday also said it will conduct a door-to-door survey in Bengaluru with an aim to test at least 1 lakh people every day and raise awareness to help contain the growing surge of Covid-19 cases.
“There are 8,500 booths in BBMP limits and a team will be formed in each booth to conduct a door-to-door survey. Their mandate will include testing, spreading awareness on isolation guidelines, necessary assistance to Covid infected persons, treatment for home isolated people, stamping, health check-up, ensuring oxygen service for the infected persons etc,” K Sudhakar, Karnataka’s minister for health, family welfare and medical education, said on Thursday.
“Though this programme was unveiled last year, it could not be implemented. But now we will ensure this happens. Every ward will have one ambulance, 250 ambulances are available,” Sudhakar added.
The statements come at a time when Bengaluru has seen a rapid surge in cases since the beginning of March, touching nearly 5,000 new cases on Wednesday.
Bengaluru, which is among the top 10 worst Covid-19 impacted districts in the country, has 38,946 active cases and the rate of the spread is reported to be faster when compared to the outbreak last year, experts said. The city reported 4,422 new cases on Thursday while the number was 6,570 for the state, taking its active case load to 53,395. A total of 36 patients succumbed to Covid-19 in state, including 22 in Bengaluru.
“More number of Covid-19 positive cases is reported in Bengaluru and 6 other districts. Though there is surge in number of cases, the fatality rate remains low. The case fatality rate was 0.50% in the state yesterday,” the chief minister’s office (CMO) said in a statement on Thursday.
“We prohibited gatherings for fairs and festivals and other religious and social gatherings and ensuring the same is complied with. Action has been initiated to impose penalties on those who do not wear mask and maintain distancing in public places,” the statement added.
The positivity rate in Karnataka is hovering around 6%. The higher number of cases is adding to the challenges of arranging increasing demand for hospital beds. In Bengaluru, the occupancy is around 85% in the 1,500 beds available in 11 hospitals.
The CMO said he state has ramped up the number of general beds, oxygenated beds and ICUs. “We have more than 42,000 general beds, 30,000 oxygenated beds, 3,000 ICUs and 2,900 beds with ventilators in general hospitals,” the statement added.
Yediyurappa said the prime minister has advised states to focus on micro-containment zones.
Meanwhile, the state government is hoping to contain the surge with higher vaccination coverage.
The state has around 25-30 lakh doses of vaccines and is expecting another 25 lakh doses, according to the state government.
“We have taken up vaccination at a large scale. About 6,000 vaccination centres are working daily. Of these, 5,400 are in government facilities and 600 in private facilities. So far, we have vaccinated more than 53 lakh people. We have vaccinated 22.31% of the target population above 45 years of age as compared to the National Average of 13.94% as on 5.4.2021,” the CMO said in a statement.
“We have 25-30 lakh doses available in the state (and the) centre has assured to provide 25 lakh additional doses. There is no shortage of vaccines,” Sudhakar said on Thursday.
The city administration and state government have targeted apartment complexes, cinema halls, pubs and restaurants to impose restrictions like curtailing capacities and even shutting down establishments that do not enforce Covid appropriate behaviour.
However, it appears to have taken a soft stand on political events as parties continue to take out campaign rallies for the three bypolls at Basavakalyan, Belagavi and Maski in the state.
Sudhakar said political events should also be organised in accordance with the guidelines or “we all may have to take moral responsibility for the surge”.
“In India, SC intervention is for wearing a mask in a car, but zero interference for political rallies & religious congregations which are becoming (a) source of super spreaders. Govt turning a blind eye to this will cost us heavily,” Priyank Kharge, former Karnataka minister and Congress legislator posted on Twitter.
Meanwhile, residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) at various apartment complexes in the city have also come out with Covid-19 specific guidelines.
At Embassy Pristine, an upscale apartment at Bellandur in Bengaluru, the RWA has put in place a number of measures including suspending amenities not mandated by the government.
“All sports facilities, including but not limited to open courts, football, and Kids play area would be closed till 20th April and reviewed thereon,” according to a message by the RWA to the residents of the complex.
“Coaches and coaching classes would be suspended till 20th April,” the message added.
“We have been asked not to move around too much even within the apartment complex,” said a resident of the complex, requesting anonymity.
The RWAs in several apartment complexes in Bengaluru have resorted to formulating their own set of rules as a measure to insulate these spaces from the rising number of Covid-19 cases.
This particular apartment block has 19 cases so far and the RWA has asked residents to minimise travel, not entertain guests and even postpone non-essential work among other restrictions.
“We are in touch with the BBMP to ensure necessary compliance and request all your help to ensure we do not slip into a containment zone classification,” according to the message by the RWA to its residents.
