Bengaluru, Jul 17: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Friday said lockdown is not the solution for controlling COVID-19 and made it clear that there was no proposal before the government to extend it in Bengaluru.
Bengaluru urban and rural areas are currently under "complete lockdown" since 8 pm of July 14 and it will be effective till 5 am on July 22.
With the spike in cases, speculations were rife that the current lockdown is likely to be extended for 15 days, as that much time is required to break the chain.
"Lockdown is not the solution to control COVID. There is no proposal before the government to extend the lockdown," Yediyurappa was quoted as saying by his office in a release.
The Chief Minister today chaired a meeting with Ministers who have been made in-charge of eight zones in the city and officials regarding the COVID-19 situation in Bengaluru.
Earlier too, on July 13, the eve of the lockdown, Yediyurappa had said the government did not plan to extend it in Bengaluru urban and rural districts, and had appealed to the people to cooperate by not paying heed to rumours.
However, earlier today city Mayor M Goutham Kumar and commissioner of the civic body Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike B H Anil Kumar had favoured its extension.
They had said that in their personal opinion, a 15 day lockdown would be good, as that much time is required to break the chain.
The Opposition Congress too had asked for a minimum of 15 days lockdown after taking expert opinion.
"Respected Chief Minister, you have imposed lockdown in Bengaluru, but it is difficult to expect results from this lockdown, which has been imposed just for for the sake of it.
Take expert opinion and enforce strict lockdown in Bengaluru at least for 15 days.
If not, even if God comes,it will be difficult to protect Bengaluru," KPCC Working President Eshwar Khandre tweeted.
Speaking to reporters after attending the meeting chaired by the CM, Revenue Minister R Ashoka said lockdown will not be extended and all activities can resume as usual from July 22.
"Lockdown will not be extended. I'm saying this after discussing with the Chief Minister. There is no such thinking before the government.
CM has got report from the experts, it was discussed in the meeting.
By lockdown we can only postpone things, we have taken that breathing time.
If we continue lockdown it will keep on continuing," he said.
The Minister said the process of sealing places, wherever required, would continue.
He said the plan to conduct more tests was discussed at the meeting and all the required zone wise arrangements would be made
"We also discussed about beds and shortage of ventilators and steps will be taken to arrange for them," he said.
As of July 16 evening, cumulatively 51,422 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 1,032 deaths and 19,729 discharges.
Bengaluru urban district tops the list of positive cases, with a total of 25,288 infections.
Out of 4,169 fresh cases reported on Thursday, a whopping 2,344 were from Bengaluru urban alone
At the meeting, the Chief Minister said all necessary steps should be taken to clear all the difficulties faced by infected patients in getting admitted to hospitals.
The CMO statement quoted Yediyurappa as directing Ministers to hold meetings with private hospitals to ensure that COVID and non COVID patients get treatment.
Warning of strict action against private hospitals if they don't allocate beds for COVID patients,he said volunteers and nodal officers would be appointed to gather information about admission of such patients and availability of beds
The Chief Minister said rapid antigen tests should be conducted on those dying at hospitals or homes and necessary action taken to hand over the bodies or to conduct last rites as per the procedures, depending on the cause of death.
Recruitment was on to appoint doctors to resolve shortage, he said,adding that volunteers have been identified in each ward for micromanagement and ambulances allocated.
Marriage halls and lodges have been selected in all wards for those not having separate quarantine facilities, Yediyurappa said and stressed on increasing testing.
Deploying extra police force at places where there are chances of people gathering in large numbers, ensuring beds availability and ambulances within two hours of a patient testing positive- with decentralized monitoring, giving priority to those symptomatic above 65-years during allocation of beds were among directions given by the Chief Minister.
The reason for the raid was that a girl belonging to another community was present in the room. However, after inquiry the cops returned as they realised that the girl was not only his classmate but was also his fiancée.
Comments
ALWYN,,,,THERE R SOME WHO WANT TO EXPLORE,,EVEN PARENTS ARE FINE ABOUT THIS BUT SOCIETY IS NOT ,SOMETIMES IT IS OTHERWISE,,,,ONE SHUD NOT INTERFERE TO THE CERTAIN EXTENT,,IN SOCIETY ONE SHUD KNOW HOW TO ACT AND TALK,,,,,ONE SHUD NOT HURT OTHERS,,,,LOVE JIHAD IS SERIOUS,,,THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO DO IT FOR FUN,,,AND SOME FOR DEMEANING THE GIRLS REPUTATION AND SOMETIMES EVEN THE COMMUNITY,,,,,,,SOME SOCIETIES ARE VERY REGRESSIVE LIKE MUSLIM COUNTRIES,,,,,,OURS IS OK,,,ONE SHUD NOT FEEL EVERYTIME IT IS THE CASE,,,,,WHEN A COUPLE ACTUALLY LOVES EACH OTHER THEY SHUD BE ALLOWED,,,,THATS THE WHOLE POINT.......
Doorway to Haven AK47 please help us, many of our girls are victim of Love jihad, this is other example. we are help less
NO DC OR BC CAN STOP THIS,,,,,,ITS HAPPENING EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD,,,,THIS TIME THE MALE WAS SAVED BECAUSE GIRL IS CHRISTIAN,,,UNTIL NEXT TIME,,,WEN GIRL IS HINDU,,,HE WILL GET IT FOR SURE,,,,,THEN WE WILL C WHAT DC DOES,,,,,NONESENSE PEOPLE TALKING COURAGE ON WEB FORUMS,,,ITS SO MANLY
Koti-an & other chaddis, BURNOL BODA
CHADDIGALIGE BURNOOL BAGHYA....
Shame !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! on dirty mind people...........
its not coming from their back ..its coming from Hindutwa Activists mouth
These shameless goondas have no job but to create disturbance in society. Police should book them for wasting time and trying to create communal disturbance. Arrest the leaders of these goonda parties.
One who act against country's CONSTITUTION and tamperning the rules and contents of CONSTITUTION and playing against law and attacking on any particular community or conducting group clash; igniting communal clash is a terrorist and Government and Supreme Court must announce to whole nation and implement.
Then no one dare to show off with DHARMA;SENA; BHAKT BRIGADE etc.
respected deputy commission,
dear sir,
it has been a practice in dakshina kannada that , the sangha pariwar goons always accompany policemen for any raid , which was complained by them.
why you need sangha pariwar goons along with your police men? your police men are not enough to handle the situation? or the police men are also involved in sangha pariwar activities?
this is specially when they raid \minority houses, church, mosque and commercial places only. entire muslims in dakshina kannada knows this routine. thus the minorities are losing faith in police.
kindly requesting your good selves to stop this practice to show that your team is capable to handle any situation, and your team is not supported by the sangha pariwar goons."
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