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.
Comments
Good to see new names occurring to defame Minorities.. Keep going guys.. I guess many new names are on the way still to mock Minorities.. Good luck.. God Bless you..
Some in this thread are proud of being Hindu Nationalist and people like me are proud being Indian Muslim...
And thats why my country name comes first.....
Nevertheless, the so called fake bajrangis. chaddis etc... can't be called patriots of our country. because they dont beleive in unity and they always want to divide country in the name of religion and no matter how much they try.....they will never be successful
As a Hindu, I am proud of Nikhithraj , who had expressed anger against those who raise anti-national slogans and backstab motherland. Whatever my friend Nikhithraj had said that is 100% correct.
A SIMPLE TRUTH
80% of JNU students are Hindus, that is also from Northern India, where Northern India called as Hub of Hinduism.
How these people can be anti national or committed sedition.
The students and staff both are against the central gov't. They are indeed intelligent students, staff in JNU, unlike some others.
You Bhajees label yourself as the only Patriots and others as anti nationals. If you are a true patriot, be obedient to the National constitution. Even you are not a pure Hindu. You are spoiling the name and image of Hindu culture. Because of your ideology Hinduism is very faster diminishing and other religions like Christianity and Islam is growing at the fastest rate which was never before.
Any way, if not you, at least your offspring are coming out from your clutches and following the right path but not your portrayed Hindu culture. They will be real Hindus. If they are real Hindus, then they will choose what they have to be.
Its nice to see so many Hindu brothers and sisters are gathered in colourful function ...what is the main agenda behind this kind of gathering to prove what ? Provoke one community against another ? .. Its true government should take an proper action against goons who had called anti national slogan .. and its clearly shown who were there behind this drama.
As we all seen SDPI or any of its wing never done something wrong which divide india or effect our Indian democracy and it seems they are the who trying to save indian secularism, but we feel RSS and its wings always tried to divide india by religion or cast and they always raise their saffron flag instead of Tricolour Indian Flag.
People should think about political , religious or any party leaders, they are getting their daily bread from where ? Look at the past history of MP, MLA and other members ..they all given hate speech and recognized by people and later they forget them as well.
here we should use our common sense.. regardless of religion for our daily bread and other things we common man should work hard.. there is no logic behind hate one another ... no single common person will get tax free life, no one will wave up our utility bills or supply daily food ... so we all should stand as Indian to show the power of India ..
Hindu Samavesha - only hate and politics speech????
No any good message from the Hindu religion??
IF RSS AND BD HAS REAL LOVE TO OUR MOTHER LAND INDIA THEY NEED TO RAISE THE NATIONAL FLAG NOT THEIR SAFFRON FLAG ..
Y R U RAISING THE SAFFRON COLOR FLAG PLEASE DONT TEACH US THE TO LOVE THE NATION WE KNOW VERY WELL THAN UU
WE MUSLIMS AND CHRISTIANS AND OTHER RELIGIONS WE KNOW.. WE LOVE OUR INDIA MORE THAN UUUU ,
YOU ARE ACTING LIKE THAT U R THE ONE RSS AND BD WHO DIRECTLY FIGHT WITH BRITISH AND MADE INDIA INDEPENDENT..
.
U R ANTI NATIONALS ATTACKING CLUB, LADIE, BAR , COLLEGES SCHOOLS, BEEF EATERS, CHURCHES, MOSQUE ..
DID U HEAR TILL NOW THAT CHRISTIAN AND MUSLIM COMMUNITY ATTACKED THE TEMPLE, BARS, CLUBS? AND BECAUSE OUR RELIGION DOES NOT TEACH US THAT TO ATTACK THE INNOCENT ..
U R THE ONE WHO EDITED THE AUDIO OF JNU TO ANTI SLOGAN NOT US AND IT PROVED......
THIS IS U R ACCHE DIN WHA WHA WHA... U RECIEVED BIHAR RESULT RIGHT WAIT AND SEE IN FUTURE,,
SDPI is a part of BJP, they help gain more seats in recently held election....
oppose modi, oppose BJP, oppose RSS but dont support Pakistanis or who wants to divide India whose slogans are anti national.
anti-national elements who shouted anti-India slogans, should be detained quickly.
Anti-national slogans r not at all good.. But what our govt.is doing? shoot them to kill.
totally wrong statement.
My heart cries after seeing those people who shouted anti national slogans. Shame on you.
who gave rights to univ students to endorse anti India slogans, congress gaining, but still loosing, truth always stand next to BJP
Anti National Slogans are Minor Issues\ - Paid MSMS YET they all are barking endlessly over this issue!! Strange!"
Freedom of speech doesn't mean you raise anti-national slogans.
If anti-national slogans are raised & then they are supported,I think there can be nothing worse than that
I feel angry over anti-national slogans raised in some universities. this people should be in jail for life time.
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