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
This is not only your question. my question too. that’s why we should end the mhar competition. Otherwise your son also may follow the same path one day.
Masha Allah! it is good to note that some of our brothers brought the globally acclaimed Islamic Scholar to Mangalore.
It would have been more beneficial for the community if the hosts arranged one two public programs in Mangalore and Kasaragod.
Masha Allah Masha Allah happy to see Mufti Menk at our place.Good message to the youth regarding non-competition over mahr.
My Reply to A Mangalorean. Why did your son agree to pay that much Mehr while it was not under his capacity. May be he tried to show his Father in Law that he is also a rich person. Why one should put himself in debt. Now he will have to pay interest on the loan and this is agaisnt the teaching of Islam. We will not put ourself in trouble if we follow simple way tought by our Prophet. May Allah bless us with right way Islam and keep us away from show up.
Hahaha
I m absolutely delighted that Mufti Menk has visited our place and given lecture on Mahr to Manglorean Muslims.
Hoping to see him again and again !!
Good that mufti menk has taken initiative to end mahr competition. Hope it won’t be the beginning of the ‘mufti competition’. Now another NRI businessman in mangalore may think of bringing numan ali khan for next wedding in family (kidding)
Welcome to mufti menk a renowed international scholar to Mangalore. Mufti should advise the rich muslims of coastal Karnatkada to refrain from luxury marriage style with luxury marriage halls and luxury foods.
Unlucky that i was not part of this event. Mufti Sir do visit Manglore frequetly and guide mangloreans who indulged in shirk and diddah... May god bles you, give you good health and long life.
demanding dowry is not islamic culture. he has given series of lectures on that issue. if you want u can google and listen. but what he did here is a timely decision- he pervented show off. why he should talk about non-islamic system of dowry at a wedding where there was no dowry?
A considerable number of Mangalore muslims have adopted the Hindu custom of dowry. But mhar has not disappeared. At the same time among rich muslims there is definitely competition over mahr. This had happened in my son’s wedding too. he had borrowed huge loan to pay a Rs 50 lakh gold as mahr. so I personally feel that Mufti menk’s initiative is good.
Thants Right, instead of speaking about the dowry system which is demanded by the men as oppose to the mahr he is speaking opposite which is very trivial issue in comparison to what a girl's parents suffer.
Barakallau lakumaa wa baarik alaikumaa wa jam'a bainakumaa fee khair. May Allah(swt) bless the new couple. Ameen.
Mahr was never a competition here. Its all peanuts compared to the jwellery the bride wears from her fathers hard earned money. If not that, then its the brand new car in display outside the wedding hall, again brought by the brides father for the bridegroom.
mufti menk has not realised that most of the bearys hav sold themselves to the indian custom of dowry for demand or for self prestige
Add new comment