Almost every street has positive case, says Chickpet corporator

Even as the traders in Chickpet and officials are at loggerheads over lifting the curbs in the ward, area corporator Leela Shivakumar said the situation in the congested locality is grave.

“It soon became an overwhelming challenge to quarantine all primary and secondary contacts. Within a few days, we had over 1,000 people in home quarantine. They should have been placed in hotel quarantine, but the BBMP did not. Now, we have the virus in nearly every street. Entire families have turned positive,” the corporator said.

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People do not cooperate, said the BBMP's medical health officer, complaining of large-scale flouting of social-distancing norms. “Every day, about 10 to 20 people turn positive. On Thursday, 11 people in a single household turned positive, ranging from two-year-old children to a 65-year-old woman. All are resisting institutional quarantine."

Leaders of several associations admitted that social distancing and mask-wearing was not being followed. “Only by deploying three to four marshals on every street and slapping heavy fines we hope to end the crisis,” said N Vidyasagar, president, Jewellers Association.