Deputy Chief Minister and District In-charge Minister Govind Karjol urged Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa to extend the lockdown to prevent spread of Covid-19 by one week in Belagavi district as it shares borders with Maharashtra and Goa.
Participating in a video conference organised by Yediyurappa on Thursday, Karjol said that positivity rate in Belagavi district was 9% and hence lockdown needs to be extended by a week with relaxation for some sectors for employment generation. Time limit for shops selling construction materials and paints will likely be extended with construction activity being permitted.
Agricultural activities for the Kharif season have commenced in the district. Children's hospitals too have been readied for the third wave of Covid-19, which is feared to severely affect children, he said.
"A total of 135 teams of Health Department are conducting Rapid Antigen Tests and RT-PCR tests in 1,300 villages. Test positivity rate is 9%. The district shares borders with Maharashtra and Goa, hence to bring down infections, lockdown should be extended for a week," Karjol urged.
Deputy Commissioner M G Hiremath said that positivity rate in five taluks was 5% and it was 10% in rest of the district. A lockdown, if extended for a week, will help to bring the rate of positivity below 5%.
Published 10 June 2021, 11:28 IST