Now, people resort to self-lockdown to keep Covid away

At a time when new Covid hotspots continue to emerge in most parts of the districts and the state government ruling out the possibility of another lockdown, people have understood that self-lockdown is the only way to keep Covid-19 at bay.

All restrictions that prevailed during the lockdown were lifted on June 7. Once the rising cases created panic among residents, the state government, which was in a dilemma over reimposing lockdown, however, decided against it and imposed Sunday lockdown and night curfew.

As the chances of lockdown being reimposed appeared remote, a few taluks of the districts have imposed self-lockdown, to protect the people from contracting the virus.

The people, who once opposed lockdown 1.0 to 5.0, are now demanding for a lockdown, fearing the spread of the pandemic.

As the government is not willing for another lockdown, traders in several taluks in Hassan, Mandya, Chamarajanagar and Mysuru have opted for self-lockdown. Members of merchants association and others are downing shutters by noon.

A village in Mandya district has banned the entry of people from Bengaluru and has even imposed a fine of Rs 5,000. Anyone, who leaves for Bengaluru has to pay a fine of Rs 5,000, if he wants to return to the village. This was announced in the village in an effort to make the people aware of the risks involved in travelling to Bengaluru.

Meanwhile, Soligas at Biligiri Rangana Betta at Yalandur in Chamarajanagar gheraoed a KSRTC bus, which ferried devotees to the temple. They claimed that the movement of people may spread the pandemic to remote villages, where getting medical help is difficult.

Traders, shopkeepers and farmer leaders of Gundlupet taluk, which has the most positive cases in Chamarajanagar district, held a meeting with MLA C S Niranjan Kumar and decided for a voluntary lockdown by 3 pm, every day. They claimed that Chamarajanagar, which was Covid-free till recently, reported cases after Unlock 1.0 on June 8.

As per the orders of the district administration, truck and goods vehicle drivers travelling to other states are kept under institutional quarantine, after they return. However, it is not applicable to drivers coming from other states. Demanding that they should also be isolated, the people staged a protest, recently.

In Hassan too, Holenarasipur went into self-lockdown, as it recorded the highest number of positive cases. Traders have voluntarily decided to close shops by 3 pm, till the situation comes under control.

Incidents of villagers not allowing people from Bengaluru, from entering the village, is reported from across the districts. On Sunday, residents of Abbooru in Hunsur taluk, Mysuru district, stopped people from Bengaluru from entering their village.

A group of 15 people, who were staying in Bengaluru since a few years, returned after the Covid outbreak, in March. Staying for a few days, they returned to Bengaluru. However, when the group returned again, they were stopped.

Merchants of H D Kote taluk too are observing a self declared lockdown from 2 pm to 6 am.