Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa willing to end Covid-19 lockdown, but conditions apply

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Saturday said he was willing to end the lockdown in the state on June 7, but said the decision would depend on the Covid-19 situation at the time and “public cooperation”.

"Till then, we will take strict measures,” Yediyurappa said. “If people cooperate, the question of continuing (lockdown) after June 7 doesn’t arise. We will also decide depending on how cases decrease."

But the Covid-19 situation in rural areas, which have been hit hard during the second wave, remains a big concern for the government, and this was conveyed by Yediyurappa to MLAs and MPs from five districts — Mysuru, Hassan, Belagavi, Kalaburagi and Vijayapura — at a video conference he chaired during the day.

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“I spent about three hours with them," Yediyurappa said. "They’ve given us a picture of how things are. They gave suggestions that we will try to fulfil. I’ve asked them to do everything in their capacity to bring Covid-19 under control."

The CM said he was confident of cases coming "under control in 4-5 days".

Yediyurappa is expected to sit with his colleagues on June 5 to take a call on whether to extend the lockdown beyond June 7, a decision that would not be an easy one to make.

Cooperation Minister S T Somashekhar, who represents Yeshwanthpur in Bengaluru, said the lockdown should end on June 7.

“We’ve had a lockdown for about two months now. It’s enough and cases are coming down. I’m going to tell the CM that the lockdown shouldn’t be extended,” he said.

Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai hinted that “stringent measures” to contain Covid-19 would be in place for the whole of June.

“The Union Home Ministry has said that stringent measures should be in place till June 30. How this should be implemented and what should be allowed or not will be decided at a meeting the chief minister will hold with ministers,” Bommai said.

Bommai pointed out that the positivity rate had not reduced. “The positivity rate should come below 10% from 16-17% at present. In rural areas, cases are still high. Even deaths should be reduced,” he said.