No Covid-19 lockdown plan for Bengaluru, says Karnataka government

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will hold a meeting with experts

Karnataka Revenue Minister R Ashoka on Friday specified that the government had no plans to impose a lockdown in Bengaluru, ending speculation that stay-at-home orders might be issued fearing a fresh spike in Covid-19 cases.

“There is no proposal with the government to abruptly impose a lockdown in Bengaluru,” Ashoka said, adding that lockdown and such measures affect people. “Instead, we will administer a slow medicine with which the situation can be kept under control.”

The minister expressed confidence that Bengaluru was better off now. “The number of cases is decreasing in Bengaluru. So, there’s no big problem that the city will face. But, in districts where cases are going up, deputy commissioners are taking measures such as weekend curfew,” he pointed out.

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However, the Basavaraj Bommai administration is keen on having some curbs in place in Bengaluru. “We will restrict large gatherings and functions. We have already done that in places of religious worship,” Ashoka said. “We’re receiving complaints that 400 people are showing up at functions instead of the sanctioned limit of 100. We will take strict action on this,” he said, asserting that the government is alert.

The government is expected to review the Covid-19 situation after Independence Day celebrations on August 15. It is likely that the government would consider a weekend curfew in Bengaluru.

CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL COVERAGE ONLY ON DH

“The CM will chair a meeting after August 15. Currently, Kerala is witnessing a high caseload. So, we need to take all possible steps to avert a possible third wave in the state,” Ashoka said.

Asked about the threat children face, Ashoka said no drastic rise in Covid-19 cases were seen among them. “Let me clarify that there is no surge in Covid-19 cases among kids. However, the government is taking all possible steps to ramp up infrastructure, including setting up of new paediatric hospitals and training doctors on treating kids,” he said.