Task Force defers ‘radical’ new containment idea

The Covid-19 task force has deferred making a decision on a new containment plan. Instead of an entire locality or area, only individual houses or buildings reporting Covid-19 cases will be sealed-off or locked down under the new plan.

The Covid-19 task force comprises Health Minister B Sriramulu, Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar, Deputy Chief Minister CN Ashwath Narayan, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Chief Secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar.

The plan, deemed “too radical for now”, should be revisited later. Hence, it was deferred, according to sources.

“Why should neighbours or those in the locality suffer just because a house has Covid-19 cases? A house having cases may be made a strict containment zone,” one of the members reportedly suggested.

The idea was suggested following the Centre allowing home isolation and treatment of ‘very mild and mild’ Covid-19 cases. The argument was that specific houses could be made in containment zones. It was needed to live with Covid-19 as people couldn’t live under lockdown.

Another proposal floated was that international passengers scheduled to arrive in the state should be kept under home quarantine.

There was stiff opposition to both the ideas resulting in them being deferred “at least till the end of the month.”

“Even for mild cases of Covid-19, home isolation is not advisable unless, of course, the numbers go up astronomically high,” Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar told DH.

According to sources, the government is wary of the Covid-19 numbers going up.

“The Centre’s permission to allow home isolation of mild Covid-19 cases is with reference to states that are struggling to deal with the numbers like Maharashtra,” a minister in the task force said.

Two opinions emerged at the meeting. Some favoured freeing up of economic activities, while others were against taking risks. The government is already pushing for Bengaluru to be divided into zones.