Lockdown to be imposed in 4 areas in B’luru after surge

BENGALURU : The Karnataka government on Monday decided to enforce complete and full lockdown in four major areas of the city following a sharp spike in Covid-19 cases.

Chief minister B S Yediyurappa Yediyurappa chaired a meeting on Monday to take stock of the situation in the state capital and decided to enforce full seal down in – K R Market, Chamarajapete, Kalasipalya and Chickpete.

In the recent past the state government has been an active votary for opening up the state for more activities. Yediyurappa in the recent video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi advocated the same. However on Sunday, the state saw its single biggest day jump in Covid -19 cases with 453 new virus cases being registered of which 196 were from Bangalore. On Monday too Bangalore at 126 new cases accounted for half of the Covid-19 cases of 249 registered today. Bangalore (urban and rural) with 958 cases account for nearly a third of all active cases in the state.

Incidentally unlike in the past where spikes were due to influx of people coming back from different states, contact history of the new patients indicates that it has been locally transmitted.

Briefing reporters after the cabinet review meeting minister for revenue and municipal administration R Ashoka said that some of the quarantined are leaving their phones behind and roaming around. He warned a criminal case will be registered against those breaking rules. The government has also promised to notify tariff rates for treatment in private hospitals shortly.