COVID-19 BED CRISIS IN K’TAKA

To control the virus’s spread, govt announced a total lockdown on 5 Sundays, starting July 5 to August 2 in K’taka.

With Covid-19 cases on a sharp rise in Karnataka, especially Bengaluru, the state is facing a serious shortage of beds forcing the government to think on home isolation for asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients. This line of thought came after CM BS Yediyurappa held a meeting with Dr CN Manjunath, Karnataka nodal officer for testing of Covid-19 and other senior officials and medical experts.

On Wednesday, the state reported a record 1,272 new Covid cases, taking the total to 16,514. Seven deaths were reported, taking the toll to 97.

Bengaluru, which will soon run out of beds, recorded 753 new Covid cases on Wednesday, taking the total to 5290 with 97 deaths.

Hampering planning on Covid, Minister incharge of fighting the epidemic, Revenue Minister R Ashoka, had to go into quarantine as the doctor whom he met tested positive. The Chief Minister, who came in contact with the minister, has also submitted his samples for a test

To control the spread of the virus, the government announced a complete lockdown on five Sundays in Karnataka, starting July 5 to August 2. However, essential activities and marriages already fixed on these days shall be permitted, a Government Order said.

Meanwhile, panic gripped several rural areas forcing people to abandon their homes and pitch temporary tents or shelters in open fields. Elders in the villages recall that this was the strategy that had helped earlier when smallpox epidemic broke out in 1974.