Govt may have to impose lockdown in Bengaluru if COVID-19 cases increase: Sriramulu

Bengaluru: With Bengaluru reporting an increasing number of COVID-19 cases, Karnataka health minister B Sriramulu on Tuesday said the government might have to impose a lockdown in the city, after consulting experts, if the situation continues.

“If the situation continues like this, in the days to come we may have to think about lockdown… If the cases increase to a higher number, by consulting experts and bringing it to the notice of the Chief Minister, we may have to think about enforcing lockdown. No decision has yet been taken,” Sriramulu told reporters here.

He urged people to cooperate to control the spread of the virus by following measures in place to contain it. Concerned over the increase in COVID-19 cases in the city, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had on Monday directed officials to implement lockdown measures strictly in certain clusters in Bengaluru which have reported more number of infections.

The city civic body Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had also issued an order sealing the busy K R Market and Kalasipalya Market here for 15 days.

Till Monday evening, the state capital had reported 1,398 cases of COVID-19, including 67 deaths and 411 discharges. On Monday, as many as 126 fresh cases were recorded. Referring to the increasing number of cases in Bengaluru, Sriramulu said till now asymptomatic cases were also admitted at dedicated hospitals. But from now on, they would be treated at community halls, schools, marriage halls, hotels and Haj Bhavans, which have been converted into COVID Care centres (CCC), he said.

“With asymptomatic patients going to CCCs, we will have more beds at dedicated COVID hospitals to treat symptomatic patients and serious patients,” he said, adding CCCs will have doctors and nurses 24X7 to take care of patients. Noting that the government would be testing more senior citizens in the days to come, the minister said the state planned to ramp up testing on a large scale.

“We have plans to conduct 2000-3000 tests in each district and have two testing labs in each district,” he said. Sriramulu said government has decided to take 50 per cent of beds in private hospitals for treating COVID-19 patients, while the remaining would be for those who prefer private treatment.

“Rates have been fixed for treatment of patients under the government quota and payment will be made at that rate. We have also fixed ceiling for patients wishing to get treated at private hospitals,” he said.