Will total lockdown be imposed in Bengaluru?
There have been reports hinting at an imminent lockdown in Karnataka's Bengaluru. Earlier on Wednesday, several state ministers said that any decision on re-imposing lockdown in the city in view of increasing COVID-19 cases will be taken only after consulting experts. Karnataka health minister B Sriramulu said that if the cases in the city continued to increase the matter would be discussed with the expert committee. "We have an expert committee, and if the cases continue to increase we will discuss with them, with the chief minister, and take a decision. Also, the central government will be consulted," he had said.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister CN Ashwath Narayan ruled out lockdown in the city. "As class 10 exams began, I don't think the question of imposing lockdown again now in Bengaluru or other cities or towns in the state will arise," he told reporters after a cabinet meeting on the rising coronavirus cases in the state today.
City's busiest K R Market and Kalasipalya Market were sealed for 15 days by the civic body Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) as part of measures to check the spread of the deadly virus.
Of the 397 COVID cases reported across the state on Wednesday, 173 were from Bengaluru, taking its tally of positive cases to 1,678 and active to 1,124. The city also accounted for 78 of the 164 deaths in the southern state although 475 were cured and discharged from the designated hospitals in the city.
