Kalaburagi/Bengaluru: With rising COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra and Kerala, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday said check-posts will be set up in places where there are village-to-village contacts between Karnataka and neighbouring states. He also said the police station under the jurisdiction will be responsible for such check-posts.
"Our experiences since the first and second wave have been that the infections in Karnataka rise whenever COVID-19 cases spiral in our neighbouring states, with whom we have daily business activities. We have to focus on that area," Bommai told reporters in Kalaburagi.
When asked about the laxity in the border regions, the Chief Minister said the border is vast and checking is happening at the main checkposts only. However, there are contacts with neighbouring states at the village level.
"Today, I am going to issue a direction to hold the police stations responsible for places where there is village-to-village contact. We will set up check-posts in such villages there and deploy people," the Chief Minister said.
To a query on the possibility of a lockdown, semi-lockdown or weekend curfew, Bommai said he will have to wait for the experts' view on it. He, however, pointed out that the lockdown will have an adverse effect on the economy.
"We have to keep the economy moving along with taking care of public health. That's the thinking of our government. I seek public support to contain the spread of the disease," Bommai said.
Regarding the possibility of closure of schools and colleges in view of rising COVID cases, Bommai said he will go by what the experts say in the meeting later in the evening.
The state on Monday reported 1,290 cases and five deaths of which 1,041 infections and three fatalities were in Bengaluru itself.
Third wave of COVID-19 has set in: minister Sudhakar said in Bengaluru
Karnataka Health Minister Dr K. Sudhakar on Tuesday insisted upon special measures for Bengaluru amid an alarming rise in COVID-19 cases in the city.
Stating that the third wave of COVID-19 has set in, Sudhakar predicted that the state capital will be an epicentre of the latest outbreak.
"Taking special steps in Bengaluru has become very necessary. Bengaluru is an epicentre. It was an epicentre in the first wave and second wave. It will be the epicentre during the third wave as well," Sudhakar told reporters here.
Explaining the reasons behind taking special steps for Bengaluru, he said the city has an international airport where many people arrive from abroad. Hence, we need to take special measures, the minister added.
Sudhakar said the infections went up to 1.6 per cent from a mere 0.4 per cent in the state, of which 90 per cent were reported in Bengaluru.
"If you look at the national figure, maximum cases are coming in the metropolitan cities. Almost 90 per cent are in those cities. Hence, we are concentrating on Bengaluru with focus on formation of micro-containment zones and screening at the airport," the minister said.
To a query, the minister said the third wave of COVID-19 has begun. "What's the present scenario? Isn't it the third wave? For six months, Karnataka did not have 0.1 per cent cases. If it has gone up to 1.6 per cent on a single day, this is the beginning of the third wave," Sudhakar said.
According to him, it has already started in a few states such as Telangana and Maharashtra. Vaccinating children between the age group of 15 and 18 is one of the measures taken by the government. "Yesterday, we (the government) vaccinated 4,22,252 children, though our target was 6.38 lakh. We could achieve 66 per cent on the first day. We were in the fourth place in the country in vaccinating teenagers. We want to increase more vaccinations," he said.
According to him, there are 43 lakh children in the state within the age group of 15 to 18 and the state government wants to vaccinate them all in 10 to 15 days. "I am confident that we will achieve it, he said. When asked about the second dose to the children, the minister said he is waiting for the Centre's guidelines."
PTI
