Karnataka: Continue lockdown in hotspots till April 30, say doctors

Sunitha Rao R | TNN | Updated: Apr 8, 2020, 10:37 IST

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BENGALURU: The lockdown enforced to check the spread of Covid-19 in the state should continue with some modifications at infection hotspots like Bengaluru, Mysuru, Bidar, Mangaluru and Kalaburagi till April 30, feel experts involved in handling the outbreak.
They want the government to take a call on extending the lockdown beyond April 30 only after assessing how the situation unravels.
Dr CN Manjunath, director of Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, who has prepared a report for a committee set up to work out a lockdown exit strategy, said restrictions have to be continued in the worst-affected districts but with certain modifications. The report will be submitted to the government on Wednesday.
“The lockdown should continue in the hotspots. No domestic and international flights should be allowed till April 30, except cargo services. Also, no interstate and interdistrict movement should be permitted. “Even Namma Metro in Bengaluru must not resume operations till April 30,” Dr Manjunath said.
“However, certain industries like garment can start working from April 14 with 50% of their workers. The staff must work on a rotational basis,” he said, adding: “Construction activities too must resume..,” he explained.
The committee will also suggest that the government accommodate medical staff dealing with Covid-19 patients in nearby hotels.
There are chances that Uttara Kannada and Chikkaballapura districts, where eight and seven cases have been reported, could join the list of hotspots. According to Dr S Sacchidananda, vice-chancellor, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases, a member of the Covid-19 taskforce, April 10-14 is a crucial period. “It’s too early to say whether the lockdown should be extended. We don’t know if there are any hidden clusters,” he said.