COVID-19: Karnataka minister hints at tough measures in Bengaluru and other districts after August 15

Announcing that a meeting under the leadership of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai would be held soon to discuss the measures, the Minister in-charge of COVID-19 management, said there is no proposal before the government to impose lockdown in the city.

PTI
August 13, 2021 / 07:11 PM IST

Representative image

Karnataka Revenue Minister R Ashoka on Friday indicated putting in place strict measures in the State capital and other districts after August 15 to control the spread of COVID-19 from neighbouring Kerala and Maharashtra.

Announcing that a meeting under the leadership of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai would be held soon to discuss the measures, the Minister in-charge of COVID-19 management, said there is no proposal before the government to impose lockdown in the city.

"Curfew is not the only measure, imposing lockdown and other such measures will affect the people, so by giving them slow medicine (like measures) also we can control things...there is no proposal before the government to abruptly impose lockdown in Bengaluru," Ashoka said.

Speaking to reporters , he said the number of virus cases are coming down in Bengaluru gradually, so there may not be a big issue.

Follow our LIVE blog for latest updates of the novel coronavirus pandemic

Close

COVID-19 Vaccine

Frequently Asked Questions

View more
How does a vaccine work?

A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine.

How many types of vaccines are there?

There are broadly four types of vaccine — one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine.

What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind?

Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time.

View more
Show

Related stories

"But in the districts where it (number) is increasing, we have given instructions to Deputy Commissioners there, and they are taking measures like weekend curfew, among others," he said.

Stating that there are four or five festivals that have come at a time like Muharram, Ganesha Chaturthi and Raghavendra Aaradhane, among others, Ashoka said, "We will discuss about taking strict measures at the meeting that will be chaired by the Chief Minister."

There would be detailed discussions on measures that need to be put in place after the Independence Day on August 15, he said, "Our aim is to control the spread of coronavirus cases from neighbouring Kerala and Maharashtra to Karnataka, and we should stop the third wave."

Admitting to mistakes during the second wave, he said by rectifying them, the government is taking measures to stop the possible of the third wave by creating awareness, setting up paediatric wards, training paediatricians, among others.

"The Bommai-headed government is on full alert to control COVID-19."

Speaking about restrictions like not allowing devotees into temples, imposition of night curfew, restricting gathering of people at programmes, events and weddings, the Minister said norms and restrictions should be enforced.

"Our aim is to control COVID-19 in Bengaluru and in the whole of Karnataka. We will soon discuss the tough rule after August 15," he added.

Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here.
PTI
Tags: #coronavirus #Current Affairs #India #Karnataka
first published: Aug 13, 2021 07:08 pm