Karnataka govt plans to tighten restrictions, but CM Basavaraj Bommai rules out lockdown

BENGALURU: Wary of a possible third wave of Covid-19 infections, the state government may consider reimposing some restrictions, especially now that the festive season has begun. Revenue minister R Ashoka suggested these curbs could kick in after August 15.
Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai is scheduled to meet senior health officials and experts on Saturday to discuss the pandemic situation and he will take a call on reintroducing restrictions, besides rethinking the decision to reopen schools for classes 9-12, sources said. However, Bommai has ruled out a lockdown.
Although there has been no significant rise in fresh Covid-19 cases – daily infections in the state have hovered between 1,300 and 1,900 – for the past few weeks, the government is wary of letting its guard down, especially after the ferocity of the second wave.
The government has already issued an order prohibiting congregations during Krishna Janmashtami, Muharram, Ganesh Chaturthi, Durga Puja, and other celebrations and festivals. It has also banned the organisation of social, political, recruitment, cultural, and religious programmes during these festivals.
Burden on people
Earlier on Friday, Bommai, who was on an official two-day tour of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, indicated there will not be a lockdown either in specific districts or statewide. While overall cases have not risen, Dakshina Kannada did see a rise in cases which was attributed to a spillover from neighbouring Kasaragod district in Kerala.
“I don’t want to burden people by imposing a lockdown,” Bommai told reporters. “We are trying to prevent imposing one. We are reactivating collaborations with the private sector in the state to manage the pandemic. Health camps will be held in schools to reach out to children.”
The CM cancelled a visit to checkposts near the Kerala borders in Dakshina Kannada after intelligence inputs suggested he could face the ire of protesters from Kerala. People on the other side of the border are upset with Karnataka’s decision mandating negative RT-PCR reports for anyone from Kerala to enter the state. Commuters Kerala are particularly incensed since Karnataka has made negative test reports mandatory even for fully vaccinated people.
However, Bommai asserted that he has directed officials to allow people from neighbouring states only if they furnish Covid negative reports that are not older than 72 hours.
With Dakshina Kannada and Udupi district did raise concerns over a rise in infections among children, Bommai had called for an emergency meeting with experts in Bengaluru on Friday but cancelled it soon after returning to the state capital.
He said since experts have warned that children (0-18 years) will likely be the most affected during a possible third wave because they are not vaccinated, the state is taking adequate precautions to protect children.
“We have already launched the ‘Vathsalya’ scheme in Udupi and Haveri districts to monitor the health of children continuously. We will organise paediatric health camps and will do all necessary to treat lack of nutrition and undergrowth,” he said.
While health department data shows 543 children in the 0-19 age group in Bengaluru Urban contracted the disease between August 1 to August 11, health officials insisted there is no cause for alarm. Of the infected children, 210 children belonged to the 0-9 age group, while the remaining 333 were above 10 years old. Officials say a huge majority are primary contacts of infected adults.
No Covid-19 related death in the age group 0-19 years has been reported and the infected children were mostly asymptomatic or only had mild symptoms.