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The Karnataka Government has ordered a complete lock-down of Bengaluru and five other districts and sealed the border with neighbouring States as coronavirus outbreak cases have crossed 24 in the State.
The Government has also announced a series of measures including the postponement of12th (PUC) and 10th standard (SSLC) examination, increased screening of domestic passengers at all the airports, the opening of a round-the-clock war room at the government guest house – Balabrooie, a 1,700-bed government hospital dedicated for patients suffering from coronavirus and a few other measures.
The government has also asked all industrial establishments to deploy only half of the total number of employees on alternate days.
These decisions were taken at a crucial cabinet meeting called by the chief minister where the deputy chief minister, health minister and members of the coronavirus task force, including Narayana Hrydalaaya founder Dr Devi Shetty, were present.
All commercial activities, except medical stores, grocery and agriculture services, in Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Mangaluru, Mysuru, Kalaburagi, Dharwad, Kodagu, Chikkaballapur and Belagavi districts have been suspended till March 31.
Public transport, all air-conditioned buses of KSRTC, BMTC and Namma Metro, have been withdrawn, but non-AC BMTC buses will operate and private transport services such as taxis and autorickshaws will not ply on Monday; all Inter-district transport has also been suspended.
Non-IT industrial establishments both in Bengaluru and in six districts that employ a large number of workers are instructed to deploy half the strength on alternate days.
The Chief Minister also urged the people not to travel to their villages for the next 15 days to arrest the spread of coronavirus. “Efforts will be made to shift all patients from Victoria Hospital to other hospitals before Covid-19 India care centre becomes functional,” said Yeddyurappa, while briefing reporters after the emergency meeting. The State government has taken a call to obtain permission to test Covid-19 in many hospitals with cooperation from ICMR and NIV.
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