Padarayanapura and Hongasandara hotspots keep Bengaluru on tenterhooks

Hongasandara and Padarayanapura — the two hotspots in Bengaluru — continue to keep the city on tenterhook. On Sunday, of the 15 new positive cases reported in Karnataka, five are from Hongasandara.

Of the new cases in the State, Bengaluru urban and Hirebagewadi (Belagavi) reported six cases each. Mandya, Chikkaballapur and Bantwal reported one case each.

The two hotspots which continue to worry the state capital are Hongasandra, where a migrant labourer tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday and ever since then, 245 contacts have been identified and in quarantine. In the other hotspot, Padarayanapura it is due to Tablighi Jamaat returnees who tested positive and so far 248 people, who have come in contact have been identified and in quarantine.

Hotspots in Bengaluru

Talking about two hotspots in Bengaluru, which has wrecked Bengaluru for the last one week, on Friday, S Suresh Kumar, Karnataka Primary and Secondary Education Minister, said, “There will be no review or further relaxation of lockdown in Bengaluru city. But we are working out a mechanism as to how to manage it.”

In Hongasandara, infection caused by patient No-419, which has created havoc in the construction site, which has infected 24 people. So far, officials have secured 185 primary contacts and 60 secondary contacts and have put them in quarantine.

“As all are labourers living on the construction site, it is a lesson for us as to how to manage the site. Especially, how to maintain physical distancing and good hygiene practice. Once the protocol is prepared, it will be shared and implemented in all construction sites,” said Suresh Kumar.

In Padarayanapura, so far 248 persons are under quarantine, of which 56 persons are primary contracts and 192 are secondary contacts.

On Sunday, relatives of people who were to be taken for quarantine attacked police and BBMP health workers. The JJ Nagar police arrested 116 people, who had attacked the police and BBMP’s healthcare workers.

Of the 133 arrested were shifted to Ramanagara district and 17 were jailed in district jail in Ramanagara. “Now as per administrative decision all 133 persons have been moved from Ramanagara district to Haj Bhavan in Bengaluru,” said Suresh Kumar.

Political Slugfest

Former Chief Minister and senior JDS leader H D Kumaraswamy threatened to lead an agitation for shifting infected people to Ramanagara district. He even hit out at the BJP government accusing the State administration of mishandling the Padarayanapura incident.

“By moving infected people, the government has turned the green zone of Ramanagara into a red zone, which is a blunder. Look now, the jailers and staff are panicking. The State government has been badly advised by ADGP officer,” said Kumaraswamy.

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