Bengaluru: The State Cabinet headed by Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa met in Bengaluru this morning to deliberate on COVID situation in Karnataka and the guidelines are expected to be released by this evening. Addressing a press conference after the meeting, the CM refused to use the word ‘lockdown’ but Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai coined the word ‘COVID Curfew’ and ‘Janata Curfew.’

The meeting that began at 11 am went on till 1.45 pm and the decision-makers are meeting the COVID Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) members before formulating guidelines. 

The first agenda before the Cabinet was to extend the weekendcurfew to all weekdays. Maharashtra has set an example where new positive cases have seen a decline following stringent lockdown measures. Ministers at the meeting discussed that similar measures have to be imposed in Karnataka too. 

Health and Medical Education Minister Dr. K. Sudhakar told the Cabinet that the State must go for a 15-day lockdown to control the spiralling cases. Terming the situation as ‘gone out of hand’, he told the CM that a complete fortnight lockdown was the only solution to give a respite to the deepening crisis. “We have to break the chain at any cost and it is a matter of 10-15 days,” Dr. Sudhakar told the Cabinet.

The Cabinet meeting comes a day after Karnataka reported a record high of 34,804 new COVID-19 cases as recorded in the April 25 bulletin (the cases are from April 24) out of which 20,733 are from Bengaluru alone. With the fresh spike in cases, the State’s COVID tally shot up to 13,39,201, including 2,62,162 active cases, while recoveries increased to 10,62,594. The positivity rate rose to 19.70 percent and the case fatality rate was 0.41 percent across the State on Saturday.

The second agenda before the meeting was to impose weekday curfew only in places where positive cases have spiked like in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Tumakuru, Mangaluru and Kalaburagi while extending the existing night curfew to more days. People would be permitted to purchase essential items between 6 am and10 am. Ministers felt that the night curfew has not seen the much-expected results and as such, COVID cases will see a spike after May 4 if the Government does not take a bold step right now.  

Health emergency

The Cabinet discussed declaring a Health Emergency that would enable the Government to stall all development works and utilise the funds only for COVID and virus-related works. The number of cases is increasing by the hour and the situation may be out of control in the next 15 days, the Cabinet noted and deliberated on closing the borders of cities like Bengaluru and Mysuru to prevent entry and exit of people. 

While people from other States enter Karnataka, those settled in Bengaluru are migrating to other districts. This is leading to the infection spreading. The Ministers discussed the imposition of Health Emergency and take necessary steps to acquire at least 80 percent of the beds in all the Private Hospitals. 

Semi-lockdown continues in Mysuru

Meanwhile in Mysuru, life returned to normalcy after a two-day weekend curfew but a semi-lockdown atmosphere prevailed with the Police allowing only essential services to open. All non-essential services shops including mobile phone stores, malls and textile showrooms, vessels and container shops, malls and metal wares    stores and also jewellery stores remained shut. 

Hotels and restaurants remained limited to parcel services and there was no dine-ins. Notices were put up in front of each hotel at the entrance and glass facades that only parcels were available. As there was a strong rumour — supported by reports aired on social media and TV channels — that the State Government might go for an extended lockdown, people resorted to panic-buying. 

Supermarkets, food chain shops, grocery outlets and oil shops witnessed unusual rush as people crowded to purchase essential items. At Santhepet wholesale mandis, people purchased rise, pulses and grains for them to last till at least a week. 

Number of people at funerals restricted to five

The State Government has revised the guidelines to reduce the maximum number of people at funerals from 20 to five. The guidelines were revised to avoid crowding at crematoria and burial grounds, observed in many cities, sources said.

Oxygen plants in 10 districts

The Government has taken the initiative to set up exclusive oxygen plants in 10 districts and 30 taluk hospitals to ensure there is no shortage of oxygen. Highly-placed sources said that the Government has already issued a work order to a Delhi-based company to set up oxygen plants and work is expected to start soon. The Government intends to finish the process of the setup of plants within a month.

CABINET DECISIONS 

• Government refuses to use the word  ‘lockdown’
• Janata Curfew will be enforced from  tomorrow night 
• Shopping window of essential items only from 6 am to 10 am across the State 
• Free vaccines for all between 18 and 45 years of age in Government Hospitals 
• Existing night curfew will be extended  till 14 days 
• No public transport; People have to use private transport to reach workplace
• Goods vehicles will be allowed freely
• All shops & business establishments closed 
• Garments factories will be closed but all other industries will function normally 
• Construction activities will continue
• Liquor Shops open from 6 am to 10 am  but only parcel service
• Hotels open with only takeaways
• No inter-district and inter-State travel