N Manjunath Prasad, BBMP Commissioner has given a fair warning about the chances of reintroducing lockdown by the Karnataka Government given the current scenario of violating the norms of social distancing continue across Bengaluru and the other parts of the state.
While addressing a meeting of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), where several joint commissioners along with special commissioners and other BBMP officials were present, Prasad stated that strategies need to be implemented for curbing the additional Covid-19 clusters from developing the city.
For the month of February, the municipal officials have identified two key clusters, which comprises of a 40-strong concentration of cases which were found among the out-of state nursing students and 137 cases which were found at Bomanahalli’s apartment complex.
He said, “We need to strictly enforce social distancing norms as well as compulsory wearing of masks. We cannot ignore these two basic requirements to keep this virus at bay.” Prasad further added that even the slightest deviation from enforcing the norms will push the government to impose another lockdown in Bengaluru.
The members of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) on Thursday put forth the recommendations. Dr V Ravi, the renowned virologist heading the Covid-19 test protocols and genomic sequencing of Karnataka mentioned in a specific workshop that any more violations of social distancing norms will invoke the government to impose the lockdown again. Dr Ravi added, “If we are left with no choice, we will introduce a lockdown once again.”
But, the BBMP will first impose stringent norms prior to deliberating on the lockdown measures, said Rajendra Cholan, Special Commissioner (Health), BBMP. Cholan said, “We are scaling up enforcement to ensure that people follow the norms and we have also started testing of nursing students, and on the advice of the TAC we will also start testing people in the food industry,” further adding that there is an increasing concern about caterers, waiters, and others who could invoke superspreader events amid the public gatherings.
Cholan said, “Many caterers are from Maharashtra, Kerala and other states, and therefore there is a concern of infection as these states are showing a spike in Covid-19 cases.”
The BBMP is making rapid attempts to test all the students in the 258 nursing colleges and 95 pharmacy colleges which are under the BBMP jurisdiction. Cholan stated, “So far, we have tested about 4,800 students..”
Amid his speech on Friday, BBMp Commissioner highlighted the discussion with as many as 300 Resident Welfare Associatons (RWAs) to assess the residents of their respective residents for the disease symptoms. He said, “We cannot afford to have another round of lockdown.”
