Karnataka Lockdown: Real Impact of Shutdown Will be Felt From Next Week, Says COVID Panel Chief | Earth Indian

Bengaluru: As Karnataka has imposed lockdown in the state to contain the spread of the virus, COVID technical advisory committee chief Dr MK Sudarshan on Friday said that the real impact of the shutdown will be felt from next week onwards in the state. Speaking to Times of India, Sudarshan said that the positive cases seen on Wednesday would be of the samples collected between last Saturday and Monday. However, he added that most of the persons testing positive now may have got infected in the past week. According to him, the real impact of the lockdown will be seen from next week. “We can hope for early effects of the shutdown from Wednesday onwards,” he told TOI.

The statement from the COVID technical advisory committee chief comes days after Karnataka imposed a 14-day lockdown starting from Tuesday morning till May 12 to contain the surging COVID-19 in the state.

As per the lockdown guidelines in the state, Metro Rail, taxi and bus services will not be operated, while schools and colleges, hotels, cinemas, shopping malls, stadia and swimming pools will remain closed in Karnataka during the 14-day lockdown.

Issuing the guidelines, Chief Secretary P Ravi Kumar in the order had said that guidelines to break the chain of COVID-19 transmission in the state, which shall come into effect from 9 PM on April 27 and will be in force including and up to 6 AM of May 12.

According to the order, all social, political, sports, entertainment, academic, cultural, religious functions and other gatherings and congregation are prohibited and religious places will remain closed for public. However, all personnel engaged in the service of the place of worship shall continue to perform their rituals and duties without involving any visitors.

During this period, no movement of public or private buses or passenger vehicles except as permitted under these guidelines (will be prohibited) and hotels, restaurants and hospitality services can only act as takeaway and home delivery.

Karnataka on Thursday recorded 35,024 fresh COVID-19 infections, a dip of over 4000, and 270 fatalities, taking the caseload and toll to 14,74,846 and 15,306 respectively. The state had reported 39,047 fresh cases on Wednesday.

There were 3,49,496 active cases including 2,431 in the ICU whereas 14,142 patients were discharged on Thursday taking the total discharges to 11,10,025. Bengaluru urban district alone contributed 19,637 fresh infections and 143 deaths, taking the total infections and fatalities to 7,29,984 and 6,282 since the outbreak of the pandemic.

The state health department said 1,219 cases were reported in Mysuru, 1,175 in Dakshina Kannada, 1,129 in Bengaluru Rural, 957 in Kalaburagi, 939 in Mandya, 896 in Ballari, 628 in Raichur, 624 in Hassan, 568 in Udupi 545 each in Belagavi and Chikkaballapura, 537 in Kodagu, 536 in Kolar.

By Shivam Urkude || Earth Indian