Archives for May 2021

BENGALURU: The Karnataka government is contemplating unlocking the lockdown in a phased manner by easing restrictions provided COVID-19 infections in Bengaluru come down to less than 1,000 a day, Karnataka Revenue Minister R Ashoka said.

Replying to a query on lifting the restrictions on June 7 when the current lockdown which is in effect since May 10 comes to an end, Ashoka said there is a request from some sectors to lift curbs stage by stage.

He, however, warned that the lockdown will continue if the number of infections do not come down.

“The restrictions will be eased only when the infections reduce. For example, in Delhi, the cases are about 1,000 a day. In Bengaluru, the number should come below 1,000 a day and in Karnataka, it should be limited to just 2,000 to 3,000. Then only the government will consider easing the lockdown,” the Minister said. According to him, the lockdown has helped to control the infections and deaths due to COVID.

Ashoka said the government has not yet received any report from the TAC. Things will be clear only on June 6 when the Chief Minister will hold a meeting with ministers, officials and the TAC members.

“We will decide whatever is in the interest of people,” he added. Meanwhile, a senior official too said that there is talk about lifting curbs in a phased manner. “There is a discussion going on at the government level to unlock the lockdown stage by stage. The coronavirus cases would be under control only if the restrictions are eased in a phased manner. Even we (officials) are also recommending the same,” Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta told reporters here.

His statement came just a week before the current lockdown comes to an end on June 7. The daily COVID infections and fatalities in Karnataka had crossed 50,000 and over 600 respectively in the last week of April. It reduced to 20,378 infections and 382 deaths on Sunday.There are 3.42 lakh active cases in the state as on Sunday.

State minister Basavaraj Bommai said it was decided at a meeting on Friday that the Chief Minister would call a meeting of all Ministers and decide on how to implement the lockdown.

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Saturday said the question of extending the lockdown may not arise if only the public cooperated and there is a decline in COVID-19 cases.

Speculations have been rife that the government may extend the lockdown once again following the Centre’s direction to continue with the COVID-19 guidelines till June 30.

“Lockdown will be there till June 7. Depending on the situation, we will take further decisions. For now, it will be there till June 7. All the strict measures that need to be taken will be followed till then,” Yediyurappa said.

Speaking to reporters after a three-hour-long meeting with MPs, legislators and public representatives from Mysuru, Hassan, Belagavi, Kalaburagi and Vijayapura districts that have high caseload of the virus cases, he said any further decision would depend on the situation and decline in cases.

“If people cooperate, the question of extending it (the lockdown) after June 7 may not arise, people will have to cooperate. We will put in all our efforts,” he said.

The State government had initially announced 14 days of closedown from April 27, but imposed a complete lockdown from May 10 to May 24 as the cases increased.

Citing lockdown yielding results and experts advice, it was extended till June 7.

Earlier in the day, State Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai indicated that the lockdown may be extended following Centre’s direction to do so till June 30, and that the Chief Minister would take a decision after meeting his Ministers.

“The positivity rate has not come down completely, it has to come to below 10 per cent, and in rural areas the cases are about 22,000-23,000, it has to go below 10,000, even the number of deaths will have tocome down, only then we will be able to manage the health infrastructure,” he said.

While the positivity rate in the State on Friday stood at 16.42 per cent, case fatality rate (CFR) was at 1.75 per cent.

The Centre had, on Thursday, directed the States and Union Territories to continue the COVID-19 guidelines till June 30 and asked them to go for intensive and local containment measures in districts with a high number of cases to check the spread of the deadly disease.

Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla had said strict implementation of containment and other measures has led to a drop in the number of new and active cases, across States and Union Tterritories, barring some areas in the southern and northeastern regions.

Stating that the government would try to implement the suggestions given by public representatives at the meeting today aimed at controlling COVID, Yediyurappa said there are no financial issues, and by utilising the available funds all efforts have to be put in for controlling the virus.

Expressing hope that the situation would be overcome in four or five days with efforts from everyone, he said already each gram panchayat has been given Rs 50,000 (under State Disaster Response Fund).

The total number of active COVID-19 cases had fallen below the four-lakh mark, and on Friday there were 22,823 new cases and 401 deaths.

While the total number of infections so far stood at 25,46,821, the toll was 27,806.

The day also saw 52,253 getting discharged, with this tally outnumbering the fresh cases.

Out of the 22,823 new cases reported, 5,736 were from Bengaluru Urban which saw 31,237 getting discharged and 192 deaths.

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Saturday accused BJP MP Tejasvi Surya and his uncle Ravi Subramanya of making money through vaccines and demanded that an FIR be registered against them and they be removed as MP and MLA respectively.

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera alleged that according to an audio tape leaked through social media, Subramanya purportedly took a bribe of Rs 700 per vaccine at a private hospital in Karnataka.

Surya is seen promoting the hospital in ads, he alleged.

“The membership of Tejasvi Surya from the parliament should be ended immediately, we owe the people of Karnataka. The membership of Ravi Subramanya, third-time MLA from Basavanagudi, should be ended right now,” he told reporters.

Khera alleged that a supervisor of a private hospital clearly tells a public member that per vaccination he will have to pay Rs 900 as Rs 700 of this have to be given to Ravi Subramanya, a BJP MLA from Basavanagudi in Karnataka, who is Surya’s uncle.

“These are shocking, startling revelations. It is like getting caught red handed. This is a private hospital. Earlier this week, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, who is also the national president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, had advertised his own picture along with this hospital, exhorting people to get vaccinated from this hospital,” he alleged.

“We want to ask Mr Prime Minister, this Tejasvi Surya is his blue-eyed boy. We demand answers, how on earth were vaccines being diverted from government hospitals to a private hospital,” he asked.

“There should be an FIR lodged against Surya and Subramanya, Mr Prime Minister,” the Congress leader said.

Citing the case of cash for questions in which members were expelled from Parliament, he said this is a case of cash for vaccines.

“Tejasvi Surya’s Parliament membership should be ended with immediately,” he demanded, adding, “If you want to save the lives of people of Karnataka, this is hardly any sacrifice for you Mr Prime Minister. This is the least you can do.”

BENGALURU: The Ramamurthy Nagar police, who are interrogating the suspects accused of sexually abusing and torturing a 24-year-old woman in the city recently, have unearthed that the victim had to repay a sum of Rs 5 lakh which she owed them, but was avoiding them whenever they sought repayment.

Meanwhile, the police will produce the victim before the magistrate on Monday to record her statement under Section 164 of CrPC, while all the accused will be sent to judicial custody, another officer added. The investigation team has already video-recorded the victim’s statement on Saturday.

Four days ago, a gang of seven Bangaladeshis, including two women, were arrested by the city police after video footage of the act emerged on social media in Assam, with that state’s police tweeting an alert across the North-East. A day later, however, two of the accused were shot at by Bengaluru police, after they allegedly tried to attack them in a bid of escape.