From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Jul 21: Putting an end to all speculation and rumours, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Tuesday declared that there shall be no lockdown in the State’s capital city of Bengaluru or any other districts in the State from tomorrow, Wednesday. However, wearing masks and adhering to social distancing shall be strictly enforced with no leniency.
Addressing the people over TV Channels and a live broadcast on Facebook for the first time since the outbreak of COVID 19 pandemic cases, Yediyurappa fervently appealed to the people repeatedly to abide the norms regarding wearing of masks and maintaining social distancing and asserted that the Corona pandemic can be controlled only with dedicated work from the medical staff and willing cooperation from the public.
In his 20-minute address, the Chief Minister said the State Government was working tirelessly with health staff working round the clock and asked the Deputy Commissioners in the districts and officials all over the State to work for controlling the COVID pandemic and not to talk about lockdown or other measures.
The Chief Minister said normal life and economic activity must be resumed even while all necessary precautions maintained. ``We need to ensure that economic activity does not suffer. The people as well as the State Government need resources to manage the situation. Let us all join hands and work unitedly to control the Corona pandemic,’’ he said.
However, the Chief Minister made it clear that the restrictions will be continued only in the containment zones and people will not be allowed to move around freely only in the containment zones. But for the containment zones, normal life subject to adhering to restrictions like compulsory wearing of masks and maintaining social distancing will be allowed, he declared.
BSY chants 5T mantra
The Chief Minister chanted the 5T mantra – Tracing, Tracking, Testing, Treating and Technology – as the key to effectively tackling the Corona pandemic and coming out of the situation and control the situation.
Admitting that there were some initial problems and confusion in the availability of beds and treatment facilities in government hospitals and private hospitals, including those belonging to private medical colleges in Bengaluru, Yediyurappa said everything has been sorted out and the State Government was fully geared to handle the situation better.
As many as 11,230 beds including 741 from government hospitals, 819 from government medical colleges, 4,836 from private medical college hospitals and 2,624 from COVID Care centres were now available and necessary ICU, ventilators as well as other equipment were available.
A centralised system for allocation of beds to the needy patients has been created and an exclusive dashboard has been set up for allotment of beds in different hospitals, Yediyurappa said pointing that asymptomatic patients were not in need of ICU admissions or ventilators and most of the cases could be treated at home with adequate care.
Test Reports within 24 hours
"The State Government has made elaborate arrangements to ensure that the test reports were provided within 24 hours of the submission of samples for testing so as to avoid any confusion,’’ he declared.
The Chief Minister made a special appeal to opposition Congress leader in the State Assembly Siddaramaiah, KPCC President D K Shivakumar, JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy and others in the opposition not to create any confusion or discord by raising allegations and assured that ``not a single rupee meant for treatment of COVID patients has been misused and there is no irregularity whatsoever.’’
The opposition leaders are free to seek any details or verify documents and the State Government was willing to furnish all details sought for within 24 hours. The print and electronic media, which has been fighting with the Government and cooperating by disseminating information, is also free to get any details. ``There are no irregularities or misuse of funds,’’ he asserted.
Referring to Siddaramaiah’s visit to Bengaluru International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), where the State Government has made special arrangements by organising 6500 beds and treatment facilities, the Chief Minister said the opposition leaders should not cause confusion or add to the problems of the health staff. ``You are free to seek any information and welcome to give suggestions to the government and officers concerned,’’ he said.
Yediyurappa said the State Government has made arrangements for treatment of COVID cases in Bengaluru and has entrusted the responsibility of managing the situation in all the 8 zones in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits with a minister and senior officials. Booth level committees to look after the situation have been constituted, he said promising that he would be working and monitoring the situation in the city and in the State on a daily basis. The Chief Secretary T M Vijaya Bhaskar was also in constant touch with the district officials, including the deputy commissioners.
The Chief Minister allayed the suspicions and doubts raised by opposition leaders and some section of the media regarding the use of COVID beds and other materials and declared that the beds or mattresses purchased for the COVID patients will be disposed of by burning after the treatment and only the cots will be used in hospitals, primary health care centres or hostels after proper sanitisation.
Yediyurappa made a special appeal to the COVID infected people not to take the extreme steps like ending their lives by committing suicide and sought to reassure the people that the Corona infection can be cured. ``Please have courage and follow the restrictions and treatment protocol,’’ he said.
“Lockdown is no solution to fight the Corona virus. We have to work together and unitedly on a war footing and control the situation,’’ he said promising that he will be in touch with district officials through video conferencing.