Cooperate, if you don't want another COVID-19 lockdown: Karnataka CM Yediyurappa to people
Bengaluru: Expressing concern over spike in fresh COVID-19 cases, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Sunday said the pandemic seemed to be going out of control in the state and asked people to cooperate by adhering to the preventive measures if they don't want another lockdown.
"I appeal to the people with folded hands for cooperation.... if people cooperate I'm confident that without lockdown we can control," he said, announcing that he has convened a meeting of experts and officials on Monday in the wake of the spurt in fresh cases in recent days.
His appeal comes in the backdrop of lockdown being clamped in parts of neighbouring Maharashtra recently in view of sharp rise in fresh cases there.
Earlier, the nation-wide lockdown imposed in March last year was relaxed in phases under Unlock guidelines and the Karnataka has allowed almost all activities.
For the first time since January 22, the daily COVID-19 cases in Karnatkaa crossed the 900 mark on Saturday. It reported 921 cases with 630 of them from Bengaluru Urban district alone.
Since Monday last, over 4,300 new cases have been detected in the state, whose cumulative COVID-19 tally stood at 9,59,338 including 12,387 deaths and 9,38,890 discharges.
The active cases, which hovered around 4,000-5,000 last month, touched 8,042 active cases, reflecting the rise.
"Since last one month COVID seems to be going out of control, day-by-day the number of cases are increasing. So I have called a meeting of experts tomorrow," Yediyurappa told reporters here.
He also said the government has fixed a limit on the number of people allowed to attend gatherings like marriages, and action will be taken in accordance with law in case of any violation.
"My appeal to people is that if you don't want lockdown and want all activities to continue as it is going on now, people have to cooperate by wearing masks and maintaining distance," the Chief Minister said.
Noting that cases were increasing day-by-day in Maharashtra, he said, all efforts were being made to control the spread from travellers coming to the state from there.
Responding to a question whether the government is thinking about measures like lockdown or night curfew, Yediyurappa said, "as of now there are no such plans, if people cooperate and things come under control, we don't want to impose lockdown, as it will hamper day-to-day activities.
"We have suffered in the past (due to lockdown). I will not allow it, but people will have to cooperate."
The Chief Minister's office said he has called a meeting of officials and health experts at 5 pm on Monday at Vidhana Soudha, the seat of state legislature and secretariat.
The government was thinking about stricter measures for those travelling from neighboring states to control COVID spread, Yediyurappa, in response to a question said, it will be discussed at the meeting.
"I have had a meeting with the Chief Secretary regarding measures that can be taken. We will tighten things as much as possible," he added.
The Chief Minister also said he has called a meeting of Ministers on Monday morning to discuss the functioning of the government and regarding the working together in responding to the needs of the people, as the legislature session is on.
In the wake of a spike in cases in the state, the government on Friday had put a cap on the number of people who can gather at events and celebrations like marriages.
Additional Chief Secretary, Health, Jawaid Akhtar in a circular has said the measure has been taken amid the emergence of new clusters and fear of a second wave of the pandemic.
As per new rules, 500 people will be allowed at marriages if it is an open space, and only 200 if it is a hall or a closed space.
Similarly for birthday celebrations, the limit would be 100 and 50 respectively for functions in open and closed spaces.
A similar cap has been specified for funerals. However, at cremations and burials, only 50 are allowed. A maximum of 500 people will be allowed for religious and political gatherings in open spaces.
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Heavy rain, hailstorms lash parts of Uttarakhand; all districts put on high alert
Dehradun (PTI): Heavy rain and hailstorms accompanied by strong winds lashed several districts of Uttarakhand on Sunday morning, prompting the state administration to put all district authorities on high alert.
The sudden change in weather caused uprooted trees to block roads and disrupted power supply at various locations.
Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman chaired a review meeting with district officials to assess the situation.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast light to moderate rain and thunderstorms at most places across all districts for Monday and Tuesday. Snowfall is expected in regions situated at altitudes of 4,000 metres and above.
An 'orange alert' remains in place for Dehradun, Haridwar, Tehri, Pauri, Nainital, Champawat, and Udham Singh Nagar. These districts are likely to witness isolated heavy rain, hailstorms, and intense to very intense spells of rain accompanied by gusty winds reaching speeds of 40-50 kmph, the IMD said.
The weather office predicted that maximum temperatures across the state are likely to fall by 3-5 degrees Celsius over the next three to four days. During the past 24 hours, maximum temperatures remained "markedly below normal" in the plains and ranged from "markedly" to "appreciably" below normal in the hilly regions.
Dehradun experienced dark, overcast skies early Sunday, creating night-like conditions during morning hours. The city recorded a maximum temperature of 34.7 degrees Celsius, 5.3 degrees Celsius below the seasonal average.
For the state capital, the forecast predicts a partly to generally cloudy sky with a high of 31 degrees Celsius and a low of 19 degrees Celsius.
Significant rainfall was recorded across the state after 8.30 am on Sunday, with Jollygrant receiving 21.6 mm and Mohakampur recording 19.8 mm. Other areas, including Mukteshwar (15.0 mm), Mussoorie (13.4 mm), and Pithoragarh (8.5 mm), also saw measurable precipitation.
Secretary Suman directed officials to clear blocked roads on priority to ensure public convenience. Specific instructions were issued regarding the Char Dham Yatra, ordering that helicopter services must operate strictly according to weather conditions to ensure pilgrims' safety.
Isolated places in the remaining hilly districts are also expected to experience thunderstorms with lightning and intense rain spells.
