Lockdown must be extended for 2 more weeks in Karnataka, says expert
Bengaluru, May 6: A health expert on Thursday suggested extension of lockdown by two more weeks in Karnataka, saying the state is yet to reach peak though it has been reporting over 50,000 cases.
"At least in two weeks we will see a peak in Karnataka," Dr Giridhara R Babu, who is a professor and head of Life Course Epidemiology at the Public Health Foundation of India, told PTI.
Babu, who is a member of the Technical Advisory Committee on COVID, said the case detection is presently erratic because the testing numbers have reduced, especially in Bengaluru.
"I will not give a clear indication on the number of cases during the peak, but irrespective of the testing, we will see the peak in the next two weeks," he said.
Hailing the decision of the state government to impose lockdown from April 27 to May 12, Babu citing an estimate by IISC, said the state has saved 5,800 lives.
"Lockdown has helped in reducing the number of deaths, according to the models by IISc Professor Sashikumaar Ganesan.
So, I recommend that the lockdown be extended by at least two weeks," Babu opined.
He added that there will be an increase in fatalities at least 10 to 14 days from the date of cases being reported.
On the measures to be taken in view of surge in infections, he said triage could be a game changer in the fight against COVID.
According to Babu, there should be more screening and triage centres with oxygen supply all over Bengaluru where the COVID cases are high.
"These (Triaging centres) should be set up every five kilometres. By doing this kind of enhanced triage by using existing manpower, we can tide over the crisis," he claimed.
While daily infections and active cases in the state are rising alarmingly, the fatalities too are spiralling.
On Wednesday alone, there were 346 deaths taking the total deaths so far to 16,884.
Bengaluru was the main contributor of COVID cases in Karnataka with 23,106 infections and 161 fatalities on a single day taking the total infections and deaths to 8,63,380 and 7,006 cumulatively.
The city had 3.13 lakh active cases as on Wednesday.
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Hormuz Strait disruptions have caused huge economic impact, energy instability in region: Navy chief
Mumbai (PTI): The Strait of Hormuz disruptions have caused severe economic impact and energy instability in the region, Indian Navy chief Admiral D K Tripathi said on Thursday amid the war in West Asia.
Speaking at an event where INS Sunayna, an offshore patrol vessel, set sail from Mumbai as Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) Sagar, the admiral said competition at sea has no longer remained confined to oil and energy.
It is now expanding towards resources that will shape future growth - such as rare earth elements, critical minerals, new fishing grounds and even data, he said.
The West Asia crisis began on February 28 after a joint attack by the US and Israel on Iran.
Iran's strikes on its neighbours along with its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz have disrupted the world's energy supplies with effects far beyond West Asia.
"With the conflict in West Asia well into its fifth week, the disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have caused severe economic impact and energy instability in the region," Tripathi said.
There is significant increase in the marine survey, deep-sea research activity, and Illegal Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUU), often encroaching upon the sovereign rights of littoral nations and exploiting gaps in monitoring and enforcement, he said.
Alongside these, threats such as piracy, armed robbery and narco-trafficking backed by unimpeded access of advanced technology to non-state actors, have also become more complex and challenging to counter, the Navy chief pointed out.
Last year alone, the Indian Ocean Region witnessed a staggering 3,700 maritime incidents of varying nature, the admiral said.
Additionally, narcotics seizures in the region exceeded USD 1 billion USD in 2025, highlighting the persistence and spread of such challenges in the region, he said.
