From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Jun 27: Concerned over the sharp rise in COVID 19 positive cases and infections in Karnataka, especially the State capital city of Bengaluru, the State Government has decided to impose lockdown on every Sunday from July 5 in the entire state and also enforce strict curfew during nights from 8 pm to 5 am from Monday June 29 with changed timings as against the present timing of 9 pm to 5 am.
No activities shall be permitted on Sundays from July 5 except essential services and supplies, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has announced.
In addition, the State Government has decided to close all government offices on all Saturdays along with second and fourth Saturday from July 10 onwards.
These decisions were taken after an emergency high-level meeting on control of the COVID 19 situation at the Chief Minister’s official residence Cauvery in Bengaluru on Saturday.
Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Revenue Minister R Ashok, Chief Secretary T M VijayaBhasakr, Chief Minister’s Political Secretary S R Vishwanath, Bruhat Bengaluru MahanagaraPalike (BBMP) Commissioner B H Anil Kumar and other senior officials attended the meeting.
The meeting directed the BBMP Commissioner to set up more number of wholesale vegetable markets to avoid crowds in large wholesale vegetable markets for the city.
The officers have been directed to have centralised bed allocation system to speed up hospitalisation of COVID 19 patients
The Chief Minister directed enhancement of the number of ambulances to carry COVID patients to 250 and arrange separate ambulances for carrying mortal remains of deceased COVID patients.
Use of police control room wireless system to identify the location and easy movement of the ambulance and publish the details of nodal officers working for COVID Management and give additional responsibilities to Joint Commissioners of 8 BBMP regions and also to appoint KAS officers to assist them in order to lessen the burden on Commissioner and the central office of BBMP.
It was decided to avail services of 180 ESI doctors appointed by the Labour department and appoint probationary tahasildars as nodal officers for COVID hospitals and COVID care centers.
The officials were directed to take necessary steps to reserve marriage halls, hostels, and other institutions in Bengaluru for COVID care centers and to avail railway coach with beds.
The Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner has been told to identify more places for the last rites of dead patients. CM also directed to form teams for conducting the last rites.
The BBMP Commissioner has also been directed to notify reservation of 50 percent of beds in Medical colleges and private hospitals besides notifying tie-up of hotels with hospitals to avoid any shortage of beds for treatment.