Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SHP)
Bengaluru, Jul 12: State health minister B Sriramulu on Sunday July 12 said that Karnataka is likely to see a spike in coronavirus cases in the next 15 to 30 days. He also said that the challenge the increase in cases would pose in the coming two months would be monumental and therefore would test the government strategies to tackle the pandemic.
Although the statement by the health minister may ring alarm bells, he urged people to not panic. Through a series of tweets, Sriramulu stressed on the need to follow health guidelines laid down by the government to protect oneself from contracting the infection.
As on Saturday, the cumulative tally of COVID-19 cases in the state touched 36,216, including 613 fatalities and 14,716 discharges. "Lockdown has been announced in Bengaluru from Tuesday 8 pm for the next seven days. Abide by the regulations," he tweeted.
"Every day more than 2,000 cases of coronavirus are coming to fore," Sriramulu said on Saturday. "The number of coronavirus cases may double in the next 15 to 30 days in Karnataka. The next two months set to pose a big challenge before us," his tweet read.
Sensing the rise in coronavirus cases in the state capital, chief minister Yediyurappa had announced complete lockdown for one week starting from July 14. A move that was also supported by the former chief minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy. He had also said that there was a need to impose lockdown in other 'critical' districts and also demanded to ban inter-district travel except for the transportation of essential commodities.
"As COVID-19 cases are increasing in the state day by day, based on the advice of experts, complete lockdown will be imposed in Bengaluru Urban and Bengaluru Rural from July 14 Tuesday 8 pm to 5 am on July 22," chief minister B S Yediyurappa had said in a statement on Saturday, July 11.