Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar on Saturday requested residents in the state to not gather in large groups for the next month in view of the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the state. Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Sudhakar said, “The recommendation of the technical advisory committee is that people should not get together in groups for any kind of activities - large meetings, celebrations, religious meetings, protests, political meetings. I will request various religious leaders and political leaders to refrain from gathering in large groups and coming to Bengaluru.”
He added that wedding celebrations should be restricted to 500 people and that the state government will be deploying additional marshals to inspect wedding halls in the state.
The minister’s statement comes after two new clusters of COVID-19 were reported in the city taking the total number of clusters to 12. The minister also said that they are planning to increase the number of the coronavirus tests being conducted in the city, and that the city’s civic body, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), is increasingly taking measures to stop the further spread of COVID-19 in the city.
Addressing the increasing number of cases in two neighbouring states Maharashtra and Kerala, he said that the cities bordering them have to be careful. Moreover, he observed that the Dakshina Kannada district has the second-highest positivity rate after Bengaluru and that discussions are underway to control the spread.
“Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa will be speaking to deputy commissioners and discuss how to approach the issue at hand. An increase in the screening of those alighting from airports, railway stations in Mangaluru or those heading to Mangaluru will have to be done,” said Sudhakar.
The minister further urged the people to follow the COVID-19 safety protocols and also get vaccinated at over 300 health centres across the state. To immunize more people, vaccines have been made available in Primary Health Centres and Community Health Centres across the state, he said.