Yediyurappa

Narendra Modi

Bengaluru

Health

Karnataka

Chief Minister BSon Thursday dropped enough hints that the present lockdown could continue beyond April 14.After a video conference with Prime Minister, the CM said that depending on the situation a decision would be taken after April 14.It is said that the State is considering of lifting the lockdown in phases and keeping a tight vigil on hotspots like Nanjanagudu, Kalaburagi, Bidar,or any other place where Covid-19 cases continue to be reported.Even if it is lifted, it would be done in phases and specified to non Covid-19 infected areas.It is believed that during his interaction Modi is said to have expressed concern over the poor implementation of the lockdown in various States and said the respective CM's would be held responsible for any failure.Yediyurappa said that Modi was appreciative of the State governments efforts in containing the pandemic.For this purpose, a new task force will be set up after April 14. Yediyurappa said that the new task force will help to take stringent measures to contain spread of the pandemic.This task force will be in addition to the two similar panels - one comprising Ministers and the other a team of bureaucrats.Task force headed byMinister Sriramulu has remained fully dysfunctional due to power struggle between the members. On the other hand, the task force headed by additional Chief Secretary Jawaid Akthar has been holding regular meetings with each of the members heading different verticals like procurement, lab testing, attending to migrant labourers, logistics among others.The CM, however, did not give reasons why a new task force was required when there are already two such bodies.Sources said that the proposed third task force will comprise officials and representatives from the private hospitals and some prominent citizens.A source in the CM office said that the proposed task force will guide the CM on phasing out lockdown as it can not be lifted at once after April 14.With 124 Covid 19 positive cases,stands at the ninth position vis-a-vis other States, Yediyurappa said.On Thursday, 14 new cases were reported. Of these, 11 are from Bidar district who got infected after attending the religious congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin Markaz Mosque in South Delhi.Nizamuddin Tablighi iJammat has posed a new challenge to the State which otherwise was by and large successful in containing the spread of the deadly virus.The CM said that of the total 91 who had been to Nizamuddin from Bidar 80 have tested negative while 11 tested positive.So far, the State has identified 391 people who attended the three day congregation in Delhi. "Because of the lockdown, we have not been able to identify all those who attended the congregation,'' the CM said adding that efforts are on to trace and quarantine those tested positive.Referring to attack on ASHA worker Krishnaveni in Sadiq Nagar on Wednesday, the CM said that it is one of the isolated incidents. "I appeal to all sections of the people to cooperate with health workers who have been doing good work,'' he said.