Bengaluru: With new Covid-19 cases and the Test Positivity Rate (TPR) dipping, Karnataka would be lifting the lockdown in four to five phases if one were to go by the hints thrown in by Revenue Minister R Ashoka Wednesday.
The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) on Covid-19 has also favoured a graded unlocking in its recommendation to the government. The TAC has recommended a gradual reopening every week or every fortnight, sources said.
The TAC also recommended restricting the movement of people from districts with a high number of positive cases to those districts where cases are low. A complete ban on election rallies and large gatherings are also part of the recommendations.
Karnataka is under a strict lockdown till June 14. The government is scheduled to take a call on the extension or lifting of the lockdown in the next couple of days.
The government had initially announced 14 days ‘close down’ from April 27, but subsequently imposed a complete lockdown from May 10 to May 24, as the Covid cases continued to spike. Citing lockdown yielding results and experts advice, it was further extended till June 7 and then again till June 14.
"Keeping the number of deaths and new cases in mind and aimed at bringing down the Covid infections further, lockdown will not be relaxed at one go. Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Health Minister K Sudhakar and I have held detailed discussions with the Chief Minister in this regard," Ashoka told the media.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Wednesday reported 10,959 new cases of Covid and 192 fatalities, taking the total number of infections to 27,28,248 and the death toll to 32,291. TPR was 6.68% and case fatality rate 1.75%. While Bengaluru reported 2395 new cases and 50 deaths, it was 1163 and 22 respectively in Mysuru.
