Fearing lockdown, many exit Bengaluru

BENGALURU: Faced with a surge in Covid-19 cases and fearing another lockdown, thousands of Bengalureans were headed back to their hometowns, lining up bumper to bumper on the city's exit roads on Saturday.
Amid murmurs of another lockdown after the SSLC exam, several workers from other parts of Karnataka, headed home. There were huge snarls on Tumakuru road and other exit routes.The jam in Mysore Road was due to repairs, authorities said.
With total lockdown imposed on Sunday - effective from 8pm on Saturday - they left the city in the morning to reach their destinations in time. KSRTC and private buses were also filled with commuters, with many operators making the most by hiking fares. Cabs too made a killing.
KSRTC officials said many people are moving out of Bengaluru since Class 10 exams are over, making for a 20% increase in bus ridership this Saturday compared to the previous week.
Rithvik S, a BPO employee who was earning Rs 15,000 per month, said he was returning home to Kadur in Chikkamagaluru district. "Look at this city, people are dying on the roads, there are no isolation wards and hospitals are demanding Rs 4,000 for Covid-19 tests. I have not received my salary and cannot afford to live here. It is better to go and live in my hometown. We have 5 acres of agricultural land," he said.
Covid-19 cases have surged in Bengaluru in the past 10 days and the health infrastructure has come under tremendous strain. As of July 4, the city has 7,250 patients under treatment.