This story is from July 11, 2020

With cases rising, Kalaburagi dist mulls staggered lockdown

With cases rising, Kalaburagi dist mulls staggered lockdown
Kalaburagi: With over 70 positive cases in random testing within a week in Kalaburagi district, the administration is mulling over a stagggered lockdown. From July 3 to July 9, 73 persons tested positive; the total number is 1901 with 477 active cases.
The administration chose random testing after asymptomatic individuals with travel history to Maharashtra returned without being subjected to tests.
The travellers were under institutional quarantine only for seven days under new norms. The administration felt that government quarantine centres would be a source of infection and asymptomatic patients could spread it.
Returnees from other states, especially Maharashtra, have moved into hamlets (tandas), villages and city wards from where SARI and ILI cases are being reported. The administration started random testing in such localities and areas near containment zones, police quarters and hamlets. It’s under way in Wadi, Sedam, Chincholi, Shahabad and city areas of Kalaburagi.
Deputy commissioner Sharath said random tests could identify clusters and help predict caseloads. He said, “Earlier, buffer zones were beyond containment zone thereby enabling surveillance. The present structure of containment zones is not helping. Hence, we’re testing people near containment and buffer zones.”
He added that residents of Kalaburagi city are demanding a lockdown. If the current rate of positivity continues, then caseload could be high.
He said, “When caseload is low, medical resources are not under stress. We may have beds, but there aren’t enough doctors or nurses. A staggered lockdown means closing down day-to-day activities for a week or fortnight and opening it for some days. This may actually work.”
Dr Srinivas Kakkilaya, general physician, said a lockdown won’t help. The administration from gram panchayat level should start isolating the elderly to curtail deaths. The focus should be on protecting the vulnerable, not slowing down the spread. The elderly can be kept in isolation under care. Moreover, many patients don’t require treatment as they have either mild or no symptoms.
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