BENGALURU: While the head of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Dr Balram Bhargava, has cautioned that districts reporting positivity rates of over 10 per cent should remain locked down for another six to eight weeks, 29 of Karnataka’s 31 districts have reported much higher positivity rates.
Shockingly, 25 of the districts have positivity rates of around 20 per cent with no complete lockdown and the number of Covid cases continuously increasing. According to data released by the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday, Uttara Kannada district tops the list with a positivity rate of 46.6 per cent, which is more than twice the national average of 21 per cent. This is followed by Ballari (45.2 pc), Hassan (43.2 pc), Mysuru (42.2 pc), Shivamogga (39.5 pc), Tumakuru (38.1 pc) and Bengaluru Urban (34.7 pc). Eighteen districts in Karnataka have a positivity rate of over 30 per cent, eight districts above 20 per cent, three with positive rate above 10 per cent.
Dr Giridhara R Babu, senior epidemiologist and member of Covid-19 Techincal Advisory Committee, warned, “The infection rate in districts can only be controlled with increase in testing and ensuring that the lockdown norms are strictly followed. “Otherwise, the number of cases will rise much higher and the mortality rates too may increase drastically.”
Given the situation, some districts like Uttara Kannada, Chamarajanagar, Shivamogga, Ballari and Davanagere have implemented strict lockdown only from Tuesday with banning of weddings and religious programmes. However, in many villages, especially in Tumakuru district which has a positivity rate of 38.1 pc, weddings are being solemnised in local temples and markets are open in the mornings. In some places in Belagavi district too, there are crowds in local markets during mornings.
This at a time when most of these districts are facing shortage of oxygenated and ICU beds, and there is no proper monitoring of patients in home isolation. People thronging hospitals for vaccination too has led to an increase in number of cases. “Belagavi has severe shortage of oxygen beds. The 400 oxygenated bed designated for Covid patients in Hassan are full. In Tumakuru, there is a limited number of ICUs and the district designated hospital has not expanded the ICUs, CT machines are out of order. Such problems create major hindrance in terms of managing the situation.” sources said.