Another lockdown in Bengaluru if norms ignored, warns BBMP chief

Bengaluru: Bengaluru Municipal Commissioner N. Manjunatha Prasad on Friday warned that if people don't exercise caution and fail to contain the rise of Covid-19 cases, then the Karnataka government has no option but enforce lockdown in the city once again.

His warning came during the meeting of the civic body's doctors, officials, joint commissioners and special commissioners in the Town Hall to discuss strategies to contain the Covid-19 spread as cases have seen a steady rise in Bengaluru in the last couple of days.

Addressing the meeting, Prasad said that the city is throwing its caution to the winds and the civic body cannot afford to allow this to happen. "We need to strictly enforce social distancing norms as well as compulsory wearing of masks. We cannot ignore these two basic requirements to keep this virus at bay," he said.

Even the slightest laxity in implementing these norms could push them to the brink of lockdown in Bengaluru at least, he added.

The Commissioner added that Covid cases are on the rise in neighbouring states like Kerala, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and Karnataka shares a border with all of them.

"Already, Maharashtra is mulling a second round of lockdown in select cities. Andhra Pradesh has re-enforced lockdown in Amaravati... we should not reach such a stage. We, therefore, need to pull ourselves up to meet this new challenge," he said.