Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Friday, 10 April, sealed off two wards in West Bengaluru, from where cases of COVID-19 were reported recently. According to officials, no one will be allowed to enter or exit these areas for the next 14 days.
Announcing the decision, BBMP Commissioner BH Anil Kumar said strictly no movement of people or materiel will be allowed in Bapuji Nagar and Padarayanapura wards and the area will be put under strict surveillance.
According to sources, three cases reported in the area and the dense populations in these wards are the reasons for the extreme measure. Officials said that unlike the lockdown that is in effect since 25 March, in these wards strictly no one will be allowed to step out of their houses.
“Only a single point of entry and exit will be available for these wards. Those who (police and health workers) enter these areas will be screened and documented. For 14 days no one shall come out of their houses in these areas. The essential supplies for the people will be delivered at doorsteps,” said the commissioner.
A team of 160 ASHA workers and BBMP staff have been deployed in these wards to ensure door-to-door surveillance. However, with over 25,000 houses and 2 lakh people in these wards the district administration has a difficult task in hand.
News Creates Panic
The news about the two wards being sealed off spread quickly on social media on Friday. Several messages doing the rounds on social messaging apps claimed more wards across the city will be sealed off similarly; some of these messages even claimed the entire city will see similar restrictions.
Amidst this, city police commissioner Bhaskar Rao said that there are no such plans. “Rumors and fake news are floating around of a Seal down in Bangalore City and creating panic. Dearest Citizens, there is nothing like that as of now. Please Stay calm (sic),” he tweeted.
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