Cabinet minister Jagadish Shettar, speaking at a news conference, announced a complete lockdown in Karnataka's Dharwad area from 10 am on July 15 to 8 pm on July 24 in a bid to control the rising COVID-19 cases.
"A video conference was held with 11 districts and the Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa to discuss the status of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. There is increasing pressure on the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences in Hubli, as patients come from other places for treatment here. We brought this to the notice of the Chief Minister," Shettar said.
He also explained the reason behind the imposition of the lockdown. "There is negligence from the side of the people and the authorities. No one is sufficiently aware of the consequences of the virus. There are thousands of people in markets and no one is wearing a mask. We appealed to the CM and it was decided that a lockdown was necessary," he said.
According to the state's health department, Karnataka has a total of 41,581 positive cases so far, including 24,572 active cases and 16,248 recoveries.So far, 757 people have lost their lives to coronavirus in the state.
( With inputs from ANI )