By Chandrima Mazumdar & Qamar ZJ
The end of the year seems to bring good news for the residents of HSR Layout. There was a 70% drop in active COVID-19 cases from October to November. While the statistics are impressive, authorities are advising caution and no undue celebration just yet. According to Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), there were 707 active COVID-19 cases, including three deaths. However, in November, there was a dramatic dip as there were zero deaths and only 232 active cases. This is in line with the Bengaluru average as well during this period. There were 101120 active cases in October that dropped to 31856 in November.
Ongoing precautions
One major reason for this dramatic fall is that the authorities are not being lax with regulations, despite the improving conditions. “Other than extensive home testing of different areas, we are focusing on those working at public places and commercial units,” says Vinod G, BBMP Health Inspector for HSR Layout. “The home testing teams are also keeping a close eye on the positive cases and the primary contacts. Tests are being conducted on a large scale. We conducted 10,654 tests in November alone.”
Lockdown 6.0
The neighbouring Koramangala has recorded 30% fewer cases (162) than HSR Layout in November, and the reason is the same: extensive testing and implementation of COVID-19 rules. While the cases have fallen drastically across Bengaluru, the authorities are urging citizens not to become complacent. Health and medical education minister K Sudhakar has said that November, December and January are going to be crucial in the fight against COVID-19 as the outbreak is likely to worsen in winter. Therefore, the technical advisory committee has suggested imposing a night curfew between December 26 and January 1, and also banning New Year Celebrations.
