Karnataka has no plan of Covid-19 lockdown: Officials

Even as panic gripped many in Karnataka owing to the discovery of two cases of the AY 4.2 sub-lineage of the Delta variant of Covid-19 in Bengaluru, the Covid-19 Technical Advisory Committee has dismissed rumours there could be another lockdown in the state.

‘Reports of TAC recommending another lockdown in Karnataka due to the discovery of AY 4.2 sub-lineage cases are unfounded and unrealistic. The source of certain media reports 'that tried to spread panic' in the last two days was still not known’ Told TAC Chairman Dr M K Sudarshan told The Indian Express.

A note shared by the Department of Health and Family Welfare mentioned that the two cases were identified in people aged 23 and 43 in July. one was positive and recovered fully, and others were negative for Covid-19, it read.

At the same time, Dr Sudarshan added that a detailed deliberation on the pandemic situation in the state would take place in the next meeting with the Health Minister.

Earlier on Tuesday, Sudhakar had said that the state immediately gets advice from experts and discusses it with the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) in the event of the emergence of any new variant of Covid-19.

'Those who have received both doses of the vaccine need not be afraid of the virus as it will have little effect on them. There is no need to panic as the state government has taken enough steps to check the spread of the infection. However, people should not be complacent and should see to it that all Covid-19 guidelines are followed at all times,' he had told reporters in Bengaluru.

Till date, Karnataka has reported over 29.86 lakh Covid-19 cases with 29.40 lakh people recovering from the infection, as per statistics issued by the State Health Department. The state has an active caseload of 8,430 as on Wednesday (October 27) while as many as 38,037 people have succumbed to the infection since March 10 last year.