Karnataka has been reporting a huge spike in cases over the course of the last week. Having crossed 28,000 cases and acquiring 2,000 new cases in the highest daily rise so far, the state is in crisis mode. Ahead of the cabinet meeting on Thursday, CM BS Yediyurappa said to the media that in some districts the government is losing control of the situation.
He added that the administration and local authorities are working hard to manage the situation and that in the meeting all the concerns shall be discussed. The CM's statement comes after Minister of Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Legislation JC Madhuswamy also hinted that the pandemic has gotten out of hand and that community transmission maybe a reality.
Administration losing control in some districts
From April till June, Karnataka was lauded as an example for other states in the country on how it had effectively managed and prepared itself for the pandemic through prompt contact tracing. However, when the lockdown lifted and things were limping back to normalcy, the state had struck crisis observing a sharp rise in cases.
The state now has 28,877 cases of COVID-19 and 471 deaths. In Bengaluru which reports the highest tally in the state with 12,507 cases, reports of an overwhelmed healthcare system are coming to light. Some would say this was what experts warned of when the pandemic began gripping the world. With hospitals refusing to admit patients, hospitals reporting being understaffed, an ambulance shortage and people dying in waiting for medical assistance, as the peak of the crisis comes closer, the administration is being tested.
Amidst the panic and the fear of what is to come, CM Yediyurappa made a comment on the situation ahead of the cabinet meeting on Thursday which doesn't give much room for optimism. The CM told the media, "In some districts, things are slipping out of control. But, the district administration, our police administration are all working hard at doing what's needed." He added that in the meeting the issues, concerns and the way forward will be discussed.
A few days back the CM had said that people would have to learn to live with COVID-19. JC Madhuswamy had also said that the matter is getting out of hand in the Tumakuru district on Tuesday. From optimism to reality, the situation and Karnataka's reaction to the pandemic are perhaps at an important juncture.
