Karnataka Lockdown News: "No extension after June 7, if..." - CM BS Yediyurappa says this

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has said that the question of extending the lockdown after June 7 may not arise if only the public cooperates and there is a decline in Covid-19 cases.

Public cooperation and decline in Covid cases would be the factors that would determine the State government's decision on the lockdown. Currently, the State has imposed lockdown till June 7.

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There were speculations that the government may extend the lockdown once again following the Centre's direction to continue with the Covid-19 guidelines till June 30.

"Lockdown will be there till June 7. Depending on the situation, we will take further decisions. For now, it will be there till June 7. All the strict measures that need to be taken will be followed till then," Yediyurappa said.

After a three-hour-long meeting with MPs, legislators, and public representatives from Mysuru, Hassan, Belagavi, Kalaburagi and Vijayapura districts that have high caseload of the virus cases, the Chief Minister said any further decision would depend on the situation and decline in cases, as per a report by PTI.

"If people cooperate, the question of extending it (the lockdown) after June 7 may not arise, people will have to cooperate. We will put in all our efforts," he said.

The State government had initially announced 14 days of lockdown from April 27 but imposed a complete lockdown from May 10 to May 24 as the cases increased. Citing lockdown yielding results and experts advice, it was extended till June 7.

Earlier on Saturday, State Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai indicated that the lockdown may be extended following Centre's direction to do so till June 30, and that the Chief Minister would take a decision after meeting his Ministers, as per a report by PTI.

"The positivity rate has not come down completely, it has to come to below 10 percent, and in rural areas the cases are about 22,000-23,000, it has to go below 10,000, even the number of deaths will have to come down, only then we will be able to manage the health infrastructure," he said.

The Centre had, on Thursday, directed the States and Union Territories to continue the Covid-19 guidelines till June 30 and asked them to go for intensive and local containment measures in districts with a high number of cases to check the spread of the deadly disease.