Ballari, Kalaburagi, Yadgir and Bidar districts in Kalyana Karnataka region together reported 40 deaths on Thursday. And, 20 of the deceased were aged less than 60.
Ballari reported 16 deaths, the highest, taking the toll to 716 in the district. Of the 16, 14 were aged less than 60, the youngest being a 22-year-old woman. The district also reported 896 new cases taking the total number of active cases to 7,946.
Kalaburagi reported 11 deaths and 957 new cases. Of the dead, only two were aged less than 60. The deaths took the toll to 460. With the new cases, the total number of active cases rose to 7,932.
Yadgir district, which witnessed a slow spread in the initial days of the second wave, reported eight deaths and 259 new cases taking the total number of deaths to 87 and active cases to 2,016. Four of the eight people who died were aged less than 60.
Bidar reported five deaths and 180 new cases. The media bulletin released by the Department of Health and Family Welfare, however, said that four of the deaths were due to non-COVID-19 reasons. Meanwhile, the total number of COVID-19 deaths rose to 246 in the district and the active cases to 3,207.
In their efforts to check the spread of the pandemic, the district administrations across the region resorted to implementing stricter measures to prevent people from moving from one place to another. Police teams deployed at key junctions to minimise the people’s movement imposed punishment on people who violated the partial lockdown in force.
Kalaburagi District Principal and Sessions Judge and Chairperson of District Legal Services Authority K. Subramanya appealed to the people to remain indoors and help the administration in the fight against the pandemic. He also appealed to people to get vaccinated as a means to protection against infection.
Keeping in mind counting of votes polled in the Ballari City Municipal Corporation scheduled for Friday, Ballari Superintendent of Police Saidulu Adavath issued an order closing three key roads in the city — SP Circle to Ambedkar Circle, Ambedkar Circle to Cowl Bazaar Flyover and Hosapete Road to OP Circle — to avoid crowd gathering.
