‘Marriage permitted as the hall is outside containment zone’

CM Bommai says he went there only after getting details

After reports came criticising Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s participation in a marriage ceremony at a convention hall on the campus of SDM College of Medical Sciences and Hospital in Dharwad where 306 persons tested positive, Deputy Commissioner of Dharwad Nitesh Patil on Wednesday clarified that the hall was outside the containment zone.

In a press release, Mr. Patil clarified that after COVID-19 cases were reported from the medical college campus in the last week of November, the medical college had been closed and two of its hostels kept under seal.

This apart, the closure of the Out-Patient Department (OPD) of the hospital was ordered and new patients admissions barred for a few days, he said.

Precautionary measure

He further clarified that, as a precautionary measure, anganwadis, schools and colleges in a radius of 500 metres of the college were closed till Wednesday.

However, there was no order to keep under seal premises situated in a radius of 500 metres around the medical college, he said.

The Deputy Commissioner clarified that the Veerendra Heggade Kalakshetra on the college campus had been sanitised and functions were permitted after ensuring that precautionary measures were taken.

The entrance and exit to the hall was different and only 100 persons who had received their double dose of vaccines were being permitted to participate.

CM clarifies

Later in the day, Mr. Bommai, who participated in the marriage related to a BJP functionary’s family held at the convention hall, clarified that he had come to attend the marriage after getting details from the Deputy Commissioner. “The marriage hall is outside the containment zone and only 100 persons who had received their double dose of vaccines were permitted to attend,” he said.