The number of COVID-19 patients has been on the rise in Hassan with the entry of people from other States. The total number of people with the infection increased to 16 on Friday, with seven new cases reported. All had returned recently from Mumbai.
Deputy Commissioner R. Girish informed the media that none of them had contacted any locals after arriving in the district. They were taken to quarantine centres or hospitals, where samples were collected for laboratory tests. The infected include a couple and their son, native to Channarayapatna taluk, a couple from Arkalgud taluk, and two more people from Holenarsipur taluk. They had reached Hassan in different vehicles on May 12.
Health Department staff have collected samples from those travelled along with these people.
Meanwhile, the Railway Ministry has agreed to operate a special train for the benefit of people from Bihar working in Hassan. The DC said more than 2,000 Bihar natives had sought permission to travel back home. “The train will carry 1,400 passengers on May 17. The schedule of the train is yet to reach us. We will communicate to those who applied under the Seva Sindhu application on a first-come, first-served basis,” he said.
Minister on lockdown
Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs J.C. Madhuswamy, who is also in charge of Hassan district, on Friday said the lockdown would be relaxed gradually to allow economic activities to resume. He said the country has to learn to live with the virus.
Speaking to presspersons, he said only people with sufficient money to support their families would want further lockdown. “But we have to think of the working class. The lockdown will be lifted gradually,” he said.
The Minister also maintained that India had handled the situation better than many other countries.
