Most cities in the country, and across the world, have struggled to contain the coronavirus outbreak, reporting both a high number of cases, as well as an increased strain on the healthcare system. But for one metropolis, with a population of over a crore people, things dont seem to be that bad.
As Bangalore begins phase 1 of mission Unlock on June 1, the city had recorded only 385 positive cases, a tiny figure when compared to Mumbais 40,000 and Delhis nearly 20,000 cases. Of this already low number, about 200 patients have been marked as recovered, and just over a hundred cases remain active.
Mumbai/Maharashtra and Delhi
top places in India with high test positive rate#CoronaVirusUpdates #COVID?19 #CoronavirusLockdown #COVID19 #COVID__19 #CoronaUpdate #lockdowneffect #coronavirusinindia
Banaglore has less COVID-19 cases than even Lucknow or Kanpur or Nagpur!
Lowest in top 15 cities in India.
well done #Bengaluru #Bangalore #CoronaVirusUpdates #COVID?19 #CoronavirusLockdown #COVID19 #COVID__19 #CoronaUpdate #lockdowneffect #coronavirusinindia
1711:44 AM – May 29, 2020Twitter Ads info and privacySee India Equity Research’s other Tweets
The city is now looking to open up its malls, pubs, restaurants, and places of worship starting June 8. While the rules dont apply in the citys 36 containment zones, which will remain under lockdown until June 30, this again puts Bangalore way ahead of its peers, Delhi and Mumbai, which are still struggling to curb the spread of the virus.
Ralph Alex Arakal✔@ralpharakal
With 82 fresh #COVID19 cases confirmed in the last 3 days, #Bengaluru now has 36 #ContainmentZones. @IndianExpress
4011:14 AM – Jun 2, 2020Twitter Ads info and privacy20 people are talking about this
The citys municipal commissioner has been reported as saying that the citys success boiled down to its early and effective lockdown. Schools were ordered to close on March 13 in Karnatakas capital, while bars and eateries were closed the next day, nearly two weeks before the nationwide lockdown was imposed.
The fact that authorities strictly implemented the three Ts trace, test, and treat during this period is also said to have worked wonders. As a result, the states test positivity rate (the number of positive cases per 100 tests conducted) stayed at 1 per cent, much lower than the national average 5.
A report in the Quint, meanwhile, points out that another factor that helped keep the case numbers low was that the states health experts were given free reign to take decisions without political interference. In Karnataka, the driving force (against Covid-19) was the health department. We never had an instance where they turned down our suggestions, an ICMR official was quoted as saying.
The report also adds that authorities got the containment zones right, and also used technology to give them an advantage with contact tracing.
An official with a Covid-19 task force indicated that another reason for the citys success had to do with the way its residents followed the lockdown. The lockdown has helped immensely with 75-80 per cent of the population adhering, the official said.
The city, officials indicated, was well on its way to successfully flattening the curve earlier this month the announcement came as early as May 13 even other cities were still reporting a large number of cases.
Still residents remain cautious about reopening completely. The governments plan to open schools as early as July has been questioned by a number of parents, who want cases to reach zero before they allow their children outside.
Maybe its this caution that has spared Bangalore the worst of the coronavirus pandemic. Or maybe it boils down to how well authorities have done to contain the disease. Either way, the citys success story seems to be one worth celebrating.
This article was first published in Arre