Fearing fresh lockdown, thousands leave Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Fearing another lockdown and surge in Covid-19 cases, thousands of Bengalureans were headed back to their hometowns on Saturday. Amid murmurs of another lockdown after the SSLC examination, several workers from other parts of Karnataka headed home.

There were huge snarls on Tumakuru road and other exit routes. Some said they had vacated their houses in the city and moving back home permanently. KSRTC officials said many people are moving out of Bengaluru since Class 10 exams are over.

Meanwhile, roads wore a deserted look as people stayed indoors and all commercial activities came to a grinding halt in Karnataka in response to the first complete Sunday lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus.

The state government has announced the full shutdown barring essential services on Sundays till August 2 in the backdrop of steady increase in COVID-19 cases in the past over one month, taking the tally to 21,549 and the toll to 335 as on Saturday.

On the first weekly shutdown on Sunday, vehicles remained off roads and most of the shops remained shut except for grocery stores and essential services. By and large, people abiding by the lockdown all over the state, reports from districts received here said.

In Bengaluru, the lockdown is being enforced from Saturday 8 pm to Monday 5 am in view of steep rise in fresh cases of the deadly infection.

Total cases in the city stood at 8,345 with a single-day record high of 1,172 being added on Saturday alone while there were 129. Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao had appealed to the people to stay at home.

"Respected Citizens, just stay home and dont ask for exceptions as this is being done in everybodys interest, heavens wont fall if you postpone by a day. Please exercise self discipline and cooperate. Happy Sunday," he tweeted.