Coronavirus death forces unwilling residents to stay indoors

A policewoman and a healthcare worker in protective gear are seen in Tipu Nagar, which has been cordoned after a Covid-19 patient died there. DH PHOTO/PUSHKAR V

The death of a Covid-19 on Tuesday has done what police enforcement could not do in Tipu Nagar and the adjoining Padarayanapura localities in western Bengaluru.

Local residents, who were so far defying the lockdown rules, sealed off their streets and stayed at home on Wednesday.

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Following the death of a 65-year-old man in Tipu Nagar, over 70 people were ferried to quarantine centres and their swab samples taken for testing. The death and the sudden quarantining of so many people panicked the residents. They quickly put up iron-rod and cement slab barricades at the entry and exit points of the streets.

Earlier in the day, Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner G N Shivamurthy made a surprise visit to Tipu Nagar and caught people roaming on the streets. He not only chased them away but also reprimanded volunteers who were found distributing free rations to the needy without taking precautions in the hotspot.

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“How can you distribute the rations without observing social distancing rules and wearing masks? Who gave you permission to enter the sealed area? You are encouraging the people to come out in large numbers and spread the virus,” he scolded them.

Asha workers let in

Asha workers, mandated to carry out surveillance of the area, were barred entry by sections of the local population. But Ayub Khan, the husband of KR Market corporator Nazima Khanum, convinced the residents to let the workers in.

Khan escorted the workers to all the areas and helped them take details from the residents.