Apartment complexes account for 80% of Covid cases in Bengaluru: BBMP

These residential buildings also account for nearly half of the 110 Covid containment zones in the city, BBMP said

A security guard seals the entrance to an apartment complex in Mahalakshmi Layout after several of its residents tested positive for Covid-19. Credit: DH Photo

Apartment complexes in Bengaluru, mostly in the eastern, southern and southeastern suburbs, are driving the current surge in Covid-19 cases, according to the BBMP. They account for nearly 80 per cent of new Covid cases in the city.

These residential buildings also account for nearly half of the 110 Covid containment zones in the city, said Gaurav Gupta, Chief Commissioner, BBMP. "Every day, we get at least three to four new Covid cases from an apartment complex," he added.

Most of these apartment complexes are located in East, Bommanahalli and Mahadevapura zones where there is a high density of frequent international and domestic fliers, Gupta said.

Also Read: Karnataka fresh Covid cases crosses 1,000, with Bengaluru alone accounting for 810 cases

In order to control the surge, the civic body is deploying special teams to carry out containment and surveillance measures.

"We have been in touch with apartment associations and are telling them what they need to do to prevent the spread of the virus," Gupta said.

This apart, the municipal body is also going to increase the number of daily Covid tests from the existing 50,000 to 60,000. Together with the night curfew, these surveillance and testing measures will check the infections, he hoped.

Data from the BBMP Covid war room shows that Bommanahalli has the highest number of containment zones at 35 followed by Mahadevapura at 23. East, South, Yelahanka and West zones each have more than 10 containment zones. The Bellandur ward has been consistently reporting 20 or more Covid cases a day. Hagadur, Doddanekkundi and Arakere wards have been reporting nine cases a day each.

Hospitalisations under control

Notwithstanding the increase in Covid cases, the rate of hospitalisation has remained low, suggesting that most cases are either asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic.

Bengaluru reported only seven hospital admissions, according to the BBMP's Saturday Covid bulletin. "Even though the graph is gradually rising, if you look at the three-day average, the case numbers have more or less remained in single digits," said an official from the BBMP health department.

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