Karnataka Lockdown, Weekend Curfew Rules

Bengaluru: In the aftermath of an unusual increase in COVID-19 cases in the state on Tuesday, the Karnataka government has imposed limitations and issued new rules till January 19.

As a precautionary step against the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the night curfew has been prolonged until January 19 and a weekend curfew has been implemented.

After a long meeting to review the state's current predicament, which was chaired by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, K. Sudhakar told reporters following a long meeting to review the state's current predicament that classes from 1 to 9 standards had been halted.

During the week, pubs, bars, restaurants, and theatres will operate at half-capacity. He noted that in all religious sites and prayer rooms, the number of devotees is limited to 50 at any given moment.

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According to him, the number of guests allowed at a wedding is restricted to 100 in choultries, indoor places, and 200 in outdoor locations.

International travellers who test positive at airports will not be able to return home. They will be sent to hospitals and motels that have been recognised by the government.

Minister Sudhakar indicated that those who returned from the state of Goa will be traced and tested again since the majority of Goa returnees test positive for COVID.

For people travelling from the states of Goa, Maharashtra, and Kerala, the RT-PCR negative report is now required. At the borders, he added, there would be intense surveillance.

The government offices below the rank of Under Secretary work at 50% capacity, and the Health Department will use the staff's services. He stated that personnel with a rank higher than Under-Secretary will be fully present in the offices.

Infection rates have risen from 0.16 per cent to 3.12 per cent in the state. "The infection is doubling every 2-3 days. Earlier, in the first and second waves, it took about 8–15 days. We are seeing vertical growth of COVID cases this time," he said.

Because Bengaluru is the epicentre of illnesses, the government has devised various measures to deal with the crisis in Bengaluru and the rest of the state.

P. Ravikumar, Chief Secretary and Chairman of the State Executive Committee noted that the number of patients in Karnataka is increasing at an alarming rate, which is mostly owing to the Omicron variety. He said that the number of patients had increased in less than three days.

All schools and institutions in Bengaluru's urban area, save medical and paramedical, would be closed on January 6, except for classes 10, 11, and 12, he added.

There is no seva allowed in religious areas, and only darshan is permitted.

Sports facilities and stadiums are permitted to operate at 50% capacity.

Rallies, dharnas, and demonstrations are all forbidden. He said that if there were any infractions, legal action would be taken under the Disaster Management Act and IPC provisions.

The weekend curfew will begin at 8 p.m. on Friday and end at 5 a.m. on Monday. During the weekend and night curfew, only essential and emergency activities are permitted.

Curfew restrictions do not apply to any business, including the IT industry.