Karnataka Covid New Guidelines: Schools will remain closed for classes 6 to 9 till further notice

Bengaluru: Karnataka government on Friday issued fresh guidelines, asking people to strictly follow the necessary COVID-19 norms. As per the guidelines, all schools both private and government will remain closed for classes 6 to 9 till further notice. It said that students of classes 10, 11 and 12 can attend offline classes but attendance will not be mandatory.

The state government also said that gyms and swimming pools will stay closed and imposed a ban on gatherings and all kinds of dharnas. It said that cinema halls can operate with a maximum 50 per cent seating capacity.

The Karnataka government also said that number of people in public transport should not exceed the seating capacity, adding that the practice of work from home should be encouraged. The guidelines said that appropriate COVID behaviour like the use of masks and social distancing should be followed especially in shopping malls, departmental stores and closed markets.

“If there is any violation in pubs, bars, clubs, restaurants, the facility shall be closed till the COVID epidemic is over,” the Karnataka government guidelines warned. Karnataka has been reporting a spike in coronavirus cases over the last few days. On Friday, the state reported nearly 5,000 fresh coronavirus cases, taking Karnataka’s overall caseload to 10.06 lakh.