Bengaluru: Karnataka will from Monday relax its Covid-19 lockdown, in effect since April 27, and start a phased unlocking process all across the states, barring 11 districts where the infection rate has not come down.
The relaxation in lockdown measures will be in place from 6am on Monday to 6am on June 21. Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa said last Thursday that the decisions have been taken based on suggestions made by the Covid-19 Technical Advisory Committee.
Yediyurappa said if the situation comes under control it will help the government to announce further relaxations and sought people’s cooperation in this regard. The Karnataka government announced a 14-day ‘close-down’ from April 27 and subsequently imposed a complete lockdown from May 10 to May 24 amid rising Covid-19 cases.
It was further extended till June 7 and then again till June 14 as experts said the lockdown was yielding results and coronavirus disease cases were coming down. The existing lockdown rules will continue for Chikkamagaluru, Davangere, Mysuru, Hassan, Chamarajanagara, Mandya, Dakshina Kannada, Bengaluru Rural, Shivamogga, Belagavi and Kodagu with high test positivity rate (TPR). The government has given powers to district commissioners to implement stringent measures in consultation with the in-charge ministers for the 11 districts.
However, Night curfew will be in effect from 7pm to 5am in all other districts, including Bengaluru City. The weekend curfew will also be in effect from 7pm on Friday till 5am on Monday starting from June 14. Shops selling essentials can open from 6am to 2pm, parks open from 5am to 10am and street vendors can operate from 6am to 2pm. Auto-rickshaws and taxis with only 2 people at a time can ply. The garment industry can function with 30 per cent capacity and factories will be allowed to open with 50 per cent capacity.
According to the government, important departments can operate with 50 per cent staff. Hotels and restaurants can continue to deliver food and bars will be open for takeaways till 2pm. All construction activities have been allowed to start and all shops pertaining to construction activities, like those selling cement and steel, are allowed to open. However, malls, cinema halls, gyms and swimming pools will remain shut and existing restrictions on weddings, funerals and public gatherings will continue.
Metro trains and bus services cannot operate during this unlock phase but the government has allowed inter-state and intra-state movement of passenger vehicles.
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