Govt lifts weekend curfew; Other curbs to continue

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Bengaluru, Jan. 21 Based on the recommendations of experts, the state government on Friday decided to lift the weekend curfew which has been in force since December 28, 2021. This order will come into force with immediate effect.

However, the government will revoke this decision in case the number of admissions in hospitals go up, said Revenue Minister R. Ashok here on Friday, after attending a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Basavaraja Bommai. The minister clarified that all other curbs including 50:50 rules for hotels and restaurants, ban on rallies and restriction on the number of people attending marriages and death ceremonies, would continue.

While admitting there was a surge in Corona cases across the state in the last two to three weeks, Ashok pointed out that the rate of hospital admission has been less than 5 per cent. After considering the opinion of experts, the government decided to withdraw the weekend curfew with immediate effect. “We appeal to citizens to strictly follow Covid rules if they don’t want the weekend curfew to be reimposed.”

He said night curfew would continue all over the state from 10 pm to 5 am daily. Ashok also informed that Karnataka has 2,93,231 active cases of which 2,86,000 are under home quarantine. Only 5,344 persons are in hospitals of which 340 patients are in ICUs and 127 are on ventilators. The State positivity rate is 19.94 per cent, the positivity rate among children is 8 per cent and it’s 16.57 per cent among senior citizens.

The CM has given instructions to the health department to pay special attention to children being treated in hospitals. He has been under pressure in the last one week with Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, BJP National General Secretary C.T. Ravi, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Siddaramaiah, KPCC President D.K. Shivakumar and several ministers urging the government to withdraw the weekend curfew in the interest of trade.