Bengaluru: bent at pressure from various quarters, the Karnataka government on Friday lifted a weekend curfew with a direct effect but continued with night curfew starting at 10pm to January 29 throughout the state.
Weekend curfews from Friday 10pm until Monday 5 in the morning had been put in place on January 5 after a surge in Covid-19 case.
Even though the country continued to see the increasing number of cases and approaching its peak, the government pulled the weekend curfew because the number of patients treated in hospital was not worrying.
“We decided to attract weeknmairs subject to conditions that if the inpatient level rises worrying 5% now, we will imitate it,” said Revenue Minister R Ashoka after a two-hour review meeting chaired by the Chairman of the Minister of Bukavaraj Bommai.
The meeting also decided not to reopen the school in Bengaluru, except for class 10-12, until January 29 while allowing schools in other districts to operate classes like Monday.
“We will review the situation next Friday and receive the call back in Bengaluru,” said the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education BC Nagesh.
Based on the recommendations of health experts, he said a single school will be considered as a unit and the government will receive a call about the closing of the school in the district.
“If some Covid cases are reported, that certain schools will be closed for three days.
If the number is high, the school will be closed for seven days,” said Nagesh, adding that the assistant commissioner, district health officer, and Tahsildars had been empowered to receive a telephone.
Ashoka previously insisted that weekend messions were being appointed based on expert reports and considering the decision by neighboring Maharashtra and Kerala.
He said there had been requests from people, organizations and political leaders across the party line to lift weekend hours.
“We have made this decision based on expert reports and scientifically and not under any pressure,” he said, it was interesting for people to follow Covid guidelines and preventive measures.
He said the guidelines imposed on January 5 will still apply, including Limitation of protests, demonstrations, exhibitions and meetings other masses.
In addition, rules of 50 percent in pubs, theaters, malls, and commercial companies will continue.
As on January 20, Ashoka said Karnataka had 2.93,231 active cases.
Among them, 2.8 Lakh people are being treated in house isolation and 5,344 people are hospitalized with ICU and 127 on the ventilator.
The level of participation in the state is 19.9 percent and 8% among children and 16.5% among children Children and 16.5%.
CM has directed us to focus on children who are hospitalized, “he said.
Covid experts previously told the government that the worst scenario for the country was 1 lakh to 1.2 lakh cases a day.
They added that expecting to ride Karnataka in the next few weeks and reach the top on January 25.
Karnataka has so far reported 50,000 cases.