With a sharp spike in COVID-19 cases in Karnataka, the BJP government on Monday announced a stringent two-week lockdown across the State, allowing only a small window for essential services to operate from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.
The restrictions will be in force from 9 p.m. on April 27 to 6 a.m. on May 12.
Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, who chaired a Cabinet meeting, announced that essential services are allowed to operate between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. All shops that deal with fruits, milk, groceries, vegetables, meat and fish are allowed to open during the four hours in the morning.
Travel within, outside State
The Chief Minister said all public transport services — including BMTC and metro trains in Bengaluru and KSRTC across the State — will be suspended. Taxis and autorickshaws will also not operate.
Guidelines issued by Chief Secretary P. Ravi Kumar permitted inter-State and intra-State movement of passenger vehicles only in cases of emergencies. However, inter-State and intra-State movement of goods vehicles, including empty vehicles, are allowed.
All facilities in the supply chain of essential goods, wholesale and retail of such goods through local stores and e-commerce companies are allowed to operate.
Officials attending office work have to carry ID cards and students appearing for examinations must show admission tickets as travel pass.
Food, liquor shops
Hotels, eateries and restaurants are permitted to operate kitchens for takeaway/ home delivery of food items. All entertainment activities will be shut. Takeaways are allowed in standalone liquor shops and outlets between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m.
All industrial activities/ industrial establishments and production units are allowed to operate. The staff would be allowed movement by showing ID cards issued by the industries concerned. However, garment sector, which hires lakhs of employees, particularly women, will remain closed. All construction work and civil repair activities are permitted.
The Chief Minister said all agricultural-related activities, including shops and godowns that are located outside the containment zones, are allowed to function.
The guidelines encouraged most of the government departments to work from home. All health-related services, including AYUSH and veterinary hospitals, will remain open.
Weddings are allowed with maximum 50 people and funeral and cremation with maximum five people.
Lockdown extension
He said after a long Cabinet meeting and consultations with experts, the government arrived at the conclusion to impose the lockdown measures for 14 days to break the COVID-19 chain.
“People have to cooperate. If they do, we can achieve our target,” he said. The Chief Minister warned the public that the government may extend the lockdown after two weeks if the cases do not decline.
Last week, the State government had announced daily curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. and weekend lockdown.
