With the rise in COVID-19 cases during the last one month, the State government on Friday issued a fresh set of guidelines ordering a ban on use of gyms and swimming pools, holding rallies and protests, while allowing operation of cinemas with only 50% seating capacity.
The State government, which had suspended regular classes for VI to IX students in Bengaluru on Thursday, extended the rule to all districts on Friday. However, classes for 10, 11 and 12 students will continue but attendance will not be mandatory. Students residing in hostels and writing board exams of X and XII standards are allowed to attend classes.
Classes of higher and professional courses will be suspended, except classes due for board or university examinations and of Health Sciences.
No lockdown, curfew
Chief Secretary P. Ravi Kumar, who held a meeting with the Union Cabinet Secretary earlier in the day, issued the guidelines after reviewing the current scenario of COVID-19 cases in cities, particularly in Bengaluru. However, the government has decided against imposition of lockdown or night curfew.
The notification said that gyms and swimming pools across the State will remain closed. All facilities in apartment complexes such as gyms, swimming pools, community gatherings, club houses, and party halls would remain shut.
In public transport vehicles, the number of passengers should not be more than the available seats. The notification also said that office employees will be encouraged to work from home to the maximum extent.
Cinemas would operate with 50% seating capacity in Bengaluru Rural and Urban, including BBMP limits, Mysuru, Dakshina Kannada, Kalaburagi, Udupi, Bidar, and Dharwad districts, the guidelines said. With many people found eating in hotels, the government said consumers should not be more than 50% the capacity in bars, pubs, restaurants, and clubs in these districts.
Warning to eateries, pubs
For containing the pandemic, COVID Appropriate Behaviour (CAB) has to be followed in public places. Wearing of masks, maintaining social distance and use of sanitisers has been made mandatory in bars, pubs, restaurants, and clubs.
“Eateries would be closed till the end of the pandemic if they found violation of COVID-19 rules,” the Chief Secretary said.
Public gatherings at festivals, social, religious and cultural programmes have been banned too. The guidelines allowed only individual prayers at religious places. The government has already ordered that there would be no public celebrations in the State during upcoming religious festivals such as Ugadi.
If people were found violating the orders, action would be taken against defaulting persons under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and the Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Act, 2020, the order said.
