Hoteliers in Mysuru have questioned the need for continuing the night curfew in Mysuru when all trades, activities and events have been permitted, following sharp drop in COVID-19 cases.
Mysuru Hotel Owners’ Association President C. Narayana Gowda sought to know the reason for continuing the night curfew from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. which has largely hit restaurants and hotels that are supposed to shut down operations after 9 p.m. even as events, including weddings and other functions, are going on till late in the night.
“We had requested for removing the night curfew when the weekend lockdown curbs were withdrawn. Buses, trains and flight services were running normally, and all types of trades and businesses were being operated routinely. Wedding receptions and dinners are going on till midnight,” he said.
Mr. Gowda asked “Why hotels, restaurants, clubs and bars and restaurants are being singled out.”
Arguing that the night curfew has caused inconvenience to the public, he said the State government can consider withdrawing it since cases have fallen further in Mysuru. He urged Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to do so. He also urged Minister in charge of Mysuru district S.T. Somashekar to speak to the Chief Minister on the issue.
The cases in Mysuru have fallen below 50 since the last two days, and the test positivity rate has dropped below 1 per cent.
The representatives of various trade associations and business establishments had earlier opposed the extension of weekend lockdown in Mysuru citing reasons of COVID-19 spike in Kerala, and urged the government for withdrawing the clampdown as the traders and business community were hard hit and yet to recover from the losses they suffered due to protracted lockdown.
The weekend lockdown, however, was withdrawn in Mysuru when the TPR fell below 2 per cent.
The traders had urged the government to look at containing the spread from Kerala with strict checks at the border, firmly preventing those not carrying the RT-PCR negative report not older than 72 hours and vaccination certificate.
They had argued that the pandemic would come under control if these measures were taken instead of imposing lockdowns repeatedly whenever there is a spike.
