14-day complete lockdown in Karnataka from May 10 to May 24

Bengaluru, May 7: Karnataka will be under complete lockdown for 14 days from May 10, 6 am to May 24, 6 am. Admitting that the two-week-long night curfew and weekend curfew imposed by the state government has not succeeded in reducing the Covid-19 second wave severe havoc in the state, chief minister B S Yediyurappa on Friday night announced the imposition of a two-week complete lockdown from next Monday morning. Inter-district movement of vehicles, barring goods vehicles, will be banned and people traveling by trains and flights will have to produce their tickets to book taxies, cabs or other modes of transport to go to railway stations and airports in the entire State. Buses will not be allowed to operate throughout the state. BMTC, KSRTC, and Metro services will not be allowed. However, essential purchases like groceries, vegetables, fruits, milk, meat, and fish will be permitted from 6 am to 10 am. Hotels and restaurants will be permitted to operate only for parcel service or takeaways during the morning four-hour period from 6 am to 10 am. Bars, pubs, and liquor shops will also be allowed to function for parcel service or takeaways from 6 am to 10 am. Milk booths will, however, be allowed to function from 6 am to 6 pm. The same facility of 6 am to 6 pm service will be allowed for pushcarts selling essentials like vegetables, fruits, etc. Food delivery services like Zomato, Swiggy, etc., will be allowed to operate. While all public functions or political meetings will be prohibited during the lockdown period, weddings can however be held with receptions limited to a maximum of 50 persons. However, for funerals and cremations, etc., bare five persons will be allowed. All those found violating the restrictions will be dealt with stringently, including a levy of fines. The movement of private vehicles will not be allowed, except for medical purposes. The chief minister said the government offices will be functioning with 50% staff. Road construction, as well as on-site construction activities, will be permitted. During the last couple of days, the daily infections are in excess of 50,000 and the positivity rate is also escalating, the chief minister said explaining that the state government has been forced to take stringent measures to break the Covid Second Wave. Taxis, Ola-Uber cabs, autorickshaws will be allowed to ply only as per the guidelines permitted for medical purposes or for to and fro travel of passengers for airports or railway stations. Schools, colleges, and educational coaching classes will not be permitted. Cinema theatres, shopping malls, gymnasiums, sports and stadiums, swimming pools, parks, bars, clubs, community halls or samudaya bhavans will not be allowed to open. All religious places and puja places will not be allowed for the public. People will not be allowed to visit the temples and other religious places. While state and central government offices providing essential services will function, other offices will not be open. Hospitals and all medical services will be allowed to function. IT and IT-enabled service companies can function with bare minimum essential staff while the rest of the staff must be on work from home duty.