Karnataka ends weekend curfew

            The Karnataka government has decided to lift the weekend curfew in the state beginning this weekend, however the night curfew will remain in effect.

The decision was made during a high-level meeting convened by chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday. Karnataka is the second state, after Maharashtra, to declare certain relaxations in the midst of the pandemic’s ongoing third wave. Unlike Maharashtra, Karnataka is still at its height, with over 30,000 new Covid infections recorded in Bengaluru on Thursday. Maharashtra has agreed to restart offline school lessons on Monday.

Karnataka will have a night curfew, according to revenue minister R Ashok. The weekend ban will be reinstated if the hospitalisation rate rises beyond 5%, according to the ministry. Other limits, such as requiring 50 percent occupancy in public venues, will remain in force.

Unlike in Delhi and Mumbai, where the Omicron wave is thought to have peaked, Bengaluru has yet to reach its peak. It added 30,540 more cases to Karnataka’s 24-hour total of 47,754 cases on Thursday.

On Friday, Bommai met with members of the Covid-19 Technical Advisory Committee, which is made up of specialists such as physicians and civic authorities. Despite the fact that instances are increasing, the decision to abolish the weekend ban was made due to fewer hospitalizations. “In the current Covid wave, the number of hospitalizations is lower. So, there is an idea that it would be preferable to keep on with normal life while adhering to the Covid recommendations, and specialists are looking into it. At the meeting on Friday, they will offer a thorough picture. After gaining clarification on the situation, a proper conclusion would be made”, on Wednesday, Bommai stated.