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Karnataka lifts weekend restrictions based on low hospitalisation rate
State revenue minister R Ashok said the decision was taken based on the low hospitalisation and economic arguments against the curbs.
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The Karnataka government on Friday decided to lift the weekend curfew put in place to combat the rising Covid-19 cases but retained other restrictions -- night curfew and 50% occupancy in commercial establishments.
“The weekend curfew imposed from Friday 10 pm to Monday 5 am in the state is herewith withdrawn. However, night curfew will continue to be imposed from 10 pm to 5 am in the entire state as per the existing guidelines on all days. This measure will be further reviewed based on number of cases and hospitalisation,” said a state government order released on Friday.
State revenue minister R Ashok said the decision was taken based on the low hospitalisation and economic arguments against the curbs. “Weekend curfew has been removed. But if the hospitalisation rate increases above 5%, then these restrictions are likely to return,” he said.
Home minister Araga Jnanendra said the government will be forced to bring back stricter restrictions if people do not behave responsibly.
The order on weekend curfew came after Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai held a meeting on Friday with experts, cabinet ministers and other senior officials to review all existing restrictions that came into effect just after Christmas last year.
“It is reiterated that Pubs/clubs/restaurants/bars/hotels/eating places in hotel etc, will function with 50% of the seating capacity, strictly adhering to COVID appropriate behaviour and entry to such places will be restricted to fully vaccinated persons. Cinema malls/multiplexes/theatres/rangamandiras/auditorium and similar places to operate with 50% of its seating capacity strictly adhering to COVID appropriate behaviour and entry to such places will be restricted to fully vaccinated persons,” the order added.
According to Ashok, hospitalisation in the state remains well below 5% of the active caseload even as the case count breached 300,000.
Karnataka reported 48,049 new infections in a 24-hour-period, taking the active caseload to over 3.23 lakh, according to the daily bulletin of the state health department.
Bengaluru’s active caseload rose to 2.23 lakhs with nearly 30,000 cases for a second day in a row. The positivity rate was hovering around 20%, data shows.
Though there were differing opinions on considering different restrictions for different parts of the state, depending on positivity rate, Ashok said that it was decided to consider Karnataka as a unit and the same rules would apply across the state.
Ashok said that as on January 20, there were over 2.93 lakh active cases and around 2.86 lakh were in home isolation.
Of the 5,333 people who needed hospitalisation, 340 were in the ICU and 127 needed oxygen, the minister said.
