The BS Yediyurappa administration stopped short of announcing a full-fledged lockdown, choosing "a middle ground" instead, with curfews every day and on weekends till May 4 to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Starting Wednesday, the government has ordered the closure of theatres, malls, bars and dine-in services at hotels to keep people from venturing out amid an unprecedented spike in coronavirus cases.
The new curbs will be applicable all over Karnataka.
The night curfew will be in effect from 9 pm to 6 am as against the earlier 10 pm to 5 am. The weekend curfew will kick in from 9 pm Friday till 6 am Monday.
The decision of the government comes even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi advised states to consider a lockdown only as the last resort.
The new guidelines were the culmination of an all-party meeting chaired by Governor Vajubhai R Vala, which was followed by a meeting of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC).
At the all-party meeting, Vala asked the state government to take "tough measures" to contain the spread of the virus even as former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy pitched for a total lockdown. Even Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah favoured curbs on the movement of people.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with the TAC, Chief Secretary P Ravi Kumar said the new guidelines did not amount to a lockdown. "We've picked a middle ground," he said. "The new guidelines will be in effect till 6 am on May 4. On May 3, we will review the situation again," he added.
With cases rising, pressure was mounting on the government to keep people at home. Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and several others in the government were not in favour of a lockdown, given the devastation it caused last year. "We have reached a stage where more stringent norms are needed. But, we need to be pragmatic," Home & Law Minister Basavaraj Bommai said, stressing on the need to save lives while sustaining livelihoods. "We saw what happened last year," he said, referring to the lockdown.
The government has also tweaked permissions for marriages. Earlier, up to 100 people indoors and 200 outdoors were allowed. Under the new norms, the government has put an overall cap of 50 people for marriages and 20 for funerals.
Places of religious worship will remain closed for the public, except for priests who are allowed to perform daily rituals and the like.
All essential services will remain functional. That apart, inter-state and intra-state travel will not be restricted, according to the guidelines.