Karnataka relaxes Covid-19 curbs in 19 districts

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Thursday unveiled an unlock plan that will kick in from June 14 in 19 districts where some relaxations have been given, but 11 districts with a high Covid-19 positivity rate will remain under lockdown sans concessions.

The government has brought back night curfews everyday and during weekends to keep a check on the spread of the infection.

The daily curfews will be in place from 7 pm till 5 am, whereas on weekends, it will start at 7 pm Friday till 5 am Monday. The curfews will be applicable in all the districts.

Keeping in mind livelihoods and the economy, the government has allowed auto rickshaws and cabs to ply till 7 pm whereas, all industries have been allowed to resume operations with 50 per cent staff.

Citizens can shop for essentials and alcohol from 6 am till 2 pm and this includes street vendors.

There are no restrictions on inter-district travel, Yediyurappa specified.

Construction activities and related shops - cement and steel - will be permitted to function. Government offices will continue to function with a strength of 50 per cent, Yediyurappa added.

"This has been done based on the recommendations of the technical advisory committee," Yediyurappa said. "We will be able to provide more relaxation if the pandemic situation comes under more control."

According to Revenue Minister R Ashoka, this unlock plan was designed to help auto/cab drivers and provide relief to industries. "This is a mini-lockdown," he said.

However, 11 districts including Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga, Davanagere, Mysuru, Chamarjanagar, Hassan, Dakshina Kannada, Bengaluru Rural, Kodagu, Mandya and Belagavi will remain under a lockdown until June 21 with no relaxations. "The deputy commissioners and ministers in charge will have the liberty to take additional measures in these districts," Yediyurappa said.

Earlier, the government said it will unlock only those districts where the positivity rate is below 5 per cent. However, this was not the sole criterion because districts that will unlock continue to have a positivity rate above 5 per cent. "We took an average of many factors - positivity rate, active cases, recoveries, the situation in the neighbouring districts and local factors," Deputy Chief Minister CN Ashwath Narayan, the Covid-19 Task Force chairperson, told DH.

Earlier in the day, Yediyurappa reviewed eight districts with a high positivity rate. In Chikmagalur, for example, Yediyurappa found the rate to be 25 per cent with an average of only 6.1 contacts of an infected person traced.

Yediyurappa also expressed concern over higher caseload in rural areas than in urban centres of seven of the eight districts, with Mysuru being an exception.

Key highlights:

* Essential shops and liquor shops open from 6 am to 2 pm.

* Parks to be open from 5 am to 10 am.

* Autos, taxis permitted with maximum 2 passengers till 7 pm. No buses.

* Curfew between 7 pm and 5 am on weekdays.

* Weekend curfew to start 7 pm on Friday until 5 am on Monday.

* No prohibition on inter-district travel.

* Industries will function with 50% strength, garment factories at 30%.

* Construction activities can resume.