Amid Covid surge, Karnataka ends weekend curfew, night restrictions continue

Bengaluru, Jan 21: Karnataka government on Friday lifted the weekend curfew across the state after holding crucial meeting with the task force. However, night curfew will continue from 10 pm to 5 am across the state.

The decision was taken after Chief Minister Basavaraja Bommai chaired meeting in Bengaluru with experts from the medical fraternity on relaxing curbs imposed in the state.

"The weekend curfew on Saturday and Sunday is being lifted. This decision has been taken based on the experts' report and subject to conditions. Now, the rate of hospitalisation is about 5 per cent. In case it increases, we will re-impose the weekend curfew," Revenue Minister R Ashoka said.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, he appealed to people not to allow weekend curfew to be put in place again by urging them to follow COVID guidelines and precautionary measures.

"There has been demand from people, various organisations and political leaders from across party lines to lift weekend curfew, but we have taken this decision based on experts' reports. However, the night curfew between 10 pm to 5 am every day will continue, along with a 50 per cent occupancy rule among others," he added.

Experts who have reviewed the trend in different states have predicted that a delayed wave could reach here at the end of January or the first week of February.

With a surge in cases, the government had last week decided to extend the existing COVID curbs such as night curfew and the weekend curfew till the end of January.

The minister further said the restrictions on protests, rallies, fairs and events will continue.