Pramesh S Jain. Yogesh K Porwar
Chief minister BS Yediyurappa on Friday announced a complete lockdown in Karnataka from May 10th 6am to May 24th 6am as the state reported 48,781 new Covid-19 cases and 592 deaths taking its case tally to 18,38,885.
The state also witnessed 28,623 discharges during the last 24 hours.
After holding a two-hour long meeting with officials and Ministers earlier in the day, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa announced the lockdown measures while allowing people to buy essential items from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. during the two-week lockdown period.
Use of private vehicles will be permitted only for medical purpose and in case of an emergency
All shops selling fruits, milk,groceries, vegetables, meat and fish are allowed to open during the four-hour window in the morning
The demand for medical oxygen has been rising fast in Bengaluru, as in other cities in the state.
The Supreme Court today said it will not leave the people of Karnataka in the lurch as it declined to interfere with the Karnataka High Court’s order to centre to increase the daily oxygen allocation for the state from 965 tonnes to 1,200 tonnes.
Speaking to reporters,Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said,The second wave of covid-19 is creating havoc across the state and the corona curfew imposed earlier has not given expected results in reducing the infection and death rate, therefore, we have decided to impose stringent measures.
Announcing the lockdown,said that the measure was essential as Corona Curfew did not yield the expected result in reducing cases and death rates.
According to the guidelines issued by the government, grocery,fruits and vegetable,meat and fish stores will be open from 6 am to 10 am, whole milk booths and HOPCOMS outlets will be open from 6 am to 6 pm.
All industries, hotels, pubs and bars will remain closed. Inter-district movement of people would not be allowed, barring medical emergencies.
The Chief Minister said all public transport services, including the BMTC and metro trains in Bengaluru and KSRTC across the State,will remain shut.All taxis,including auto rickshaws, will remain off the roads.
It’s a temporary decision of lockdown.I request migrant labourers to not leave.
Other services and tasks allowed to continue during the lockdown are road repair work and cargo vehicles.
Shops and other commercial units like hotels, pubs, bars and industries that are not directly related to providing essential services will have to pull down their shutters.
Flights and trains already scheduled will operate during the lockdown,the Karnataka government said in the order.Metro rail won’t run,cabs not hired for emergency aren’t allowed on the roads. Schools and colleges will remain shut, though online learning can continue.
Not even a single person will be allowed after 10am during the lockdown.I have suggested police officers to take stringent action.We will give free hands and full freedom to them in combating Covid19.We have decided this after looking at the death toll and increasing number of cases said CM BS Yediyurappa.
In an order issued by the government,Chief Secretary P Ravi Kumar has stated,The situation of Covid-19 in the state was reviewed and it was observed that daily new Covid-19 positive cases have continued unabated with a high positivity rate.
The state is satisfied that further stringent containment measures are needed to be implemented to combat the surge of cases.
Chief Secretary P Ravikumar even said that this is a restriction to contain Covid19 second wave and it can be called as Semi lockdown and explained the changes as,people should buy groceries and essential items from their neighborhood only going by walk.
Personal vehicles will be prohibited to ply on roads for purchasing groceries people should go by walk and if anyone found violating the lockdown guidelines there vehicle will be seized by the police.
Intra-district and intra-state travel has been restricted till 24th May from 10th May.
The highest single day count of 592 Covid-19 deaths in Karnataka on Friday showed that clamping curfews was not effective and result oriented steps like a complete 14 day lockdown imposed at the start of the pandemic was necessary, health minister Dr K Sudhakar said.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar today said that the government has decided to cap the price of CT-Scan and Digital X-Ray in hospitals and labs.
Since CT- Scan or X-Ray is becoming increasingly necessary to detect COVID-19 infection, the state government has decided to cap the price of CT-Scan and Digital X-Ray in private hospitals and labs at Rs.1,500 and Rs.250 respectively,the Health Minister tweeted.
List of activities that aren’t allowed during lockdown in Karnataka:
Schools,colleges,educational/coaching institutions etc.will remain closed.Online/distance learning shall continue to be permitted and shall be encouraged.
Hotels,restaurants,and hospitality services, except those meant for housing health/police/government officials/healthcare workers/stranded persons including tourists,quarantine facility and Step Down Hospitals.
Hotels,restaurants and eateries shall be permitted to operate kitchens for take away/home delivery of food items only.
No vehicles will be allowed to be used by persons for taking parcels/takeaway.Only movement by walk is allowed for this purpose.However,hotels, restaurants and eateries can use vehicles for home delivery.
All cinema halls,shopping malls,gymnasiums, sports complexes,stadia,playgrounds,swimming pools,parks,entertainment parks,clubs,theatres, bars and auditoriums,assembly halls and similar places will remain closed.
All social/political/sports/entertainment/academic/cultural/religious functions/ other gatherings and large congregations will be prohibited.
All religious places/places of worship shall be closed for public.
What’s allowed during lockdown in Karnataka:
Shops dealing with food, groceries, fruits and vegetables, meat and fish, and animal fodder shall be allowed to function from 6 am to 10 am.
Public Distribution System shops are allowed.
Take-away only is allowed from standalone liquor shops and outlets, from 6 am to 10am.
Sale of vegetables and fruits through pushcarts is allowed from 6 am to 6 pm.
Milk booths and Hopcom outlets are allowed from 6 am to 6 pm.
Home delivery of essential items shall be encouraged 24×7 to minimise movement of individuals outside their homes.
All food processing and related industries.
Banks, insurance offices and ATM.
Print and electronic media.
Telecommunication, internet services, broadcasting and cable services.
Employees and vehicles of telecom and internet service providers shall be allowed unrestricted movement on producing valid ID card issued by their respective organization/institution.
Only essential staff/employees of IT and ITeS companies/organization shall work from office. Rest will work from home.
Delivery of all items through E-Commerce and home delivery.
Power generation, transmission and distribution units and services.
Capital and debt market services and notified by the Securities and Exchange Board of India.
Cold storage and warehousing services.
Private security services.
Aviation and related services (airlines, airports, maintenance, cargo, ground services, catering, fuelling, security, etc) are permitted.
Industries/industrial establishments/production units (both government and private) will be allowed to operate (outside Containment Zone) adhering to National Directives for Covid management
Construction activities with in-situ labourers/workers will be allowed outside containment zone adhering to National Directives for Covid-19 management.
Works related to pre-monsoon preparation/road construction activity is permitted.
Marriages already scheduled are permitted strictly adhering to Covid-19 appropriate behaviour with a maximum of 50 people.
Cremation/funeral to be allowed with maximum of five people adhering to Covid-19 appropriate behaviour.
Only the following state government offices and their autonomous bodies, corporations, etc. shall function during the lockdown but outside containment zones: Health, medical education, police, homeguards, prisons, civil defence, fire and emergency services, disaster management, revenue,and prisons.
Besides these, all offices operating and maintaining essential services such as electricity, water, sanitation, etc. will also continue operating during the lockdown.
Courts and offices related to judicial work shall operate as per the guidelines issued by the Karnataka High Court.
All operations related to forestry as declared by state forest department.
Only the following offices of the central government, its autonomous/ subordinate offices and public corporations shall function (outside containment cones): Defence, defence PSUs, central armed police forces, and telecommunication.
Banks, Reserve Bank of India, RBI regulated financial markets and microfinance institutions, entities like NPCI, CCIL, payment system operators and standalone primary dealers with bare minimum staff.
Railways and related operations.
All health services (including AYUSH and veterinary hospitals) to remain functional outside containment zone.
All hospitals nursing homes, clinics, labs, collection centers, telemedicine facilities, dispensaries, pharmacies, chemist, Jan Aushadhi Kendras, blood banks, home care providers and all kinds of medicine shops including medical equipment shops.
All pharmaceutical and research labs.
Movement (inter and intra-state, inter and intra-district) of all medical, paramedics, nurses, scientists, lab technicians, mid-wives and other hospital support services.
All manufacturing units of drugs, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, medical oxygen, their packing material and raw material.
Agriculture and related activities (outside containment zone)
Operation of homes for children/disabled/mentally challenged/senior citizens/destitutes/women/widows, etc.
Observation homes, after care homes and places of safety for juveniles.
Movement of all types of goods including empty goods vehicles.
Guidelines for movement of people:
Movement of individuals is strictly prohibited except as permitted below:
No movement of public or private buses or passenger vehicles except as permitted under these guidelines.
Inter-state and intra-state movement of passenger vehicles, only in cases of emergencies or as permitted under these guidelines.
Intra-district movement of passenger vehicles and buses only in emergency cases and strictly adhering to the prevailing SOPs/guidelines issued by Department of Health and Family Welfare.
Movement of officers/personnel traveling with valid ID card issued by their organisation/institution to the place of work and back for permitted activities in these guidelines.
Movement of officers/staff of High Court of Karnataka, officers/staff of District Judiciary holding official ID card are permitted even beyond office hours to attend official work at High Court, Home office Chief Justice/other judges and respective offices at the districts.
Passenger vehicles including airport buses/taxis/auto-rickshaws to and fro from railway stations and airports are permitted. Movement will be allowed only on displaying valid travel documents/tickets.
Autos and taxis (including cab aggregators) are permitted for travel related to emergency purpose.
People have been also advised to ensure wearing face mask, maintaining hand hygiene and social distancing.
