Karnataka government decides to shut schools in Bengaluru, imposes weekend curfew

BENGALURU: The Karnataka government on Tuesday decided to impose weekend curfew and extend the night curfew for two weeks in Bengaluru in view of the alarming rise in number of COVID-19 cases. The government also decided to shut schools and pre-university colleges except for 10th and 12th standard students for two weeks.

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"We have decided that barring 10th and 12th classes, schools will be shut for rest of the classes in Bengaluru. These COVID rules will come into effect from Wednesday night," Karnataka Revenue Minister R Ashoka told reporters. Ashoka said there will be weekend curfew for two weeks from 10 PM on Friday to 5 AM on Monday. All essential services will continue, he added.

Further, the government announced extension of night curfew, which ends on January 7, for two weeks. The Minister also said that there should not be a congregation of more than 200 people in marriages at open places and 100 in marriage halls. There should also be 50 per cent occupancy in pubs, bars, cinema halls and malls and those working and visiting these places should have taken both the jabs of COVID vaccine.

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Also, the government decided to make a negative RT-PCR test report mandatory for those coming to state from Maharashtra, Kerala and Goa, the minister said. Government offices will have to follow the Government of India guidelines, he explained. The decision was taken in a high level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, which was attended by senior ministers including health minister Dr K Sudhakar, Ashoka and Higher Education Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan, medical experts and senior officials.

The meeting was held in view of the sudden jump in COVID cases in the state. Karnataka logged 2,479 cases on Tuesday and four fatalities. Since January 1, the city has been logging over 1,000 cases daily.