Karnataka on Friday notified a set of new restrictions slashing the permissible capacity by half at cinema halls, pubs, bars, restaurants and public transportation to stem the sharp increase in Covid-19 cases.
By ET Bureau | Updated:
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Karnataka on Friday notified a set of new restrictions slashing the permissible capacity by half at cinema halls, pubs, bars, restaurants and public transportation to stem the sharp increase in Covid-19 cases. The new orders, applicable to state capital Bengaluru as well as seven other districts with high rates of infection, will remain in force until April 20, chief secretary P Ravi Kumar announced.
While the government has directed the private sector to encourage work from home as far as possible, it has ordered the closure of gyms and swimming pools. It has also suspended on-campus classes for students from Class VI to Class IX, while students from higher classes can continue going to schools and colleges although it is not mandatory.
The government’s intervention was triggered by the state reporting over 4,000 daily cases in the preceding three days. Bengaluru Urban and Rural, which accounts for three-fourths of the new cases reported, Mysuru, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, Kalburgi, Bidar and Hubli Dharwad have been mandated to enforce the new norms from Saturday. “The situation of Covid-19 in Karnataka has been reviewed and it has been observed that there has been a persistent rise in the number of Covid-19 cases in the state during the last one month,” the state’s chief secretary P Ravi Kumar said in the order.
