Karnataka announces night curfew for 8 days starting Dec 24

BENGALURU: Chief minister BS Yediyurappa on Wednesday announced a night-curfew with effect from Dec 24 night as a precaution against the new strain of Covid-19 virus detected in the UK. Karnataka became the second state after Maharashtra to enforce night curfew.

The curfew will be effective from 11 pm to 5 am, until Jan 2. The government has, however, exempted Christmas mass on Dec 24 and has also allowed movement of essential goods and services, factories and organisations to operate at night, movement of employees working in shifts and plying of long distance buses, trains and air services. In the curfew guidelines issued on Wednesday evening, the government also permitted auto rickshaws and taxis to pick and drop passengers from bus stations, airports and train stations against providing valid tickets.

There was some confusion as the government initially announced the night curfew from 10 pm to 6 am, but the chief minister later intervened to make it flexible and relaxed the curfew hours.


“In view of the new strain of Covid, and as per the advice of the Central government and the state technical advisory committee, we have decided to impose night curfew across the state from Thursday night until the morning of January 2,” Chief Minister told reporters.