Karnataka imposes weekend COVID curfew in eight districts bordering Kerala, Maharashtra

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Bengaluru: Karnataka decided to enforce a weekend curfew in eight border districts as well as night curfew across the state in view of the surge in COVID-19 cases in districts that share borders with Kerala and Maharashtra.

According to fresh guidelines issued, night curfew has been advanced by an hour, and will be now in place from 9 pm to 5 am.

The weekend curfew will be enforced in Belagavi, Bidar, Chamarajnagar, Dakshina Kannada, Kalburgi, Kodagu, Mysuru, and Vijayapura from 9 pm on Friday to 5 am on Monday.

"Shops dealing with food, groceries, fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, liquor, dairy and milk booths and animal fodder will be allowed to function from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. in these eight districts. But home delivery of all essential items (barring liquor) will be encouraged 24/7 to minimise the movement of individuals outside their homes," the circular said.

The circular also said that places of worship - temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras, and others - will be allowed to open and activities pertaining to the places of worship will be permitted with strictly adhering to COVID appropriate behaviour.

"But jathres (village fests), temple festivals, processions and any forms of congregations will not be allowed," the circular said.

The circular stated the decisions were taken after Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai reviewed the COVID situation in the state along with the officers and health experts.

"Health experts have suggested these additional containment measures to be imposed in view of the upcoming festival season to prevent the spread of COVID in the state," it said.

The circular said that marriages and family functions are permitted to be conducted in districts that share borders with Kerala or Maharashtra bit with a capped attendance of 100 persons, and a maximum of 20 people will be allowed to attend funerals.

All social, political, sports, entertainment, academic, cultural, and religious functions, gatherings and large congregations will remain prohibited.

(With inputs from news agencies)