Karnataka relaxes lockdown in 6 more districts including Bengaluru Rural, hotels and gyms open, malls stay shut

Lockdown norms were relaxed in six more districts of Karnataka, including Bengaluru Rural on Monday. All public transport services can operate with 50 percent capacity, whereas hotels, restaurants and clubs without air conditioning can operate till 5 pm.

File Photo (ANI)

New Delhi: The new COVID-19 guidelines called 'Unlock 2' came into effect in Karnataka on Monday (June 21) and will remain in force till 5 am on July 5. The Karnataka government had on Saturday issued a new set of guidelines, relaxing COVID-19 curbs further in several districts of the state, including Bengaluru city. The government had earlier relaxed restrictions in 17 districts of the state. 

These relaxations are applicable in Bengaluru Urban, Uttara Kannada, Belagavi, Mandya, Koppala, Chikkaballapur, Tumakuru, Kolar, Gadag, Dharwad, Raichur, Bagalkot, Kalaburagi, Haveri, Ramanagara, Yadgir and Bidar. In rest of the districts that have a positivity rate of more than 5 per cent, the existing relaxation which was in place from June 11, will apply, allowing essential shops to be open from 6 am to 2 pm, and movement of people till 7 pm. Mysuru, where the positivity rate is high, will remain under a strict lockdown until July 5.

Hotels and gym resumed service and public transport buses and Metro have resumed operations with riders on Monday as the state government's guidelines further relaxing Covid-19 curbs in 17 districts of Karnataka, including Bengaluru city have come into effect.

These relaxations will be in place in Karnataka from June 21 to July 5.

Rules applicable in the entire state: 

Everyday night curfew from 7 pm-5 am
Buses can operate with upto 50% seating capacity
Weekend curfew from Friday night 7 pm to Monday 5 am
Public transport services to operate with 50 percent capacity
Hotels, clubs and restaurants without air conditioning can open till 5 PM with 50% capacity. Liquor will not be permitted.
Gyms began functioning at half capacity
Parks will be open from 5 am to 6 pm for walking and jogging.
Functioning of lodges and resorts with bookings up to 50% allowed
Outdoor sports activities without spectators allowed
Outdoor film shooting can resume from today
Bus operations begin in Karnataka: 

Though bus operations has come as a relief to office goers and others who depend on them for commuting, they plying in leaser numbers and with 50 per cent capacity is causing chaos at bus stands in several places of the city, with higher number of people wanting to avail its service.

KSRTC deploys 3000 buses for local and inter-district long route bus operations

While the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporations (KSRTC) has said it is deploying 3,000 bues initially for local and inter-district long route bus operations, the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) had said it will ply 2,000 buses. According to BMTC officials, till 8 AM a total of 796 buses are being operated.

Hotels, clubs and restaurants without air conditioning opened for service until 5 PM with 50 per cent seating

Curfew timings in Karnataka: 

There will be a curfew in place between 7 PM and 5 AM on weekdays and during weekends curfew will be in place from 7 PM on Friday to 5 AM on Monday throughout the state.

What remains shut in Karnataka

All swimming pools remain shut 
All religious places of worship to stay close 
All political events remain prohibited 
All educational institutions, shopping malls, pubs and amusement parks to remain shut