14-day Karnataka lockdown begins today: All you need to know

Among the two dozen Indian states set to undergo lockdown, Karnataka will see stringent curbs starting Monday till May 24 as the Covid-19 disease spread rages in the southern state.

Chief minister BS Yediyurappa announced the restrictions last week and said that the second wave of Covid-19 has created havoc across the state as the previous curfews have failed to yield expected results in reducing the daily infections and fatalities.

The state was already under curfew from April 27, which was to end on May 12.

Karnataka’s Covid-19 tally surged to 19.34 lakh as 47,930 fresh infections were recorded while 490 deaths took the cumulative fatalities to 18,776, the health department said on Sunday. Ahead of the complete lockdown in Karnataka, people thronged at the Hubli market for purchasing essential commodities on Sunday.

Here is all you need to know about the lockdown in Karnataka:

• Restriction will be imposed in the entire state from 6 am of May 10 to 6 am of May 24.
• All shops and commercial establishments, hotels, pubs and bars will remain closed during this period.
• Essential goods and services like food, medicine, milk, fruits and vegetables will be available from 6 am to 10 am.
• Officials said there would be no restrictions on the movement of people dealing with health emergencies. Also, no curbs would be there on the movement of essential goods and medical equipment.
• The government guidelines said that during this period, state and central government departments engaged in providing essential services will operate.
• Buses or the metro rail would not operate, but flights and trains would run as per schedule. Autorickshaws and taxis would be allowed to ferry passengers only during emergencies.
• Schools, colleges, educational institutes and coaching centres will remain shut,as also cinema halls, shopping malls, gymnasium, stadia, auditoria, swimming pools, parks, entertainment parks, clubs, theatres and community halls.
• There will be a total ban on all kinds of social, political, sports, entertainment, educational and religious gatherings.
• A ban on the entry of people in religious places. Hotels and restaurants would be allowed only to give take way parcels
• Various ministers have been insisting that there be more stringent curbs as the existing curfew was not adequate to curb the spread of the virus.

According to the experts in the government formed Technical Advisory Committee on Covid-19, lockdown like measures have been recommended for two weeks to bring down cases. It will also minimise the stress on the health infrastructure and Covid-19 warriors, experts said.