10-day night curfew in Karnataka amid Covid scare

Briefing reporters after a meeting with members of the Karnataka Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) for Covid-19 at his home office 'Krishna' here, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa said that in view of the new strain of the virus and also as per the advice of the Union government and recommendations of the K-TAC, Karnataka decided to impose night curfew between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. for this period. 

"It is applicable across the state... we request people to cooperate to prevent and spread the new coronavirus strain," he said. 

Responding to a question, the Chief Minister said all activities will go on as usual between 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. but no one should come out after 10 p.m. 

"We will issue detailed guidelines in this regard by evening," he said. 

Answering another question, Yediyurappa asserted that the state's decision to partially reopen schools and colleges wont' be changed. "As of now we are firm to reopen schools and PUC from January 1 for Class 10 and second year PUC (class 12) students," he said. 

Yediyurappa said those travelling to the state from foreign countries must have a negative Covid-19 certificate and the test should have been done only 72 hours before. 

"All arrangements have been done at the airport to conduct tests and health staff has been deployed there and we have seen that no one enters the city without getting tested," he said. 

Neighbouring Maharashtra on Monday had declared a night curfew in municipal corporation areas as a precautionary step amid growing concerns over the new coronavirus variant spreading in the UK. 

Earlier in the day, Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Minister K. Sudhakar had held a detailed discussion with the TAC members consisting of senior health experts.