The Karnataka government has decided to end the weekend curfew in states starting this weekend, but the nighttime curfew will remain unchanged. The decision was made at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday. Karnataka has become the second state after Maharashtra to announce easing policies amid the third wave of the pandemic. Unlike Maharashtra, however, Karnataka is still at its peak, with Bengaluru reporting more than 30,000 new Covid infections on Thursday. Maharashtra has decided to resume offline classes in schools starting next Monday.

Revenue Minister R Ashok said Karnataka will impose a curfew. The minister said the weekend curfew would be reinstated if the hospitalisation rate exceeded 5 per cent. Other restrictions requiring 50% occupancy in public spaces will also remain in place. Unlike Delhi and Mumbai, where the Omicron wave is believed to be leveling off, Bengaluru has yet to peak. On Thursday, it contributed 30,540 new cases to Karnataka’s 24-hour tally of 47,754 cases.

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Bommai met on Friday with members of the Covid-19 Technical Advisory Committee, which is made up of experts such as doctors and citizen officials. Despite the rise in cases, the decision to lift the weekend curfew was given the reduction in hospitalizations. “In the current wave of Covid, there are fewer hospitalizations. So there is an opinion that it is better to go about daily life in accordance with Covid guidelines, and experts are working on it. Study it. They will present the full picture at the meeting on Friday. After figuring this out, an appropriate decision will be made,” Bohmer said on Wednesday.

The Delhi government also made a proposal to Deputy Governor Anil Baijal to end the weekend curfew, but Baijal refused, saying the status quo of the weekend curfew and nighttime curfew should be maintained.

Complete News Source : Hindustan Times