Whether it was lockdown being imposed or now curbs being lifted, there have always been divided opinions, based on deniable pros and cons. Karnataka government too, on Friday, a day after Diwali, lifted the night curfew between 10 p.m and 5 a.m.
The announcement, made amidst declining Covid cases, was received to mixed reactions with some people welcoming the move, while others termed the move unnecessary and economically motivated.
Meanwhile, the government has also allowed horse racing in the state. With the night curfew being finally lifted, the state of Karnataka is now mostly free from Covid restrictions on movement. However, the restrictions will continue in the border districts especially on the movement and transit of people from Kerala.
Chief Secretary P Ravi Kumar, while issuing orders for lifting curbs on nightlife, has alongside called for strict implementation of Covid protocols and guidelines at public places. Which means that only those who can produce a fully vaccinated certificate will be allowed entry into the premises. During the pandemic, K'taka government has had to go back and forth on imposing and lifting restrictions.
"Horse racing is permitted to resume strictly adhering to Covid 19 appropriate behaviour and SOPs issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department. Number of racing patrons attending horse racing shall be strictly as per the seating capacity of the venue and only fully vaccinated people with COVID 19 vaccine will be allowed entry into such premises," stated the order dated November 5, 2021
Last week, the state government had also ordered the reopening of Anganwadis and kindergarten classes of LKG and UKG from November 8. However, in the initial weeks, the Anganwadis will stay functional only for a duration of two hours from 10 a.m to 12 p.m.
Also as per the state officials only AWC in those taluks will be reopened that have a Covid positivity rate below 2 per cent. It is also mandatory for all the Anganwadi workers, helpers, parents of beneficiaries to be fully vaccinated. The state on Thursday reported 261 new Covid cases and five deaths.
Large gatherings, uncontrollable crowds and festival time
Taking note of the recent gathering of lakhs of fans to mark their final respects to late actor Puneeth Rajkumar in Bengaluru, the state has decided to ramp up testing. With the lifting of night curfews, Karnataka will come back to life after 19 months.
While many welcomed the news, there are some who expressed their reservation at the timing of the order, with people being allowed to move around just a day after the festival period.
