Karnataka administration is worried as the Opposition Congress is in confrontational mode in connection with Padayatra on the Mekedatu project. Opposition leader Siddaramaiah has asked the Congress workers to be ready to go to jail while taking out padayatra.
The 10-day padayatra is scheduled to begin on January 9 from Mekedatu. Karnataka Health Minister K. Sudhakar has stated that 149 new Omicron cases have been confirmed in the state, taking the overall tally to 226.
He said this late Tuesday night. However, the health department is yet to give details about the new cases and tracking of the primary and secondary contacts of these new cases. In view of the surging new Covid cases, the Karnataka government has announced new guidelines.
The new guidelines include weekend curfew, extended night curfew, and made rules for commercial establishments to operate with 50 per cent capacity. The government has also announced that there will be no offline classes for two weeks except for Class 10 and 12, medical and nursing students.
The guidelines to be in force till January 19 are being imposed as preventive measure to check the third wave of Covid-19 pandemic.
Congress President D.K. Shivakumar has also announced that they won't step back from the decision of taking out padayatra. "We will not be scared. Let the BJP foist cases on us and send us to prison," he stated.
The ruling government has banned public gatherings of all nature, including political, religious and entertainment. Minister Sudhakar has also stated in connection with the Congress padayatra that the law will take its own course and it is equally applicable to all, including him.
Omicron Restrictions
Speaking to reporters after marathon meeting held to discuss the prevailing situation in the state held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Minister for Health K. Sudhakar has stated that classes from 1 to 9 standards have been suspended.
- Pubs, bars, restaurants, theatres will operate with 50 per cent of their capacity during week days. At any given point of time, the devotees number is restricted to 50 in all religious places and prayer halls, he stated.
- The number of guests for marriages is limited at 100 if the function is held in choultries, interior location and 200 for outdoor locations, he said.
- International passengers if test positive at the airports will not have an option for home isolation. They will be directly send to government designated hospitals and hotels.
- Those who returned from Goa state, would be tracked and tested again as most of Goa returnees are testing positive for Covid, Minister Sudhakar explained.
- The RT-PCR negative report had been made compulsory for those travelling from Goa, Maharashtra and Kerala states. There will be intensive surveillance at the borders, he explained.
- The government offices below the Under Secretary level operate with 50 per cent capacity and the services of the staff would be utilised by Health department. Above the Under Secretary rank officers would attend the offices fully, he said.
The state has seen a jump from 0.16 per cent to 3.12 per cent in terms of infections. "The infection is doubling in every 2-3 days. Earlier, in first and second waves it took about 8-15 days. We are seeing vertical growth of Covid cases this time," he said.
Since Bengaluru is the epi-centre of the infections, separate strategies are formulated by the government to deal with the situation in Bengaluru and rest of the state.
The weekend curfew will start from Friday 8 p.m. to Monday 5 a.m. Essential and emergency activities are allowed during weekend and night curfew.
All industries including IT industry are exempted from the restriction of curfew.
(With additional inputs from IANS)
