Bengaluru: Amid the scare of Omicron, Karnataka Government has decided to impose night curfew. From 10 pm to 5 am for 10 days from December 28, the curfew will be active. The state government has imposed a ban on all New Year parties and gatherings in public places.
“From December 28 onwards, for about 10 days, to begin with, we would like to watch by calling a night curfew, invoking Section 144, from night 10 pm to the next morning 5 am,” Health Minister K Sudhakar said on Sunday.
Pubs, restaurants and other eateries will be allowed to have only 50% occupancy on December 31, he said. “We need to understand that Omicron spreads very quickly,” the minister said. He also urged the public to receive the second dose of the vaccine as soon as possible. “Today, our state has 38 cases (of the variant). So before it spreads to more people, people need to get both doses of the vaccine,” the minister added.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had previously announced certain restrictions for New Year’s Eve on December 21. He had said that mass gatherings will not be allowed, especially in the MG Road area in Bengaluru, and that special events like DJ parties would not be allowed.
Other states like Telangana, Maharashtra and the Delhi government too have imposed curbs on public gatherings during the festive season, amid concerns over the spread of the Omicron variant. Following directions from the Telangana High Court to impose restrictions on public gatherings during Christmas, New Year’s Eve and Sankranthi, the Telangana government has issued orders banning rallies and public gatherings till January 2. However, the state did not ban New Year’s celebrations.
While prohibiting rallies and public meetings, the orders stated that other events involving congregation of people will be allowed, as long as physical distancing is ensured at the venue, masks are made mandatory, and thermal scanning is done at the entry point.
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