Bengaluru's lockdown begins tonight: Know what's open, what's not
As coronavirus cases continue to surge in Karnataka's capital Bengaluru (urban Bengaluru has 15,051 active cases and 321 have died), the city will be locked down from 8 pm on July 14 till 5 am on July 22, the administration announced earlier. On Monday, the government released guidelines, underscoring what services will be allowed to function, and what will remain shut. Here's more.
Grocery shops will remain open for seven hours
As per the order, signed by state's Chief Secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar, shops dealing with food, groceries, fruits and vegetables, dairy and milk booths, meat and fish, and animal fodder will remain open from 5 am to 12 noon. This includes PDS ration shops as well. The government has also allowed home delivery of essential items, to ensure people don't leave their homes.
Reportedly, Yediyurappa wasn't keen on bringing back curbs
The government has let its offices to function, but only with 50% of staff strength. Reports said Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa was reluctant to re-impose curbs considering that the state's economy healed to some extent since June. However, he had to bow down to pressure as cases rose substantially. During the lockdown period, the government also allowed pharmacies and medical services to work undeterred.
Public transport suspended, dine-in services at restaurants not allowed
Further, the government said construction work can continue if laborers are present at the site. Unrestricted movement of goods and cargo outside the containment zones is also allowed. However, public transport will remain suspended. This means no buses, metros, or taxis will ply within Bengaluru during the lockdown. Hotels and restaurants can deliver food items but dine-in isn't allowed.
Already scheduled flights and trains can operate: Karnataka government
The government said already scheduled flights and trains will operate and passengers can produce their tickets as a travel pass. Unsurprisingly, inter-state and intra-state movement will only be permitted for medical emergencies or permitted activities. It's pertinent to highlight that in contrast to the earlier lockdowns, the BJP-led state government has allowed operations of e-commerce companies.
Before lockdown began, hundreds of migrants returned home
Notably, before the complete lockdown kicked in, hundreds of people, mostly migrant workers, returned to their hometowns on Monday. "By 11 am, 333 buses have ferried 8,938 passengers from Bengaluru. The traveling public has been advised not to panic, we have planned for a sufficient number of buses for Monday and Tuesday," an official of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation told IANS.
Bengaluru was locked down over "community transmission fears"
What's worrying is that in most cases reported from Bengaluru in the last ten days or so, the source was unknown. Now that curbs have been enforced, the government plans to follow a hyper-local approach to curb the transmission, Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar indicated. While he admitted to rise in the number of deaths, he claimed COVID-19 wasn't the "only reason" behind it.
