Bengaluru: Following an order by the state government, the police across the state on Thursday forcibly shut shops sending Karnataka into a semi-lockdown. Incidents of the police taking to loudspeakers asking business establishments to immediately close down were reported from Bengaluru, Mangaluru, Dharwad, Belagavi, Hosapete and Kalaburagi among other places, starting 11 am. Only a few businesses and services were allowed to operate on conditions.
The government had earlier announced that night and weekend curfews will be in effect from April 21 to May 4, and only fewer activities will be allowed. However, Thursday's sudden directive to the police to shut shops led to verbal spats in several places between the men in khakhi and business vendors.
Also read: Karnataka CM BS Yeddyurappa recovers from Covid-19, discharged from hospital
Grocery stores, textile shops, hotels (only parcels permitted), jewelry and footwear outlets were shut down. Salons and beauty parlours were allowed to run on conditions.
What is allowed?
- Grocery stores, fruit and vegetable stalls, milk dairy, meat shops and stores selling animal feed
- Wholesale vegetable, fruit and flower shops
- Food manufacturing units
- Banks, ATMs, insurance companies
- Media
- e-commerce service offices
- Service offices run by share markets
- Cold storage and warehouses
- Private security agencies
- Stores selling building/construction materials
- Only takeaways allowed from hotels, restaurants and bars
- Lodging in hotels only for non-locals
- Salons, beauty parlours can remain open upon conditions
Also read: Bengaluru health infra cripples sans oxygen, beds
COVID-cases in Bengaluru continued to see a spike on Thursday. There are about 1.24 lakh active cases in the city -- the highest in the country. Pune, with 1.21 lakh cases, stands houses the second most number of active cases.
On Wednesday, Bengaluru reported the second-highest number of COVID-19 cases, next to Delhi. The recovery rate in Delhi is better.
In Bengaluru city, 1.31 lakh people remain in home isolation while another 12,000 are receiving treatment in hospitals. Few are awaiting a bed in hospital. Queues were witnessed in front of the hospitals and cemeteries.
