Karnataka announces complete lockdown from May 10, essential shops timing restricted to 4 hours

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In view of the alarming rise in COVID-19 cases, the Karnataka government has decided to impose a complete lockdown from May 10, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa announced on May 7.

The lockdown will continue till May 24, Yediyurappa said, adding that all hotels, pubs and bars will remain shut during the 14-day period. Shops providing essential items would be allowed to function for a four-hour period between 6 am and 10 am, he added.

The government has been forced to move the state into a complete lockdown as the prevalent night curfews failed to bring down the virus transmission rate, the chief minister said.

"As COVID-19 cases are surging in the state, corona curfew was not successful. So, a complete lockdown will be imposed from 10th May, 6 am to 24th May, 6 am," he said.

Among the essential shops that have been permitted to remain open include grocery stores, eateries, meat shops and vegetable shops.

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What will remain shut under Karnataka's fresh lockdown?

- Hotels, pubs, restaurants and eateries (however, home deliveries are permitted).

- Schools, colleges, educational/coaching institutions.

- Cinema halls, shopping malls, gymnasiums, sports complexes, stadia, playgrounds, swimming pools, parks, entertainment parks, clubs, theatres, bars and auditoriums, assembly halls.

- All places of worship. All forms of social, political, religious and other gatherings are also prohibited.

What remains allowed?

- For ticket holders of scheduled train and flights, commutation using taxis, cab booked via aggregators, metro rail services and auto rickshaws would be permitted.

- Selected central, state and local government offices which are involved in essential services including healthcare and other frontline work.

Karnataka is among the top three states reporting the highest per-day count of infections. The state on May 7 reported 48,781 new infections and 592 more deaths - the highest in a single day. The state's cumulative COVID-19 count has crossed the 18 lakh-mark, and the active case load has surged above 5.20 lakh.