Lockdown extended in 11 districts in K'taka; unlocking to begin in other districts from June 14
Bengaluru, Jun 10: COVID-19 induced lockdown measures will continue in 11 districts of Karnataka which have a high positivity rate till June 21, while some relaxations will be given in the rest of the state from June 14, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said on Thursday.
He also said that the COVID curfew will be imposed from 7 PM to 5 AM and weekend curfew will be imposed from 7 PM on Friday to 5 AM on Monday, after the current lockdown in the state comes to end on June 14.
"Current restrictions will continue in all eleven districts with high positivity rate till 6am on June 21, in the rest of the districts some of the restrictions have been relaxed. However, concerned Deputy Commissioners and District in-charge Ministers can take a call to impose more restrictions in their districts," Yediyurappa said.
Speaking to reporters after meeting with senior Ministers and officials, he said the decision has been taken based on suggestions made by the COVID-19 Technical Advisory Committee, consisting of experts.
"In districts with high positivity rate- Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga, Davangere, Mysuru, Chamarajanagara, Hassan, Dakshina Kannada, Bengaluru Rural, Mandya, Belagavi and in Kodagu- there will be no changes in the current guidelines," he added.
The relaxation in lockdown measures will be in place from 6 AM on June 14 to 6 AM on June 21.
Noting that restrictions are being relaxed in the rest of the state other than 11 districts, the Chief Minister said, all industries have been permitted to operate with 50 per cent staff strength, but garment industries can operate with 30 per cent staff strength.
Shops selling essential goods have been permitted to operate till 2 PM by extending their duration from 10 AM earlier; also all construction activities will be permitted, and shops needed for construction activities like cement, steel among others have also been allowed to open, he said.
Parks will be opened from 5 AM to 10 AM for walkers, street vendors can do their business from 6 AM to 2 PM, and auto and taxis are allowed to ply with maximum two passengers, he added.
If the situation comes under control as per the expectations it will help the government to announce further relaxations, Yediyurappa said as he sought the cooperation of everyone in this regard.
Responding to a question on public transport buses and functioning of government officers, he said for now buses are not permitted to operate, while important departments of the government can operate with 50 per cent staff.
Hotels and restaurants will continue to do parcel service and bars will be open for takeaways till 2 PM.
The Karnataka government had initially announced 14 days 'close-down' from April 27, but subsequently imposed a complete lockdown from May 10 to May 24, as the COVID cases continued to spike.
Citing lockdown yielding results and experts' advice, it was further extended till June 7 and then again till June 14.
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Vartha Bharati–Sankalp predictions align closely with Karnataka bypoll results
Bengaluru: The Vartha Bharati–Sankalp election analysis has shown a high level of accuracy in predicting the outcome of the recent Karnataka Assembly by-elections held in May 2026, correctly calling winners in both constituencies and closely estimating vote share trends.
The by-elections were held in Bagalkot and Davanagere South, drawing significant political attention as both seats were seen as key tests for the ruling Congress and opposition BJP.
According to the analysis, Vartha Bharati–Sankalp had made three major projections ahead of the results the winning party, vote share percentages, and margin of victory.
In both constituencies, the platform accurately predicted that the Congress would emerge victorious. The outcome matched the projections, with Congress candidates winning in Bagalkot and Davanagere South.
In terms of vote share, the predictions were largely in line with the final results. In Bagalkot, the BJP’s vote share was forecast in the range of 40 to 46 per cent, while the actual figure stood at 42.9 per cent. The Congress vote share, however, exceeded expectations, with the party securing 55.4 per cent against a projected range of 43 to 48 per cent.
The margin of victory in Bagalkot turned out to be significantly higher than anticipated. While the projection had placed the margin between 2,000 and 3,500 votes, the final margin was around 22,332 votes.
In Davanagere South, the predictions also remained largely accurate. The Congress vote share was projected between 43 and 51 per cent, and the final figure stood at 43.9 per cent. The BJP was expected to secure between 42 and 50 per cent but ended with 40.3 per cent.
The analysis had also identified the role of SDPI as a potential spoiler in the constituency. While its vote share was estimated around 6 per cent, the party eventually secured around 12 per cent of the vote.
The margin of victory in Davanagere South was predicted to be between 1,500 and 2,600 votes. The actual margin was higher at around 5,708 votes, though the contest remained relatively close as anticipated.
Overall, the performance of Vartha Bharati–Sankalp stood out for correctly identifying the winning parties in both seats and maintaining close accuracy in vote share estimates, with only limited deviations in specific cases.
