Curbs to be further eased in 19 districts in Karnataka from Monday
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Saturday announced further easing of lockdown restrictions in 19 of the 31 districts from June 21 in view of the positivity rate falling below five per cent and a decline in others.
"For the past one week, the COVID-19 positivity rate is less than five per cent in 16 districts, between five per cent and 10 per cent in 13 districts and above 10 per cent in Mysuru district.
We have taken certain decisions on easing restrictions, based on the advice of the Technical Advisory Committee on COVID-19 and after discussions with my cabinet colleagues," Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa told reporters.
The 16 districts with less than five per cent positivity rate are Belagavi, Mandya, Koppal, Chikkaballapura, Tumakuru, Kolar,Bengaluru Urban (including BBMP limits), Gadag, Raichur, Bagalkote, Kalaburagi, Haveri, Ramanagar, Yadgir and Bidar, Yediyurappa said.
In these districts, all shops will remain open till 5 pm.
Hotels, clubs and restaurants without air conditioners will be allowed to operate with 50 per cent occupancy.
Outdoor shooting, bus and metro rail services with 50 per cent occupancy and outdoor sports without spectators will be allowed, he said.
The Chief Minister added that the government offices will be permiited to operate with 50 per cent occupancy.
Lodges, resorts and gymnasiums without ACs have also been given the nod to run their business with 50 per cent occupancy.
The restrictions as ordered on June 11 will continue in 13 districts with positivity rate between five per cent to 10 per cent.
These are Hassan, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, Shivamogga, Chamarajanagar, Chikkamagaluru, Bengaluru Rural, Davangere, Kodagu, Dharwad, Ballari, Chitradurga and Vijayapura.
The June 11 order said the restrictions will be eased from 6 AM to 2 PM, where the sale of essential commodities and delivery through e-commerce companies will continue.
The stringent restrictions in Mysuru will continue, the Chief Minister added.
However, state-wide night curfew from 7 PM to 5 AM every day would continue and weekend curfew from 7 PM on Friday to 5 PM on Monday will remain in effect till July 5.
The Chief Minister made it clear that easing the curbs should not be taken to mean that there has been a drastic reduction in infections.
"Easing restrictions should not be perceived as COVID-19 infections have reduced drastically.
The relaxation has been given because people are in distress, business activities have stopped, and livelihoods has become difficult," Yediyurappa said.
He urged people to ensure this relaxation was a success by wearing masks, maintaining social distancing and hand hygiene.
The COVID-19 restrictions were imposed from April 27 when the daily infections breached the 50,000 mark.
When the cases did not come down, the government imposed a lockdown from May 10, allowing sale of essential goods from 6 AM to 10 AM.
It eased restrictions on June 11, allowing shops selling essential commodities from 6 AM to 2 PM after the number of cases started declining.
Due to the restrictions, daily infections have come down to 5,815, though active cases stood at 1,30,872 as of date, according to the health department.
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Rajnath Singh chairs IGoM meet, urges constant vigil over West Asia crisis
New Delhi (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday emphasised the need for round-the-clock monitoring of the West Asia conflict and called for a calibrated response to deal with any eventuality to ensure that national interests remain protected.
Singh made the comments while chairing a high-level meeting of the Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM) set-up to monitor the situation in West Asia.
The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Power Minister Manohar Lal, Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister J P Nadda, Consumer Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi and Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting, Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw.
In view of the "uncertain situation", the defence minister underlined the importance of round-the-clock monitoring of the situation and the need to respond in a calibrated manner to deal with any eventuality, an official readout said.
He stressed on the need to leave no stone unturned to ensure that the people of the country face the minimum effect of the conflict, it said.
It was the second meeting of the IGoM after it was set up last month.
The IGoM was apprised of the measures being taken by the government in the wake of the ongoing West Asia conflict, Singh said on social media.
"We also deliberated upon the next steps to be taken by the government to mitigate any adverse impact arising due to the ongoing conflict," he said.
The defence ministry said in the readout said, "In the meeting, the seven empowered groups of secretaries briefed the IGoM on the steps being taken to tackle the situation."
"The IGoM was apprised about measures undertaken by the Ministry of Finance to address concerns arising due to global trade disruptions and provide relief and support to the industry, especially manufacturing, and bolster investor confidence," it said.
It listed measures including notification issued on Wednesday on full customs duty exemption on 40 critical petrochemical products till June 30.
The ministry also mentioned announcement of a special one-time relief measure for eligible units in SEZs to sell manufactured goods in Domestic Tariff Area (DTA) at concessional customs duty rates to be effective from April 1 to March 31.
It also noted another notification issued by the Department of Revenue clarifying that the provisions of GAAR (General Anti Avoidance Rules) will not be invoked in respect of investments made prior to April 1, 2017.
"These measures will reduce cost pressures on downstream sectors including textiles, packaging and pharmaceuticals, facilitate supply stability in the country and provide requisite clarity for investors contemplating investments in India," the readout said.
Defence Minister Singh appreciated the government's decision to impose a 25 per cent cap on the monthly increase in aviation turbine fuel prices for domestic operations, with effect from April 1.
This step will help protect the people from sudden increase in fares, he said.
The government has accorded highest priority to domestic LPG supply, with refinery production enhanced to fully meet consumption requirements, according to the readout.
"The IGoM was informed that there have been no reports of dry-out at LPG distributorships, and delivery of domestic LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinders continues as per the normal schedule. The temporary supply concerns arose due to instances of hoarding and black marketing, which triggered panic buying in certain areas," it said.
The ministers were informed that strict enforcement action is being undertaken, with raids being carried out across multiple states and Union territories to curb hoarding and black marketing of LPG, the ministry said in the readout.
Action has also been taken against some LPG distributors who engaged in malpractices, it said.
"To support migrant labour and low-consumption households, the government is ensuring adequate availability of 5 kg free trade LPG cylinders, and since March 23, over 4.3 lakh such cylinders have been sold. Special focus is being given to states where demand is higher," it said.
The IGoM was apprised that industrial requirements dependent on commercial LPG are being met, with over 80 per cent of pre-crisis supply levels being maintained to ensure continuity of operations.
"Special meetings have been held with ministries and stakeholders of different industries to understand their demand and meet their needs. Oil PSUs are ensuring continued supply of Auto LPG across the country," the readout noted.
"However, some supply constraints are being faced by private operators due to their procurement challenges, which is why lines are being observed at PSU auto LPG pumps. Wherever the autos are dual feed and can use petrol, they are being encouraged to use petrol," it said.
