Malls, pubs, theatres shut, parties banned for a week across Karnataka over COVID-19

The government has said that all colleges should shut down, even wedding, birthday parties etc should be cancelled.

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All malls, theatres, pubs and exhibitions across Karnataka will be shuttered for a week beginning Saturday to prevent spread of COVID-19 in the state, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa ordered on Friday. This also applies to nightclubs, swimming pools, play areas, music festivals, club events, summer camps, sporting events, weddings, conferences, parties like birthdays and engagements.

A seven-day leave has also been announced for colleges and universities. Schools across the state have been already ordered to be closed, only examinations for class 7 onwards has been permitted as of now. The government has said that it will further decide on exams for Class 7, 8 and 9.

Further, all Information Technology firm employees will be advised to work from home.(Update- restaurants will remain open, until instructions to the contrary are given).

The decision will be reviewed in a week.

The Karnataka government has till now confirmed five other cases in the state. A Bengaluru Dell employee who returned from Austin in America via New York and Texas was the first person to be confirmed in the state. Later, his wife and 13-year-old daughter too were tested positive. Another techie who had travelled from US to Bengaluru via London, was tested positive next.

A 26-year old who had returned from Greece via Dubai to Mumbai was the fifth case. He had been to Greece on a holiday and returned to Mumbai in the first week of March. Later, he came to Bengaluru and worked for a day out of his office. The government is trying to trace all the people who came in contact with him.

Restrictions in Kalaburagi

In the wake of the first coronavirus death reported from Kalaburagi district, the district authority had ordered the closure of all anganwadis, schools, other educational institutions, parks, shopping malls for a week.

All public gatherings have been banned and the district officials are in touch with the organisers of the Basaveshwara Yatra Samiti to postpone the event. All plays which were scheduled will also be postponed. All forms of government celebrations will also stand postponed.

The order was issued by Kalaburagi Deputy Commissioner B Sharath under Section 133 of the Criminal Procedure Code.