HUBBALLI: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai hinted at stricter rules for the coming week with new year celebrations lined up. The state may also be planning to implement night curfew and the final decision will be taken after consulting the expert committee.
Bommai said that the Karnataka has Omicron threat as its increasing in the country. He noted that more than foreign travelers, the rise in Omicron cases in Maharashtra, Kerala and recently in Tamil Nadu are a worrying factor for the state.
He said that he will hold a meeting with expert committee members and other officials in Bengaluru on Sunday before making any changes in the existing rules. The chief minister said that he was aware about states like Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra implementing night curfew in the last few days.
Currently, 32 Omicron cases have been detected in Karnataka in the last one month. Following which there are already restrictions in place on gathering, cap on occupancy in theatres and marriage functions. So far the expert committee in Karnataka has not shown any need for implementing the night curfew. There are little over 7,000 COVID-19 cases in the state.
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"For the last two years the hospitality industry has been suffering due to pandemics and restrictions. This year things looked normal till the beginning of December but now we may have new rules as the omicron cases are rising. Besides large gatherings, smaller parties and outdoor events are allowed on the night of 31. If the night curfew is implemented, even holding such small events will become an issue," said an event manager from Hubballi.
CM Basavaraj Bommai was in Hubballi on Saturday to participate in the centennial celebrations of Hubballi taluk 'huttuvali marata sahakari sangha' in APMC. He was accompanied by Basavaraj Horatti, Chairman of the Legislative Council.