BENGALURU: With the Covid-19 pandemic in the country indicating a sustained downward trend, the Central government recently asked all states and Union Territories to review, amend or end additional Covid-19 restrictions. However, the Karnataka government has decided to continue with the existing restrictions for a few more days.
"A majority of the norms have been relaxed already. However, congregations, increasing capacity of indoor gatherings, normalising crowds for weddings etc will probably have to wait for a few more days. We are already seeing a daily positivity rate of around 1.90 per cent. If it continues to be below 2 per cent for the next few weeks, we could ease those norms too," said Dr C N Manjunath, nodal officer for labs and testing on the State’s Covid-19 Task Force and member of the Clinical Experts Committee.
Meanwhile, Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant has also extended restrictions to rallies, dharnas, protests and social and religious congregations till February 28. Marriage functions will continue with 300 people outdoors and 200 people in indoor spaces. Sports complexes and stadia will continue with 50 per cent capacity till the month-end.
However, at a recently held meeting, TAC members also debated revisiting of the mask mandate and decided that the only two well-known defences against SARS CoV-2 are face masks and vaccination. "Face masks protect against infection, and vaccination against hospitalisation and deaths. It is understandable that there is restlessness among people to revert to being free of masks.
But these two measures have been endorsed by the Central government as well as courts of law, and will be continued in Karnataka. These are the only two measures of protection even for any new variant," explained Dr Manjunath.
Meanwhile, due to a steady decline in Covid-19 cases and Test Positivity Rate in almost all the districts, the TAC recommended reducing testing target to 75,000 from the current daily tests of around 1.2 lakh. "The TAC has recommended that 25,000 tests can be conducted in Bengaluru and the remaining 50,000 tests in the rest of the state," he said. Prioritising non-Covid care, the state has also decided to stop screening asymptomatic patients before admission, surgeries, procedures and investigations.
Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar told TNIE that in view of a decline in Covid-19 caseload, restrictions have already been eased and cinema halls, multiplexes, theatres and auditoriums are permitted to function at 100 per cent seating capacity. Gyms, yoga centres and swimming pools are functioning at full capacity with entry only to fully vaccinated persons.