Roads empty out at 10 pm as corona curfew kicks in

Around 10 pm, many people were seen at the Brigade Road junction waiting for cabs as police forced them to leave the area.
Police personnel set up barricades and keep vigil on MG Road, ahead of the enforcement of night curfew, in Bengaluru on Saturday | vinod kumar T
Police personnel set up barricades and keep vigil on MG Road, ahead of the enforcement of night curfew, in Bengaluru on Saturday | vinod kumar T

BENGALURU: With the 11-day ‘corona curfew’ coming into effect from 10 pm on Saturday, business establishments across Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mangaluru, Kalaburagi, Bidar, Tumakuru, Udupi-Manipal cities downed shutters well before the appointed hour. The night curfew will be in force between 10 pm and 5 am every day from April 10 to 20.

In Bengaluru, which has been recording the highest number of new Covid-19 cases in the second wave, all shops, restaurants, pubs and commercial establishments across city were forced shut much before 9.30pm on Saturday and hubs like Church Street and Brigade Road wore a desert look.  Traffic thinned out after 10 pm and senior police officers were monitoring the situation. About 47 flyovers across the city were closed to traffic and Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP), Home Guards, Civil Defence along with police personnel have been deployed for security. Around 10 pm, many people were seen at the Brigade Road junction waiting for cabs as police forced them to leave the area.

Most of the hotels around city also shut delivery services as the staff were asked to leave the premises. Very few cabs and autos were seen plying and many people faced difficulties getting a cab on time. However, in Yelahanka Old Town, a couple of bars were open till 10.30pm but the local police claimed they were unaware of it. 

The police also monitored movement of vehicles on Mysuru Road, KR Market, Chamarajpet, Koramangala, Trinity Circle, Anand Rao Circle, Peenya and other major junctions. All entry and exit points to the city have been sealed. Double roads have been converted to single-carriageways and barricades put up at many places.

A senior police officer said that if the police find vehicles moving unnecessarily, they will be sized and the police department will not issue any passes for the vehicles. The staff at the checking points will check vehicles which are allowed for essential services and transporting daily needs. 

Karnataka sees lesser  cases than Friday

If anyone is found misusing these relaxation, strict action will be taken against them under the National Disaster Management Act (NDMA) and IPC Section 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant). Vehicles patients and their relatives or providing essential services, will be allowed move at night. Passengers coming to and going from Bengaluru are also allowed to travel but it is mandatory to carry travel documents. Those who are moving after 10 pm should carry ID cards and required documents. In Tumakuru, the police set up 10 check points across the city.

“Those violating the guidelines will be booked under 51 (B) of National Disaster Management Act’’, warned Superintendent of Police Dr Kona Vamsi Krishna. In Mangaluru, 45 checkposts were erected in the city police commissionerate limits. Several people returning home from work had to face problems as cops stopped them. At many check posts, people were seen arguing with cops. Police commissioner N Shashikumar visited several check posts to oversee implementation of the night curfew.

Meanwhile, MLAs Vedavyas Kamath and Bharath Shetty met Deputy Commissioner K V Rajendra and Police Commissioner N Shashikumar and urged them not to stop religious events taking place after 10 pm. The police were out in full force in Kalaburagi, forcing people to return to their houses after 10 pm. In many places, shop owners were seen closing their businesses on sighting the police. In Humnabad, police resorted to mild caning to disperse crowds who had gathered in groups.

Meanwhile, Karnataka continued to see a surge in Covid- 19 cases, though the number was less than Friday’s figures. On Saturday, 6,955 new positive cases and 36 deaths were reported across the state. According to the health bulletin, a total of 5,70,898 people were vaccinated in the state on Friday. Bengaluru reported the highest number of cases at 4,348.

On Friday, Bengaluru had reported 5,576 positive cases. The total cases in the state till April 10 are 10,55,040 while the death toll stands at 12,849. There were 3,350 discharges on Saturday and the total discharges till date stand at 9,80,519. Also, a total of 405 people were admitted to ICU and the total active cases in the state are 61,653. The positivity rate now is 7.04 per cent and the case fatality rate is 0.51 per cent. According to health officials, the positivity rate on Friday was 5.88 per cent and the case fatality rate was 0.57 per cent.

Authorisation letter
In order to help industries function smoothly, the State Government has permitted the movement of employees to/from their work place, provided they carry an authorisation letter from their organisation, along with authentic ID cards.

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