COVID-19 lockdown to continue in Karnataka till May 3; No relaxations

Joining the list of states like Punjab and Telangana which have ruled out easing of COVID-19 lockdown curbs, the Karnataka cabinet on Monday decided to continue the measures currently in force till May 3 without any relaxation in the state considering the present situation. The cabinet also decided to promulgate an ordinance giving it special powers, including for providing protection to front line health workers and making non-cooperation with government a punishable offence, to fight against coronavirus.

"Today cabinet has decided it (the norms) will be extended up to May 3... there will be no relaxation and the situation that exists as of today will continue," Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy said. However, leaving a window open, the Cabinet authorised Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and the COVID-19 Task Force to meet in three or four days to review and take further decision about any relaxation, he told reporters here.

Pending the cabinet decision, Chief Secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar had on Sunday issued fresh orders directing continuation of the stringent lockdown measures issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs till the midnight of April 21. As of Monday morning, Karnataka has 395 COVID-19 cases in the state which included 16 deaths and 111 discharges.

Already, Punjab and Telangana governments have decided not to grant any relaxation in the norms for lockdown, though Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on April 14 suggested the curbs can be eased to allow some select necessary activities in areas which are not COVID-19 hotspots from Monday. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh took the decision on Sunday after a review of the COVID-19 situation.

In Telangana, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday went a step ahead and announced extension of the lockdown in the state till May 7 without any relaxations. Madhusamy clarified that there was no restriction or agriculture and horticulture sector and also their marketing and transportation.

The issue was whether to open up the industrial sector, including manufacturing, in areas where there was no virus problem. However, as it involved movement of people and transport among other things and the entire state cannot be considered as one unit, the cabinet decided against any relaxations, he said.

If the Centre issues any fresh guidelines in two-three days, the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary and Ministers of concerned departments will discuss once again and take a call, he added. "In principle till May 3 the lockdown will continue ...

CM, Chief Secretary and the task force will discuss if relaxations can be given in areas where there is no problem. In between if government of India issues any guidelines for relaxation- decision can be taken accordingly," he said.

The government's decision belied wide expectations that it was considering lockdown relaxations after April 21 and the state cabinet would approve them. The Minister said the cabinet felt that the measures should continue for some time, as any relaxation to small scale industry or organised sector or rural industry would mean movement of people from outside cannot be stopped.

"..but as things are interlinked as manufacturing need raw materials, people should be provided with food, transportation should be facilitated, manufactured goods also should be sent to market. So entire state cannot be treated as a unit, there is problem in one district and not in other. "As the situation is similar in neighboring states also we decided not to go ahead with opening manufacturing units, MSMEs or any industry for that matter," he said.

On the ordinance, the Minister said the government would provide protection to health line workers who are in the frontline in the fight against COVID-19. "Also, under this, non-cooperation with the government, any act of purposely spreading the disease and spreading of lies and misinformation will be made a punishable offence," he added.

The decicion on ordinance comes in the backdrop of repeated incidents of attacks on health workers and officials, including the latest one at Padarayanapura in the city on Sunday when police and health officials were allegedly attacked after they tried to quarantine some people. The lockdown to check the spread of coronavirus was earlier from March 25 to April 14 and later extended till May 3.