COVID: CM to hold expert committee meeting on lifting restrictions

Bengaluru: An expert committee meeting will be chaired by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday, January 29 to take a final call on lifting of Covid-19 restrictions in Karnataka.

According to sources, the meeting will deliberate on reopening of schools, cap on 50 per occupation in theatres, pubs, bars, hotels and restaurants as well as the night curfew.

Though the number of new Covid cases are higher in Bengaluru, quick recoveries which are exceeding the number of positive cases, may pave the way for lifting of curbs with few restrictions.

Karnataka has logged 31,198 new Covid cases against 71,092 discharges on Friday. Bengaluru Urban district recorded 15,199 positive cases on a single day against 44,866 discharges.

Fifty deaths have been reported on a single day. Positivity for the day stood at 20.91 per cent and case fatality rate for the day stood at 0.16 per cent.

The Karnataka government had lifted the weekend curfew last week and announced that a decision on reopening of schools will be announced on Saturday. CM Bommai is under pressure from the business community to lift the night curfew. They want the government to let them operate till 11 p.m. Film industry is hoping that the cap on 50 per cent occupation of seats will be taken off.

The government, the sources said, is in favour of opening schools in Bengaluru in a phased manner. Education Minister B.C. Nagesh had already given hints regarding reopening of schools and stated the department is ready to begin classes.

On Friday, the government held a meeting with the Covid-19 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). The committee has submitted the guidelines to be followed from next week.

The government will discuss these recommendations and take a final call regarding restrictions.