K’taka govt orders extension of stringent measures to contain COVID spread

The Karnataka government on Tuesday decided to extend the stringent measures imposed to contain the surging COVID cases in the state till January 31 morning. In his order, the state Chief Secretary P Ravi Kumar said the containment measures will remain in force up to 5 AM on January 31 for strict implementation by Chief Commissioner BBMP, Police Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, Superintendents of Police, and other Heads of Departments and Authorities.

These orders were based on the decisions taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

The order said that outside Bengaluru Urban district, the deputy commissioners, in consultation with health and education department officers in their respective district, considering Taluk as a unit, after assessing the prevalence of COVID 19 cases in the schools, including residential schools, and colleges in the respective Taluk may decide on closure or functioning of any school or college.

The order said that all rallies, sit-in demonstrations, protests were prohibited. However, marriage functions were permitted to be conducted involving not more than 200 people in open spaces and 100 people in closed places strictly adhering to COVID 19 appropriate behavior and prevailing guidelines issued by the State government. Public transport including Metro rail should operate as per the seating capacity only. The order stressed intensive surveillance at the border of Maharashtra, Kerala, and Goa as per the prevailing circular or guidelines issued by the Department of Health and Family Welfare.

While insisting on COVID appropriate behavior and containment measures, the order said, ”For the enforcement of social distancing, commissioners of police or the deputy commissioners may use the provisions of Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).” Any person violating these measures will be liable to be proceeded against as per the provisions of Section 5l to 60 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, besides legal action under Section l88 of the IPC, and other legal provisions as applicable, the order read.

The steps were taken after the state reported 14,473 fresh COVID cases and five fatalities on Tuesday.