Bengaluru lockdown: Shops to remain open from 5 am until noon only

Shops selling groceries, ration, fruits, vegetables, milk, meat, and fish in Bengaluru are permitted to open from 5 am to 12 pm every day until July 22, the state government said Monday.

The government has, however, allowed home delivery of essential items “to minimize movement of individuals outside their homes,” Chief Secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar said in an order on the lockdown in Bengaluru Urban and Bengaluru Rural districts.

The two districts will be locked down from 8 pm on July 14 to 5 am on July 22 to contain the spread of Covid-19. Most government offices will be closed except those that provide essential services and engaged in Covid-19 work.

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Public transportation services will remain suspended during the 7-day period starting July 15. This includes buses (KSRTC, BMTC, private), taxis, metro, auto rickshaws, app-based cabs “except while hired for emergency and as permitted in these guidelines,” Bhaskar said.

“Only flights and trains already scheduled will continue to operate during the lockdown period. Flight and train tickets shall serve as the passes for movement of persons by taxis/cab aggregators/auto rickshaws to board flight and trains. No new flights or trains will be permitted,” the order said.

Hotels and restaurants will be closed for dine-in, but they have been permitted to operate kitchens for takeaways or home deliveries.

The government will also strictly regulate the movement of people within the city and the districts. Movement of passenger vehicles and buses within Bengaluru will be allowed “only in emergency cases or for permitted activities under these guidelines.”

Inter-state and intra-state movement of passenger vehicles is permitted only in cases of emergencies. This will require registering and obtaining a pass on the Seva Sindhu portal. Likewise, the movement of passenger vehicles to and from the Bengaluru area is allowed only in case of emergency after obtaining valid passes.

Office-goers can use their organisation ID cards to commute to and from the place of work as long as they are engaged in permitted activities.

Construction activities can continue as long as workers are available on site and no one is required to be brought in from outside.

All the above exceptions are applicable only to areas outside the Covid-19 containment zones.