Karnataka relaxes night curfew; colleges to open from July 26

Night curfew will now be in place from 10 pm to 5 am from Monday

Karnataka government relaxed Covid-19 curbs on Sunday, allowing colleges to open from July 26 and theatres to operate with 50 per cent capacity from Monday. The night curfew hours were also relaxed from the existing 9 pm to 6 am, to 10 pm to 5 am.

Only students and teachers who have had at least a single dose of vaccine will be allowed for the offline classes.

According to an order issued by Chief Secretary P Ravikumar, "Cinema halls/multiplexes/theatres/rangamandiras/auditoriums and similar places (are) permitted to open with 50% of its seating capacity (by) strictly adhering to Covid appropriate behaviour and SOPs issued by the concerned departments."

Colleges and institutions of the Department of Higher Education are permitted to open from July 26. "Only students, teaching, non-teaching and other staff who have taken at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine will be permitted to attend the college/institutions," the order read.

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Attendance of students, however, will be optional. Along with institutes of higher education, skill development training institutes will also be allowed to operate. Vaccination rules of getting administered with at least one dose of vaccine applied to such institutes also.

The order was following a meeting chaired by Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa with ministers and senior officials of the government.

Revenue minister R Ashoka told reporters that the curbs were being relaxed further to help those affected by the lockdown in the past few months. "This will help people, especially those from theatre and film industry," he said.

The government will allow prayers and other rituals to be performed at temples, provided Covid protocols are followed. Other restrictions at temples will also be relaxed, he said.

Ashoka said that the CM directed authorities to prepare for the third wave. Measures will be taken to prepare oxygen beds, ensure adequate peadiatric specialists and to assess shortages in all districts, he said.