Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday announced that the existing night curfew in the state and weekend curfew in border districts will continue for two more weeks.
Addressing the media after a meeting discussing the COVID-19 situation in the state in Bengaluru, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that the test positivity rate in Bengaluru is around 0.66 % currently and it will be monitored everyday. He hinted at stricter rules in the city if the positivity rate increases to 2%. "If the positivity rate is 2% and oxygen beds are occupied up to 40%, further strict norms will be announced in Bengaluru by the BBMP Commissioner. This will be tracked daily," Basavaraj Bommai said.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai held a meeting to discuss curbs related to COVID-19 at 4 pm on Saturday evening.
Testing and vaccination will be increased in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Hassan, Mysuru, Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu, Bengaluru Rural, Shivamogga and Chamarajanagar, where the TPR is high, Basavaraj Bommai said.
Schools will open in the state for classes 9-12 in districts with the positivity rate less than 2%. Basavaraj Bommai added that the TPR in state border areas are higher and added that district-level COVID-19 management plans will be announced in the state depending on the test positivity rate and other factors like beds occupied in the hospitals.
Karnataka reported 1669 COVID-19 cases on Friday which included 425 new cases in Bengaluru. The state has reported around 1500 cases a day on average in the past week. Dakshina Kannada district, which borders Kasargod in Kerala, recorded 390 cases on Friday and has regularly recorded around 400 cases a day in the past week.