Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Saturday, May 29, said that if people in the state follow the lockdown regulations, the lockdown may not be extended beyond June 7. The lockdown restrictions in Karnataka are currently in place till 6 am on June 7, and the CM's announcement comes in light of the dip in COVID-19 cases in Karnataka recently. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Yediyurappa said, "The lockdown will be in effect till June 7 and we will assess the situation and decide what happens next. The strict restrictions will be in place till then and depending on COVID-19 cases reducing, we will take the next decision. If people cooperate, the question of extending the lockdown may not arise but people have to cooperate, that is all."
The Chief Minister's Office on Saturday issued a note stating that Yediyurappa held a video conference with MLAs and MPs of Mysuru, Hassan, Belagavi, Kalaburgi and Vijayapura about the pandemic. "Detailed discussions were held for around 3 hours about issues and challenges faced in containment of COVID-19 .Instructions were given to control the positivity rate to less than 10 % and also to reduce the death rate of 1.7 % in the state," the note stated.
The number of COVID-19 cases being reported daily in Karnataka have dipped below 30,000, and the cases in Bengaluru have dipped below 6,000, in the last two days. The state recorded 22,823 COVID-19 cases on Friday, May 28, with 5,736 cases in Bengaluru. The total number of active COVID-19 cases in Karnataka fell below the four lakh mark on Friday. The total number of active cases is now 3,72,373.
The Karnataka government first announced lockdown restrictions in the state at the end of April, before extending them twice in May. The decision was taken after daily COVID-19 cases in the state crossed 50,000 on May 5. Under the current restrictions, people can only move about outside to buy essentials between 6 and 10 am, while restaurants are only open for deliveries and take-away and not for dine-ins. The Karnataka government has announced a relief package for people in the unorganised sectors and employed as drivers of cabs, autos as well as in farming, as they lost business during the lockdown.
Bengaluru Urban district tops the list of coronavirus-positive cases, with a total of 11,49,614 active cases, followed by Mysuru 1,38,365 and Tumakuru 1,00,684.