Karnataka seals its borders, announces two months free ration

The Karnataka government on Sunday announced that the state has closed its borders, as the number of cases in the state rose to 20. Free ration for the next two months will be given to all who avail ration in one go, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa told the media on Sunday.

The government also announced that the ongoing SSLC (Secondary School Leaving Certificate) or Class 10 exams have also been postponed and a revised date will be announced later. However, the Pre-University or PU-II exams, scheduled to be held on Monday, will go on as planned. 

Screening of domestic passengers will be started at all the airports in the state. The government also directed people to refrain from moving from cities to villages for the next 15 days. All essential services will continue to function in the state.

Addressing the media on Sunday, the Chief Minister also said that Bengaluru’s Victoria Hospital, with 1,700 beds, will be dedicated for the treatment of COVID-19 and people with and without symptoms will also be tested, as per the revised Central guidelines.

“With permission from the Indian Council of Medical Research, we decided to include private and government hospitals for lab testing. There is no need for anyone to stock up. We have decided to give ration of two months in one go,” Yediyurappa said.

The state is under partial lockdown till March 31 and 20 cases have been reported in the state till Sunday morning. All malls, pubs, restaurants, and theatres in the state have been closed down.

Officials of the Bengaluru police have said that those people seen outdoors during the ‘Janata Curfew’ on Sunday will face action. India is observing the curfew from 7 am and 9 pm as part of efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus outbreak. Across the country, 320 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported.