The Karnataka government on Thursday, 24 December, withdrew the order for the night curfew in the state, hours before it was supposed to come into effect.
Earlier, Karnataka government said night curfew will be in force between 11 pm and 5 am from December 24 till January 1 but midnight mass will be allowed.
“Based on experts’ opinion, it was decided to impose a night curfew aimed at curbing the spread of the new Covid-19 strain detected in Britain and other countries. However, in the wake of public opinion that a night curfew is not necessary, it has been decided to withdraw it after discussions with Cabinet colleagues and senior officials,” Yediyurappa said in a statement.
He urged citizens to impose self-restraint by wearing face masks and ensuring social distancing. He asked citizens to avoid “unnecessary” travel and strictly follow Covid-19 regulations of the government “to help stop the spread of the virus.”
The curfew, ordered over fears the new mutant strain could lead to another surge in infections, was not well received by shopkeepers, traders and businessmen in the state.
Although the daily cases are much lower now than in earlier months, there remains the fear a second wave.
The curfew coincided with the Christmas and New Year holiday period, which hotels, restaurants, bars and pubs in Bengaluru and other major cities would have been hoping to cash in on, particularly since many are running on months of accumulated losses due to the earlier lockdown.
