Karnataka extends COVID-19 lockdown till June 7

Karnataka on Friday extended the Covid-19 lockdown from May 24 for 14 days till 6am on June 7 "We had a meeting with senior officials and ministers. We have taken a decision on lockdown. We had strict restrictions till 24th May. As per the opinion of experts, we are extending the strict restrictions till 7th June at 6am," said Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa. He said that the government has decided to give free treatment for mucormycosis (black fungus) patients in the government district hospitals.

Yediyurappa said that there are no changes in the restrictions but added that people were not following the lockdown norms and has allowed the police authorities to take action against the violators. "Same guidelines will continue. People are roaming after 10am as well which is creating a lot of problems throughout the state. That's why such movements must be stopped. I urge people to stop unnecessary movements," he added. Many ministers and experts have suggested an extension of the lockdown as the number of deaths and Covid-19 cases have increased, according to the Chief Minister's Office. They are of the opinion that the current lockdown is yielding results with the number of fresh Covid-19 cases gradually declining. The Karnataka government initially announced a 14-day lockdown from April 27, but later on imposed a complete lockdown from May 10 to May 24.