Agencies / Shankar Raj / Bengaluru
The first ‘Sunday curfew’ imposed by the Karnataka government to try and contain the spread of COVID-19 got underway in the state on Sunday, with people by and large adhering to norms, roads wearing a deserted look and almost no vehicular traffic, barring essential services.
With barricades being up across most roads in the state, people ventured out only to purchase groceries, vegetabes and medicines. Instances of violation of Sunday curfew lockdown norms were reported in COVID-19 hotspots of Shivajinagar and Rayapura in Bengaluru and Nelamangala and Devanahalli. Temples, malls, bars, eateries and small food joints remained shut throughout state.
In most parts of the state buses, autorickshaws and cabs did not ply. In Bengaluru, the ever bustling Majestic area, which houses the central city bus stand, inter-city bus stand, Metro Railway Station and the City Railway Station, did not see any activity as buses did not ply and all shops were shut, police said.
Amid the rigid curfew marriages were conducted in a simple manner across the state like Gollarahatti and Yashwanthapura in Bengaluru and also in Davangere.
Meanwhile, the total Covid cases crossed the 2,000-mark on Sunday in Karnataka with 130 new cases. “97 of the 130 new patients are returnees from Maharashtra, the worst-affected state in the country with 47,190 cases till Saturday,” said a state health official. “The total number of Covid cases across the state is 2,089,” he added.
Chikkaballapura recorded the highest cases on Sunday at 27, followed by Yadgir (24), Udupi (23), Mandya (15) and Hassan (14). Meanwhile, scores of migrants thronged the sprawling Palace Ground in the heart of Bengaluru following a false message that trains would soon start for Puri in Odisha. The police had a tough time trying to control the crowd and convince them to go back to their shelter. However, it was late. Many had already vacated their accommodations, hoping they could get on the trains. The second message left them with no place to turn to.
Both these messages are believed to be from Karnataka’s Seva Sindhu portal — the central point for coordinating migrants’ travel.
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