The Karnataka government on Friday, August 6, announced that the night curfew currently in place across the state will come into effect an hour earlier, and a weekend curfew will be imposed in districts bordering Maharashtra and Kerala. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai told the media that the night curfew in the state will now be from 9 pm to 5 am, as opposed to the earlier timings of 10 pm to 5 am. The Director General of Police in Karnataka has been instructed to enforce the night curfew in all districts.

A weekend curfew will be imposed in the following districts – Mysuru, Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada and Chamarajanagar (which border Kerala) and in Belagavi, Vijayapura, Kalaburagi and Bidar (which border Maharashtra) — as the neighbouring states continue to report a high number of COVID-19 cases.

CM Bommai reiterated that a negative RT-PCR report not older than 72 hours is mandatory for those entering Karnataka from Kerala and Maharashtra, be it any mode of transport. “RT-PCR is mandatory, and it will be mandatory,” he said, when asked about the protests and delays at the state’s borders over the new rule.

The Karnataka Chief Minister made the announcements after holding a high-level meeting on Friday. The Chief Minister announced that physical classes for the students of Classes 9, 10, 11 and 12 will begin from August 23 and classes will be held every alternate day, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced.

Also read: Karnataka: Schools to reopen for Class 9, 10 and PUC students from Aug 23

“We have decided that night curfew will be preponed by one hour in the state and there will be weekend curfew in the districts bordering Kerala and Maharashtra. We have decided that there will be a graded reopening of schools; first Classes 9, 10, 11 and 12 will reopen from August 23. We will review the situation at the end of August,” the Karnataka Chief Minister said, speaking to media on Friday.

The decision to open schools for primary students and students of Class 8 will be taken at the end of August, the Chief Minister’s office said. The Karnataka Chief Minister said he will be holding further discussions with government officials as well as experts on the reopening of schools.