Theatres in Karnataka to open at 5% capacity

Colleges to commence from July 26

The State government on Sunday further brought down COVID-19 curbs by restricting curfew hours to 10 p.m-5 a.m., besides allowing cinemas to operate at 50% capacity.

Colleges will commence from July 26, and only students who have been vaccinated with a minimum of one dose will be allowed to attend classes physically. However, attendance of students is optional.

The decision to further relax curbs was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Sunday.

The order also allowed skill development institutions to resume following COVID-19 appropriate behaviour. Special surveillance measures to screen those coming from Kerala and Maharashtra will continue to be in place till further orders.

While the meeting was also attended by Deputy Chief Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan and Kannada and Culture Minister Aravind Limbavali, Health Minister K. Sudhakar was conspicuous by his absence. Though no official reason had been given for him skipping the meeting,

Sources in the government said Mr. Sudhakar was opposed to the idea of opening cinemas at 50% capacity. They said that the argument against opening the theatres was that it could emerge as a breeding ground for the virus. “A movie goer will be present for at least two hours inside a closed theatre and enforcement of mask wearing may be tough due to lighting. However, the government has allowed opening of the theatre,” they said.

The new guidelines will be in force till August 3. Cinemas are allowed to be functional from Monday.

An aide of Dr. Sudhakar said that he did not make it to the meeting with the Chief Minister owing to a pressing personal work.

Though pubs and bars had been asking for relaxing the norms, the new norms that will come into effect have not given them any relief. Similarly, swimming pools have also not been allowed to be functional.

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