The Hon’ble Chief Minister on 06-08-2021 reviewed the COVID 19 situation in the State with the concerned Officers and Health Experts. It was suggested by the Health Experts that additional containment measures need to be imposed in light of the upcoming festival season to prevent the spread of COVID 19.
Weekend curfew was reintroduced in the districts bordering Maharashtra and also Night curfew was to be imposed from 9 pm to 5 am in the State.
The Belagavi district has been seeing Weekend lockdown for a long time, even before the August 6 order Belagavi specifically had a Weekend curfew sighting the same bordering district.
Currently, the Positivity Rate (last 07 days) is 0.73% for Belagavi District.
Shops dealing with food, groceries, fruits and vegetables, meat and fish, dairy and milk booths, and animal fodder shall be allowed to function from 5 am to 2 pm.
Restaurants and eateries shall be allowed only for take-away and home delivery.
But one noticeable point during the weekend curfew from August has been the nonimplementation of the same on a serious note. The non-essential stores are closed in the main market but stores in suburban areas do operate. The police have not been strict on implementing the same.
Restaurants and eateries are allowed takeaway only but the same has been blatantly violated, which wasn’t the case earlier.
So why enforce this weekend curfew on a few (if I can say that as it is for all but few have exemptions and few violate).
Take today for that matter, it is Raksha Bandhan, Brothers wish to visit their sisters and vice versa but officially one can’t.
People are seeing loitering around the whole day for no reason and no one is bothered to check the same as it was earlier. If this is the case then why impose the Weekend curfew at all?
Govt has scheduled TET exams today (Sunday). Also, academic activities have been allowed even on Saturdays, so students are moving around. University exams were conducted and valuation work is going on. The admission process to first-year degree and PUC1 are also underway. To top it, Corporation elections have been announced. Under these circumstances, the decision weekend of weekend curfew is futile.
Those shops and families which are dependent on the business have to suffer is the govt compensating them by any measures?
The industry, MSME a few did get some concessions in form of waivers in electricity bills but the traders who have closed did not get anything, but they have to pay the property tax, trade license, GST, and all others taxes on time.
COVID-19 is here to stay and we will have to live with it, but all of us together.
What has the weekend curfew achieved in this district is the biggest question?
Cases in the district are almost in the same range 30-50 per day for a month now.
If the weekend curfew has to make any difference it must be implemented strictly or just don’t do this farce.
No one is benefited by this, nor the Govt nor the citizens.
Those issuing orders from Bengaluru must also realize the fact and the local administration must meet trade associations and others and get their voice up there.
Should I say- Stay Home Stay Safe, If you wish to, otherwise the city is open for you.
Some tweets about weekend curfew