State Government to announce separate guidelines for Dasara

Bengaluru:  Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai yesterday said that cinema theatres will be allowed to open to 100 percent capacity from Oct. 1 in districts where COVID Test Positivity Rate (TPR) is less than one percent. TPR refers to the number of people testing positive for COVID-19 for every 100 people tested.

Cinema theatres with 50 percent capacity will be allowed in districts where the positivity rate is less than two percent, he told reporters after a review of the COVID pandemic situation. However, cinema theatres will not be allowed to open in districts registering more than two percent positivity, the CM said.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. K. Sudhakar said that the Government is concerned about the plight of the theatre owners and exhibitors as they are suffering huge losses due to COVID-19 restrictions. The film industry too suffered financial setbacks.

Dr. Sudhakar further stated that the COVID-19 positivity rate in Karnataka has been on a decline. “We are seeing 600 to 800 COVID-19 positive cases per day in the State on an average. The positivity rate has been less than one percent. The number of deaths has also been reduced. The State Government is allowing activities in districts where there is less than two percent of COVID-19 Test Positivity Rate (TPR).

Dr. Sudhakar said that multiple delegations from the film industry and the Film Producers Associations have met him and have been demanding to allow the full house shows. Pubs also will be allowed to function, under the same guidelines drafted for cinema theatres, from Oct. 3, the CM said.

However, people will be allowed inside the pubs only if they have taken at least one jab of COVID vaccine, Bommai said. Night curfew will continue from 10 pm to 5 am as imposed before, he said, adding that the State Government would announce separate guidelines for Dasara festival.