Mysore/Mysuru: With COVID cases on a rise in the past couple of days, the District Administration, based on the State Government directions, has ordered a 56-hour weekend curfew in city and district, starting from 9 pm today till 5 am on Monday (Aug.16). This is the second weekend curfew to be enforced in the district this month.

Earlier this month, the Basavaraj Bommai Government, as a measure to check the spread of the virus from people entering  Karnataka from neighbouring States, had ordered weekend curfew till Aug.16 in eight border districts of the State, which included Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada  Districts in South Karnataka that border Kerala and Northern districts of Belagavi, Vijayapura, Kalaburagi and Bidar, that share borders with Maharashtra. 

Following the directive, the District Administration had enforced weekend curfew last week too. During this weekend curfew, provision stores, shops selling groceries, essential articles and service providers are permitted to remain open from 5 am till 2 pm on Aug.14 and 15 (Saturday and Sunday). The District Administration has appealed  the people to co-operate and not to unnecessarily venture out of their homes.

With the District Administration ordering enforcement of second weekend curfew starting tonight, City Police Commissioner Dr.Chandragupta told Star of Mysore that the Police will implement the weekend curfew in more stricter terms. 

Pointing out that barricades will be erected at more than 70 spots on all roads leading into and out of the city and prominent roads in all extensions of the city, he said that a large posse of Policemen will be deployed to check unnecessary public and vehicular movement on roads and other public spaces. 

Maintaining that the curfew is being enforced in accordance with  the set of Government guidelines, Dr. Chandragupta sought the co-operation of the public for the measures that have been taken to prevent the spread of the deadly pandemic. 

Noting that essential shops and services will be allowed to open from 5 am to 2 pm on Saturday and Sunday, he said that the residents must co-operate by buying their essentials at shops closeby their homes or within the locality where they stay. 

Asserting that all necessary measures have been taken to prevent unnecessary movement of people and vehicles during the weekend curfew, he reiterated his appeal to make the curfew a success by voluntarily staying at homes. However, the Police will act sternly against those found violating the restrictions and unnecessarily moving around on one pretext or the other, he added.

Meanwhile, it is not yet known how trade bodies and other stakeholders will react to the second weekend curfew as they had  planned to defy the first weekend curfew last week. But the trade bodies  and business organisations had withdrawn their plans then  following the assurance from Co-operation Minister S.T. Somashekar, who has been put in-charge of COVID-19  and flood relief management in Mysuru and Chamarajanagar districts, that he would take up the issue with the Chief Minister.

But as the District Administration is going ahead with the enforcement of second weekend curfew starting tonight, businessmen and other stakeholders are left wondering on their future course of action as the curfew is bound to hit their businesses hard, at a time when trade and other business activities are just about on the path of recovery.