Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said on Friday that further relaxing lockdown restrictions in the state will be taken on Saturday.

According to official sources, the government may announce relaxations in 11 districts where lockdown measures have continued, while further relaxations in terms of movement of people and opening of businesses may be announced in the remaining 19 districts from June 21.

He said, “'The situation is improving. There is also a possibility of a third wave in the future, but despite that we will have to give some relaxations. We will discuss it at a meeting tomorrow evening, and take a decision,'' Yediyurappa said.

The government had last week issued fresh guidelines extending the COVID induced lockdown in 11 districts, which have a high positivity rate, till June 21, where citizens were allowed to buy essentials between 6 am and 10 am. Some relaxations were announced in the remaining 19 districts from June 14, allowing essential shops to be open from 6 am to 2 pm, and movement of people till 7 pm.

It had also imposed COVID curfew (daily) from 7 pm to 5 am and weekend curfew from 7 pm on Friday to 5 am on Monday.

The 11 districts where strict lockdown measures have continued are Chikmagalur, Shivamogga, Davangere, Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Hassan, Dakshina Kannada, Bengaluru Rural, Mandya, Belagavi and Kodagu.

The Karnataka government had initially announced 14 days 'close-down' from April 27, but subsequently imposed a complete lockdown from May 10 to May 24, as the COVID cases continued to spike.

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