Rains continue to lash Mangaluru, other parts of Karnataka

Mangaluru, Jun 3: The district administrations of Dakshina Kannada and Kasaragod have issued standard operating procedures (SOP) for the movement of people between two neighbouring districts that fall under two different states.

Even though thousands of people used to commute between these two districts due to employment, education and other reasons every day, the travel has been banned for over two months due to covid lockdown.

Dakshina Kannada DC Sindhu B Rupesh has assured that travel passes will be issued for working professionals/students who have to commute every day.

Those who wish to travel to DK district from Kasargod have to register on https://bit.ly/dkdpermit for daily pass.

The pass applicant should mention the travel destinations, and the complete work address in DK. He/she should also upload Aadhaar card, proof of workplace. On receipt of the applications, the AC of Mangaluru division will issue the pass which will be valid till June 30.

The DC said that the pass details will be recorded at Talapady check post daily. Those who fail to report during the exit from Dakshina Kannada will be subjected to quarantine by the taluk administration and penal action will be initiated as per Epidemic Act, she warned.

Thermal screening of all persons entering DK will be conducted at the checkpost. Only those who are asymptomatic will be allowed to enter.

As per the SOP issued by Kasargod District Collector, those who wish to commute between these two districts have to register in COVID-19 Jagratha portal under the emergency pass category and the applicant has to mention the reason as “inter-state travel on a daily basis."

Bengaluru, May 19: In the wake of assurance by Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa to look into their demands, hotels and restaurants in Karnataka today decided to continue takeaway services for three more days.

Hotels were also exempted from the total lockdown on Sundays in Karnataka - under the state guidelines issued for Lockdown 4.0.

The Karnataka Pradesh Hotel and Restaurants' Association (KPHRA) had earlier threatened to stop takeaway services over refusal to allow dine-in facility in the fourth phase of the lockdown. 

B Chandrashekar Hebbar, president of KPHRA said that the CM urged hoteliers to wait for three days, assuring that a decision will be taken. 

"We appraised the government over the mounting losses by keeping just take-away services open. Noting that social distancing and other guidelines will be followed, we urged him to allow dine-in facility," he said.

The Association will wait three more days before discontinuing parcel services, Hebbar said. 

The government also provided relaxation to hotels from the total lockdown announced in Karnataka on Sundays, he said. 

A package for hotel employees such as cooks and waiters, along the lines of those announced for farmers, cab drivers and weavers, was also sought in a petition submitted to the chief minister.

In fact the state government had expressed its willingness to open hotels under the Lockdown 4.0, subject to restrictions. However, the central guidelines do not allow dine-in services.

Mumbai, Apr 15: A 35-year-old man, who worked as a priest in suburban Kandivali, allegedly committed suicide on Tuesday afternoon, hours after learning that lockdown to contain coronavirus has been extended.

The deceased was identified as Krishna Pujari, native of Udupi in Karnataka, who was attached to Durga Mata temple in Iraniwadi area of Sanjay Nagar.

Pujari, who lived with three other priests, was waiting for the lockdown to end as he wanted to go back to his hometown, a police official said.

When he learnt that the lockdown has been extended till May 3, he was terribly depressed and allegedly hanged himself in kitchen, the official added.

No suicide note has been found, he said.