Bengaluru lockdown: E-commerce operations will be allowed to function

Bengaluru, 15 July 2020 [Fik/News Sources]: The Karnataka government has clarified that e-commerce companies will be allowed to operate during the week-long full lockdown in Bengaluru (Urban and Rural) which is in effect from Tuesday night.

In a clarification dated July 14, issued by state Chief Secretary Vijaya Bhaskar, the government said that e-commerce companies are allowed to operate between 5 am and 8 pm.

The same clarification said that food delivery companies will be allowed to operate from 5 am to 10 pm. It also said that the Principal Secretary of Commerce and Industry Department will assist in order to facilitate functioning of industries and offices that are allowed to function during this lockdown period.

The lockdown is in effect after it began on Tuesday night in Bengaluru Rural and Bengaluru Urban districts and it will be in place till 5 am on July 22. 

In a detailed government order issued on Monday, it was said that grocery stores, milk and meat shops will be open from 5 am to 12 pm only. Bars and alcohol stores will remain closed while eateries will be open only for takeaway and delivery.

While the police have warned that vehicles will be seized if users are found stepping out for invalid reasons, those going to board trains or flights away from the city have to show their tickets. This will act as a valid pass.

Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao has clarified that passes issued for previous phases of lockdown will no longer be valid.

The lockdown was announced on Saturday by Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa after the city saw successive days, where it reported more than 1,000 cases of COVID-19. 

Incidentally, Tuesday was the sixth day in a stretch that more than a 1,000 new cases were reported, taking the total number of active cases in the city to 15,599. 138 out of the 198 wards in the city have more than 50 cases, while another 38 wards have at least 10 cases