COVID 19: Karnataka Government makes masks mandatory for schools, colleges, New Year celebrations

Amid fear of Covid spreading and Omicron sub-variant BF.7 infections globally, masks have been made mandatory inside movie theatres, schools and colleges in Karnataka.

Karnataka Health Minister Keshava Sudhakar said that masks will be mandatory to celebrate the New Year in pubs, restaurants and bars.
However, the health minister said that there is no need to panic and people just have to take precautions. Earlier today, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the government will implement preventive measures step by step, without hampering normal life and economic activities.

While Covid-19 cases have resurged in several countries, in India the number of infections declined marginally on Monday, according to the latest data from the Union Health Ministry. India on Monday logged 196 new coronavirus infections whereas yesterday, 201 Covid cases were reported.

However, the active cases of Covid-19 have marginally increased to 3,428. An increase of four cases has been recorded in the active Covid caseload in a span of 24 hours.

The fear of a new Covid wave has loomed again in the country due to the sudden emergence of new subvariant BF.7 of Omicron virus in China, especially. Some 37 million people in China may have been infected with Covid-19 on a single day this week.
Consequently, the Centre and state governments have ramped up the testing and vaccination process in the country.