Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Jun 23: Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister, Kota Srinivas Poojary, clarified that permission to keep all the shops in the district open till 2 pm is not meant to help a few people to make profits. He said that this is done to enable people to meet their urgent needs. He warned that shops found violating the guidelines would be fined and shut down. He also said that if the people fail to stick to the rules, lockdown would be imposed again.

Poojary said that the positivity rate in Dakshina Kannada district has been around five percent even though over ten thousand tests are conducted every day. He explained that in such cases, considering many things, restrictions have been eased for them to enable to attend to their urgent needs.

On the issue of following the guidelines, he said that the government knows that besides imposing restrictions wherever necessary, it also should support genuine requirements of the people. He advised people to voluntarily work to protect their own health. He added that the police and officials have been given the responsibility of ensuring that guidelines and rule are followed without any exception. He also clarified that because of the positivity rate still remaining high, there are no immediate chances of keeping the shops open till the evening.

About the opening of temples for the public, he said that the partial unlock now permitted does not cover temples, and no decision about opening of temples for the devotees has been taken. He said that the chances of opening up of temples soon for the pubic are bleak.