Sighting the “Janta Curfew” on Sunday, most private establishments and some public & private services will be shut across Bengaluru and the rest of Karnataka. All pubs, bars, malls, theatres, buses, and railways, among other services, will remain closed as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announced for a “Janta Curfew” on Sunday where he urged people to remain indoors from 7 am to 9 pm.
BMTC issues notice
According to the sources, officials stated that Public transportation will not function across Bengaluru on Sunday keeping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal.
The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), which operates local buses in the city, putting a note has said, “BMTC being a public transport service provider, an essential service, would be operating its buses on Sunday. However, the operation of bus routes/trips will be reduced based on the public movement.”
KSRTC
In a similar move, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) announced that they will be operating at ‘minimum-level, based on need’ on Sunday. Still, KSRTC spokesperson Latha confirmed that buses will operate from 9 pm onwards on Sunday so those who have made reservations can still travel.
“If there is reservation after 9 pm on Sunday, only then will we operate bus services,” said a KSRTC spokesperson.
KSRTC has temporarily withdrawn the 25% concession given to senior citizens on bus tickets, to minimize their travel by KSRTC buses.
Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation has temporarily withdrawn the 25% concession given to senior citizens on bus tickets, to minimise their travel by KSRTC buses. #Coronavirus pic.twitter.com/I0crvzNWmr
— ANI (@ANI) March 21, 2020
Cab aggregators
Cab aggregators like OLA and Uber will also be non-operational on that particular day. Tanveer Pasha, President, Ola Uber Drivers, and Owners Association said, “We completely support the Janata curfew. Our services like Ola, Uber autos and taxis will not be available on Sunday, March 22.”
Railways
A release from the Ministry of Railways said that all passenger trains will be suspended from midnight to 10 pm on Sunday.
“All passenger services trains originating between Saturday night and 10 pm on Sunday shall not run. All long-distance mail/express and intercity trains originating between 4 and 10 pm on Sunday will be canceled,” the railway board said in a notification.
People’s panic over COVID-19
According to a report, people are rushing to the doctor over every usual cold and sneeze. Mental health professionals are seeing patients stressing over what will happen next. Fear and fake news are two things that are spreading faster than the novel Coronavirus.
Since many Covid-19 patients had visited public places like malls, restaurants, bus stops and rode in taxis, it has caused panic in patients who have visited these places even before and many days after the patients were seen at such places. Psychiatrists in the city have seen a spike in patients coming in with crippling anxiety, over the Covid-19 outbreak.
“Every morning when I wake up, I think I have at least one symptom associated with Covid-19. My sleep is disturbed. I had a fever last week and I thought it was due to the coronavirus but it turned out to be a urinary tract infection. I’ve never been so relieved to have UTI,” said Sharvari Menon (name changed), a content writer.
Citizens are not only visiting their psychiatrists, but they are also rushing to hospitals at the first sign of a regular cough, sniffles or a common cold to get tested for Covid-19.
