Bengaluru, April 18: The Information Technology (IT) and Biotechnology (BT) sectors of Karnataka are set to re-open from Monday. The two sectors, along with certain industries employing hard labour, will be allowed to operate as per the revised lockdown guidelines of the Centre, coming into effect from April 20. Coronavirus Lockdown in India: 99.8% Workforce in IT Sector Incapable of Remote Working, Says Study.

Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, in a press conference today, said areas of the state which do not fall under the COVID-19 hotspot will resume certain economic activities despite the lockdown.

As part of the strategy to address the economic fallout, the government has decided to allow IT sector - which provides employment to maximum among the state's educated section - to resume operations.

However, a cap has been imposed on the number of employees who will be allowed to work from the official premises. Only 33 percent of the staff working for IT and BT companies will be allowed to work from the offices. The remainder must work from home, the Chief Minister said.

The companies falling under red zone districts - which have pockets of COVID-19 hotspots - will not be allowed to resume operations, Yediyurappa clarified. In non-hotspot districts as well, the resumption of economic activities could be curtailed if people are not adhering to the strict social-distancing norms.

The number of coronavirus cases in Karnataka is comparatively lower than states which have been severely affected by the contagious disease. The toll of new infections is falling consecutively since the last three days, suggesting at a flattening of the COVID-19 curve.

"One satisfying thing is that there were 36 new cases on April 16....Yesterday it was 44 and it has come down to 12 today. Out of the 371 cases, 266 are active cases because 92 people have recovered and 13 people died," Yediyurappa said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 18, 2020 10:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).