Karnataka announces night curfew from 9 pm to 6 am starting tomorrow

Karnataka, whose Covid cases have been steadily rising with a positivity rate above 12 per cent, took the strict measure after Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa tested positive for Covid for a second time.

Delhi became the first to declare a six-day lockdown on Monday.

It was followed by Jharkhand and later Telangana ordered a night curfew.

Maharashtra has indicated that it might take a similar step soon and an announcement is likely on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, Uttar Pradesh has ordered a weekend lockdown too.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday ruled out any possibility of nationwide lockdown immediately, stating that such a move would be the last resort to combat the spread of Coronavirus.

Addressing the nation over the grim Covid situation in the country and amid a shortage of oxygen supply, Modi said: "We have to save our country from lockdown and I appeal to states to think of lockdown as the last resort. We should rather focus on micro-containment zones."

"We have to take care of our economy as well as save our citizens from the virus," he said.

In a grim situation, India recorded 1761 deaths due to Covid-19 between Monday and Tuesday mornings, a massive spike in the casualty figure registered in the country during the period of a single day, as per Ministry of Health released data.

The country also recorded 2,59,170 new cases in the past 24 hours.

The total death toll due to the virus in the country now stands at 1,80,530.