The Karnataka government on Friday said it would allow technology companies to operate with around 50% staff in their premises after 20 April, indicating that the state would partially lift the lockdown despite the growing number of covid-19 cases.

Information technology, bio-technology and other companies in Bengaluru were forced to ask their staff to work from home after a nationwide lockdown was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi beginning 25 March.

C.N. Ashwathnarayana, deputy chief minister of Karnataka and minister for infotech, on Friday held a meeting with top executives of large corporations and later arrived at this decision. The move comes amid the Centre’s issuance of guidelines for the lockdown period which has been extended till 3 May.

The Karnataka government is trying to revive its growth engine, Bengaluru, to help open up some avenues of resource mobilisation for the cash-starved state. Executives of large corporations, including software firms, have had minimal staff present in their offices to support those working from home.

Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Vision Group on IT chairman Kris Gopalakrishnan, Accel Partners’ Prashant Prakash, Able India’s Shrikumar Suryanarayan, and BSNL’s Prakash Gopalan, among others, took part in the video conference.

Ashwathnarayan said the government would arrange for passes and public transportation and asked companies to put in place measures like screening as part of precautionary steps to keep the virus from spreading.

“As soon as the restrictions are relaxed, the risk of infection spreading is high. Precautions were taken and early efforts were made to prevent infections. But we will have to learn to live with precautions in the coming days,” he said.