Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday warned the government would reverse the phased easing of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions if people threw caution to the wind and returned to the pre-pandemic way of life.
The State was on the brink of a community spread. The infection could rage like wildfire if uncontrolled. The citizenry should slowly edge back from the precipice of a catastrophic descend to social disaster. Mr. Vijayan grimly asked the public to prepare for harsh measures if the caseload spiked.
The police would enforce physical distancing strictures proactively. The triple lockdown was highly restrictive. The government would restrict the clampdown to localities where there was a rise in new cases.
No more warnings
The time for counselling and warning had expired. The disease was at a manageable level now. However, the pandemic could spiral out of control any time and overwhelm the State machinery.
The government had imposed triple lockdown in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation limits after new case clusters emerged at Poonthura. Several families lived cooped up in small dwellings with spartan facilities. Hence, the authorities would isolate vulnerable sections of the citizenry, senior citizens, pregnant women, children, and those with chronic health conditions, in their homes by temporarily resettling healthy inhabitants in nearby camps.
Mr. Vijayan imposed a strict ban on fishing operations. The coastal police would patrol sea routes to prevent boat traffic between Kerala and Tamil Nadu coast. He said a single fish hawker, who travelled between the neighbouring States, had emerged as a “super spreader” in the district.
People in containment zones should confine themselves indoors. They should venture out only for essentials. People could rely on the police for any assistance during an emergency.
Mehta’s driver positive
Meanwhile, Chief Secretary Vishwas Mehta’s driver tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 on Thursday. The 40-year-old driver, who hails from Vengode, near Vattappara, whose source of infection is unknown, is known to have last gone for work in the Secretariat on July 4 after which he never came into proximity with Dr. Mehta, sources said. Those on his list of secondary contacts include Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and State Police Chief Loknath Behera.
