The State government on Monday urged citizens to remain sequestered indoors between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. till May 3 to curb the COVID-19 resurgence. The government will further tighten controls on civic life if the surge in infections fails to plateau out in the next 14 days.
The administration has ordered cinema halls and malls to close at 7 p.m. Other businesses, including hotels, should shutter by 9 p.m. There is no restriction on vehicular traffic at night. However, the police will check vehicles passing through containment zones. The government has advised the public and private sectors to weigh the option of working from home given the risk of disease transmission in hemmed-in spaces. Respective department heads should take a final call in the matter.
The State has banned private tuition. It has asked teachers and students to shift private classes online. An official said the State’s containment strategy hinged on minimising the chance of interaction between people to slow the virus spread.
Simultaneously, the administration would ramp up testing and vaccination. The government has imposed the curfew alongside a slew of other measures. It has postponed university and PSC examinations and banned communal feasting and big crowds at weddings and other events.
Buses and restaurants
Bus operators should not admit passengers above the legal seating capacity. Restaurants should limit guests to half the seating capacity. The police would slap fines on those who violate the mask and social distancing mandate.
The government has imposed only minimum containment measures. Nevertheless, they might cause a reduction in economic activity. An official said the trade-off was painful but necessary. The threat of the resurgent coronavirus was real, he added.
Several private bus operators have kept their vehicles off road, citing loss. Many businesses were poised to shed employees given the impending economic downturn. For one, scores of wayside eateries, which anticipated Ramzan business after fast, have closed shop. The cinema and retail sector have also braced themselves for another season of losses.
Chief Secretary V.P. Joy chaired the pandemic prevention core committee meeting. State Police Chief Loknath Behera and top Health Department officials were present.
Checking at border
On Monday, the police enhanced monitoring of passengers reaching Kerala through the Tamil Nadu border in Palakkad district. A day ago, Kerala had made it mandatory for all domestic passengers entering the State to register on the e-Jagratha portal. Daring the summer heat, police officers were seen checking vehicles entering Kerala through Walayar for their online registration status.
The Wayanad administration and police have intensified checking of those entering the district through the State borders in Kannur and Kasaragod. The police are checking people entering the State from Karnataka through the Kootupuzha and Kiliyanthara check-posts in Kannur. In Kasaragod, the police are strictly monitoring the Talapady check-post. It has been decided to keep a tab on the 17 roads that connect the border villages of Kasaragod to Karnataka.
Collector clarifies
Meanwhile, Kasaragod District Collector D. Sajith Babu came up with clarification after his order to carry ‘No-COVID’ certificate or a certificate of receiving two doses of the vaccine to enter six towns in Kasaragod stirred a controversy. Mr. Babu clarified that the proposed inspection and restrictions would not apply to vehicles or persons passing through the town.
