Now that the Assembly polls are over, the State will intensify COVID-19 containment measures from Thursday and focus on vaccinating as many people as fast as possible.
On Wednesday, a meeting of the core committee headed by Chief Secretary V.P. Joy said that the State needed to be more vigilant about containment, now that new cases were on the rise and a more intense second wave of COVID-19 was sweeping across other States.
The State police have been asked to enforce protocols strictly in public spaces and to ensure that none violated the mask rule. Crowding has to be avoided at all shops and public places. The sectoral magistrates would be aided by the police in enforcing the protocols.
Cases were expected to surge in Kerala too after the Assembly polls and with the SSLC examinations beginning on Thursday, students and parents needed to be more mindful about the protocols.
The meeting decided to intensify the current vaccination drive for 45 plus age group in the State in the next three days, with the active involvement of local self-government bodies. It also issued an advisory that polling officials, polling agents as well as all party workers who actively took part in the election activities to be more careful in the coming weeks and to get themselves tested immediately if at all they develop any fever or other COVID-related symptoms.
The seven-day quarantine for people coming from other States would be strictly enforced.
Students appearing for the SSLC examinations should ensure that they wear the mask at all times, on their way to the examination venue and inside the hall. They should take care not to stand together in groups with other school mates. Parents have been asked not to accompany the students.
Students should not share their stationary supplies with other students. Any student with any symptoms such as fever or respiratory illness should inform the authorities at the examination centre ahead of the examination.
