Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 15(BPNS)
Kerala Chief Minister, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan today announced the lockdown relaxations in the state from June 17 based on the average weekly test positivity rate in LSG bodies.
Giving details, the Chief Minister said, “The easing of the lockdown will begin from June 17. Local bodies with an average TPR of less than 8% will have limited restrictions whereas there will be partial lockdown in places with 8-20% TPR, full lockdown for 20-30% TPR and triple lockdown in areas with TPR above 30%. As of June 14, there are 147 local bodies with a TPR less than 8%, 716 between 8-20%, 146 in the 20-30% and 25 with a TPR above 30%. The average weekly TPR will be reviewed every Wednesday by the district administration and the changes in the lockdown status for the local bodies will be communicated by them.”
Activities in the industrial and agricultural sectors will be allowed in all local bodies. Transportation will be provided to workers in these areas. Shops selling essential goods will be open every day from 7 am to 7 pm. Akshaya Kendras will be open from Monday to Friday. Central and State Government Offices, Public Sector Undertakings, Government Companies, Commissions, Corporations and Autonomous Institutions will be allowed to operate with 25% staff on a rotation basis from June 17. The Government Secretariat would function with up to 50% of the staff on a rotation basis. There will be full lockdown across the state during the weekend.
Public transportation will be allowed on a limited basis in moderation. Banks will continue to operate only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The participation in weddings and funeral services will continue to be limited to 20. No social gatherings or public events are allowed. Only home delivery and takeaway will be allowed from restaurants, no dine-in. Tourism, recreation, and crowded indoor activities including malls are not allowed. Bevco outlets and bars can open from 9 am to 7 pm and slots should be booked through the app.
All shops (with up to 50% staff) will be allowed to operate from 7 am to 7 pm, in areas with a TPR of up to 8%. Private companies will be allowed to operate with 50% employees from June 17. In local bodies where the TPR is 8-20%, only essential shops will be allowed to operate from 7 am to 7 pm. Other shops will be open only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Private companies with 50% staff can operate on these days. Where TPR is above 20%, other shops will open only on Fridays.
The CM also informed that the healthcare systems were able to cope with the stress of the second Covid wave as they were strengthened at various levels. “We were able to give everyone the best possible treatment. Only 63% ICU beds and 32% ventilators were used. The occasionally reported black fungus (mucor mycosis) has also been brought under control.”
He warned that Thiruvananthapuram district is likely to see a 5% increase in the number of new cases in the coming week and in Thrissur district, an increase of 1% is expected. “The number of cases is expected to decrease in all other districts. The average number of cases per day in the state as a whole is expected to fall by 16% next week. The number of active cases is expected to drop to 1.2 lakh by June 20 and 95,000 by June 27. Although the state as a whole has been able to control the second wave to a large extent, the test positivity rate is high in many panchayats. Such panchayats will be identified and strict restrictions will be enforced.”
Meanwhile, Covid-19 was detected in 12,246 persons in Kerala today from 1,04,120 tests conducted during the last one day (TPR 11.76%). 166 recent deaths were confirmed as caused by Covid and the total death toll is now 11,508. At present, there are 1,12,361 active cases in the state even as 13,536 patients recovered from the disease today.
