An all-party meeting held here on Monday morning here is learnt to have decided against invoking a complete lockdown in Kerala even as it suggested that the weekend restrictions/night curfew continue. No crowd or victory celebrations will be allowed after the Assembly elections results are declared on May 2.

The meeting entrusted individual political parties to send the message this effect across to the cadres. The decisions arrived at the all-party meeting is expected to be formally announced by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan during his daily briefing later in the evening.

Night-time restrictions on

Shops will be allowed to open only until 7.30 pm as per restrictions currently being enforced. Shop owners had requested the government to extend this till 9 pm. Restrictions will be tighter in the containment zones areas as well as in those areas where Covid-19 transmission is found to be intense and positivity rate high.

Attendance in religious functions at areas of worship may be fixed suitably as per the size of the built-up area giving due consideration to the mandatory protocol on social distancing. District Collectors have been directed to engage leaders of various communities with regard to the decisions arrived at the all-party meeting.

The Indian Medical Association has meanwhile called for a lockdown in the state for at least a week in the light of the test positivity rate having breached 20 per cent and holding on stubbornly at those levels for days together, which indicates accelerated rate of transmission.

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