Kerala lockdown. Covid impact: Revised total lockdown rules come into force in Kerala

Kerala rung in the first Sunday with a total lockdown after the State government revised the guidelines a few days ago.

The State government decided to confine the weekend lockdown to a single day and replaced test positivity rate (TPR) with a weekly infection population ratio (WIPR) to decide which area to go under the strictest clamp-down.

The WIPR-based system of lockdown came into force Thursday which culls out panchayats/wards by crunching out the threshold number of weekly infections reported every Wednesday in turn multiplied by 1,000 and divided by the total population of the panchayat or urban ward.

Shrinking of containment zone

Panchayats/urban wards that return with a WIPR of more than 10 shall invoke intensified stringent lockdown restrictions. This would shrink the containment zone into those wards/divisions, instead of the erstwhile system of closing down an entire local self-government jurisdiction based on the weekly TPR.

This also marked a new phase of pandemic management with a view to not just containing the spread of the pandemic but also triggering economic revival. More relaxations are likely from August 11 even as the virus spread remained high in 266 wards spread across 52 local bodies in the state on Saturday.

A triple lockdown has been imposed in areas with the highest incidence where only essential services are allowed in the newly differentiated micro containment zones. The police ring-fenced the hotspots and permitted entry and exit only through a single corridor.

Malls to open this week

Meanwhile, thousands of Hindus observed Karkada Vavu Bali (annual remembrance with special rituals for ancestors) at their homes after the government banned crowds at temples, beaches and bathing ghats. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is scheduled to review the pandemic situation again on Tuesday.

The State government has signalled that it would allow air-conditioned shopping malls to open from Wednesday. Customers should mandatorily furnish an immunity certificate for entering the precincts.

It could be a Covid-19 vaccination certificate, a valid RT-PCR negative certificate or a medical authentication of having recovered from infection recently, an official spokesperson said.

Wearing of double masks and social distancing would be strictly implemented. The management should assign a minimum of 25 square feet of space for an individual and discourage crowding. Staff should be fully vaccinated. Thermal scanning of customers is a must with names and mobile phone number.

Monitoring of supermarkets

Sectoral magistrates and police would closely monitor supermarkets to ensure they do not turn into super spreader locations. The State government might also allow sporting activities to resume after Onam. The administration is also under pressure to open cinema theatres and allow cultural events.

It has lifted the weekend lockdown on August 15 and 22, both Sunday,s given Independence Day and Onam. Further easing of restrictions would hinge primarily on the pace of vaccination. An estimated 42.14 per cent of the State’s population has received at least one dose of the vaccine.

Intense vaccination drive

Nearly 18 per cent have received both doses. The State Health Department is poised to launch a month-long intense drive from Monday to ramp up vaccination. It aims to inoculate final year degree and postgraduate students and lower and upper primary school teachers to open colleges and schools.

The government will supply 20 lakh doses at its procurement price to private hospitals. It has also encouraged the public and private sector and charitable organisations to conduct vaccination drives. It hopes to vaccinate citizens above 60 years of age by August 15.

The government has also allowed tourist resorts to permit fully vaccinated customers. But they are banned from organising group recreational activities, open swimming pools or bars for guests, allow communal dining or conduct cultural events.

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