As the Kerala lockdown to check the coronavirus outbreak enters Day 6 on Sunday, the state has opened up many avenues to make life a tad easier for its 3.3 crore population.
Onmanorama compiles a list of essential and other services available at the time of crisis in the state.
Supermarkets to be shut
All supermarkets in the state will remain shut Sunday.
The Supermarket Welfare Association of Kerala has decided not to function on Sundays till the lockdown continues. The move is aimed to give the limited staff members, who are working during the time of crisis, a weekly off. Supermarkets will function from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m in the rest of the days.
Break Corona initiative
The state government has rolled out Break Corona, an initiative to submit ideas to tackle the outbreak. The Kerala Startup Mission has launched a website breakcorona.in for the purpose.
The submissions will be vetted by a panel of experts and actin will be initiated on the basis of its opinion. The Indian Medical Association's Thiruvananthapuram Unit and G-Tech, a collaborative of IT firms in Kerala, are also part of this initiative.
Data for telemedicine services
The state government has started a massive data collection exercise in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak to equip it with facilities including telemedicine.
The link for this is available on the govt's website. All those who are in need of coronavirus treatment are requested to register. Telemedicine services are expected to start from Monday availing the services of government and private doctors.
Drone surveillance
The Thiruvananthapuram district police conducted surveillance of those flouting lockdown norms using drones. The initiative started in Poonthura.
The Kerala police have so far registered more than 7,000 cases in the state against those who hit the streets on vehicles without valid reasons.
On Saturday, 1,22O cases have been filed and 1258 arrests registered apart from seizing 792 vehicles.
COVID-19 Control Room
A Covid control room has started functioning from Attingal Fire and Rescue Station. The control room is to coordinate efforts to provide essential goods and medicines to those under home quarantine in the jurisdiction of local self-government bodies in falling under the purview of Attingal Fire Station.
Contact: 04702-622000, 9497920035, 9497920036
Community kitchens
At least 7,000 needy were fed by the community kitchens started in Thiruvananthapuram district so far.
Eighty similar community kitchens have started functioning in various panchayats so far. In Thiruvananthapuram corporation limits there are six community kitchens, which will soon be scaled up to 25.
Kerala Water Authority's Covid cells
The KWA is providing 2,700 million litres of water for 24 lakh water connections in the state. Covid cells have been set up to coordinate water supply, KWA managing director S Venkatesepathy informed. In the last four days, KWA has supplied 5.6 million litres through tanker lorries and 12,110 litres through cans to quarantine centres and those under home quarantine.
Post office on wheels
The mobile post offices, which will offer a host of services including savings bank account transactions, started rolling out services in Pathanamthitta district. The public can avail the facility to make insurance premium payment and many other such banking and financial services apart from sending an electronic money order, speed post and registered posts.
Corona sample testing in Kottayam
Arrangements have been made for sample testing of Coronavirus in Kottayam. Mahatma Gandhi University's Interuniversity Centre for Biomedical Research at Thalappadi got the approval from the Indian Council of Medical Research. Fifty samples can be tested per day and results can be obtained in eight hours.
