The prohibitory orders that have been in effect in Kerala for nearly fifty days come to an end on Sunday. However, a call on whether it gets extended will be taken later today.
Imposed in October to curb the alarming spread of COVID-19 in the state, it was later extended until November 15 in thirteen districts. Under the prohibitory orders (Section 144 of the CrPC), an assembly of more than five people is not allowed in public places.
Kerala government's decision had raised eyebrows as no other state or union territory in the country has invoked this law to fight the pandemic. Many were of the opinion that Section 151 (which empowers a police officer to arrest a member of unlawful gathering without a warrant) and Section 149 (which gives police officer power to interpose to prevent an offence) were already enough to prevent large crowds.
Section 144, however, is considered draconic because any person who violates it is imprisoned for up to two years and/or fined.
The fact that it was imposed when agitations and strikes were on the rise against the government for its alleged involvement in several corruption charges and most notably, the Kerala gold smuggling scam too called the government's decision into question.
Kerala reported 6,357 cases after 61,553 tests on Saturday. 6,793 recoveries were also reported. For the past one week, Kerala's COVID graph has seen a downward trend. The number of active cases in the state now stands at 76,927.
