Kerala lockdown: Ernakulam borders to be sealed by Friday midnight

Ernakulam: Authorities are set to implement strict curbs on the district, with a senior police officer saying that its borders will be sealed by Friday night.

Superintendent of Police (Aluva rural) K Kathik said the restrictions on containment zones would be strict and uncompromising. Stringent action would be initiated against those venturing outdoors unnecessarily.

Speaking to Manorama News, the officer advised people against crowding shops selling essential items.

Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 patients in Ernakulam crossed the 60,000 mark. Lockdown-like restrictions have been clamped on 74 panchayats with a test positivity rate of over 25 per cent.

Authorities have decided to provide treatment at the panchayat level following the surge in COVID-19 patients.

As many as 61,847 people have been undergoing treatment in Ernakulam, the first district in the State to report more than 60,000 SARS-CoV-2 positive cases. As many as 45,187 people tested positive for the infection in the past 10 days in the district, with a test positivity rate of 31.8 per cent. Almost 1,200 patients required advanced medical care.

Private hospitals currently have about 2,500 COVID-19 patients under treatment. Government hospitals were now treating 800 patients, and about thousand others have been taken care of at first- and second-line treatment centres, and domiciliary care centres.

An incident response system would be rolled out soon to coordinate the functions of local bodies. All panchayats would have 24x7 control rooms. The district administration would also use the services of 1,800 registered volunteers at the local level.

Kerala government has declared a total lockdown in the State from May 8 to May 16 to check the second wave of COVID-19.

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