Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala will observe total lockdown during this weekend, July 10 and 11, in an effort to bring down the test positivity rate (TPR) which has long been hovering around the 10 per cent mark.
However, there will be no change in the examinations scheduled for Saturday and Sunday during the weekend lockdown.
Though private bus services won't be available, the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) will operate a skeletal service for the benefit of people working in the essential services sector.
Those in the construction sector will also be allowed to function. However, they should report their work at the nearest police station.
TPR-based curbs to continue
Stringent curbs on public activities would continue in areas with more than 15 per cent TPR from Monday.
The latest set of graded restrictions, which have been announced for areas under the jurisdiction of local self-government bodies in Kerala on the basis of the TPR obtained after tests conducted for the COVID-19 disease came into force from Thursday.
Local bodies with TPR in the range of 0 to 5 per cent have been classified as A category, those in the 5-10 per cent range as B category, 10-15 per cent as C and those reporting above 15 per cent as D.
The new restrictions and relaxations announced by the Kerala government as per the above grading came into effect from Thursday, July 8.
Normal activities will be allowed in 'A" category areas; partial lockdown will be in force in "B" zones, lockdown in areas under "C" and triple lockdown in "D" category zones.
Covid review meeting today
Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will chair a high-level Covid review meeting here on Saturday evening.
The meeting will review the prevailing Covid situation in the State following the implementation of fresh restrictions and relaxations four days ago.
The State is likely to announce more relaxations. The leaders will meet again early next week to take a call on this.
13,563 new cases on Friday
Kerala recorded 13,563 COVID-19 cases on Friday, pushing the total cases reported from the state to 30,39,029.
Maharashtra and Kerala recorded more than half of the COVID-19 cases registered in India last week.
As many as 10,545 people were cured of the infection, taking the total recoveries to 29,11,054.
The active cases touched 1,13,115, Health Minister Veena George said in a press release. The caseload remained above 1-lakh for the past nine days.
Lapses in Covid control front to be addressed
The Centre's decision to sanction Rs 23,123 crore for the health sector is a clear indicator that the government has taken serious lessons from the widespread devastation caused by the second wave of COVID-19.
The Modi-led government was widely criticised for failing to mitigate the threat posed by the virus. As a result, hundreds of people lost their lives in India for want of oxygen cylinders and hospital beds.
It is in this background that the government has set aside funds in advance for focussing on the development of health infrastructure facilities.
The Centre has said that 24 lakh additional beds would be set up as part of the new package. Besides, 20,000 ICU beds would also be put in place. Of this 20 per cent of beds would be set aside for children.
Of the sanctioned amount, Rs 15,000 crore would be transferred to the states. The Centre will spend Rs 8,000 crore directly.
Apart from special infrastructure facilities for treatment, the Centre will also bear the cost of developing storage facilities for oxygen and medicines.
The government has fixed nine months for the utilisation of Rs 23,123 crore for developing basic infrastructure.
This is the second time that such a huge amount has been set aside for fighting the crisis triggered by Covid. The amount of Rs 15,000 crore sanctioned in the first lot was aimed at strengthening Covid hospitals and Covid treatment centres.
