The Kerala government has introduced minor relaxations to the revised COVID-19 control protocol at the COVID-19 review meeting held here on Tuesday.
The controversial stipulation that consumers should possess a vaccination certificate to visit shops has been virtually done away with.
"If there is no one fit enough to visit shops under the earlier guidelines, anyone from the house can visit the shops to buy essential goods," a press release issued by the Chief Minister's office on Tuesday said. The review meeting acknowledged that there could be many who had not yet received even a single dose of a vaccine and also some who were unable to receive the vaccination for medical reasons.
Nonetheless, on the other hand, more local bodies will be brought under triple lockdown.
Originally, it was said that local bodies with a Weekly Infection Population Ratio (WIPR) of 10 or more will be put under 'Special intensified stringent lockdown'. The review meeting on Tuesday felt that COVID prevention would be better served if the window of relaxation was narrowed. So, henceforth, local bodies with WIPR of 8 and more will be put under 'Special intensified stringent lockdown'.
The WIPR indicates the number of positive cases among 1000 people in a local body area (panchayat/municipality/corporation) in a week. It is calculated by multiplying the number of positive cases in the local body in a week with 1000 and dividing this by the total population of the local body.
This week, the number of local bodies with a WIPR of more than 10 is 52, and the number of wards with 10-plus WIPR is 266. With the WIPR ceiling pulled down, the number of wards under 'Special intensified stringent lockdown' is expected to go up.
Further, it was also decided to double the intensity of controls in areas with a WIPR of 14 or more. The number of micro containment zones in such areas will be increased by more than 50 per cent. Micro containment zones are mini pandemic clusters within a ward or panchayat.
Sabarimala darshan
The review meeting has decided to allow 15,000 devotees daily for the monthly pujas that begin in Sabarimala from August 15. The devotees granted entry should either have taken both the doses of vaccine or should possess a COVID negative certificate taken within 72 hours. The 'darshan' will be allowed through the Virtual Q booking system.
No mass gatherings for Onam, Muharram
No public observation of festivals or mass gatherings will be permitted in the state during Onam, Muharram, Janmashtami, Ganesh Chathurthi and Durga Pooja as they have the potential to become super spreaders of the COVID-19 infection, the Kerala government said on Tuesday.
The decision was taken by the Disaster Management department of Kerala in view of a Central government alert to all states about the possibility of mass gatherings during these festivals turning into super spreaders of COVID-19 leading to a spike in infections, an order, issued by Chief Secretary V P Joy, said.
The Union Health Ministry has advised all states to actively consider imposing local restrictions in public observation of these festivals and curb mass gatherings, it said.
