Thiruvananthapuram: Triple lockdown has been enforced in 634 wards across 87 local bodies in Kerala from Thursday as per the new Weekly Infection Population Ratio (WIPR) regarding COVID-19. A week ago only 266 wards in 52 local bodies were subject to this severe mode of public restriction.

As per the latest lockdown guidelines to contain the pandemic, triple lockdown ensues when the WIPR is above 10. The doubling of the number of wards, with triple lockdown, underlines the need for extra caution.

The most number of wards where triple lockdown has been imposed is in Malappuram district, 171. This is followed by Palakkad (102), and Kozhikode (89) districts.

Kottayam district, which did not have any wards with triple lockdown last week, now has 26 wards under triple lockdown.

Micro-containment zones

The new lockdown police based on WIPR came into effect from August 5 after doing away with one based on the Total Positivity Rate (TPR).

WIPR is arrived at by the formula: the total number of Covid infections reported in a week multiplied by 1,000 and divided by total population of the panchayat or urban ward.

As per the new policy any small area, including a house, can be declared as a micro-containment zone, in case of disease spread. Till now, micro-containment zones were notified on a ward basis and curbs enforced.

From now on, only a smaller area with Covid spread can also be declared as a micro-containment zone. If five cases are reported in a 100-metre area in a day, that can be notified as a micro-containment zone, as per the order of the Additional Chief Secretary (Disaster Management Department). If there is disease spread in a joint family with more than 10 members, that house can be declared as a micro-containment zone.

Streets, markets, densely populated areas, offices, IT companies, warehouses, housing colony, shopping mall, commercial establishments, flat, harbour, and fish market can be declared as micro-containment zones.

A review meeting, chaired by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, will be convened on Friday. Strict curbs could be enforced for control crowding during Onam.

Idukki fares well

Thodupuzha: Idukki is the only district in Kerala now that is not under strict lockdown curbs. In Idukki, a sparsely populated district, the disease transmission was notably less than in other 13 districts.

Last week, 3,108 people were diagnosed with COVID-19 in Idukki after 29,895 were tested. The TPR stood at 10.40 per cent. If curbs based on TPR was still in force, then there would have been strict restrictions in 11 panchayats. The Vathikudy panchayat in the district recorded a TPR of 22.11 per cent, but the WIPR is only 4.01.