Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala will impose a night curfew from Monday onwards as part of the heightened COVID-19 vigil. The State accounts for nearly 60% of the new cases in India in the past week and more than half of the country's total active cases.
The timing of the curfew will be from 10pm to 6am every day. The movement of individuals will be restricted to a great extent.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs said recently asked the Kerala Government to "explore the possibility of placing night curfew in areas of high positivity".
Exempt category
Apart from goods vehicles carrying essential commodities and other vehicles with frontline COVID-19 volunteers, emergency hospital travellers, and those to and from from death-related ceremonies will be allowed to ply at night.
The nearest kin of the deceased persons can travel to attend funerals.
Those who return after a long-distance journey will have to show their travel documents. Others will have to take passes from the police station.
The detailed circular regarding night curfew will be issued on Monday.
Lockdown 24x7
Meanwhile, the round-the-clock lockdown will be in force in places where the Weekly Infection Population Ratio (WIPR) comes above seven. The number of local body wards where the lockdown will be enforced will go up once the new system comes into force.
On Sunday, when a total lockdown was in place, the police booked cases against individuals who violated the lockdown rules. Fines were imposed on those who ventured out for travel without any valid reason.
Current relaxations still valid
Meanwhile, usual restrictions and relaxations in connection with the COVID-19 vigil will continue in the State as usual.
New strategy soon
A meeting of health experts will be held on Monday to formulate a new strategy for containing the spread of the pandemic. Virologists and doctors specialised in Covid treatment from government medical colleges and private hospitals will attend the meeting.
A meeting of the local body presidents and secretaries will be held on September 3. The Revenue and Local Administration Ministers will attend the meeting along with the Health Minister.
Kerala's COVID-19 total case count so far reached 40,07,408 on Sunday, as 29,836 new fresh cases were reported on Sunday.
The Test Positivity Rate (TPR) has risen to 19.67 percent from 18.67% on August 28.
The State had relaxed its lockdown restrictions two weeks ago on account of Independence Day and the festival of Onam. This likely explains the recent spurt in COVID-19 cases.
