Kerala would further tighten COVID-19 lockdown restrictions at least till April 21. Officials said the police would impose stricter limits on the active movement of people and make wearing face masks when venturing out mandatory.
The State government’s bid to further tighten social distancing norms comes against the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call on Tuesday for extra watchfulness for the next week. The Prime Minister had also said the lockdown would remain in place till May 3.
‘COVID-19 cases in Kerala has plummeted’
At least two ministers told newspersons here that the government saw no reason to override the Centre’s call. The Centre would spell out the second phase of the national containment strategy soon. The cabinet on Wednesday would vet the Centre’s guidelines and chart out its State-specific course of action.
Health Minister K. K. Shylaja said data suggested that the number of COVID-19 cases in Kerala had plummeted. However, it could not drop its guard. The epidemic tended to resurge, and it knew no geographical borders. Hence, Kerala had no choice but to be part of the national containment strategy.
Ms. Shylaja said the situation in Kasargod district, a “high risk” locality in the State, had improved in leaps and bounds. In Pothencode in Thiruvananthapuram, the transmission of the infection was not as widespread as feared initially.
Finance Minister Thomas Isaac said the country has to go in for widespread testing to gauge the spread of the epidemic in society accurately. Only then could State governments make an informed decision on when to lift the limitation on economic activity.
However, reliable COVID-19 test kits were at a premium in the country. The Centre should ensure the production and delivery of sufficient test kits. It should take a loan from the Reserve Bank of India to aid States to restart their local economies. “Pats on the back from the PM is welcome. But, he should also ensure that States are financially empowered to survive the adversity”, he said.
Restrictions may continue post lockdown
A senior official said the government expected the Centre to accord States like Kerala, which have a relatively lesser number of COVID-19 positive cases and epidemic hotspots, some latitude in reopening their economy in stages.
However, he said it was a long shot to expect people to get back to work or business any time soon. The bar on inter-district and inter-State travel would endure until further notice. So would the embargo on commercial air, rail, road and sea travel. The authorities had exempted movement of essential freight from the curfew.
Similarly, farmers, pharmaceutical companies and producers of medical equipment would continue to enjoy the curfew exemption already announced by the State government.
The State hoped to support door-to-door delivery of services, including legal liquor in limited quantity and on specific days. It wanted to ensure that the lockdown did not spawn black markets and illicit supply chains.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had on Monday flagged the possibility of bootleg capturing the sizeable market for legal liquor. He had said the lockdown had not doused the demand or appetite for alcohol.