Deputy Commissioner R. Girish has said that though the lockdown will continue till May 3, those working in some sectors will enjoy relaxation during the lockdown period.
He told presspersons here on Thursday factories in the pharmaceutical, food processing and packing sectors would be allowed to function. There would not be any restrictions on agriculture and horticulture activities. The government had allowed construction works taken up by various government agencies, outside the limits of urban local bodies.
The restriction on movement of vehicles would continue. Those who bring out two-wheelers would have to pay a penalty of ₹500 and those who bring out four-wheelers would be slapped a fine of ₹1,000. Farmers who visit the cities in private vehicles to purchase seeds, fertilizers or agriculture implements would have to carry their RTC so that the police could allow them.
The district administration has decided to extend the time for shops that sell essentials by two hours on alternate days. Till now the shops were allowed to function till noon. From Saturday onwards they would remain open till 2 p.m. “We took this decision to avoid people gathering at shops in large numbers”, he said
So far, there has been no positive case of COVID-19 in the district. The administration had collected 891 samples for the laboratory test and the results of 22 were awaited. As per the instructions from the State government, the district officers are engaged in identifying the vulnerable people, including pregnant women, TB patients, HIV patients and senior citizens at old age homes, and taking their samples for tests, the DC said.
District Health Officer K.M. Sathish Kumar and Additional DC Kavitha Rajaram were present at the press conference.