The district administration has urged the public to be cautious and abide by all COVID safety protocol in view of the Onam season.
The next two weeks remain key as people may come out in good numbers for Onam purchase and celebrations. “Traders have been asked to strictly comply with the COVID-19 protocol,” said S. Suhas, District Collector.
The timings of shops in non-containment zones have been revised from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. up to September 2 in view of the festival season. “But care should be taken to avoid overcrowding. The use of masks and sanitisers is compulsory. Token system has to be introduced to avoid rush at outlets,” he said.
Mr. Suhas said that traders should ensure physical distancing and break-the-chain protocol. “We have also requested them to offer uniform discount rates to customers. Otherwise, there will be a rush inside an outlet offering discounts higher than others. Specific guidelines have been issued to shopping malls and textile outlets in view of the spike in number of visitors,” he said.
The authorities have asked traders to encourage cashless transactions. Home delivery of items should be promoted, they said.
New cases
The number of persons tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in the district on Thursday was 140. Of this, 135 were infected through contact. Chengamanad was among the areas that had the highest number of positive cases, with 16 persons testing positive. The number of positive cases in Palluruthy, Fort Kochi and Mattancherry also remained steady compared to the past one week. Ten cases each were reported in Palluruthy and Fort Kochi. The number of positive cases in Mattancherry was eight.
Six of the infected were health and Asha workers. The number of persons undergoing treatment in various hospitals after testing positive is 2,023. Nearly 300 among the count were people belonging to other districts, according to official estimates.