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Coronavirus: A Slew Of New Rules In Kerala, Triple Lockdown In Thiruvananthapuram

Kerala University has cancelled its exams while CBSE and ICSE school boards have slashed the syllabus for some classes.
A staff member walks inside an empty classroom of a school after Kerala government ordered the closure of schools across the state, March 12, 2020.
Sivaram V / Reuters
A staff member walks inside an empty classroom of a school after Kerala government ordered the closure of schools across the state, March 12, 2020.

Kerala government has announced a slew of measure over the last two days, as the state recorded a big jump in COVID-19 cases, particularly in its capital of Thiruvananthapuram.

On Sunday, a triple lockdown was imposed in Thiruvananthapuram corporation limits as the state reported 225 new COVID-19 patients, taking the total number of active cases to 2,228.

Thiruvananthapuram currently has 107 patients under treatment, of which 38 were reported in the last ten days.

As a result of the lockdown, Kerala University declared the cancellation of all its exams. The draw of state lottery has also been postponed.

The Kerala government has also made it mandatory for the public to adhere to a set of COVID-19 safety guidelines for the next one year through an amendment brought to the Epidemic Diseases Act.

The regulations will remain in effect till July 2021. District Collectors have been instructed to ensure due compliance of the regulations.Those who violate the rules shall be penalised under the provisions of the Kerala Epidemic Diseases Ordinance, 2020.

Meanwhile, the state board is considering cutting down the syllabus for students up to class 10, Manorama reported. CBSE has cut its syllabus for classes 9-12 by 30% while the ICSE has cut by 25% for Class 10 and 12.

The new regulations

According to the regulations, all persons shall cover their mouth and nose with a mask or face cover in all public places, work places, any place where public have access, all kinds of vehicles and during transport.

“All persons shall maintain a social distance of six feet between person to person in all public places and functions...In all wedding ceremonies and functions thereafter the maximum number of participants at a time shall not exceed 50 people,” it read.

Not more than 20 people would be allowed at shops and funerals.

No get together, processions, dharna, congregation, demonstration shall be held without the written permission of the authorities concerned.

Spitting in public places is strictly prohibited.

In order to travel to Kerala, all residents and non- residents must register with the COVID-19 Jagratha platform before undertaking the journey.

Triple lockdown in Thiruvananthapuram

On Sunday, the Kerala government decided to impose triple lockdown in Thiruvananthapuram to be implemented from 6 AM on July 6 every day and meant to last a week.

The announcement comes hours after the minister said the district was ‘sitting on an active volcano’ with rising number of COVID-19 cases and there was no guarantee that there would be no community spread.

“People should not venture out. We need strict restrictions to contain the spread of the virus. During triple lockdown, there will be more restrictions. Only necessary services will be allowed,” Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran said.

Surendran, who is also in charge of the district, said the courts would remain closed. “There will be no public transportation. Only the medical, other essential shops and hospitals will function. People can go to medical shops with a proper prescription,” he said.

The Minister’s office warned of action against those who venture out unnecessarily.

The Minister told reporters on Sunday that the state government has decided to conduct more antigen tests in the district to check the spread of the virus.

KSRTC bus services within Thiruvananthapuram corporation limits have been reorganised, Mathrubhumi reported, with no bus services to be conducted from Pappanamcode, Thiruvananthapuram city, Thiruvananthapuram central, Peroorkada, Vikas Bhavan and Vizhinjam units.

Surendran said the restrictions in force in containment zones would be tightened and food delivery boys would be tested.

State police chief Loknath Behera told media that all the roads leading to the city would be closed and only essential services will be allowed to ply. “No vehicle movement will be allowed inside the city. In the corporation limit, only medical shops and essential shops like provisional stores will be allowed.Rest of the establishments will be closed. The state secretariat and other government offices will remain closed,” Behera was quoted as saying in a release.

(with PTI inputs)

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.