The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has flayed the Kerala government for easing the lockdown restrictions 'on the pretext of religious gatherings of Bakrid,' terming it unwarranted and inappropriate at the time a health crisis. The IMA also urged the Kerala government to immediately withdraw the order. In a statement issued by IMA National President Dr JA Jayalal and Honorary Secretary General Dr Jayesh Lele on Sunday, July 18, it said, “When many northern states like Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal have stopped, with a constructive sense of public safety, the traditional and popular pilgrims, it's unfortunate that a learned state like Kerala has taken these retrograde decision," the statement read. The IMA Kerala chapter had earlier criticised the government's lockdown strategy as unscientific and ineffective.
Kerala had been on complete lockdown from May 8 to June 17 but lifted restrictions in a phase by phase by manner. All shops, except those selling essential commodities, were still allowed to open on alternative days and also based on the Test Positivity Rate (TPR) of local bodies. The complete lockdown on weekends still continued in the state. The traders have been urging the state government to open the shops on all days for they suffered heavy losses. There was also a clash between the traders and police after the former demanded opening shops on all days. The traders had a meeting with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on July 16, following which the state government announced that all shops could be opened on July 18, 19 and 20 owing to Bakrid. On July 17, the CM announced more lockdown relaxations, including allowing movie shooting in areas where the TPR is less.
"The IMA, in the larger interest of the country and the well being of humanity, with the sense of responsibility, strongly urge/demand the Kerala state government to immediately withdraw this order, enforce zero-tolerance against COVID-19 appropriate behaviour and not to deviate from its statutory duty and vision to ensure the safety of state and nation as a whole,” the statement read. “IMA, a body of warriors in this COVID-19 war and with the sense of altruism, will be constrained to knock on the pedestal's of the Supreme Court if the state is not enforcing COVID-19 appropriate behaviour and become a model state to curtail the rising menace of COVID, by withdrawing this decision (sic)," the IMA statement further reads.