Under attack from Opposition parties and traders over prolonged lockdown restrictions for some time, Kerala government on Wednesday, August 4 announced easing of the curbs imposed in the state due to COVID-19. As per the new guidelines, shops, markets, banks, offices, financial institutions, factories, industrial establishments, tourist spaces and other establishments can function six days in a week from Monday to Saturday.
All shops and other establishments can operate from 7 am to 9 pm and the fresh relaxations would come into effect from August 5, said the order issued by Chief Secretary V P Joy. As per the new guidelines, all establishments in the public sector, including government offices, PSUs, companies, autonomous organizations, commissions etc. would also be allowed to function from Monday to Saturday. It is permitted to conduct all competitive, recruitment and university examinations/sports trials. However, schools, colleges, cinema halls, in-house dining in hotels and restaurants and so on would continue to remain closed. Malls can be permitted to open only for online delivery and educational institutions can be opened for imparting online education only.
Experts’ opinions in the matter and the concerns regarding effect of prolonged closure of establishments on livelihood have been considered by the government for lifting the curbs, Joy said in the order. The LDF government had been facing severe criticism from the opposition parties and traders in the state for some time over its continuing pandemic-induced curbs. The UDF opposition raised the issues of the social and financial implications of the prolonged lockdown multiple times in the Assembly.
Earlier, announcing the relaxations in the state Assembly, Health Minister Veena George said a general suggestion that came up before the government was to adopt another scientific criteria along with the Test Positivity Rate (TPR) to announce relaxations. Therefore, it has been decided that the number of newly diagnosed cases per 1000 people of the total population should be considered instead of the TPR in the state, she said.
Concerns of a third wave of the pandemic are still persisting and the objective of the government is to vaccinate the maximum number of people before it, she added. "We can effectively check further spread of COVID-19 by building immunity by providing vaccines to the maximum number of people," she told the House.
While introducing relaxations, the government has also decided to impose special intensified stringent lockdown restrictions in the LSGIs with critical spread based on the Weekly Infection Population Ratio (WIPR) considering the increased in COVID-19 cases. WIPR is the total number of COVID-19 infections reported in the week multiplied by 1000 divided by total population of the panchayat or urban ward.
The government also wanted all shops, tourism centres and other establishments to display the status of vaccination of employees and the number of customers permitted at a time. “It shall be the responsibility of the owner of such establishments to avoid crowding inside and outside the shop and the enforcement agencies will conduct checks and take action to ensure this.
Accommodation facilities like hotels, resorts etc would be allowed in a bio-bubble model in all areas on all days.
Though restrictions on public functions, social, cultural and political gatherings will continue, marriages and funerals would be allowed with participation of maximum 20 people.
Places of worship shall strictly limit the maximum number of people to 40 with each person having a minimum of 25 sq ft area. For lesser area, the maximum number of persons shall be reduced proportionately, it said.
As per the order, only persons who have taken at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, or who are in possession of negative RT-PCR certificate not older than 72 hours or people in possession of COVID-19 positive results more than a month old, will be allowed inside shops, banks and other establishments.
However, the Kerala Health Minister earlier said in the House that it is "desirable" that those visiting shops get at least one dose of vaccine, having RT-PCR negative certificate received within 72 hours or those recovered from the infection within a month.
Veena George said that shops would remain open and curbs would be eased on August 15 and August 22. Though both of these are Sundays, this will be done considering the Independence Day and the Onam festival respectively, she said. However, the health minister urged the shops and business establishments to make special arrangements to avoid crowding and ensure social distancing in their premises on account of festival season.
On the high number of daily positive cases, the minister said the second wave of the infection had started a little late in the state and 56% of Kerala's total population are still not infected. "So, chances are high for the increased daily positive cases in Kerala compared to other states,” the minister said, adding that the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic is decreasing in the state.
The number of patients seeking treatment at hospitals and those needing ICU support has dwindled, she said while replying during the Question Hour session in the Assembly. "The hospital occupancy and ICU occupancy has decreased in the state now-a--days. That means, the severity of the disease is decreasing," George said.
(With PTI inputs)