Six days a week shops is now allowed to open under Kerala’s new Covid-19 protocol
Thiruvananthapuram: In a major overhaul of the Covid-19 protocols, the Kerala state government has announced a set of new guidelines in an effort to open shops and restore normalcy to the lives of the people.
The new guidelines allow all shops to be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on all days except Sunday. Saturday and Sunday weekend lockdowns have been replaced by a one-day lockdown on Sundays.
Places will no longer be classified using the letters A, B, C, and D. However, restrictions on places will be imposed based on the number of Covid-19 cases. For one week, areas with a minimum of ten Covid-19 patients in a population of 1,000 will be placed under triple lockdown.
A maximum of 40 people will be permitted to attend weddings and other funeral services. Strict measures will be put in place to prevent all types of political, social, and cultural functions from taking place. The government was urged to consider practical and scientific measures to combat the threat, and there was a backlash against TPR-based restrictions.
The Minister for Health, Veena George, announced the guidelines in the assembly, saying that the primary focus will now be on crowd control in public places. “A maximum of 40 people will be permitted, taking into account the total area of worship centres. Lockdown will not be in effect on August 15 and 22, when celebrations for Independence Day and Onam are held. Hotels should strictly enforce home delivery, and all civic bodies and police should be extra vigilant in controlling people who gather in public places without adhering to the Covid-19 protocol. Public access to stores will be limited to one person per 25 square feet.”
The minister also stated that precautions have been taken to avoid overcrowding in vaccination centres. ‘Those over the age of 60 will be vaccinated as soon as possible.’ The second wave of Covid-19 has engulfed us. We need to stop it with the help of the public, and we also need to prepare for the third wave with full vaccination,’ she added.
