Relaxation will continue in Kerala; there will be no lockdown on the next two Sundays

Thiruvananthapuram: The revised lockdown guidelines, which include a new set of relaxations, go into effect today.

The next two Sundays, August 15 and 22, will be free of lockdown. The temporary lifting of the lockdown on Sundays appeared to be in response to the upcoming Onam festival.

Banks, commercial establishments, and tourism centres in open areas will be open six days a week, while government offices will be open five days a week (from Monday to Friday).

However, despite widespread public outrage, the government has not made stringent implementation of contentious clauses such as requiring vaccination certificates before entering banks and commercial establishments.

However, those who did not wear masks in public and those who violated other lockdown guidelines continued to face hefty fines from the police. In the last three days, the police have collected approximately Rs 3 crore from 70,000-odd people accused of violating lockdown rules.

It has been learned that police higher-ups set a daily target of filing at least 30 lockdown violation cases in each police station.

However, resentment is growing among the general public and a section of the police force working at the grassroots level against the imposition of hefty fines at a time when people are struggling to manage their finances, particularly during this Onam season.