Kerala to impose strict lockdown restrictions in areas with high COVID-19 infection ratio

Special intensified, stringent lockdown restrictions will be enforced in areas where the weekly infection population ratio (WIPR) is above 10 in Kerala.

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New Delhi: The Kerala government on Sunday (September 19) announced it will impose strict lockdown in regions where COVID-19 spread is out of hand. 

Special intensified, stringent lockdown restrictions will be enforced in areas where the weekly infection population ratio (WIPR) is above 10 and the affected places would be notified by the district disaster management authority (DDMA) on a weekly basis, Chief Secretary V P Joy said in an order, as per PTI. 

The affected areas would be publicised through websites and other media, the order added. “The District Collectors shall further notify micro-containment zones as per guidelines and enforce the lockdown restrictions therein,” Joy said, adding that contact tracing and quarantine will also be monitored and strengthened in all districts

Kerala reported 19,653 fresh coronavirus infection cases and 152 fatalities, which pushed the caseload to 45,08,493 and the death toll to 23,591, as per an official press release on Sunday. There are currently 1,73,631 active cases in the state. 

Earlier, the Kerala government announced schools for standards 1 to 7 and Classes 10 and 12 will reopen from November 1, while for the remaining students physical classes will resume from November 15. The colleges in the state have been permitted to reopen from October 4, 2021. 

Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty said on Sunday that a detailed action plan for reopening schools in the state will be framed after holding discussions with concerned departments to ensure the safety of the children attending the schools.

In early September, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan had ruled out a complete lockdown in the state stating that it will create a huge crisis for the economy and livelihoods. "Nobody wants another state-wide lockdown because its implementation will adversely affect the economy and the livelihood of the people," the CM was quoted as saying by ANI. 

(With agency inputs)