Coronavirus in Kerala: Govt worried over Unlock 1 relaxations, set to retain controls

Coronavirus in Kerala: Govt worried over Unlock 1 relaxations, set to retain controls

K RaveendranUpdated: Sunday, May 31, 2020, 09:25 PM IST
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Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala is worried that the latest round of relaxations announced by the Centre as part of Unlock 1, set to come into force on June 8, will jeopardise the defence against coronavirus, already under strain.

The Centre has announced Unlock 1 at a time when the state is witnessing a big spurt in the number of new cases on a daily basis, most of them on account of people coming from Red Zones in other states and outside the country.

The state reported addition of 61 new cases on Sunday, out of which 20 are on account of people who came from abroad while 37 are people coming from other states. There have also been four cases of the disease spreading through contact. There are 116 hotspots in the state.

The state authorities are particularly unhappy over the move to allow free movement of people without the need for passes from across the border. Indications are that the government will continue to enforce passes to cross border check posts.

Adding to the worries is the resumption of train services from June 1, which will make control of people's influx more difficult.

They also have reservations about opening places of worship as this could endanger social distancing, which is an important part of the fight against COVID. Religious congregations are considered a potential threat that could lead to a community spread of the disease.

The state government is expected to hold a detailed review of the new relaxations and announce its decision on Monday. Neighbouring Tamil Nadu has already announced that digital passes will be mandatory for people travelling to and from Kerala.

Public health experts have already cautioned against the government against the wholesale withdrawal of restrictions as this could lead to the uncontrolled flow of people from heavily infected areas. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is expected to hold another round of consultations with leaders of religious groups in this regard.

Even if the places of worship are allowed to be open to public, this is likely to be done with restrictions, limiting the number of worshippers and facilitating social distancing. Heads of various religious groups have generally agreed with the government, but there have been demands of late that access to public be allowed to these places.

Kerala is also likely to impose restrictions on the reopening of shopping malls and entertainment facilities as these could increase the risk of community spread, which has not yet occurred despite a steady increase in the number of new cases.

Meanwhile, the state’s schools are reopening for the new academic year on Monday, but without the presence of students. Teachers will hold classes online, for which arrangements have been made using internet and television channels. This is being done on an experimental basis.

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