Coronavirus: Kerala is in a complete shutdown today amid the COVID-19 pandemic
Kerala will go into complete lockdown on Sunday, the state government said on Saturday. Nothing will be allowed to open except essential services, it said. "With a view to prevent the spread of COVID-19, improve the quality of life, reduce the carbon emissions, protect the environment and greenery of the state… Sundays will be observed as total shut down days until further orders," the Kerala government said in a statement.
Shops selling essential items can remain open. Collection and distribution of milk, supply of newspapers, media firms, hospitals, medical stores, medical labs and related institutions can also remain open, the government said.
No social gathering is allowed except for marriages and funerals, it said, adding all manufacturing and processing activities of "continuous nature and ongoing construction activities" will be allowed.
"Movement of persons on Sundays are allowed only for health emergencies, government servants on emergency duties and persons engaged in activities connected with COVID-19 containment… Any other movement of persons, if any in exigencies, shall only be with the travel passes obtained from district collector or police authorities concerned," the government said.
Two Indians, who were among the 363 brought back from Abu Dhabi and Dubai via special Air India flights that landed in Kerala on Thursday, have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said this evening during his daily press briefings.
One of the infected individuals is being treated in Kozhikode, while the second is receiving treatment in Kochi, the government added.
The new cases have taken the number of coronavirus cases in the state to 505, with 17 people now in hospital. Four deaths have been linked to the virus and 484 have been successfully treated and discharged from hospitals.