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Kerala Lockdown News Latest Update: Even as the state continues to report nearly 30,000 cases for many days, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday ruled out imposing full lockdown in the state saying it will affect the economy and livelihood severely.
Issuing fresh orders, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan asked the local self-government bodies in the state to intervene effectively in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and said neighbourhood committees would be formed to check the spread of the virus.
He also urged everyone to strictly follow the quarantine protocol or else fine will be levied. He stated that the state was able to keep the case fatality rate at around 0.5 per cent even when the test positivity rate was around 18-20 per cent.
He stated that neighbourhood committees, comprising government officials, volunteers, resident associations, would be set up for COVID-19 mitigation.
#COVID19: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan has ruled out a complete lockdown in the state stating that it will create a huge crisis for the economy and livelihoods, as per CMO
(File photo) pic.twitter.com/ack5M6r1q2
— ANI (@ANI) September 3, 2021
Giving further details about the plan to beat COVID surge, the chief minister said intervention should be made to reduce the spread in the state. “The neighbourhood committees, rapid response team, ward-level committees, police and sectoral magistrates should implement the restrictions and control the spread,” Vijayan said.
The chief minister also said that people who come in contact with a positive patient should be kept under observation and asked the local self government bodies, leaders, and officials to work together as they have done in the initial phase of the pandemic.
“We have already given the first dose of vaccine to 74 per cent of the people and second dose to 27 per cent of the population. All health workers and frontline workers have been administered with the first dose of vaccine and 86 per cent of them received the second jab,” he said.
However, he made it clear that nobody in Kerala wants another state-wide lockdown because its implementation will adversely affect the economy and the livelihood of the people.
Saying that people who are in quarantine should not venture out, he added that they will otherwise be penalized for violating guidelines.
“Those who do not have facilities at their residence, should move to Covid first line treatment centres (CFLTCs),” Vijayan said.
It must be noted that Kerala has been reporting around 30,000 cases for the last two weeks and on Friday recorded 29,322 new infections and 131 COVID-19 related deaths, taking the infection count to 41,51,455 and the death toll to 21,280.
Among the districts, Thrissur reported the highest number of positive cases today – 3,530, followed by Ernakulam with 3,435 and Kozhikode 3,344.
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