With easing of restrictions,life returns to normal in Kerala

The lockdown restrictions,normalcy has returned to many parts of Kerala with most shops being opened and vehicles plying, while liquor outlets across the state remained closed even as it was opened in other parts of the country. The Kerala government Monday issued guidelines on the lockdown protocol in the state in which it clearly said that social distancing norms have to be maintained strictly.

According to the guidelines issued by the Centre, industrial activities, construction works, essential, non-essential shops, delivery of essential goods through e-commerce, courier and postal services, banking and agriculture activities, four-wheelers,two-wheelers, along with inter-state movement of goods vehicles, are allowed in the green and orange zone districts.

The state government said public transport will not be allowed even in green zones and not more than three people, including driver, will be allowed to travel in private vehicles in orange and green zones. Theatres, malls, salons and beauty parlours will remain shut.

"However, hair dressers can go to customers residences and work after ensuring necessary health precautions," Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan earlier said. As per the revised guideline, people are allowed to go out from 7 am to 7:30 pm, only for emergency purposes. However, lockdown will be in place in areas designated as containment zones.

All the shops in Chala market in the capital city were opened and police were seen ensuring social distancing while people came for shopping. "When compared to last one-and-a-half-months, today many people are coming out onto the road and hence there is business. The police have given us strict directions to ensure social distancing.

We were also directed to the shop before allowing customers in," Babu, who owns a margin-free shop at the heart of the city, told PTI. Most of the shops in the city were having hand-wash facility outside the establishment and sanitisers were also being provided. Banks in the state were also functioning normally. Meanwhile, the six designated check-posts along the Kerala border from Injivila in Thiruvananthapuram to Manjeshwaram in Kasaragod were opened to receive Keralites who were stranded in other parts of the country.

The state government has said those who returned from other states will be medically examined at the borders and those who are symptomatic will be isolated and quarantined. The government has also said that those who don't have any symptoms will also have to undergo the mandatory quarantine period of 28 days once they enter the border.

In a relief to the state, no new cases were reported from the state on Sunday while one person was cured. Till now 499 people were affected in the state while three deaths were also reported. Kerala has currently 95 people under treatment for the coronavirus and cured 401.