Published 19:13 IST, March 23rd 2020
Kerala CM Vijayan orders complete lockdown in state amid Coronavirus outbreak
In wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has announced a complete lockdown in the state and all borders will also be sealed
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has announced a complete lockdown in the state. Taking to Twitter, CM Vijayan informed that the state borders will also be sealed. However, essential services will remain open. He added that the state will intensify monitoring activities and strict measures have been imposed in Kasaragod. This comes after the state reported 28 new cases on Monday, a day after the Janta Curfew was imposed.
After Maharashtra, Kerala is the second-most affected state in the country. It has reported 67 COVID-19 positive cases so far. Amid the outbreak, the Kerala High Court has decided to remain shut till April 8.
Curfew in Maharashtra
In a massive decision, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray announced a curfew across the state of Maharashtra from Monday midnight amid the novel coronavirus outbreak. Essential services such as grocery, milk, medical shops, etc. will remain open. All places of worship will be closed. Moreover, all forms of public transport will not be operational.
He also mentioned that he had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the need to stop domestic flights. In one private vehicle, only the driver along with two passengers will be permitted if they are going out for unavoidable reasons. Furthermore, all the district borders within the state will be sealed.
Coronavirus crisis in India
As of date, 415 positive cases have been reported of the pandemic Coronavirus (COVID-19) with Maharashtra reporting the highest at 89. Seven deaths have been reported till date. India has suspended all visas and barred travel from Afghanistan, Philippines, EU, UK, China, Malaysia and mandatory 14-day quarantine from several other countries and shut down over 75 districts across the nation.
India has also closed the India-Pakistan border and restricted passenger movement at the border with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Myanmar. The government is monitoring all suspected cases and issued preventive advisories with Bihar, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Assam, Delhi, Kerala, Jammu - Kashmir declaring the disease an epidemic shutting down all educational institutions, monuments, parks, gyms, swimming pools, pubs and banning large gatherings.
Updated 19:13 IST, March 23rd 2020