Triple lockdown in six panchayats, partial curbs in Capital limits

Complete lockdown on Saturdays, Sundays in dist | Strict perimeter control in Category D areas | City wards with high number of cases micro-containment zones

File photo of police checking for the essential service e-pass, which is required for commuting, in Kerala. (Photo | Vincent Pulickal, EPS)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With test positivity rate going beyond 30 per cent, six panchayats in the capital district — Kadinamkulam, Pothencode, Panavoor, Manamboor, Athiyannoor and Karode — will undergo triple lockdown this week while three panchayats — Nanniyode, Nagaroor and Kuttichal — won’t have any major restrictions. The district administration on Wednesday categorised local-self governments in the district based on Test Positivity Rate (TPR). It will be on the basis of the average weekly TPR. The relaxations and restrictions will be based on the intensity of Covid spread.

As per the order issued by District Collector Navjyot Khosa, Thiruvananthapuram corporation and four municipalities — Varkala, Attingal, Nedumangad and Neyyattinkara and 26 panchayats come under Category B (8 to 20 per cent). Only three panchayats are in Category A (less than 8 per cent) — Nanniyode, Nagaroor and Kuttichal. There are 38 panchayats in Category C (between 20 and 30 per cent) and six panchayats in Category D (greater than 30 per cent). According to the order, there will be a complete lockdown on Saturdays and Sundays in the entire district.

In category D where the spread is highest, there will be strict restrictions and hence a weekly triple lockdown is imposed. Police will ensure strict perimeter control in Category D areas and there should be a single point of entry and exit via these panchayats. Public transport (KSRTC and private) will be allowed with Covid protocols only on a need basis. However, no stops will be allowed in category C and D areas. In category A, B and C areas, supermarkets or shops selling essential items will be allowed to function while home delivery of such items should be done on Saturdays and Sundays. To manage crowds, shop owners should ensure social distancing norms 

• For every 100 sqft area, not more than 5 people should be allowed at any point of time
• Shops shall display the area of the shop, number of people allowed and number of people currently inside the shop at any point of time.
• All shops shall maintain customer register, thermal screening at entrance and hand sanitiser facility at the entry and exit.
• Proper queue management shall be ensured outside the shop premises.

Other instructions

• Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDM) of Thiruvananthapuram and Nedumangad should ensure strict enforcement of Covid protocol through police and sectoral magistrates.
• City police commissioner and Rural SP should ensure all guidelines issued regarding the containment zones are complied with.
• Medical officers should coordinate with Police, Revenue and local self governments for planning containment activities, quarantining the contacts for 14 days and ensuring the health strategy of IEC (Information, education and communication). They should identify, isolate the positive patients and constantly monitor their health status over the telephone. They should also conduct house-tohouse influenza surveillance, listing of vulnerable, symptomatic persons, with high social contacts and screen them using the human resources available with the primary health centre with the help of block primary health centre.
• They should update the details of positive and quarantined persons on Covid Jagratha portal and share the same with district disaster management authority with a copy to district medical officer on a daily basis. They should ensure strict enforcement of social distancing, Break the Chain, quarantining of contacts.

Instructions to district medical officer

• The officer should fix the testing targets for each local self-governments on the basis of the TPR and carry out testing and quarantine to prevent the spread of Covid such that the person who tests positive first in a dwelling where facility for room quarantine (including equipment like pulse oximeter) is not available, should be shifted to CFLTC, DCC immediately.
• DMO should ensure that health activities are being implemented by the respective medical officers and effective supervision is done by the respective block medical officers.
• DMO hould furnish a daily progress report to this office by 8pm through email ddmatvpm.rev@kerala.gov.in.
• The local self-government secretaries should continuously provide awareness and advice to the public regarding the instructions to be followed in the containment zones. Children under 10 years of age, pregnant women and lactating mothers, and persons with co-morbidities should strictly adhere to the guidelines by the health department. This order should be reviewed every Wednesday based on average weekly TPR.