Thiruvananthapuram: While a week-long triple lockdown has started in its capital city, Thiruvananthapuram, from today, the Kerala government has extended safety rules for the coronavirus pandemic for the next one year.
Wearing masks or covering the face in public and social distancing are among the rules which have been made mandatory.
The shutdown comes after the capital recorded 22 of the 38 Covid-19 patients who were infected through local transmission in the State on Sunday. The State has been seeing a surge in coronavirus cases through unknown sources of infections, threatening community transmission, especially in the capital.
As the lockdown started from 6am, police seized many vehicles and arrested several violators in the morning.
The announcement about the triple lockdown on Sunday came hours after K Surendran, the State’s tourism minister, said the district was ‘sitting on an active volcano’ with rising number of Covid-19 cases.
As far as the year long restrictions are concerned, masks will have to be worn in offices and other places of work and social distancing will be mandatory everywhere.
As per the order, wedding ceremonies can only be attended by up to 50 people and funerals by 20. No social gatherings or ceremonies can be held without taking prior permission from the government, the order said.
In shops and other commercial areas, a maximum of 20 people will be allowed at a time, depending upon the area of the establishment to maintain six-feet social distancing.