Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has taken a slew of measures and imposed restrictions after fresh cases of Coronavirus were reported from the state.
The government has banned all public programmes and educational institutions will remain closed. Cinema halls too will remain shut till March 31. A decision on whether the ongoing assembly session should be curtailed would be taken soon.
Holiday for schools
• Holiday for students in class I to VII till March 31. No exams. This is applicable to CBSE, ICSE and unaided schools.
• Holiday for students in class VIII to XII. But no change in exams. Students with symptoms should be allowed to write exam in special rooms.
• Tuition and special vacation classes should be avoided.
Colleges too
• All colleges, including professional colleges, to be shut till March 31. Exams would be held as per schedule.
• However, this is not applicable to medical education institutions, the medical education director Dr M Ramla Beevi has said.
• All classes of the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) have been suspended. All internal exams, except those of the eighth semester, have been postponed.
• Central University of Kerala in Kasaragod has been closed till March 22.
PSC exams cancelled, interviews to continue
All Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) exams, certificate verification, service verification and direct distribution of appointment order have been suspended till March 20. The department-level online exam, scheduled for Wednesday, has been postponed to April 5.
However, there is no change in the schedule for interviews. Those candidates, who are not able to take part due to COVID preventive measures, would be given another opportunity.
Junior Assistant grade 2 exam of Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) scheduled to be held on March 14 has been postponed.
Punching stopped
The biometric punching at the government offices, including secretariat, PSC offices and public sector undertakings have been suspended till March 31. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has appealed to the private organisations to follow suit.
Travel ban
Regulations have been imposed at most of the tourism centres in Kerala till March 31. Shendurney eco-tourism, Periyar wildlife sanctuary, Silent Valley National Park, Parambikulam tiger reserve, and Nelliyampathy will remain closed till March 31.
Wonderla amusement park in Kochi will be shut till March 20. The inflow of tourists to Kumarakom has reduced. Booking at Vagamon has been suspended for 15 days. Special camps have also been suspended.
Sabarimala, Guruvayur
The Travancore Devaswom Board has appealed to the devotees to not to visit the Sabarimala temple, which will open for monthly puja on March 13. President N Vasu said that devotees in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh would be informed about the restriction via media. Counters of 'appam' and 'aravana' would not function. Only rituals as per the temple customs will be held.
The Devaswom has decided to limit the Guruvayur temple festivals to rituals, and avoid cultural programmes and 'prasada oottu' (temple feast). People have also been requested to cut down the attendees for weddings and 'choroonu' ritual at the temple.
Temples with the Travancore Devaswom Board have been asked not to hold festivals for the time being.
Religious meets on hold
The Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC) has asked people to avoid assembling at worship places in large numbers, and to postpone religious functions and conventions.
Apart from Holy Mass on Saturdays and Sundays, the Orthodox churches would not hold prayer meetings and Sunday schools. The believers have been asked not to kiss the Cross and other holy objects at the church. Fewer people should attend funerals.
The Jacobite Church would not hold Sunday schools, spiritual meetings, and family unit meets. Those with symptoms of fever should avoid going to the church.
No Holy Mass will be held at the Marthoma Church till March 31. A maximum of 15 people should attend weddings and only family members to attend funerals. Annual meetings and public programmes should be postponed till Easter.
Holiday for Madrassa
Holiday has been declared for all 'madrassas' of the Samastha Kerala Islam Matha Vidyabhyasa board, Dakshina Kerala Matha Vidyabhyasa Board and Al-Birr Islamic pre-schools. However, there is no change in the public exams to be held on April 4, 5 and 6, and annual exams.
Driving tests postponed
All the driving tests, including learners, scheduled to be held from March 11 to March 17 have been postponed for a week. The enforcement activities of the Motor Vehicles Department would be restricted to patrolling in Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Kollam districts.
All private bus crew, including driver, have to wear masks as a preventive measure.
No cinema till March 31
All movie theatres in the state will be shut till March 31. The release of two movies has been postponed due to this – Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham, and Kilometres and Kilometres. The filmmakers hope that these movies would hit the screens by April 1. Four of the movies, that are currently on at the cinemas, would be screened at the theatres in April. Four Malayalam movies and one Tamil film are releasing for Vishu.
The shooting of several films, including Mammootty-starrer The Priest, was stopped by Tuesday evening.
No art-cultural programmes should be held till March 31.
The Sports Kerala Marathon to be held in Kochi on March 15 has been postponed. The main entrance of the Sahitya Akademi would be shut from Wednesday. Art programmes of Lalitha Kala Akademi have been cancelled.
People have been urged to hold only low-key weddings.
Meanwhile, the Kerala State Beverages Corporation (Bevco) has dismissed rumours that their outlets will remain closed in wake of the coronavirus outbreak in the state.
Only one Bevco outlet in Ranni has been shut, Bevco MD Sparjan Kumar said.
It was shut after it was found from CCTV visuals that those who were tested positive for the virus from Kerala had visited the outlet. The Bevco staff and their families were advised to stay under observation.
