Thiruvananthapuram: As Kerala reports a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases, the state police have decided to strictly enforce measures intended to fight the viral disease.
The police will no longer conduct any awareness drive about COVID-19 and those who violate the guidelines to fight it will be dealt with a firm hand, State Police Chief Loknath Behera said.
Case will be filed against those venturing out without masks and those not maintaining social distancing in public places, he said. Those who don’t follow the anti-COVID guidelines will also be arrested and fined as per law, he said.
He said the public should inform the police about any crowd or public gathering by sending photos and videos.
Vehicles that do not ensure social distancing of passengers will be seized, he said.
Those arriving by flight should proceed to their homes immediately after landing. They will not be allowed to go either to their relatives’ house or to restaurants.
The police will put barricades on roads. They will not allow entry into or exit from containment zones, he said.
Behera said the police decided to get strict as people still don’t seem to realise the danger posed by COVID-19.
There were severe restrictions during the lockdown, but they were eased later. There has been a spurt in cases in the past week, he said. Now, the suspicion is that the disease could have reached the community transmission stage. But many people are still not taking this seriously, he said.
There is no social distancing at marketplaces. During the lockdown, retail stores were told not to have more than five people at a time and shoppers were told to wear masks. But those instructions are not being followed now, the DGP said.
Shopkeepers should ensure that there is always adequate distance among customers, he said.
The DGP has directed all police employees, including those in the technical department, to make themselves available for duty from Thursday.
The ADGPs can avail of the services of 90% of employees of all special units, except the state special branch, to maintain law and order.
The ADGP of the battalion division will be responsible for the mobilisation of the police force which has a total strength of about 61,000.
The police will tighten regulations in Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Palakkad, Kasargod, Kannur and Malappuram districts where there has been a substantial increase in the number of patients whose source of infection is not known.
The police have imposed additional restrictions in the major markets in Thiruvananthapuram city. There is increased vigil in Sreemoolanagaram, Vengola and Nayarambalam, which have been declared as containment zones.
Some areas in Thrissur, including the containment zones, were closed partially.
Meanwhile, the health department plans to focus on markets and carry out group testing in areas that have reported a surge in cases without contact history. The department decision comes in the wake of its finding that people give scant respect to COVID restrictions.
The health department will try out pool testing in these areas.
In urban places, additional police forces will be deployed in areas that are likely to be crowded.
Antibody testing will be conducted at airports on passengers who arrive from abroad without getting themselves examined for COVID-19. Passengers who test positive will have to undergo a more detailed testing.
Those with COVID-like symptoms will be shifted to hospitals.
The 14-day home quarantine will be mandatory for those arriving after getting themselves tested for COVID and those who get tested on arrival.