The state-wide lockdown in Kerala to check the spread of Covid will be extended until June 9, Manorama News has reported.
However, relaxations will be allowed for certain sectors. Firms in coir and cashew sectors will be allowed to function with 50 per cent of staff strength. The government is likely to give relaxations for small and medium industries too.
Bars and liquor outlets will remain shut.
Final decision on the extension of lockdown is likely to be announced by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the evening.
It is assessed that the ongoing lockdown has helped bringing down Covid cases in the state. The government is likely to lift the restrictions only once the test positivity rate falls below 10 per cent.
According to the Kerala government's COVID projection report, the cases are likely to see a significant drop in all but two districts - Malappuram and Palakkad, within a week.
The R number which indicates a disease's ability to spread has dropped below 1 across most of Kerala. The same is estimated to drop in Malappuram and Palakkad within a week. At the beginning of the month, the R number in Kerala was above 2.
It might take some more days for the number of critically ill patients in the hospitals to decrease. The number of COVID-infected under treatment in Kerala is expected to be less than 2 lakh by next week.
The government on Friday announced a slew of lockdown relaxations following a dip in the Covid cases. The relaxations include:
• Ophthalmologists, optical shops, shops selling and repairing hearing aid equipment, assistive devices and prostheses can open Tuesdays and Saturdays.
• Gas stove repair shops and mobile and computer repair shops can open on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
• To mitigate a shortage of metal, the Kerala government announced on Thursday that metal crushers may open provided they stick to all Covid guidelines.
• Permission has also been given for the transportation of sanitary products for women from manufacturers to shops.
• Textile and jewellery showrooms may open with a limited number of employees for home delivery and online sale.
• Machines that produce coir products can operate on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
