As COVID-19 Cases Spike, Kerala's Capital Thiruvananthapuram Goes Into Triple Lockdown For A Week

Kerala which had almost managed to flatten the COVID-19 curve has seen an upswing in the number of new infections. And one of the worst affected is the state's capital Thiruvananthapuram, where the number of new cases where the source of the infection is unknown is causing concerns about a possible community spread of COVID-19. Calling it a volcanic situation, the Kerala government has ordered a 'triple lockdown' in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation for a week.

BCCL

The Lock-I will restrict the movement of all people in the district. The Lock-II will be enforced in hotspots of infection, where people will be mandatorily asked to stay-at-home. And the Lock-III will be enforced in the houses of primary and secondary contacts of COVID-19 patients to be in compulsory room-quarantine.

This is only the second time Kerala has imposed 'triple lockdown' in any part of the state. In April, a triple lockdown was implemented in Kasargod, when it had the highest number of COVID-19 cases.

BCCL

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¡¯¡¯ ¡°Triple lockdown will be implemented in the city corporation limit for one week starting from tomorrow. People should not venture out. We need strict restrictions to contain the spread of the virus. During the triple lockdown, there will be more restrictions. Only necessary services will be allowed,¡± Surendran said.

¡°There will be no public transportation. Only medical other essential shops and hospitals will function. People can go to medical shops with a proper prescription,¡± he added. He said the restrictions in force in containment zones would be tightened and food delivery boys would be tested.

Meanwhile, state police chief Loknath Behera told media that all the roads leading to the city would be closed and only essential services will be allowed to ply.

"No vehicle movement will be allowed inside the city. In the corporation limit, only medical shops and essential shops like provisional stores will be allowed. Rest of the establishments will be closed. The state secretariat and other government offices will remain closed," Behera said.

Thiruvananthapuram has so far recorded 285 COVID-19 cases, out of which 107 are active.

Kerala which in March had the highest number of COVID-19 cases reported in the country had turned the tables by April and had no new cases for days before another wave of new infections surfaced.

Even on Sunday, the day the state recorded 225 new cases, the second-highest in Kerala so far, a majority of these were foreign returns or those who came back from other states.