The Ernakulam district administration has announced that strict restrictions in all containment zones will be in effect for one week starting from 6 pm today. The decision came after Ernakulam reported over 3,212 Covid-19 cases.
District officials have said all wards in Edathala, Vengola and Mazhuvannoor panchayats and five divisions of the Kochi Municipal Corporation. The administration has announced fresh restrictions in these locked down containment zones.
According to the restrictions, no tourism activities in containment zones and each containment zone will have only one entry and one exit point. More than five people are prohibited from assembling at one place. Only 10 people are allowed to attend a funeral and 20 for marriages. Takeaways at restaurants are allowed till 9 pm but dine-in is prohibited. Essential supply shops are exempted from the restrictions. Places of worship will be open but no gatherings are allowed. Markets and business establishments can only operate till 7.30 pm.
Meanwhile, banks in Kerala will work from 10 am to 2 pm for customers till April 30. Due to rising Covid-19 cases, the state level bankers’ committee decided to curtail bank timings. Parents should bring children to the banks.
Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the central government to provide vaccine doses for free to the state. The request comes after Kerala recorded 19,577 fresh cases on Tuesday – its highest single-day spike since the pandemic outbreak last year.
Vijayan asked the Centre to reconsider the new policy on vaccine distribution. On April 19, the Centre announced that manufacturers would supply 50% of their monthly Central Drugs Laboratory released doses to the central government and be free to supply the balance to state governments and the open market. Vijayan pointed out that purchasing the vaccines would be put an additional burden on the state’s finances and therefore urged the Centre for free vaccine distribution.
Vijayan also informed the Prime Minister that the state government has received only 5.5 lakh doses despite requesting the Centre for 50 lakh doses. He added that Kerala is facing a vaccine shortage and asked the Centre to provide the necessary at the earliest so that the state can deal with the Covid-19 surge.
