Triple lockdown in Tiruvananthapuram over community spread scare

Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala has gone into ‘triple lockdown’ for a week after the state government announced complete closure of the city amid big surge in COVID-19 cases through local transmission and fears over community spread.

The ‘triple lockdown’ begun within the Thiruvananthapuram city corporation areas at 6 AM today (Monday) and will continue for a week. A high level meeting chaired by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday evening decided to enforce triple lockdown in the city.

All government offices, courts will remain closed and the chief minister and ministers will be working from home. Only the police headquarters will function. Though medical shops and shops selling essential goods will be open, the public have been advised not to step out for purchasing.

Police, with the help of volunteers, have been asked to provide essential goods through door delivery. There will be no public transport and all roads leading to the city will be closed. There will be only one entry and exit point where top police officials will be patrolling.

 “People should not venture out of houses and those who step out will have to carry a self declaration form with details,” said DGP Lokanath Behera.

In the wake of triple lockdown, Kerala University has announced cancellation of all examinations.

While the number of imported cases was high when the state opened its borders to expatriates during the first week of May, the number of infections through direct or indirect contact registered a big surge in the last couple of weeks, especially in districts like Thiruvananthapuram. On Sunday, the district reported 27 new cases of which 22 patients contracted the infection through contact.

Earlier, tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran, who is in charge of the district’s pandemic control measures had said that Thhiruvananthapuram was sitting on a volcano which could burst any time with rapid increase in the number of locally transmitted cases.  

The number of positive cases through contact is on the rise in all districts. On Sunday, Kerala reported 225 new cases of which 38 had contracted the infection through direct or indirect contact.

Two more deaths

On Sunday, two more deaths by COVID-19 were reported from Kerala taking the total toll to 27. Yusuf Saifudheen from Thoppumpady in Kochi, aged 65, died at Ernakulam government medical college. He contracted the virus from Ernakulam market and was admitted to hospital on June 28. He was diabetic and had been put on ventilator support. Another person Mohammad Haji from Wandoor in Malappuram, who was under observation, died on Sunday. His swab sample tested positive for virus.