Kerala lockdown extended till May 23, triple lockdown in four districts

Kerala government has announced the extension of lockdown in the state till May 23. The existing one week lockdown was supposed to end on May 16. The government decided to extend the lockdown considering the increase in test positivity rate in districts, said Chief Minister-designate Pinarayi Vijayan on May 14. The CM also said that triple lockdown will be imposed in four districts -- Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Ernakulam and Malappuram -- from May 16. “This is to decrease the disease spread in the districts,” Pinarayi Vijayan said. On Friday, the state reported 34,694 new COVID-19 cases and the Test Positivity Rate (TPR) of the state stands at 26.41% . On May 14, 93 deaths were recorded in the state.

The CM has also announced that free food kit distribution will be continued for May and June. Considering the lockdown, people who are availing any kind of welfare pension will be given a financial aid of Rs 1,000. Below Poverty Line ration card holder families who do not have anyone receiving welfare pension, will be provided one time financial assistance of Rs 1,000.

What is triple lockdown?

Triple lockdown is a three-phased COVID-19 containment strategy, which involves three stages, or ‘locks’. In the first stage, strict lockdown will be enforced in the Corporation limit. Vehicles and persons will not be allowed to enter or exit the Corporation limit.

The second stage will be implemented in a cluster area, where COVID-19 cases have been reported. Since these areas contain primary and secondary contacts, a lockdown will prevent further spread to neighbouring areas.

As part of the third stage, the lockdown will be implemented in the houses of persons diagnosed with COVID-19. This stage is critical to prevent community spread.

When a triple lockdown is enforced in an area, no vehicle will be allowed to ply, residents will be allowed to exit the house only to buy essentials or in case of an emergency. During a triple lockdown in areas, local administration may even home-deliver groceries and other essentials.