Section 144 in some districts of Kerala to end today, govt to take a call on extension

The last day of prohibitory orders imposed in certain districts of Kerala to curb the spread of COVID-19 comes to an end on November 15. According to reports, the district administration heads will take a call on whether to extend prohibitory order in their respective districts, after taking into account the caseload and situation there. 

The Kerala government imposed statewide prohibitory orders on October 3, limiting assembly of more than 5 persons in public, until the whole month ending October 31. Kerala decided to continue imposing prohibitory orders even as India moved to Unlock 5 of COVID-19 lockdown rules. This, considering the rising cases of coronavirus in the state.

However, on October 31, Section 144 was extended until November 15 in 13 of the state’s districts, as the cases were still on the rise. These districts were Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod. Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) authorises the executive magistrates of any state or territory to issue an order prohibiting assembly of four or more people in an area. 

On Saturday, Kerala reported 6,357 new cases of coronavirus and 26 COVID-19 deaths in the state, with 6,739 patients recovering from the virus and testing negative. A total of 76,928 active cases are remaining in the state. The state also sent 61,553 samples for testing on Saturday. 

Ernakulam, Thrissur and Alappuzha are among the districts with the highest number of active cases in the state. Currently, Ernakulam has 9,955 active patients, Thrissur 8,996 and Alappuzha 8,154. Thiruvananthapuram, which had initially been reporting the highest number of cases, has now reduced to 6,459 active cases. Ernakulam is also among the districts to report the highest number of positive cases on Saturday at 860, followed by Thrissur 759 and Alappuzha 542.