Kerala orders complete lockdown on July 24, 25

Kerala will observe complete lockdown on July 24 and 25  in view of the rising Covid-19 cases. The state government has also directed the health department to conduct mass Covid testing on Friday, with a target of 3 lakh tests. Special focus will be on the districts where the seven-day test positivity rate (TPR) is above 10 per cent. The government has also asked district collectors to identify and demarcate micro-containment zones in all districts, regardless of the categorisation of the Local Self Government Institution (LSGI) regions. In such areas, intensified restrictions have been ordered to bring down rising Covid-19 infections.

The Kerala government’s decision comes after Supreme Court asked the state to file a response to an application against three-day relaxation in Covid restrictions for Bakrid. The Court also expressed shock at the state government's relaxation decision. After facing the top court’s ire and backlash from IMA, the state  Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan declared on Tuesday that Covid-19 restrictions would not be relaxed in the state and an additional three lakh Covid tests would be conducted on Friday. At the moment, Kerala’s TPR remains high and the state is still reporting 10,000-15,000 fresh cases daily.