Kerala Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday announced a change in the norms for demarcating containment zones in the State.
Briefing the media, Vijayan said, "Henceforth, containment zones will be defined after tracing the primary and secondary contacts of a positive person. The containment zones would not be spread across a ward or a wide area but will be highly localised in and around the residences of those identified and mapped during contact tracing."
Arrangements will be made for home delivery of essential items. In case that is not possible, the police or volunteers will bring the goods home. "The containment zone would be a well-restricted area with limitations on entry and exit. The declaration of the containment zone will not be for a particular period but will continue until it is ensured that the primary and secondary contacts in the area are free from infection," said chief minister Vijayan.
District Collectors, District Police Chiefs and DMOs will monitor the situation daily and ensure that regulations and restrictions are implemented effectively, he added.
The CM also informed that the police have been entrusted with the job of assisting the District Collector and the District Disaster Management Authority to locate and mark the containment zone in the wake of the virus outbreak.
Police enforcement will be strengthened to effectively enforce restrictions in the Containment Zone. Violation of quarantine norms and not maintaining social distancing in public places will be dealt with severely by the police. The police have also been given the task of tracing and locating the primary and secondary contacts of those who test positive and transferring them to the hospital or quarantine centre, as required. The contact tracing should be done within 24 hours. The Chief Minister added that so far 7,03,977 people have arrived in Kerala after the lockdown was lifted, 4,34,491 came from other states and 2,69,486 came from foreign countries. 3,672 COVID positive cases were reported among them and arrangements were made to provide treatment to all. In another development, CM Vijayan has inaugurated 102 Family Health Centres on Monday, built in the State as part of the Adaram Mission. "The inauguration of these Family Health Centres is a significant step forward in our COVID defence. The state has been reaping the benefits of converting primary health centres into family health centres during the COVID period," said chief minister Vijayan.
( With inputs from ANI )