Kerala govt not to allow devotees in Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple amid increasing Covid cases.It was also decided to defer the 10-day annual festival and to conduct it as a mere ritual.

Earlier it was decided to open the temple through online reservation. Authorities informed that Sabarimala being a large pilgrim centre where people from different parts of South India congregate in large numbers, the risk involved in throwing the holy hillock open for devotees at this situation is very high.

Meanwhile, Kerala has recorded one more Covid death taking the death toll to 18 in the State. A 70-year-old native of Kannur, who had returned from Muscat recently, succumbed to the virus. The patient was also under treatment for cancer.

Presently 1,238 active COVID cases have been reported in Kerala. In another incident, 61-year-old Hamza Koya succumbed to COVID-19 recently. He was a  former football player who had represented Maharashtra at the Santhosh Trophy and also an India team member in Nehru trophy. The deceased is a native of Parapanagadi, who had returned from Mumbai recently and passed away in Manjeri Medical College in Malappuram.
 
As the Covid cases are on a rise in Kerala, the State to conduct extensive antibody testing for COVID-19 surveillance across the State and to detect if community transmission of the disease is happening in Kerala. Presently, the total active Covid cases reached 1,238. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also clarified that the complete lockdown on all Sundays will be continued as the situation is getting serious. Meanwhile, as monsoon intensifies in Kerala, the Met dept predicts heavy rain and storm to continue till the coming Tuesday. Fishermen are warned from venturing into the sea. 

Also, the arrival of south_west monsoons is expected to worsen the situation. Responding to the new challenge, Kerala has come out with new guidelines for COVID-19 related quarantine and redefined rules for declaring fresh containment zones as more people are expected to come to the state in the coming days.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, quoting experts, said the virus would not disappear soon, hence it was difficult to predict when the intensity of its spread would decrease.

So far, 2.19 lakh people have arrived in the state, of whom 38,871 (17.71 per cent) were from abroad and 1.80 lakh (82.29 per cent) from other states and 63.63 per cent from the red zones.As 63.63 per cent of those returning to Kerala from other states are from the red zones, the quarantine guidelines are being revised as per the recommendation of an expert committee,he said.

As per the new guidelines, those coming from abroad can go home after giving an affidavit. But they have to strictly follow the quarantine conditions failing which police would take legal action against the violators, he said.

The local self-government institutions, police, COVID-19 care centre's nodal officer, district collector and other officials would be intimated about the decision and alerted before the person starts from the airport and the officials would follow up on whether the person has reached their respective home quarantine.

The local self-government bodies should ensure that there are necessary facilities at home for quarantine, he said adding: Institutional quarantine was only for those who do not have such a facility at home.

Paid quarantine is for those who opt to stay in hotels. The Chief Minister announced some changes also for the definition of the containment zones. The zone would be notified before midnight.

In the panchayats, the containment zone may be declared at the ward-level and at the sub-ward level in the Corporation.

They can be defined at the local level based on the number of positive cases for people under quarantine, primary contacts and secondary contacts.

Initially, a containment zone was declared for seven days which can be extended after review by the district Collector, Vijayan said. 

With Inputs from PTI