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Kerala government imposes Section 144 as COVID-19 tally crosses 2 lakh

Thiruvananthapuram, 2-Oct-2020

As coronavirus cases continue to rise in Kerala, the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government has imposed Section 144 across the state to contain the pandemic. With 8,135 fresh COVID-19 cases, the southern state crossed the grim milestone of two lakh infections on October 1. In an attempt to stem the spread of the deadly contagious disease, the Vijayan administration has imposed Section 144 which prohibited the gathering of more than five people. The order released by Kerala Chief Secretary Vishwas Mehta will come into effect from 9 am on October 3 and will remain in effect till October 31. "In light of the surge in number of COVID-19 cases in the state, public congregations and gatherings pose an impending danger of a super spread of the infection. Hence, an assembly or gathering of more than five people at a time cannot be permitted. For the enforcement of social distancing, the provisions of Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code of 1973 shall be effected...," the order stated. "Strict restrictions shall be imposed in containment zones and in specific areas where the spread of the disease is apprehended. Existing relaxations for categories like weddings, funerals etc shall be continued and the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) concerned shall issue proceedings, considering the ground situation in their districts," it further read. However, the order doesn't apply to marriage functions. The state government has put an attendance cap of 50 persons at a wedding event and a maximum of 20 people are allowed for funeral. Kerala has recorded 771 coronavirus related deaths so far. In recent weeks, the state has been recording a significant rise in COVID-19 infections. The state crossed the one lakh mark on September 11. At present, 72,339 people are undergoing treatment for the coronavirus infection and over 2.43 lakh people are under observation.