Kerala Govt Eases COVID Curbs, Restaurants To Reopen With 50% Capacity For Fully Vaccinated | Know More

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan said that as the rate of COVID infection has come down in the state, more lockdown relaxations will be allowed and as a result, restaurants and bars will now be reopened.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan | Getty Images

New Delhi: Kerala government has announced a new set of relaxations in the COVID-19 curbs imposed in the state which was recording over 40,000 infections until recently.

As cases go down, the restriction imposed on the movement of persons who have not taken at least one dose of COVID vaccine has been withdrawn.

The new order by the Kerala government states that:

• The condition laid down restricting the movement of persons who have not taken at least one dose of COVID vaccine/not in position of RTPCR negative certificate/not in possession of COVID positive test result which is 1 month old, etc stands withdrawn.
• In-house dining will be permitted in hotels, restaurants, clubs, bars, etc with maximum utilisation of 50 per cent seating capacity for persons who are vaccinated with two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine subject to the condition that all employees of the institution are also vaccinated with two doses. 
• Air conditioning in these places shall not be permitted and windows and doors shall be kept open, as far as possible, to ensure ventilation.
• Indoor stadiums and swimming pools can be open for persons who are vaccinated with two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, employing persons who have taken 2 doses of vaccine.
• The restrictions for entry into the establishments shall not be made applicable to those who are below 18 years of age as they are not eligible for vaccination at present, the order concludes.

Air-conditioning in hotels will not be allowed. Indoor stadiums and swimming pools can be opened for persons who are vaccinated with both doses of COVID vaccine. Those who are below 18 years of age are not applicable for entry into the establishments: Kerala govt

— ANI (@ANI) September 25, 2021

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan On Reopening Theatres

The notification by Kerala’s Disaster Management Department comes as the state on Saturday recorded 16,671 new COVID cases after 1,14,627 samples were tested in the past 24 hours.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that as the rate of infection has come down in Kerala, more lockdown relaxations will be allowed and as a result, restaurants and bars will now be reopened.

The day’s test positivity rate was 14.54 per cent.

“It’s been now 21 months since we have been going through lockdown norms. But with 91 per cent of the above aged 18 years having taken the first dose and over 39 per cent taken the second dose, only 22 lakh are left now who have not had taken the vaccine and this includes those who turned COVID positive and for such people they will have to wait for three months,” CM Vijayan said, as quoted by news agency IANS. 

“We have now decided to open educational institutions also and it will function through strict guidelines,” he informed.

The Kerala Chief Minister also addressed the issue of reopening cinema theatres in the state.

“As far as the opening of movie halls is concerned, we have to work on it with regard to seating capacity and such issues. Once we finish that, we will take it up. So some more time is required,” he said.

Meanwhile,120 COVID-related deaths and 14,242 recoveries were recorded on Saturday - taking the total death toll in the state to 24,248. The number of active cases in Kerala is 1,65,154.