Kerala braces itself to fight COVID surge

Night curfew comes into force, major restrictions on civic life

Kerala on Tuesday braced itself to combat the threat of a resurgent coronavirus. The State will enforce a curfew from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. till May 3. The administration has ordered bars, hotels, liquor outlets, shops, and commercial establishment to down shutters at 7.30 p.m. Nevertheless, restaurants can serve food as takeaways till 9 p.m. No home delivery is permitted during the curfew. The police have warned that those out of doors during the curfew would risk arrest. There is no restriction on the movement of vehicles at night. However, officers will require passengers to give them a valid reason for travel during the eight-hour shutdown.