Kerala Extends Covid Lockdown By A Week Till May 23

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said May will be a crucial month in Kerala's Covid battle considering that the monsoon will soon arrive in the state.

Kerala has extended the COVID-19 lockdown by a week till May 23, with four districts to be put under a "triple lockdown" with more stringent restrictions than the other 10. These districts are Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Ernakulam, and Malappuram. The lockdown, imposed following a dramatic rise in the number of infections in the state in recent weeks, began on May 8 and was initially scheduled to end on the 16th of the month. The state today reported 34,694 fresh Covid cases and 93 deaths related to the disease, according to data provided by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today. The number of infections reported today is, however, much less than yesterday's nearly 40,000, even as testing has also declined in the past 24 hours.   Mr Vijayan said vaccinations for the 18-45 age group will begin in the state from Monday, May 17. Registrations for this category will begin tomorrow. Its first batch of Covishield vaccines, ordered directly from the company, arrived last Monday in Kochi.