With curbs eased, Kerala treads cautiously to normalcy
The Hindu
More vehicles ply outside critical containment zones, people queue up at Bevco outlets
Kerala on Thursday took its first baby steps towards the seemingly long road to normality after a draining second COVID-19 lockdown season that lasted 41 days. The spectre of a third wave driven by new and virulent strains of the fast mutating SARS-CoV-2 loomed, even as the State slowly opened up outside critical containment zones. A large swathe of the State fell in low spread (test positivity rate [TPR] less than 8%) and moderate spread (TPR between 8% and 20%) zones. The police scaled down their street presence, and people moved relatively freely. Travellers did not have to carry the mandatory affidavit stating their purpose of journey. Public transport buses operated minimal services with less than half the number of permitted passengers. Autorickshaws and taxies plied with a maximum of two passengers.The election authorities are gearing up for the counting of votes cast in the simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh, scheduled to be held on June 4. The Collectors and Election Officers of Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli and Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) districts said on May 23 (Thursday) that their teams were ready for the counting of votes.
Responding to the prolonged water scarcity, the residents of the area took to the streets in protest on Wednesday. The protest, which drew attention to their plight, stopped only after the intervention of the police. It was not until 1.30 p.m. that a 4000-litre tanker was finally delivered by BWSSB, providing relief to the water-starved residents.