Lockdown only on Sunday, category-wise restrictions will also be avoided; announcement on Wednesday

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government has decided to avoid the lockdown on Saturday and continue the lockdown on Sunday. The Chief Minister will officially announce the decisions on the new exemptions and restrictions in the Assembly on Wednesday. The exemptions are likely to take effect from next week.

The government has also decided to avoid the restrictions imposed after classifying local bodies into A, B, C and D categories based on Test Positivity Rate (TPR). Instead, areas that record a higher number of patients in a week will be identified and restrictions will be imposed. However, there will be no lockdown on Independence Day (August 15) and the third Onam (August 22) which fall on Sundays.

The change in the lockdown restrictions comes in the wake of a report by the central team that the restrictions imposed by classifying local bodies into four categories were not effective. The meeting also discussed the report submitted by a committee of experts from the Department of Health chaired by the Chief Secretary for the scientific reorganization of the lockdown system.