THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a situation where the spread of Covid has not declined in the state, a decision on whether to grant further relaxations on the lockdown will be made tomorrow. The meeting, which will be attended by the Chief Minister, will assess the spread of the disease and control measures. The daily test positivity rate (TPR) has not gone below ten percent for more than a week. This is a cause for concern. For the last few days, Kerala has been reporting the highest TPR in the country.

The classes for medical students will start on July 1. Steps have also been taken for the functioning of universities. University exams and Plus Two practical exams will start today. The government is also gearing up to conduct the PSC exams. The admission process for Plus One will begin soon after the SSLC results are published. The inability to bring the TPR below 10 percent in such a situation is a great cause of concern to the state government.

Lockdown restrictions are currently based on the situation in local bodies. Strict restrictions are in place in regions where the TPR is above 16 percent. This may be changed. The government faces several demands and pressures, including permission for dine-ins in hotels and bars, reopening of theaters and malls, increasing attendance at government institutions, reopening of beauty parlors, easing restrictions in tourist centers, and withdrawing traffic restrictions.