COVID-19: Karnataka, Kerala extend lockdown; curfew in Goa to continue
What's the story
As India's battle with COVID-19 continues amid the deadly second wave, the number of infections and deaths remains high in several states of the country.
Many state governments are extending the existing curbs to control the spread of the coronavirus. Karnataka and Kerala have decided to extend their ongoing lockdown, while Goa extended the state curfew till the end of this month.
Here's more.
Karnataka
Karnataka Government announces 14-day extension of lockdown
Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa has declared a 14-day extension of lockdown from May 24 to June 7. He said existing restrictions on the movement of people would continue. To note, people are allowed to move only between 6:00-10:00am.
He said the government took the decision to control the spread of COVID-19 and added that infections and fatalities in rural areas are on the rise.
Kerala
State-level lockdown in Kerala extended till May 30
Meanwhile, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan Friday announced the state-level lockdown, which was first enforced on May 8, will be in place until May 30. He said there's been no respite for Kerala in terms of COVID-19 numbers.
However, he said the triple lockdown in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, and Thrissur districts would be lowered to lockdown starting Saturday, while the triple lockdown in Malappuram would continue.
Goa
We are extending state curfew to May 31: Goa CM
On Friday, the Goa Government announced the extension of the ongoing state-level curfew and other COVID-19 restrictions in the state. Goa CM Pramod Sawant said, "We are extending state curfew to May 31. Norms will continue as they were."
Shops selling essential items, grocery stores, and liquor shops are open from 7:00am-1:00pm, while medical stores and restaurant kitchens are permitted to operate from 7:00am-7:00pm.
Positivity rate
Goa, Karnataka, Kerala among states with high positivity rates
To note, Goa, Karnataka, and Kerala also feature among the top five states with a high positivity rate.
According to a TOI study, conducted over 14 days between May 4-17, Goa ranked first in the list of states having high rates of infections with 43% positivity rate, while Karnataka came second with 32% positivity rate. Kerala, meanwhile, took fourth place with 27% positivity rate.
Situation in India
India records 2.57 lakh fresh cases, nearly 4,200 new fatalities
On Saturday morning, India reported 2.57 lakh new COVID-19 cases—pushing the overall tally to over 2.62 crore cases—and 4,194 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Meanwhile, experts say India is likely to witness a steep decline in daily infections to just 15,000 by early July. However, they also said the impending third COVID-19 wave could strike India in the next six to eight months.