Covid-19 Lockdown Should Be Lifted in a Phased Manner, Says Kerala CM

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala's stand on the nationwide lockdown is that it should be lifted in a phased manner and the state is prepared to accept all restrictions proposed by the Centre beyound April 14, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said here on Saturday.

Briefing reporters on details of the discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the video conference with chief ministers, Vijayan said he had also sought the centre's intervention to operate special flights to to bring back Keralites stranded due to the lockdown in various countries where they had gone on a visiting visa.

Vijayan also wanted all Indian embassies to issue medical bulletins to allay the fears of expats. "We presented our demands before the centre. We have said we will accept all restrictions to be imposed by the centre after April 14. The Prime Minister also said that we need to be more careful in the coming weeks", Vijayan said. The state had suggested that it was not ready to go back

to the pre-lockdown situation.

"We need to be careful and the lockdown should be withdrawn in a phased manner after evaluating the situation closely", he said. The Chief Minister said the state had given certain suggestions with regard to the lockdown. "The official decision of the centre is yet to be announced. The state will take a decision accordingly. In our opinion, some districts need the restriction but some do not. So let's wait for the centre's decision on the lockdown in the country and we will act accordingly." The Chief Minister said there was a possibility of community spread if uncontrolled public travel is allowed in Kerala, which has a high population density.

Kerala, he said, also suggested that restrictions in the seven hotspots -- Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Thrissur, Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram, which accounts for most of the cases from the state-- continue till Apr 30. The states must be given authority to allow certain activities at other places, while strictly practicing social distancing, he said.

Vijayan said the state also requested the Prime Minister to arrange for a non-stop train from Kerala for the 3.85 lakh migrant workers who wanted to leave for their states once the lockdown was lifted. The state also requested a separate package for the unorganised sector fot three months.