With the COVID-19 case graph showing a decline in all districts and COVID-related hospitalisations decreasing in numbers, Category C (where COVID hospitalisations exceed 25% of all hospitalisations) regulations are no more applicable in any districts except Kollam.
Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Wayanad and Kannur districts have now been consigned to Category B (doubling of ICU admission due to COVID and hospital admissions due to COVID reaching 10% of total hospital admissions of the district)
Malappuram and Kozhikode are placed in Category A while Kasaragod has not been put in any of these categories
However, the government decided to extend the restrictions on civil life on Sundays to one more Sunday, on February 6.
No test for travellers
The meeting also decided to ease further the regulations regarding the testing of international travellers arriving in the State. According to the new directive, non-resident Indians and other international travellers reaching the State need be tested for COVID only if they exhibit any symptoms. Quarantine will be imposed only on those who have any symptoms .
The government, on advice of the COVID expert committee, decided to do away with the existing regulation that RT-PCR test should be conducted on the eighth day for all international travellers.
The Chief Minister directed the Health department to ensure that exorbitant rates are not charged for RT-PCR and other tests in airport
The restrictions on gatherings in places of religious worship will remain and in any such place of worship, only 20 persons will be allowed at a time. There will be no relaxations for the conduct of Attukal Pongala this year also and only 200 persons will be allowed to offer pongala on the temple premises. The government requested that people offer pongala on their home premises
The meeting noted that the proportion of adults above 18 years in the State who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 had gone up to 85%, while 72% of the children in the 15-18 years age group had been administered the first dose.
