Kerala imposes night curfew till May 3

People urged to stay indoors from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., no curbs on vehicular traffic

The State government on Monday urged citizens to remain sequestered indoors between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. till May 3 to curb the COVID-19 resurgence. The government will further tighten controls on civic life if the surge in infections fails to plateau out in the next 14 days. The administration has ordered cinema halls and malls to close at 7 p.m. Other businesses, including hotels, should shutter by 9 p.m. There is no restriction on vehicular traffic at night. However, the police will check vehicles passing through containment zones. The government has advised the public and private sectors to weigh the option of working from home given the risk of disease transmission in hemmed-in spaces. Respective department heads should take a final call in the matter. The State has banned private tuition. It has asked teachers and students to shift private classes online. An official said the State’s containment strategy hinged on minimising the chance of interaction between people to slow the virus spread.