Kozhikode Corporation to demand change in COVID zone categorisation method

Call to consider opinion of rapid response teams while determining categories

The criterion for determining zones for COVID-19 management led to heated discussions at the Kozhikode Corporation Council meeting on Friday. Mayor Beena Philip presented a motion on the issue, while rejecting the request for an adjournment motion by councillor Rajesh Kumar on the unscientific lockdown based on test positivity rate (TPR). The Mayor, in her motion, pointed out that the present criterion for lockdown caused much difficulty to people. The Corporation decided to appeal to the district administration to consider the opinion of the ward-level rapid response teams while determining the zones. Deputy Mayor C.P. Musafir Ahamed supported the motion while councillor S.K. Aboobakker pointed out that even wards that recorded less than 10 positive cases a week were placed under the ‘C’ category, along with the rest of the Corporation. “Shops should be able to open at least three days a week. Otherwise, people rush into the shops on the single working day. This will only lead to a rise in the number of positive cases,” he said.