Bakrid 2021: Kerala government announces guidelines – All you need to know

Shops in areas under triple lockdown will be allowed to open on Monday.

A maximum of 40 persons will be allowed in worship places during the festival, said Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan adding that at least one dose vaccination is compulsory.

Kerala government has decided to continue with the complete weekend lockdown with an exception on July 18, 19, and 20 due to Bakrid.

The BJP has attacked the Kerala government over this decision, with Union Minister and BJP leader V Muraleedharan saying that the Pinarayi Vijayan government is not following a scientific approach to contain COVID-19 and impose lockdown.

“Now the Bakrid has come, the government has announced a three-day exception for the lockdown... My suggestion is to follow the scientific approach and follow the guidelines of the Government of India, ICMR guidelines and WHO. Do not utilise the pandemic as means of having political benefit out of it,” Murleedharan told ANI.

Pointing out the high COVID-19 caseload of Kerala, the Union Minister said that the state government is yet to adopt a scientific approach to contain the pandemic.

Kerala has recorded 2,923 new active COVID cases and 130 deaths due to COVID-19 in the last 24 hours.

The state government has come under fire from Congress and the BJP over the COVID-19 test positivity rate (TPR), which is hovering in the 10 per cent range.

The CM informed Prime Minister Narendra during the online meeting that things are under control in the state.

When the PM expressed concern over rising cases in the state, Vijayan said that the main reason Kerala has a high TPR is that the onset of the second wave of COVID-19 hit the state later than the rest of the country.