More rural roads likely to be blocked in Kozhikode

Curbs on movement of people from containment zones

Heightened vigil: A policeman guards a road near Tali in Kozhikode after the area was declared a containment zone on Thursday.

More rural roads are likely to be blocked in the days to come as part of intensive measures being taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Kozhikode district. Police squads have been asked to ensure strict enforcement of the regulations and to stop the movement of people from containment zones to other areas.

Though inter-district travel is permitted, the movement of people from containment zones to other districts will not be allowed. Those who leave the district from other areas too have been asked to inform travel details to nearby rapid response squads.

Station house officers of rural police stations have warned of stringent action in case violations of containment zone regulations are noticed.

Incidents of people within containment zones using unblocked roads to interact with people in other areas have come to the notice of authorities.

At the same time, measures have been taken to avoid restrictions on the movement of vehicles on national and State highways.

Hospitals, shopping complexes, banks and the heads of private institutions too will be responsible for ensuring that no person from containment zones enter such institutions.

Considering the increasing number of cases, directives have also been issued to temporarily stop the use of biometric punching systems in areas where containment zone regulations exist. The Civil Supplies Department will temporarily suspend biometric verification at local civil supplies outlets and ration shops.