CM sets template for post-COVID-19 life

Teachers practise social-distancing norms while evaluating the answer sheets of higher secondary students at a camp during the COVID-19 lockdown in Kozhikode on Thursday.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has set the template for social life after the COVID-19 lockdown.

The Chief Minister said here on Thursday that given the spectre raised by the World Health Organization (WHO) that the SARS-CoV-2 was going to be around for a long time and could become endemic in populations, the public should be better prepared to live with the virus, yet be cautious not to tangle with it head-on.

As Kerala braces to take on a massive but expected surge in its COVID-19 case load, the focus of the public health system would be in developing specialised treatment protocols for disease management and in building the immunity of the general population in resisting the virus. The WHO has indicated that the pestilence is here to stay until the world discovered a vaccine. The virulence has ushered in a new normal.

He said the people should become accustomed to wearing masks in public to reduce the risk of transmission.

They should adhere to social-distancing measures in restaurants, public transport, markets, shopping centres and other common facilities. Businesses should allot time slots to customers to prevent commotion and crowding on their premises. The public should avoid overcrowding at all costs. They should plan their activities and avoid unnecessary travel.

Travel curbs

People and families would have to be prepared to take up only necessary travel and any get-togethers would have to restrict the number of attendees.

Mr. Vijayan made no mention of opening up public parks, stadiums, swimming pools, sporting facilities, gymnasiums, malls, cinema halls, spas, barbershops and cosmetic treatment centres. However, an official said the government would take a call on the matter soon. The government was yet to decide on the resumption of cinema and television serial shooting despite pleas from the entertainment industry.

Strengthened vigil

He said the State could not avoid any slip-up in its vigil against the virus. In the long run, it is such behaviour changes amongst the public which will decide how normal life can be resumed in the post-COVID world, the Chief Minister added.