Normalcy is slowly returning to Kozhikode after the lull seen in the past week following the restrictions imposed on the district in the wake of the third Nipah episode here.
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People are now seen thronging commercial hotspots such as S.M. Street in Kozhikode city for shopping. Kozhikode beach, a major hangout space for city residents and many from nearby districts, is seeing a rush of visitors again. Pushcart vendors selling street food, who kept away from there in recent days, are coming back to resume business.
Areas such as Palayam and Valiyangadi have also come back to life after a break. Many are wearing face masks as a precautionary step. Some shops have even displayed notices saying the customers are requested to wear them.
People are returning to the Kozhikode beach after restrictions imposed following the Nipah outbreak were lifted in recent days. | Photo Credit: K. Ragesh
Educational institutions in the district, other than those in the containment zones, which were asked to function on online mode from September 18 to September 23, will return to the offline mode from September 25. Nine grama panchayats in Vadakara taluk that were earlier declared as containment zones were removed from the list earlier.
In a release on Sunday, District Collector A. Geetha said that online classes would continue in seven wards in Kozhikode Corporation and all the wards in Feroke municipality, which are still containment zones. Ms. Geetha directed the respective educational institutions to make arrangements for online classes in these areas. The educational institutions that will resume offline classes will have to stick to the use of face masks and hand sanitisers.
Meanwhile, five more body fluid samples of those in the contact list of Nipah-infected persons tested negative for the virus on Sunday. No new positive cases had been reported since September 15. Health Minister Veena George said that the condition of the four infected persons who are under medical treatment is stable. Right now, 915 people are under medical isolation.
The restrictions were imposed first on nine grama panchayats in Vadakara taluk after the first four cases were reported from there since September 12. Subsequently, the curbs were extended to Feroke municipality and some wards in Kozhikode Corporation when two other infected persons were found to be from those places.
