Kerala Imposes Section 144 To Curb Rise In COVID-19 Cases

Ernakulam: In the wake of rising COVID-19 cases, the Kerala government will impose Section 144 of the CrPC across the state for a month from Saturday.

From reporting zero fresh cases for multiple days in recent months, the state now has the second highest rate of increase in coronavirus cases and the third-highest number of active cases at 72,339 as on Thursday evening, according to a report in Mint.

Section 144 bans the assembly of more than five persons. Effectively, the order passed on Thursday night order will put a pause on social and political gatherings that had emerged as a major challenge to control the spread in September.

District magistrates have been asked to make necessary arrangements to implement the order thoroughly, apart from continuing to seal off containment zones where the virus is spreading rapidly.