Even as five major urban centres of Tamil Nadu are in a state of complete lockdown, the rest of Southern India is hoping to reopen their economies if the lockdown is lifted after May 3.
Here are the top developments from Southern India this Monday evening:
1. Over 1.5 lakh Non-Resident Indians from Kerala have registered on the state government’s portal to return home once the Union government lifts restrictions related to international travel. Kerala is bracing ahead for a large influx of its non-residents.
2. The Karnataka Chief Minister has supported the idea of phased removal of restrictions. He made these suggestions during a meeting with the Prime Minister during a video-conference.
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3. Various environmental groups in Bengaluru have written to the CM asking for the state to have efficient waste management systems in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19, due to the deluge of drain water and other pollutants.
4. The Andhra Pradesh government has distributed PPE’s to over 2000 policemen deployed in the 200 police stations located in the various red zones in the state..
5. Vishakhapatnam, according to data obtained from the Health Ministry, has flattened the curve as the city has registered only two positive cases in a span of 20 days from April 7 to April 20.
6. Even as two districts of the neighbouring state have enforced a complete lockdown, Kerala is fearing a risk of illegal cross border movement and a spurt in fresh COVID-19 cases. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan chaired a meeting to plug the various loopholes.
7. Following the Central government’s move, the Tamil Nadu government, too, has frozen the payment of Dearness Allowance (DA) to its employees July 2021. It has also suspended earned leave for its employees
8. DMK Chief MK Stalin has asked for an enquiry into the defective test kits that have been imported. He accused the government of corrupt practices.
9. The number of cases has crossed the 1,000-mark in Telangana.
10. Chennai City Police Commissioner AK Vishwanathan has warned that the Koyambedu vegetable and fruit market may be shut down in the coming days if more positive cases are reported.