Omicron Threat! Kerala announces 4-day night curfew from December 30

The Kerala government has announced a night curfew across the state from Thursday, December 30 to Sunday, January 2, 2023. The curfew will be in place from 10 pm to 5 am. Shops and establishments have been instructed to close at 10 pm. The Kerala government has asked citizens to avoid unnecessary travel and not gather in public without any reason. No New Year celebrations will be allowed after 10pm on December 31, said the state government. 

The central government has told states to impose restrictions to control crowds during year-end celebrations, urging them "not let their guard down" as coronavirus cases rise amid fear of fast-spreading Omicron variant of the virus. There is "need for greater foresight, data analysis, dynamic decision making, and strict and prompt containment actions at the local and district levels," said Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla in a letter to states and union territories. Owing to the rising Omicron cases across India, several states and union territories have imposed fresh restrictions to curb the spread of the new COVID-19 variant. To curtail the spread of Omicron variant, the Centre’s guidelines include measures such as reimposing night curfew, banning social gatherings and more.