Thrissur: Amid the rapid surge in COVID cases, the Chief Secretary will chair a meeting on Monday to discuss on conducting Thrissur Pooram as per COVID protocol. The virtual meeting will be held at 10.30 am.

Though the government decided on the protocol to be followed for Thrissur Pooram last week, the meeting is summoned taking the growing concern of rising COVID cases across the state.

In Thrissur, the COVID test positivity rate touched 21.97 percent and daily cases crossed 1000. Observing this, the government revised the protocol and conditions put forward in conducting Thrissur Pooram.

For attending Pooram, people above 45 years must take the COVID vaccine and those below 45 years must obtain a COVID-19 negative certificate after undergoing the RT-PCR test.

The government has made this rule mandatory for all who attend Thrissur Pooram on April 23. At the same time, children below 10 years and people above 60 years are restricted from attending Pooram.

But as the test positivity rate increased at an alarming rate, the government revised the conditions and ordered that only those who took two doses of COVID vaccine and obtained COVID negative certificate of RT-PCR test will be allowed to attend Pooram.

Along with this, all mahouts are directed to obtain either COVID negative certificate or take two doses of vaccine.

Following this, Paramekkavu and Thiruvambady devaswom committees have come forward raising allegations against the government for changing the stance.

Examining this, the district collector summoned a meeting on Sunday to resolve the issue with the devaswom committees. Though the committees raised these issues in the meeting, the district collector decided to take a final decision on these subjects in the meeting of the Chief Secretary.

  pooram