Kerala officially makes Saturday a working day as Covid cases decline

The biometric system will also be restored from September 16, an order from disaster management department in Kerala said. The state reported 15,058 Covid-19 cases on Monday with a test positivity rate of 16.69 per cent after 91,885 samples were tested.

The Kerala government on Tuesday restored Saturdays as working days, in view of the dip in the number of daily coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases. The announcement from Disaster Management Department came after a review of Covid-19 situation in the state.

Covid-19 cases in Kerala started dipping last week after a peak. (AFP File Photo)

"All employees are instructed to report for duty (on Saturdays) accordingly," the department said in its order today.

It said that on August 4, all government offices, quasi government, public sector undertakings, companies, autonomous bodies and commissions were allowed to work from Monday to Friday with full attendance. "After assessing the present Covid-19 scenario and the restrictions imposed in the State to contain the same, the government is pleased to restore Saturdays also as working days, wherever applicable," an order from the department added.

When cases peaked, government employees were directed to come to their offices on alternate days which was later increased to five days a week.

The biometric system will also be restored from September 16, the order from the disaster management department said. It said that the employees can use their identity cards to access the biometric entry system. The biometric entry system was stopped since March last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Covid-19 cases in Kerala started dipping last week after a peak. About two weeks back, the state reported 28,000 average cases weekly, contributing about 70 per cent of India's total cases.