Kerala was the first state in India to record a case of COVID-19. It also led the country in number of active cases up to March 2020. Given the high global migration of its residents and it being an international tourist destination, it was feared that Kerala would develop into a hotspot. The state, however, successfully managed to contain the spread of the pandemic in the first wave of infections. When the state witnessed a second wave of infections with the arrival of non-resident Keralites from outside the state and with easing of restrictions, Kerala set up 101 Covid First Line Treatment Centres across the state and focused on intense contact tracing, testing and quarantine to minimise the community spread of the disease. The presence of empowered local governance institutions and community participation helped the state in effectively reaching out to affected people. With the resurgence in new cases, Kerala actively roped in the services of local self-governments (LSGs) in its fight against the pandemic. LSGs were entrusted with the task of collecting information, spreading awareness, identifying the vulnerable sections, ensuring quarantine and lockdown guidelines being followed, cleaning and disinfecting the public places and ensuring the supply of essential services to those under quarantine. Thus, LSGs emerged as frontline institutions in containing the disease and in alleviating the distress caused to the poor and vulnerable. Kerala’s efforts in the last two decades to empower LSGs through devolution of both financial resources and political and administrative power strengthened the resource base of these institutions. Kerala’s 1200 strong LSGs worked in tandem with the state government to create effective interventions during the COVID-19 crisis. Intensive contact tracing and case isolation followed by LSGs succeeded in containing large scale community transmission of the infection. LSGs managed to create this system with the help of health workers, Kudumbasree members, Anganwadi staff, local authorities, and the state police. The state also set up a 3,00,000-strong volunteer force for working with their respective local government bodies. Substantial devolution of funds to the local governments over the years helped to strengthen these institutions.