Highlights:
- More than 22,000 COVID-19 cases were reported in Kerala yesterday (July 28).
- The central government is sending a six-member team from the National Center for Disease Control to the state in response to the unusual increase in Covid cases.
- Kerala now contributes around 40% of the country’s positive cases on a daily basis.
Kerala has increased the weekend lockdown beginning this week, following an alarming increase in daily COVID-19 cases.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted that the central government will send a six-member team from the National Center for Disease Control to the state.
“As a large number of Covid cases are still being reported in Kerala,” Mr Mandaviya said in a tweet, ” the team will aid the state’s ongoing efforts in Covid management.”
Central Government is sending 6 member team to Kerala headed by NCDC Director.
— Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) July 29, 2021
As large number of COVID cases are still being reported in Kerala, the team will aid state’s ongoing efforts in #COVID19 management.
According to a source in the Health Ministry, the state is “focusing more on the mitigation phase of treating cases than containment.”
The Supreme Court slammed Kerala’s announcement last week of a three-day relaxation of Covid limitations for Eid-Ul-Azha, calling it “wholly uncalled for.” The top court, however, did not overturn the government’s decision to lessen the state’s lockdown.
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According to anonymous sources, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has written to the state about recent “super spreader occurrences,” emphasising the importance of strictly following Covid rules.
The southern state, which has previously been commended for its outstanding practises in Covid management, now contributes around 40% of the country’s positive cases on a daily basis.
The number of cases recorded on a daily basis in the state is over 17,443. According to Health Ministry data, the state has a high case positivity rate of 12.93 percent cumulatively and 11.97 percent weekly, with six districts having a weekly positivity rate of more than 10%.
Early this month, a growing ‘R’ value, or Covid reproduction rate, in Kerala sparked fears of a fresh wave, which might potentially fuel a countrywide increase.
Despite the fact that the state vaccinates at a significantly higher rate than the rest of the country, its seropositivity rate is lower.
According to a serosurvey done by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) between June 14 and July 6, Kerala had the lowest Covid antibodies. States can use serosurveys to help lead an objective, transparent, and evidence-based public health response to COVID-19.
Kerala registered 22,056 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the total number of cases to 33,27,301, with 16,457 people succumbing to the virus and 131 more deaths.
