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Covid-19 pandemic under control in Kerala, says CM Pinarayi Vijayan
Kerala on Saturday added 29,682 new Covid-19 cases with a TPR of 17.54 per cent after 1,69,237 samples were tested. It also reported 142 deaths with the death toll rising to 21,422. Active cases now stand at 2,50, 065. Thrissur district topped with 3,474 cases followed by Ernakulam with 3,456 and Malappuram with 3,156 cases.
Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday said the Covid-19 situation in the state is under control and there has not been any big spike in infections after the Onam festival as feared.
The CM said though the number of patients increased, hospital admissions came down in the last three weeks and the situation would stabilise soon. He said in mid-August, the hospitalisation rate was 5.99 per cent of active cases but it came down to 5.23 per cent between August 28 and September 3.
“There is not as big a hike as we feared after Onam. Hospitalisation rate is coming down slowly. Even in the recent experts’ meeting all lauded the state’s containment strategy,” he said. The Kerala government had called a meeting of experts on September 1.
Vijayan said the night curfew and Sunday lockdown will continue till the situation stabilised. Many experts have criticised the night curfew saying movement was minimum during night hours. He said the state has vaccinated 75 per cent of the eligible population and out of this 27.4 per cent got both doses even as the Union government ensured proper supply of vaccines. The CM also flagged off a new campaign “Be the Warrior” exhorting youngsters and volunteers to participate in a big way in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, the opposition Congress and BJP said the government’s containment measures remained only confined to slogans and public relations exercises. “Now the government is taking refuge in experts’ meeting to paint a rosy picture. Instead of admitting that its containment strategy had failed it is looking for alibis,” said BJP leader S Suresh.
Kerala on Saturday added 29,682 new Covid-19 cases with a TPR of 17.54 per cent after 1,69,237 samples were tested. It also reported 142 deaths with the death toll rising to 21,422. Active cases now stand at 2,50, 065. Thrissur district topped with 3,474 cases followed by Ernakulam with 3,456 and Malappuram with 3,156 cases. North Kerala’s Wayanad and Kasaragod districts reported less than 1000 cases. In the last 24 hours the country reported 42,618 new cases with 330 deaths. The national TPR is below 3% and the active caseload stands at 4,05,681.
