The Indian Medical Association on Tuesday said that inflow of international tourists and interstate movement were the main reasons behind the rise in Covid-19 infections in Kerala and Maharashtra. The president of the medical body Dr JA Jayalal also noted that the mortality rate in Kerala, however, is much less than the national average.
“Kerala and Maharashtra are receiving more international tourists and there is [a] lot of interstate movement. It is a major reason for [the] rise in Covid-19 cases. Despite the rise in cases in Kerala, mortality rate is much less than the national average,” news agency ANI quoted Dr Jayalal as saying, earlier on Tuesday.
On Monday, 9,931 people tested positive for Covid-19 in Kerala as the total confirmed cases reached 3,170,868, a bulletin from the state health department showed. In the 24-hour-period 58 people succumbed to the viral disease, taking the death toll to 15,408. The state currently has over 120,000 active cases (121,708 exactly).
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The IMA president also said that the Kerala government should rethink its “controversial” lockdown policy. “The way in which they adopted the lockdown is very controversial. They are giving intermittent lockdowns for two days. There are somewhere 15k to 16k people getting infected daily and the economy also depends upon when a patient gets infected. The family of the person who gets infected is indisposed for two to three weeks. They cannot go to their jobs, they are isolated and the best way is to prevent this from happening,” ANI quoted Dr Jayalal as saying.
{{/usCountry}}The IMA president also said that the Kerala government should rethink its “controversial” lockdown policy. “The way in which they adopted the lockdown is very controversial. They are giving intermittent lockdowns for two days. There are somewhere 15k to 16k people getting infected daily and the economy also depends upon when a patient gets infected. The family of the person who gets infected is indisposed for two to three weeks. They cannot go to their jobs, they are isolated and the best way is to prevent this from happening,” ANI quoted Dr Jayalal as saying.
{{/usCountry}}“We are definitely not saying that the entire lockdown has to be enforced. But if a policy of two days of lockdown is undertaken and the rest of the days are free, a rush is natural. Instead of that, you can evenly distribute it and ensure people are wearing the mask,” he further said.
Earlier on Sunday, the IMA had released a statement urging Kerala to withdraw its order easing the lockdown in the state for Bakri Eid. It said the relaxation was “unwanted and inappropriate” during the time of medical emergency. “The government is considering the situation and they are in discussion with the officials and other stakeholders. The case is coming up in the Supreme Court. We are waiting for the response on this issue,” Dr Jayalal said.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday warned of actions if Covid-19 infections in Kerala spread due to the relaxations in lockdown. “Kerala government buckling under pressure from traders to open up shops for Bakrid in high Covid-19 infection areas shows the sorry state of affairs and failure to protect life and health,” ANI quoted the bench headed by Justice Rohinton F Nariman.