E-Paper
In slight relief for Kerala, Covid-19 cases register marginal dip
According to the Indian Council of Medical Research guidelines, TPR should be below 5 per cent if an area has to be declared out of the critical zone. A majority of the districts in the state claim three to four times higher than that rate explaining the intensity of the infection. Statistics show Kerala’s high caseload is the prime reason for the national surge.
There is some relief for Kerala as the state reported 26,701 new Covid-19 cases with a test positivity rate (TPR) of 17.17 per cent after 1,55,543 tests were held, the state health ministry indicated in a statement. Kerala has consistently been reporting more than 30,000 cases daily over the last few days.
When compared with the last seven days, new cases, TPR, deaths and active cases have all registered a slight dip. The state reported 74 deaths taking total fatalities to 21,496. The state’s active case load is 2,47, 79. Kozhikode district topped the table on Sunday with 3,336 fresh Covid-19 cases, followed by Thrissur with 3,214 and Ernakulam with 2,915 cases.
A look at the last seven days’ average TPR shows four districts reported more than 20 per cent -- Thrissur 23.37%, Palakkad 22.10%, Kozhikode 21.48% and Wayanad 20.65%. In some of the worst-affected districts earlier like Malappuram and Ernakulam, cases subsided a bit and TPR came down to the 15-20 per cent bracket. The lowest TPR is in Kasaragod in north Kerala, 12.91%. The worst affected Thrissur reported less than 20 per cent only on a single day, 19.57% on August 31 and least affected Kasaragod is consistent with its low volume and once it even dipped to 6.28% on August 30, statistics shows.
According to the Indian Council of Medical Research guidelines, TPR should be below 5 per cent if an area has to be declared out of the critical zone. A majority of the districts in the state claim three to four times higher than that rate explaining the intensity of the infection. In the last 24 hours, the country reported 42,766 new cases, 308 deaths with a TPR below 3%. Statistics show Kerala’s high caseload is the prime reason for the national surge.
With Covid-19 cases showing no signs of relenting, the government has decided to adopt tough steps against home quarantine violators. Those who violate norms will be booked, fined and they will be shifted to institutional quarantine centres by the police. The violators will have to bear the expenses of shifting also. Many experts have blamed lax home quarantine for the persistent surge in cases though there is set norms for home quarantine like separate washroom and no contact with others at home. Many people, however, interact with others as usual giving them the infection. In north Kerala, many houses still have the joint family system which results in all members getting infected.
Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday said the situation was under control and that there was no big spike in infections after the Onam festival as was feared adding that the health situation will subside by the second week of September. The second wave has been continuing in the state for more than three months-- June to September.
