Strict lockdown only solution to fix rising covid cases in Kerala, says govt sources

New Delhi : Covid-19 cases in Kerala can only come down if strict containment and lockdown measures are followed, according to the top sources in the health ministry.

“There is no other way but to lock down areas where infection rate is high. The test positivity rate is high and cases can only come down if strict lockdown is implemented,” the sources said.

The state needs a strategic and smart containment, including a night curfew only in view of festivities to break chain of transmission like it happened in Delhi.

Kerala has reported an average of 13,500 cases per day in July and almost 19,500 daily cases in August.

Kerala Health Minister Veena George, who reviewed the state’s Covid-19 situation earlier this week after the ‘Onam surge’, has also blamed the violation of home quarantine directives for the worsening situation and cautioned against the increased indoor transmission of coronavirus at homes.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, who visited Kerala on August 16, announced a special package of Rs 267.35 crore for the southern state to strengthen its health infrastructure.

The central government has warned the state government that the months of September and October will be crucial in pandemic management and cautioned that festivals should be celebrated in accordance with Covid-19-appropriate behaviour.

The southern state recorded over 30,000 fresh cases in the last 24 hours, while India’s tally was 41,965. The state has been reporting more than 10,000 new cases every day for more than a month even as other states witnessed a drop in daily surge.

Kerala has logged over 40 lakh cases since the start of the pandemic, and over 20,000 deaths linked to the virus.