Lockdown in southern state as daily Covid cases up
Amid a rise in Covid-19 cases, Kerala has further extended the weekend lockdown from this week to prevent further surge in coronavirus infection.
Besides the lockdown, the Central Government is sending a six-member team from the National Centre for Disease Control to Kerela, tweeted Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
Also read | Haryana girl makes a mark on boxing debut at Olympics
"As a large number of coronavirus cases are still being reported in Kerala, the team will aid the state's ongoing efforts in the Covid-19 management," Mandaviya said in a tweet.
The southern state, which has been lauded in the past for its best practices in coronavirus management, is now contributing over 50 per cent of positive cases in the country over the last two days.
Dr Sulphi Noohu of Kerala chapter of the Indian Medical Association says 22,000-plus positive cases per se is not the worry, but the jump in hospitalisations by 1,000 to 3,200 from about 2,200 is a matter of concern.
Also Read | Tokyo Olympics 2020: Deepika Kumari, Pooja Rani in quarterfinals
The Ministry of Health has decided to send a high-level multi-disciplinary team to Kerala to collaborate with the state in instituting effective public health measures for the Covid management in view of the significantly enhanced number of daily cases being reported by the state. The team will reach Kerala on July 30 and visit a few districts.
Kerala with an active caseload of 1.54 lakh is contributing 37.1 per cent of the total active cases in the country, with a growth rate of 1.41 per cent in the last seven days. Average daily cases being reported in the state are above 17,443. Six districts are reporting more than 10 per cent weekly positivity. -PTC News
