Updated: October 18, 2020 8:58:55 pm
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan during his Sunday show Samvaad. (Photo: YouTube / screenshot)
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Sunday that negligence during Onam led to a spike in Covid-19 cases in Kerala, and other states should ‘learn a lesson’ from this.
Kerala, which had successfully curbed the infection by the first week of May by bringing the number of active cases below 20, has added more than three billion cases since then. With daily new infections between 7,000 and 10,000, Kerala is back on the top 10 list with a maximum number of cases.
The Union Minister, responding to a question from a citizen as part of its ‘Sunday Samvaad’ program, said: “Between January 30 and May 3, Kerala reported only 499 cases and 2 deaths. Most of the cases were concentrated in the Kasaragod and Kannur districts. Subsequently, cases of Covid-19 emerged in other districts due to the increase in the movement of people between states and intrastates due to trade and tourism ”.
He continued: “And then the curve of Kerala changed completely due to the Onam holidays. The Onam festival lasted from August 22 to September 2. During this period, there were large congregations throughout the state, where people did not take proper precautions. Kerala, which reported an average of 2,000 cases in the first week of September, averaged 4,000 cases every two weeks, which means that it added between 7,000 and 8,000 new cases daily. “
The minister alleged that Kerala ‘paid the price for its gross negligence’ during the festival season, a factor that other states must take into account with the upcoming Navratri-Diwali season.
“I would say that other states should learn a lesson from the Kerala outbreak due to neglect during the Onam season. All states must exercise caution during the upcoming festival season and ensure appropriate Covid behavior. Failure to do so can result in a rapid increase in cases across India. This caution must be exercised for the next three months at least, ”he said.
In Kerala, opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said the union minister’s statement was an indictment against the state government. “Kerala has failed in Covid control measures. To artificially show that the state is handling the situation effectively, not all cases are detected and the number of tests is not increased. The disease spread everywhere when the government did not speed up the tests, ”he said.
BJP State President K Surendran said Kerala should seek the help of the Center. “The statement of the Union Minister is a severe setback for Kerala, which did not make preparations to address the pandemic. Using public relations agencies, the state has been misleading people, “he said.
Later that day, a Kerala government official attacked Vardhan.
Kerala Social Security Mission Executive Director Dr. Mohammed Asheel on his Facebook page said: “The politician Harsh Vardhan can say anything. But, if you speak as the Union Minister of Health, you should speak only after learning things precisely. What he said is wrong to the core. When in doubt, ask your scientists at ICMR. “
Dr. Asheel works with the state Department of Social Justice, which reports to Health Minister KK Shailaja. He is a member of a core team that advises the health department on Covid-19 management and frequently leads lives on Facebook on Kerala Covid measures.
Kerala’s health authorities, including Shailaja, have admitted in recent weeks that the Onam festival in the last week of August, a period of increased social interaction, directly influenced the outbreak of infections in September and October. There was a laxness on the part of the public in following Covid-19 protocols during Onam, he had said.
The other factor that the government has blamed was the state protests of the UDF Opposition and the BJP demanding the resignation of the minister of higher education, KT Jaleel, in an alleged violation of the FCRA. Many political workers in Congress and the BJP, as well as more than 200 police officers present during the riots, were infected with coronavirus.
State authorities, however, also point to the lower mortality rate as an indicator of success in managing Covid-19.
As of October 18, there were 1,139 deaths in Kerala, a death rate of 0.34%. Comparatively, regions such as Delhi and West Bengal, which have fewer cases than Kerala, have mortality rates of 1.82% and 1.88% respectively.
Health officials in Kerala believe that if protocols are strictly followed, the infection will peak in late October, followed by a gradual decline in cases.
With ENS tickets
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