Updated: October 19, 2020 8:00:00 am
Dr Harsh Vardhan Sunday pointed to Kerala, which had initially controlled the spread of Covid, but then “paid the price for its gross negligence” during week-long festivities to mark Onam in late August.
Reiterating that people should avoid large gatherings during the upcoming festival season, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan Sunday pointed out Kerala, which had initially controlled the spread of Covid to be labeled a model status, but then “paid the price for gross negligence” during the week-long festivities to commemorate Onam in late August.
During their weekly interaction on social media, Harsh Vardhan also acknowledged that community broadcasting is expected to “occur, especially in densely populated areas,” but “limited to certain districts in a limited number of states.”
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Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja tried to downplay the Union Minister’s comments about “negligence” during Onam, saying that he had not criticized the state, but was “alerting other states to take action. to avoid meetings, which had happened in Kerala during the Onam celebrations. “
However, Kerala’s opposition parties described the Center’s statements as a “charge sheet” that highlighted the “failure” of the leftist regime.
Responding to a question about how Kerala is slowly moving towards the 3 lakh mark overall while setting a daily record for Covid cases, Harsh Vardhan said: “After having a good grip on the virus during the initial phase of the pandemic, the situation has now worsened. I would argue that other states should learn a lesson from the Kerala outbreak in Covid-19 cases due to negligence during the Onam season. I would also say that all states should be careful during the upcoming holiday season … This precaution should be exercised for the next three months at least. “
Over the past 24 hours, Kerala reported 9,016 new cases, second only to Maharashtra with more than 10,000 daily cases. On Friday, a core team was dispatched to Kerala after the surge.
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“Between January 30 and May 3, Kerala reported only 499 cases and two deaths; and most of the confirmed cases were concentrated in the Kasaragod and Kannur districts. Subsequently, cases of Covid-19 emerged in other districts, due to an increase in the movement of people between states and intrastates due to trade and tourism. And then the epic curve of Kerala changed completely due to Onam festivities across the state during the months of August and September, ”said Harsh Vardhan.
“The Onam festival lasted between August 22 and September 2. During this period, there were large congregations throughout the state where people gathered in large numbers and obviously did not take proper precautions. Kerala, which reported an average of 2,000 cases a day in the first week of September, averaged 4,000 new cases a day every fortnight. Which means that Kerala started adding between 7,000 and 8,000 daily news cases, ”he said.
In response, Kerala Minister Shailaja said she had called the Union minister after reports of his comments. “I was answering a question about the increase in Covid cases in Kerala. As festival seasons roll forward in other states, he was alerting other states to take steps to avoid gatherings, which had happened in Kerala during Onam celebrations. We agree with that, the Chief Minister had previously stated that gatherings during Onam celebrations, marriages, and protests have created complacency in people’s minds, ultimately leading to an increase in cases. The Union minister had only pointed it out.
Speaking to The Indian Express last week, Shailaja said that during the shutdown, Kerala had flattened the chart and the spread rate was at its lowest. “But with the opening of the central government and allowing trains and flights… during June to September, Kerala had 9 lakh people coming from other states and countries. Then we had Onam and there was some relaxation, people did not follow the rules during festival season. So we witnessed an increase in cases in August, “he said, adding that various protests by opposition parties also led to” large rallies. “
However, the executive director of the Kerala Social Security Mission, Dr. Mohammed Asheel, posted on his Facebook page that “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, ” he posted. Asheel works with the State Department of Social Justice, which reports to Shailaja, and is one of the members of a core team that advises the Department of Health on Covid strategies.
Kerala’s opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said: “Kerala has failed to control Covid measures. To artificially show that the state is effectively handling the situation, not all cases are detected and the number of tests is not increased, ”said the leader of Congress. BJP head of state K Surendran said the Union Minister’s statement was a “serious setback for Kerala” and called on the state government to seek help from the Center.
Meanwhile, responding to a question about West Bengal’s Chief Minister Mamta Bannerjee’s statement that there are cases of community transmission in the state, Harsh Vardhan said: “… in different areas of various states, including West Bengal, Community transmission of Covid-19 is expected to occur especially in densely populated areas. However, this is not happening across the country; and community broadcasting is limited to certain districts that occur in a limited number of states, ”Vardhan said.
The Center, incidentally, has started a wide awareness campaign on the “Jan Andolan” launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the appropriate behavior of Covid in the context of the festive season. It has issued a detailed SOP that refers to states to ensure compliance with physical distancing, hygiene and thermal detection.
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