News Analysis India

Tag: Kerala Coronavirus

  • Maharashtra & Kerala Covid situation worrisome: Modi

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday noted that high number of Covid-19 cases in Kerala and Maharashtra are worrisome. He mentioned in his interaction with chief ministers that similar trends were seen during January-February before the second wave. 

    “All of us are at a point where apprehensions of the third wave (of the pandemic) are continuously expressed. Despite experts giving positive signals due to the downward trends, increasing number of cases in a few states is still worrisome.

    During the last week, 80 per cent of the cases as well as 84 per cent of the fatalities came from these states,” remarked the Prime Minister in his closing remarks. He was interacting with chief ministers of  Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, Maharashtra and Kerala. 

    Modi underlined the need for proactive measures in states where cases are rising to prevent the possibility of the third wave. He underlined the expert’s view that if cases keep on rising for a long time, chances of mutation of the virus will also increase and dangers of new variants will rise.

    He also expressed concern over the rise of cases in Europe, America, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand and other countries. “This should alert us and the world. Corona is not over,” said the Prime Minister, expressing concern over pictures coming post lockdown. He emphasised the need to follow protocol and avoid crowding, while exhorting political parties, social organizations, and NGOs to spread awareness.

    Home Minister Amit Shah mentioned during the meeting some of these six states have a very high test positivity rate as well. The chief ministers talked about steps taken to boost medical infrastructure. They gave suggestions to deal with possible rise of cases in future. They also discussed post-Covid issues faced by patients.

  • South India staring at second Covid wave?

    By Express News Service
    CHENNAI/BENGALURU/HYDERABAD/VIJAYAWADA: In a worrying development, most southern states have been witnessing a significant surge in Covid-19 cases over the past few days.

    Karnataka has added up to 1,488 fresh infections to its Covid tally, taking the total cases to 9.65 lakh. The toll rose to 12,415 with eight related fatalities, the Health department said on Thursday. This is for the third consecutive day that the state is reporting over 1,000 new cases. Out of the 1,488 fresh cases reported on Thursday, 925 were from Bengaluru Urban alone. Bengaluru accounts for over 72 per cent of the total active cases in the state at present.

    ALSO READ | Adhere to Covid norms to curb surge in cases: Andhra government

    As of March 18 evening, cumulatively 9,65,102 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 12,415 deaths, the Health Department said in its bulletin. Given the situation, Karnataka has shifted gears and is reintroducing measures taken during the peak of the pandemic last year to prevent a possible second wave and mitigate its impact. For the next 50 days, doctors, healthcare workers and officials will work in mission mode to take preventive measures as well as to ramp up the vaccination drive.

    “If we vaccinate senior citizens and those aged above 45 with comorbidities, we can mitigate the second wave,” Health and Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar said on Thursday after taking stock of the situation at a meeting with the heads of government hospitals in Bengaluru.

    ALSO READ | Covid situation alarming, focus on educational institutions: HC to Telangana

    The government has set an ambitious target of vaccinating three lakh people per day. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu reported as many as 989 new cases and nine deaths were recorded on the day, taking the State’s tally to 8,63,363 and the toll to 12,573. Chennai alone reported 394 cases. With this, the active case count in the State have gone up to 6,222. Despite this, the urban community health centres (UCHC) and primary health centres (PHC) offering Covid vaccines said they were low on stock on Covishield, and that only Covaxin was available, as on Thursday.

    A UCHC staff in Perungudi said the available doses of Covishield was being reserved for those who would return for their second jab. The cumulative Covid cases in Andhra Pradesh increased to 8,92,740 with the addition of 218 in the 24 hours ending 9am on Thursday. The latest bulletin said 117 patients had recovered from the infection, taking the total to 8,83,759.

    The overall toll remained at 7,186 as no fresh deaths were reported in a day, it said. The state now has 1,795 active cases. Various districts in Telangana too saw a sharp spike in cases on the day. The state reported 278 new cases. Three deaths were also reported, taking the total toll so far to 1,662.

  • Close to 60% of new coronavirus cases in Maharashtra; Kerala second: Govt

    Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu are the six states that cumulatively account for 86.25 per cent of the new coronavirus cases reported.

  • Centre asks four states to take prompt steps to curb recent spike in COVID-19 cases

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Centre has asked four states recording a surge in COVID-19 cases — Maharashtra, Kerala, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal — to maintain a “strict vigil” and take steps to curb the recent spike.

    Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has written to these states to draw their attention “to the low and declining testing rates in the states, stating that any laxity at this crucial junction may squander the results of our collective actions in containing the transmission”, according to a health ministry statement.

    The states have been advised to maintain a “strict vigil” and to take steps to keep a check on the rising cases, especially in view of the new strain of the virus being observed in a few states in India.

    They have been advised to analyse the surge at the district and sub-district levels to understand the reasons for this rise and plan adequate measures proactively to curb the same.

    ALSO READ: Tamil Nadu to hold second COVID-19 vaccination dry run on Friday, this time in all districts

    Aggressive implementation of the “test-track-treat” strategy adopted by the country has been strongly advised now more than ever by the health secretary.

    The health authorities in the states have also been advised to proactively promote wearing of masks and other COVID-19-appropriate behaviours, while the vaccination drive is about to begin.

    “It is important to ensure that there is no complacency in the collective efforts in containment and management of COVID-19,” the health secretary said.

    ALSO READ: Odisha reports zero new COVID-19 deaths for first time in more than six months

    The states have been assured of all necessary support of the health ministry required to manage the pandemic.

    “The four states comprise 59 per cent of the total active cases in the country,” the ministry said.

    The total COVID-19 cases in Kerala are 7,90,882 which form 7.61 per cent of the total cases.

    The active cases stand at 65,252, accounting for 28.61 per cent of the total national figure.

    Total number of recovered cases is 7,22,421, accounting for a recovery rate of 91.34, while the total deaths in the state are 3,209 with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 0.41 per cent, the statement said.

    ALSO READ: India, Sri Lanka looking at post-COVID cooperation: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar

    “The daily average cases in Kerala in the last 7 days are 5,023 whereas daily average deaths in the last 7 days are 23. The tests per million (TPM) of Kerala stand at 1,96,432 and positivity rate is 11.28 per cent,” the statement stated.

    The health secretary has expressed concern over the dip in the overall tests in the past two weeks in the state combined with an increase in the positivity rate.

    The weekly positivity rate has been consistently above 11 per cent for the past two weeks, while the case positivity rate for the country is less than 2.5 per cent for the same period, the statement stated.

    ALSO READ: European Union’s medicines agency ponders approval for Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine

    In view of the above, a high-level central team led by Dr S K Singh, Director, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), has been rushed by the central government to Kerala.

    The team will review the public health interventions in management of COVID-19 by the state government and support the state health authorities in these measures, the ministry said.

    Total cases in Maharashtra stand at 19,54,553, accounting for 18.80 per cent of the national figure.

    A total of 18,52,759 patients have recovered in the state, resulting in a recovery rate of 94.79 per cent.

    The active cases in the state are 51,969 (amounting for 22.79 per cent of national figure).

    The state has reported a total of 49,825 fatalities, with a CFR of 2.55 per cent.

    The daily average cases in Maharashtra in the last 7 days are 3,707 and daily average deaths in the last 7 days are 51, the statement said.

    The TPM is 1,02,870 while the state positivity rate is pegged at 15.43 per cent, it said.

    Chhattisgarh has registered 2,85,586 cases (with percentage share in total being 2.75 per cent) and 2,73,030 total number of recoveries with a recovery rate of 95.60 per cent.

    The active cases as on date are 9,109 (3.99 per cent share in the national pie).

    The numbers of fatalities in the state is 3,447 and the case fatality rate is 1.21 per cent.

    Daily average cases in Chhattisgarh in the last 7 days are 1,006 whereas daily average deaths in the last 7 days are 13, the statement said.

    TPM is 1,16,744 with a positivity rate of 8.31 per cent.

    West Bengal is reporting 5,57,252 cases (5.36 per cent of the total cases in the country).

    A total 5,38,521 persons have recovered taking the recovery rate to 96.64 per cent.

    It has 8,868 active cases, accounting for 3.89 per cent of the national figure.

    There have been 9,863 total deaths in the state with a case fatality rate of 1.77 per cent.

    The daily average cases in West Bengal in the last 7 days are 908 and daily average deaths are 25.

    The number of TPM is 71,762 and the positivity rate is 7.80 per cent, the ministry said.