Situation in Kerala has turned grave according to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. He said on Friday 211 persons were diagnosed with Covid-19 in the State and many cities and rural areas are under threat.
Vijayan’s May 8 claim that the State flattened the coronavirus curve has come under a cloud with his remarks in the press briefing on Friday. This is the highest number of persons testing positive for the pandemic since it was reported in the State in January 2020.
Though Pinarayi Vijayan told the media that 138 persons who were tested positive on Friday were expatriates and 39 were from other parts of the country, doctors in government service said they had reservations about this findings. “The State is experiencing unprecedented community transmission and the authorities are reluctant to accept the ground reality. The expatriates and people from other States have come as an excuse for them,” said a doctor who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Vijayan said 27 persons were infected because of social transmission. Six soldiers of the CISF and a member of an air crew also tested positive on Friday. He said there were 2,908 covid patients undergoing treatment in various hospitals in the State. Kerala has tested 4,964 persons with Covid-19 till date.
While disclosing that the State has 130 hotspots, the Chief Minister said the pandemic was spreading all over the State. “There has been an increase in the number of covid cases all districts of the State. There are patients everywhere including villages and towns. Situation is serious in Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam.