Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan claimed on Saturday that Kerala leads the nation in controlling and managing the Covid-19 pandemic despite the higher number of cases reported daily from the State.
“The last few days have seen the number of new cases going up in Kerala. But if you take into account the density of population and the diminishing barrier between rural and urban areas in the State, Kerala is well ahead of others in Covid-19 management. The death rate is just 0.51 per cent in Kerala whereas the national average is more than three fold of this figure,” said Vijayan on Saturday while briefing the media.
He was addressing the media after a gap of 36 days. “We could not meet all these days because of the Legislative Assembly session and the Onam holidays,” said Vijayan. He said though there were negative campaigns from certain circles accusing the State administration of failure in controlling the Covid-19 transmission, the reality was that Kerala is shining. He said the Centre itself has said that Kerala was the State which leads in most efficient distribution of vaccines.
“We are very transparent in our dealings. There was not a single instance in Kerala of people waiting outside crematoriums for their turn to perform last rites of the departed ones or throwing dead bodies in rivers,” said Vijayan who also read out from Indian Council of Medical Research report that Kerala was a role model for other States in the country.
Vijayan disclosed that 31,265 new cases were diagnosed on Saturday while 153 lives were claimed by the Covid-19 during the last 24 hours. The Test Positivity Rate was 18.67 per cent while the death toll till date reached 20,466.
The chief Minister said that most of the persons who succumbed to the pandemic were aged and suffering from co-morbidity. “We are holding a meeting on September 1 with senior and experienced doctors working in Medical College Hospitals and private hospitals and virologists of repute who have gained considerable experience in Covid-19 management to take stock of the situation.
This will be followed by a meeting with the chiefs of local self governments in the State for further coordination of Covid-19 management works,” said Vijayan.