With hundreds of ambulances blaring the emergency sirens speeding to hospitals with patients in the last phase of their lives, the number of Covid patients in Kerala crossed past the 1.2 million mark by Tuesday evening. The day saw 19,577 new persons getting diagnosed with Covid-19 on a single day taking the total number of patients in the State to 1,27, 2645. The day also saw 28 fatalities across Kerala due to Covid-19.
As leaders of the Indian Medical Association described that the situation has gone out of control in the State, a political diatribe commenced with ministers and politicians blaming the Centre for short supply of vaccines. Though Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had claimed before the assembly election that the State would initiate measures to manufacture its own branded vaccine, he is maintaining silence on the issue once the election was over.
Meanwhile neighbouring Tamil Nadu too saw the number of Covid-19 patients shooting up though not as badly as Kerala. On Tuesday, Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine said in a release that the State saw 10,986 new cases of Covid-19 while the pandemic claimed 48 lives across Tamil Nadu.
The hike in the number of persons afflicted with pandemic in both the States are a fall out of the high pitched campaigns for the election to assemblies. Though Tamil Nadu ahead of Kerala in the number of Covid-19 patients by leap and bounds, as on Tuesday there were only 1.01 million positive cases in Tamil Nadu against Kerala’s 1.27 millions.
Both Kerala and Tamil Nadu have declared night curfew for the nest fortnight with effect from Tuesday night. Kerala has announced stringent rules to discipline people who do not wear masks and maintaining social distancing. Though the Government has tightened the rules and limited the number of guests who could be invited for marriages and social functions, the police officials turn a blind eye to violations of rules.
“So long as nobody registers any complaint, we do not have any issues. But ensure that your neighbours do not create any problems,” is the standard advice from the cops to persons who are holding such events.
Situation in Kerala is grave and medical doctors asked people in other States to reschedule their travel plans to God’s Own Country till the Covid-19 situation is brought under control.