Satheesan said that the state government is not clear about the action taken even though 89 percent of the cases in the country are in Kerala.
Congress leader VD Satheesan. (VD Satheesan/ Facebook)
Opposition leader VD Satheesan on Monday, 18 December, accused the Kerala government of not taking any steps to contain the spread of Covid-19 in the state.
Speaking to reporters in Malappuram, Satheesan said that even though 89 percent of the Covid-19 cases in the country are in the state, the Kerala government has not provided clear information about the action taken.
“The spread of Covid-19 is intensifying in the state. However, the government has not yet issued any clear statements in this regard,” the Congress leader alleged.
He further stated that at the national level, the Ministry of Health reported that out of more than 1,800 cases in the country, over 1,600 cases were in Kerala.
“There were four deaths….111 new cases were reported yesterday (Sunday) alone,” he said, quoting national-level reports.
Satheesan alleged that the state government is inactive, possibly waiting for the conclusion of the state government’s outreach programme, Nava Kerala Sadas.
“The government should take immediate action before people start panicking about the spread of the virus,” he said.
On Sunday, Kerala Health Minister Veena George said that the Covid-19 sub-variant JN.1, found in the state, is not a cause for concern.
Her statement came a day after the Indian Council of Medical Research said that the case was detected during routine surveillance by the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG).
Addressing the media, George explained that this variant was identified months ago in Indian passengers screened at the Singapore Airport.
She assured the public that there is no need to worry as it’s a sub-variant recently identified through genome sequencing in Kerala.
Despite the reassurance, the minister has advised caution, especially for those with underlying health conditions.
The Panoor municipality in the Kannur district of Kerala has implemented restrictions on public gatherings and mandated the use of masks following the demise of an 80-year-old man due to Covid-19 infection.
The local authorities have issued advisories, urging the public to exercise caution to prevent the spread of the disease.
The deceased, identified as Abdulla of Palakkandy in the municipality, succumbed to the infection on 15 December.
He was undergoing treatment for cough and breathing difficulties at a private hospital in Kozhikode, where he passed away.
This marked the second Covid-19-related death in the northern districts of Kerala within the past 48 hours: KP Kumaran (77) of Vattoli in the Kozhikode district also succumbed to the infection on Friday.
After Abdulla’s death, local MLA KP Mohanan convened a meeting with health officers and municipal authority officials to discuss precautionary measures for containing the virus.
The municipality is maintaining heightened vigilance to prevent the spread, implementing decisions from the meeting chaired by the MLA.
Commencing Saturday, face masks were made compulsory, and the police have been instructed to discourage unnecessary gatherings.
Health workers launched a special drive to identify individuals with fever, and those showing Covid symptoms will be placed under observation.
Additionally, efforts are underway to trace individuals in close contact with the deceased, subjecting them to home quarantine.
Meanwhile, on 8 December, Kerala reported a case of the Covid-19 subvariant JN.1.
A 79-year-old woman tested positive in an RT-PCR test conducted on 18 November after displaying mild symptoms of influenza-like illnesses (ILI). She subsequently recovered from Covid-19.
(With PTI inputs)
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