Complete lockdown in Kerala amid COVID-19 surge? Health Minister Veena George says This
The COVID-19 cases across India are currently on the rise, and many fear that the third wave of the pandemic will take over the entire country soon. As COVID-19 norms have been tightened in Maharashtra and Delhi, many fear a lockdown in Kerala amid the surge in cases.
Providing clarification, Kerala Health Minister Veena George has dismissed the need for a lockdown in the state. She said that a complete lockdown will affect normal life for the residents, and urged everyone to take proper precautions while stepping out.
As quoted by news agency PTI, George said, “The economic activities in our state and that of our people cannot be hampered now. We should work together to avoid a complete shutdown in the state. As of now, we are not planning any lockdown.”
She further added that several precautions in the state have already been taken to control the number of COVID-19 cases in Kerala, while the quarantine norms for international passengers travelling to the state have been set by the central government.
As per the official data, Kerala recorded 5,944 fresh COVID-19 cases on Saturday, along with 242 new deaths. This took the total tally of affected people in the state to 52,70,179 and the death toll to 49,547. Thiruvananthapuram recorded the highest number of cases on Saturday with 1,219 new patients.
The health department further confirmed that there are 31,098 active COVID-19 cases in the state out of which only seven percent of people are hospitalized. Kerala was one of the worst-hit states during the second wave of the pandemic, with a high number of daily COVID-19 cases.
Meanwhile, states such as Maharashtra and Delhi have already imposed lockdown-like curbs in their jurisdiction amid the rising number of COVID-19 cases. Night curfews have been imposed by both the state governments, while a weekend lockdown has been imposed in Delhi.
Experts have said that the third wave of the pandemic has already hit the country, which is being led by the Omicron variant. Most of the people infected with the Omicron variant have reported little to no symptoms, despite its high transmissible rate.