Kerala Maintains Good Performance To Contain COVID-19 Spread: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala has maintained good performance to contain the spread of COVID-19 outbreak, said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday (July 13). In a daily briefing, the Chief Minister gave the details about four indicators where the state has performed well, that is, in mortality rate, disease spread, testing and recovery. “Kerala presently has a case fatality rate (deaths per 100 positive cases) of 0.39 per cent as compared to the national average of 2.67 per cent, whereas the world average stands at 4.38 per cent. The neighbouring states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have much higher case fatality rates. The number of deaths per million in Kerala is 0.9 as against the national figure of 17,” the Chief Minister said.

Also Read: Kerala: Team Formed To Tackle ‘Super Spread’ Of COVID-19 Cases In Poonthura

According to CM Vijayan, these figures are a testimony to the fact that Kerala was able to prevent COVID-19 deaths in a very good way.

These figures are not meant to prove anything. Rather, it is to expose the false propaganda that others are deliberately making it about the way Kerala is fighting against coronavirus. When it comes to testing, the government’s policy is to increase the number of tests, he said.

He added, “Kerala has a test positivity rate (positive cases per 100 tests) of 2.27, which is comparable to the world figures. The average test positivity rate in India is 7.46 and it is much higher in neighbouring states.”

Similarly, the test per million versus case per million is an indicator of how many tests are being done in proportion to a positive case. It is advisable to keep it above 50. In Kerala, the test per million vs case per million is now 44. In case of a high number of positive cases, the number of tests will be increased to 50 immediately, the Chief Minister said.

Our figures are way better than the other states. We are ahead in conducting COVID-19 tests. Our state is at the forefront of preventing outbreaks, controlling mortality and conducting adequate tests. That is why we have been able to get worldwide recognition for the COVID-19 preventive measures. The government and health workers are working together to maintain it, CM Vijayan further said.

Also Read: Number Of People Infected With COVID-19 Through Contact Increasing In Kerala: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan

NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene.