Kerala, the southernmost state in India started Onam celebrations yesterday, and the festival will end on Monday. Amid ongoing celebrations, Kerala witnessed a grim milestone today, as the state recorded a test positivity rate (TPR) of 17.73 percent on Saturday.
17,106 positive cases in Kerala
In Kerala, 17,106 people were tested positive on Saturday. However, the major concern faced by health authorities is the rising TPR. After the statewide lockdown, the test positivity rate has gone down to 11 percent in Kerala, but when the government lifted the restrictions for Onam and Bakrid celebrations, TPR in the state slowly went up, and now, it has reached 17.73 percent. On Saturday, the pandemic claimed the lives of 83 people.
Medical experts in the state believe that the TPR in the state may again witness a rise, as people were busy out in the streets over the past few days for Onam shopping.
The failing Kerala model
During the first wave of coronavirus, Kerala was one among the Indian states that successfully flattened the coronavirus chaos curve. However, during the second wave of the pandemic, triggered by the Delta variant, Kerala faced the wrath of the coronavirus pandemic, and now, the southern state which has a population of 3.5 crores is the hotbed of the pandemic in India.
Recently, several medical experts have predicted a potential third wave of the pandemic in India. If a third wave happens at this point in time where the second wave of Covid is still at its peak in Kerala, the state's healthcare infrastructure. In the meantime, the only ray of hope in Kerala is the steady progress in vaccination rollout. According to the latest updates, the state has vaccinated over 50 percent of its population with the first dose of the Covid jab.
