Even though the second wave of Covid has waned in India, the pandemic is showing no signs of slowing down in Kerala. In the last 24 hours, India reported 31,923 new infections and 282 deaths. Out of this, 19,675 infections are reported in Kerala, which means the southern state is contributing more than 60 percent of the fresh cases reported nationwide. In the meantime, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has revealed that schools and colleges will be opened in the state, as the pandemic is showing signs of plummeting.
Reasons behind high mortality among senior citizens
In the initial wave of the Covid pandemic, Kerala had successfully controlled the mortality rates, and the measures taken by the health ministry of the state received nationwide acclaim. But now, things have changed, and Kerala has been reporting more than 100 daily deaths steadily over the past few weeks.
And now, Pinarayi Vijayan has revealed that the high mortality, especially among senior citizens is due to the delay in hospitalization. The chief minister revealed that 30 percent of senior citizens infected with Covid had died because they did not reach hospitals on time. He also urged all senior citizens to receive vaccines and get admitted to a hospital if infected.
Kerala government's decision to open schools
Meanwhile, the decision of the Kerala government to open schools and colleges is receiving negative responses from all corners. Most of the general public believes that reopening schools and colleges could be a suicidal move, as the daily test positivity rate (TPR) in Kerala is above 15 percent, on all days.
However, Vijayan claimed that the growth rate of new cases has been reduced by 13 percent when compared to the previous week, and he made it clear that schools and colleges will be reopened with all Covid safety measures.
