On Monday, the Covid vaccination drive organized by the Cochin corporation faced a setback after authorities suffered a shortage of needles. As the Covid vaccination program stopped abruptly due to the shortage of needles, opposition parties including the Indian National Congress (INC), and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) organized protests and blamed the government for their inefficiency.
Kerala continues to be the epicenter of the Covid pandemic in India
In the meantime, an alleged voice clip of the Cochin Mayor has now surfaced online, and in the audio, the mayor can be heard saying that there is a shortage of needles not only just in the corporation, but also in the entire state.
The Congress workers took to the streets in Cochin protesting against what they call was the total inefficiency of the state and local authorities and wanted an answer for the callous attitude of those concerned.
Even though the state has been organizing mass vaccination campaigns over the past few weeks, the Covid pandemic in the state is showing no signs of slowing down. On most of the days, the state is witnessing more than 20,000 fresh positive cases, and the test positivity rate (TPR) is above 14 percent on almost all days.
Rahul Gandhi's request to people in Kerala
The rise in Covid cases in Kerala is happening at a time when the second wave of the pandemic has waned in the country. As medical experts have already predicted the possibility of a third wave, Kerala continues to be the most affected state where the coronavirus pandemic could wreak havoc.
Recently, Rahul Gandhi who is the MP of the Wayanad constituency had urged the people of Kerala to follow all safety protocols to prevent a further surge of Covid infections.
"Rising cases of Coronavirus infections in Kerala are worrying. I appeal to our brothers and sisters in the state to follow all safety measures and guidelines. Please take care," said Gandhi.