At a time when medical experts in India have warned about a third wave of the Covid pandemic, situations in several Indian states are becoming grim due to rising cases. The south Indian state of Kerala has been witnessing a drastic rise in Covid cases over the past few weeks, and the test positivity rate (TPR) is very high when compared to other states in India.
Kerala: The epicenter of Covid in India
The latest statistics suggest that nearly Kerala contributes to nearly 70 percent of the overall Covid cases in India. Recently, the government had lifted the Covid restrictions for Bakrid and Onam celebrations, and these shopping days played a crucial role in elevating the fresh caseload in the state.
On August 26, 27, and 28, Kerala witnessed more than 30,000 cases every day. On August 29, Kerala recorded over 29,000 cases, followed by 19,000 cases on August 30. However, the number of tests carried out was very less on the day Kerala witnessed 19,000 cases.
As the number of Covid cases in Kerala is going up beyond proportions, a top Central Government official had recently revealed that the only way to curb the spread of the pandemic in the state is by implementing another statewide lockdown.
States that are witnessing a rise in Covid cases
Apart from Kerala, states like Mizoram and Andhra are also witnessing a rise in fresh Covid cases. In Mizoram, weekly cases have risen by 44 percent as compared with the seven previous days. Mizoram reported 5,342 fresh coronavirus cases during the August 23-29 week, up from 3,718 in the preceding seven days.
The southern state of Andhra witnessed a 13.12 percent spike of fresh coronavirus cases in the last seven days, compared to the preceding week.
In the meantime, several medical experts believe that the detection of the C.1.2 variant of Covid in South Africa could again bring havoc in countries like India. In a recent study report, researchers have noted that this new variant of Covid is highly transmissible, and it could even evade the immunity offered by vaccines. However, until now, this new variant of Covid has not been detected in India.
