On Sept 11, Covid-19 cases breached 1 lakh-mark. Though dreaded, the grim milestone seemed inevitable for the state considering the sudden spike in cases owing to local spread. On a positive note, recoveries crossed the 75,000-mark. TNIE examines
This is one milestone which the state would rather not have had — more than one lakh Covid positive cases. Just as disturbing as the tally is the chronicle of this contagion’s viral spread. While it took 203 days for the state to record 50,000 cases, the next 50,000 took just 23 days. The state currently has 1,05,139 cases. The government has already got reports from various agencies that the rate of infection is just starting to peak and a daily caseload of 5,000 to 6,000 cases can be expected within the next two weeks.
There is also a sort of doomsday prophesy about the total case tally galloping to around 2-3 lakh before it starts to come down. Despite the caseload and deaths, which crossed the 400- mark, the state has fared better in managing Covid than many other states. However, with a bumpy road ahead, the resoluteness and preparedness of the state will surely get tested. On January 12, the World Health Organisation had issued a notification about the novel coronavirus.
Barely six days on, the state shared the same with its 14 districts. On January 20, itreleased its first guideline on combating the virus and from January 23, it started screening flyers at its airports — which was first limited to those arriving from China. Then on January 30, the first Covid positive case was reported from Thrissur. “In hindsight, it was meticulous homework that enabled us to tackle the virus effectively. At no point did we lose control of the reins,” said a health department official.
Though the government played a lead role in effectively dealing with the pandemic, the public too should get its rightful share of applause. To quote Health Minister K K Shailaja, the coming days and weeks will prove a testing time for the state as there is a high possibility of rise in number of infections and deaths with further unlocking steps. To sum up, the state’s watchword should be vigil.
Has the system made any blunder?
Though the state’s performance in tackling Covid has been remarkable beyond description, it also witnessed its share of incidents when the safeguards were lowered. While the latest include the two sexual assault cases from Pathanamthitta and Thiruvananthapuram, the lack of inter-departmental coordination in various aspects, including quarantine and arranging ambulances, vesting police with the powers to trace contacts and decide on quarantine norms and the subsequent displeasure among health workers and salary cut among other things had also come to the fore.
As Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in August, “The recent spike in cases is the result of negligence. There might be a number of reasons for the same. But I am not getting into the details as it might create distress among those responsible for it. Such persons should remember with guilt that their negligence is the root cause for the spike in cases.”
KASARAGOD
Crisis looms large in the northernmost district with 54 Covid deaths in the past 66 days and 1,000 new cases being added every six days. Worse, the virus is spreading to new places, overwhelming the healthcare system. Old patients are being discharged based on antigen tests and new ones are encouraged to stay at home
Major clusters: 6
Kottikulam Beach, Kasaragod Beach , Kasaragod Market , Kizhur-Chemnad , Kumbla Ward 1 , Cherkala Marriage cluster
ERNAKULAM
Though Ernakulam was among the first districts to report Covid cases, it was largely unscathed in the initial days of the outbreak. The emergence of clusters like Aluva, Chellanam and Fort Kochi threatened to derail the administration’s plans, but were managed quite well. While the district is currently seeing a spike in cases, the situation isn’t critical yet given its better healthcare system.
Major clusters: 7
Chellanam,Fort Kochi,Aluva,Kothamangalam,Mattanchery,Thrikkakara,Palluruthy
KANNUR
Effective campaigning and preventive measures helped bring Kannur down from being one of the most infected districts. The Kannur collector even received a letter of congratulations from Chief Secretary Vishwas Mehta a month ago for his efforts in controlling and containing the spread. However, since Onam, over 200 cases are being reported everyday.
Major clusters: 3 Kannur Government Medical College,Taliparamba cluster ,Gopal pet in Thalassery
WAYANAD
Major clusters: 3
Valad,Mundakutti ,Mundakai
Despite bordering Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, two of India’s worst-hit states, Wayanad has reported the lowest number of infections in Kerala. Strict screening at Muthanga checkpost, which witnessed the arrival of thousands of people daily, helped in controlling the spread. The virus spread from Kozhikode MCH created Wayanad’s biggest cluster so far: Valad with 347 positive cases.
KOTTAYAM
Kottayam could prevent Covid spread in the initial phases and even when expatriates started arriving. However, the chinks in the armour were detected with the formation of Covid cluster in Parathodu panchayat. With more clusters emerging in markets, the situation got out of control. The virus
has spread to newer places and industrial units have become the centre of the spread.
Major clusters: 4
Changanassery ,Paipad,Ettumanoor,Athirampuzha
ALAPPUZHA
Kerala’s smallest district is currentlyfifth in the state in terms of total Covid cases. A majority of
Covid clusters developed in coastal areas. Perhaps, the only respite is that at 0.24%, the district’s
death rate is below the state average of 0.4%.
Major clusters: 8
Alappuzha municipality ,Thumboly ,Kayamkulam municipality,Pattanakkad, Pallipuram,Cherthala South,Punnapra ,Ambalapuzha
MALAPPURAM
The district health wing, which expected a high number of Covid cases due to the population density and size and worked accordingly, is happy with its management of the pandemic so far. It feels that
surveillance and testing strategy allowed it to identify Covid clusters as early as possible. The low fatality rate is also a moralebooster.
Major clusters: 6: Edappal-Ponnani ,Kondotty fish market ,Kozhikode air crash rescuers
cluster,Kottakkal AVS,Vallikkunnu ,Chappapadi
IDUKKI
Early detection of Covid-19 through sentinel surveillance and increasing antigen testing, besides strictenforcement of quarantine rules and Covid protocol in public places helped Idukki report fewer cases than several other districts. The police and forest officers also aided in containing local transmission by preventing illegal entry of people from Tamil Nadu.
KOZHIKODE
Major clusters: 3
Corporation,Chorode,Vadakara municipality
The increase in the number of expatriates is a major challenge for the district, which continues to report a high number of cases daily. While things were in control initially, the arrival of expats as part of Vande Bharat Mission led to a jump in cases
PALAKKAD
Despite being Kerala’s largest district, Palakkad’s fatality rate has been extremely low. Its fish markets, which saw the arrival of lorries from other states and turned into clusters later, posed the biggest challenge to the district. Some areas inhabited by migrant workers also turned into clusters adding to its troubles.
Major clusters: 3
Pattambi,Mannarkad,Pudunagaram
THRISSUR
Coordinated efforts by all depts helped contain the virus spread initially in Thrissur, the district that reported India’s first Covid case. Though the formation of clusters threatened to derail its Covid fight, steps like proper regulation of markets helped avoid formation of large clusters, thereby containing
the spread to a large extent
Major clusters: 3
Daya hospital,Police Academy ,Elite Mission Hospital
PATHANAMTHITTA
Major clusters: 3
Adoor-Parakode,Pandalam-Kadakkad ,Thirumoolapuram-Kollamkunnu
Though the administration managed to contain the threat of virus spread that loomed large on the district, especially after the arrival of the now-famous ‘Italy returnees’, the district has been witnessing a spike in cases since for the last two weeks. More worrying is the spurt in cases of local transmission,
especially in cases where the sources of the infection are unknown.
KOLLAM
Major clusters: 8
Chavara,Anchal,Yeroor ,Kulathupuzha,Chadayamangalam ,Thrikkadavoor ,Perinad ,Alappad
Kollam is following the ‘closed support group’ strategy, wherein members of only 12 households in a cluster are allowed to interact with each other to prevent virus spread. It is also giving preference to home treatment of asymptomatic patients to keep beds free for vulnerable groups.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
The capital district went from reporting very few cases at first to seeing the highest single-day spike, especially after Covid invaded its coastal areas. The first confirmed instance of community spread in the state was reported from Poonthura here. High population density in coastal areas and unrestricted entry
through the border remain the biggest challenge for the district
Major clusters: 11
Poonthura,Pulluvila,Puthukurichi ,Beemappally , Vizhinjam,Adimalathura,Pozhiyoor,Perumathura
,Poovar,Kulathur ,Karode
Contributions: Dileep V Kumar, George Poikayil, M A Rajeev Kumar, Amiya Meethal, Vishnuprasad K P, Ajith Kannan, A Satish, Gopika Warrier, Anuja Susan Varghese, Abhilash Chandran, Biju E Paul, Nejma Sulaiman, P T Mohanan Pillai, Sindu Choodan and Gopika I S
Design: Shery James and Devan K