Kerala was the first state in the country to report a coronavirus case in late January – a medical student who had arrived in Kerala from Wuhan, China.
The officials wasted no time and got to work. For some, this wasn’t their first time fighting a deadly epidemic. In 2018, the state had dealt with an outbreak of Nipah, a brain-damaging virus. And, as with covid-19, there was no vaccine and no cure. World Health Organization (WHO) called Kerala’s handling of the outbreak a “success story”.
Kerala’s handling of the COVID-19 pamdemic is turning out to be another success story.
As on 15th April 2020, Kerala has reported 387 confirmed cases, 211 cured/discharged/migrated and only 2 deaths.
This is a huge contrast compared to its neighbouring states – Tamil Nadu (1204 cases, 12 deaths) and Maharashtra (2687 cases, 178 deaths)
Kerala Government has prepared an impressive online dashboard – dashboard.kerala.gov.in – aptly titled “Kerala: Covid-19 Battle” – displaying every aspect of the COVID-19 Status of the state.
The infection curve is flattening, with few new infections being reported. The recovery rate is more than the infection rate.
This was achieved through relatively high number of testing, surveillance, quick identification of suspected and infected cases, efficient tracing of contact and travel history, quarantine measures, follow-up, and mental health awareness.
“We are fighting all these with public participation and involvement. Highest transparency is what we are ensuring in all our interventions,” said Rajan Khobragade, Kerala’s principal secretary, health.
Future Ready?
The Govt. expects mass influx of Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs) — particularly, Gulf Malayalees— in the period post-lockdown and is planning to quarantine lakhs of foreign returnees. The state has identified close to 2.5 lakh rooms in various districts, which will be converted to COVID-19 quarantine centres.
“For those who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic, we have requested the Centre to draft policies to protect and rehabilitate them upon their return to India.” stated Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Report from CNN News18: