Covid situation in Kerala grave, govt trying to use pandemic for political objectives, says Union Minister V Muraleedharan

NEW DELHI: As the COVID-19 situation in Kerala continues to deteriorate, the Union Minister of State V Muraleedharan expressed his concerns and informed that the situation in the state is grave.

He slammed the state government in this regard by saying that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan led government is trying to use the pandemic for political objectives.

Muraleedharan said, "The situation in Kerala is grave. The state, instead of using scientific methods to contain the spread, is trying to use the pandemic for political objectives. I urge it to follow Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) guidelines. Kerala's home quarantine (plan) has miserably failed."

"The testing mechanism, as suggested by ICMR and (testing) numbers are far less in the state. The state should give more attention to restricting COVID," the minister added.

Muraleedharan slammed the views of the chief minister by alleging that he is not even uttering a word about the situation in Kerala. "Test Positivity Rate (TPR) is near 19 per cent in Kerala. Hospitals are over flooded," he said.

"Kerala government had also said that they vaccinated 54 per cent of the people in the state. Is it true? After the Onam festivity, the infection has increased," he said.

As many as 46,164 fresh COVID-19 cases and 607 fatalities were recorded in the country in the last 24 hours, informed the Union Health Ministry on Thursday.

Kerala continues to report a record number of cases and logged 31,445 fresh infections and 215 deaths. The number of active cases in the state stood at 1,70,292 and recorded a test positivity rate (TPR) of 19.03 per cent.

Earlier on August 16, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya visited Kerala and discussed the public health response to COVID-19 in the state with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Health Minister Veena George.