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Kerala on high alert for third wave as Covid-19 cases escalate, says CM Vijayan

Vijayan said that it was decided to tighten the enforcement of Covid protocols and lockdown restrictions in the meeting on Friday
Last Updated 23 July 2021, 15:20 IST

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that although the present marginal increase in Covid-19 TPR in Kerala did not indicate the onset of a third wave so far, the state was considering the situation with utmost seriousness as the centre has alerted that the country is on the verge of a third wave.

The Covid-19 figures of Kerala escalated further on Friday with the total positivity rate (TPR) increasing to 13.63 per cent from 12.38 per cent on Thursday. The number of fresh Covid cases on Friday also increased and reached 17,518.

Vijayan said that it was decided to tighten the enforcement of Covid protocols and lockdown restrictions in the meeting on Friday. Further restrictions on attendance at offices in areas with higher TPR are also being enforced. The state would be also conducting studies to identify if any fresh variants of the virus were present in the state. He also said that since Kerala could manage the number of Covid patients well within the limits of the state's health infrastructure, the state need not be too worried about a third phase.

Meanwhile, Vijayan said reports that Kerala was not making proper utilisation of Covid vaccines were baseless and aimed at defaming Kerala's achievements. While at the national level 25.5 per cent the country's population have received the first dose and 6.8 per cent have gotten the second, in Kerala it was 35.5 per cent and 14 per cent respectively.

All health workers in the state have received the first dose while 82 percent have received the second. On average, up to 2.5 lakh people are vaccinated daily in Kerala. If the Centre's vaccine supply remains uninterrupted at least 60 per cent people could be vaccinated in next two to three months, he said.

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(Published 23 July 2021, 15:20 IST)

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