Kerala exploring options to reopen schools

Kerala is also exploring the option of reopening schools as experts who attended a meeting convened by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday suggested that the state could consider relaxing the restrictions imposed due to Covid.

Kerala general education minister V Sivankutty said that a high-level team would be asked to give suggestions on reopening schools. Based on the suggestions of the committee, a final decision would be taken at the level of Chief Minister.

Meanwhile, the Covid situation of Kerala continued to be worrisome with 32,097 persons being tested Covid positive on Thursday, while the state has a TPR of 18.41 per cent. The number of active Covid patients in the state crossed 2.4 lakh. The number of persons in hospitals is 33,282, while the remaining infected are in home and institutional quarantine.

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Health department sources said that only around 50 per cent of the hospital beds in the state were occupied so far and hence, "there was not much to worry". Though oxygen shortage were reportedly faced by some hospitals, those were managed.

Experts from various countries who attended the online meeting convened by the Chief Minister had reportedly expressed satisfaction over Kerala's Covid management, especially since the death rate and spread of infection in the state was "quite under control". It was also evaluated that the severity of the Covid infection in Kerala was coming down and hence, majority of those being tested positive did not require any medical care. Experts suggested that the state could consider easing the restrictions and intensifying the Covid vaccination drive.

The Chief Minister will be holding a meeting of local body representatives and subsequently take decisions on whether to ease Covid restrictions or not.