While condoling the first COVID-19 death in Kerala, that of a 69-year-old man in Kochi, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the last efforts to save his life had failed because he had several illnesses. “We are trying to avoid these incidents,” the CM said in his press meet to give the updates on coronavirus.
Six new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed on Saturday, he said. Two of these are in Thiruvananthapuram, and one each in Kollam, Palakkad, Malappuram and Kasargod. There have also been four recoveries - two in Kottayam and one each in Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam. The person who tested negative in Ernakulam is a foreign native, the CM said.
This takes the total number of COVID-19 cases in the state to 182, including 16 recovered and one death.
There are now 1,34,370 people under observation in the state with 1,33,780 of them in home and the others admitted in hospitals. Of the 620 people in hospitals, 148 were admitted on Saturday. Till date, 6,667 samples have been sent for testing, out of which 5,276 have come back negative.
Checking community spread
With the number of confirmed cases on the rise, the Chief Minister said that there is a need to check community spread, a fear that’s been raised by people earlier as well.
Rapid antibody tests would be done to know the effects quickly, said the CM.
“Work has begun to produce more respirators, ventilators, protective equipment for health workers, N95 masks, oxygen cylinders, biomedical equipment. The Super Fab Lab, opened in Kochi this January, would work with the VSSC for this campaign. It shall be a cluster of industrial players,” he said.
He also spoke about the break corona project, that’s been started to present new ideas for corona protection. A website -- breakcorona.in -- has been opened with the help of the Kerala Startup Mission. “They would give support for those in quarantine, forumulate methods to make masks and gloves, create job opportunities and incomes for people during lockdown and importantly, check the community spread. An expert panel would work on all of this,” the CM said.
Society should take responsibility
The society can do a lot in preventing the disease spread by taking precautions and also by being sensitive to others, Pinarayi Vijayan said.
The CM pulled up residents' associations that attempted to block newspaper distribution. Newspapers are part of the essential services which have been identified by the government as those that can function during the lockdown.
Some people were also found gathering around in the newly-opened community kitchens across the state, he said, noting that only those people responsible for running the kitchens should be there. The CM then updated the number of kitchens opened so far -- 1059 in the state, 125 in city centres and 934 in panchayats. On Friday, 52,480 people were given food at the community kitchens, out of which 41,826 were served for free.
The Chief Minister also acknowledged the issues - anxiety issues especially -- that people may have because of sitting at home for long hours at a stretch, something they are unused to. He advised to use this time creatively or to open up to friends and others. “For some people, the stress may become too much. The government is planning to start an online system for counselling,” he said.
CM also said that the names and identity of coronavirus affected patients will not be published by the Kerala government.
Another problem is a social one - of toilet tanks clogging and causing drinking water problems. Local Self Government bodies should take special care to see that septic tank waste disposal is done scientifically, Pinarayi said.
Excise Dept to give alcohol as per doctor’s instructions
He then talked about the reported incidents of suicide tendencies among those suffering from alcohol withdrawal syndrome in light of the bars and liquor outlets of the state being closed. The Chief Minister said that for these people, the Excise Department would provide alcohol as instructed by the doctor as needed for the patient’s survival.
Food distribution
The government is planning to distribute kits with groceries and cereals to all the families, but some may not need it. They must inform the government, the CM said. There will be a centralised system for this soon. Then it can be given to more deserving people later on, he said.
The Chief Minister ensured that people will get dairy products, meat products and eggs through online delivery apps. Online home delivery systems will be strengthened, CM said. Stressing not to worry about scarcity of essential goods, the CM promised that groceries and cereals for three months will be stocked. The food items from other states will be brought to Kerala by road transport, ships and trains.
To ensure smooth movement of goods vehicles in Tamil Nadu and Kerala border there will be a meeting with TN Minister for Municipal Administration SP Velumani, TN Speaker P Dhanapal and Kerala Water Resources Minister K Krishnankkutty in Palakkad. Urging residents not to worry about food stock, the CM said that food materials will also be sourced out locally.
The plantations in Idukki need a special kind of rice and the Civil Supplies Department should take care of that, Pinarayi said. It shall also be ensured that vegetables transported would be germ-free.
Karnataka border issues
With Karnataka closing all its border roads to Kerala, Pinarayi said that Kerala is trying its best to solve the issue. “Kerala Chief Secretary has contacted Karnataka Chief Secretary many times. He has agreed to clear roads, but that did not happen. I have been trying to contact Yediyurappa,maybe because of his busy schedule I couldn’t reach him,” CM said.
However, the CM spoke to the Union Minister Sadananda Gowda and he promised to solve the issue.
Kasargod district depends majorly on Mangaluru for medical treatment; the border closure has badly affected them. Kerala has proposed a plan to help kidney patients who depend on Mangaluru hospitals for dialysis. “In special ambulances those requiring dialysis can go to Mangaluru. We discussed this with Sadananda Gowda and he agreed that it would be a good initiative and promised to discuss it with the Karnataka government.”
Kerala Chief Minister has also sent letters to CMs of Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, ensuring safety of the guest labourers from these states.
Contributions to CMDRF
The Chief Minister thanked quite a few people who have been generous enough to contribute to the Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund at a time the state’s economy is facing a big blow.
The response to the request to donate to the CMDRF has been good, he said. LULU group chairman MA Yusaffali has promised to give Rs 10 crore while RP group chairman Ravi Pillai has offered Rs 5 crore. Ravi Pillai has also offered to provide the hospital that he owns in Kollam for the purpose of treating COVID-19.
Others who contributed majorly to the CMDRF include Malabar Gold owner Ahamed, offering Rs 2 crore, and Kalyan Jewellers owner Kalyana Raman, offering Rs 2 crore.
“Many individuals and organisations have come forward to contribute. It shows the love and commitment to the land and people,” the CM said.
Those who’d like to contribute may use the website donation.cmdrf.kerala.gov.in.
The CM also mentioned various religious leaders who have voiced their support for fighting the disease together.
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