THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Expecting a spike in positive cases in the coming days, the state government on Thursday announced three major strategic changes to its Covid-19 management plan.
For the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic, the government endorsed the idea of bringing in the private healthcare sector for treating the patients. It also made major amendments to its quarantine strategy and fixing of containment zones.
The move comes on a day when the state reported 83 new Covid cases, and 62 recoveries. Of the new cases, 64 are returnees -- 27 from abroad and 37 from other states -- while 14 contracted the disease through contact. Five health workers also tested positive. “At present, the transmission is under control and no Covid-19 patient has been admitted in the private sector. However, the state government is of the view that the situation might worsen any time. To deal with this, the private healthcare sector will have to get prepared,” Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Thursday. He said the government trusts the people and expects their support in fighting the pandemic.
He said as an initial step, a Covid-19 patient can demand to get shifted to the private sector. “For example, a patient who has an underlying condition and is under treatment at a private hospital can demand to be shifted to private healthcare system should he/she test positive. But before that, we will identify private hospitals that could be designated as Covid hospitals,” he said.
The CM said, based on the recommendation of the state expert committee on Covid-19, the government is bringing in certain changes to its quarantine norms. He said returnees from abroad and other states can now seek home quarantine upon a self-declaration. “Institutional quarantine will be limited to those lacking facilities to undergo home quarantine. The local bodies concerned will check whether or not the returnee’s home is fit for room quarantine and endorse such cases accordingly. Before that, family members will be provided awareness,” he said.
‘Containment zones will be declared daily’
The CM also announced new mandates for declaration of containment zones. Containment zones will be declared daily before midnight. In panchayats, the zones will be at the ward level, while in corporations, they will be at the sub-ward level. Containment zones can also be declared on the basis of local developments.
“Containment zones will be declared if a person in a ward test positive through local contact; two persons in home quarantine test positive; more than 10 primary contacts in a ward are brought under surveillance; more than 25 secondary contacts in a ward are brought under surveillance, and infection transmission scenario exists in a sub ward, harbour, local market, mall, street and others,” he said. A place will stay a containment zone for seven days. The decision on extension will be taken by the district collector. A local body will be termed ‘red colour-coded’ if it has more than 50 per cent containment zones in wards.
The status will get suspended immediately if the zones fall below 50 per cent. On the rise in positive cases due to local transmission, the CM said some people are yet to fully understand the grave situation the state is facing. He said such flaws in surveillance could only escalate the situation. “There is expert opinion the virus is not going to subside soon. Society will have to learn to live with it. For that, new behaviours will have to be adopted,” he said.
62 recoveries
As many as 25 of Thursday’s positive cases were reported in Thrissur, while the rest were from Palakkad (13), Kasaragod and Malappuram (10 each), Kollam (8), Kannur (7), Pathanamthitta (5), Kottayam and Ernakulam (2 each) and Kozhikode (1). The recoveries were from Thiruvananthapuram (16), Palakkad (13), Kannur (8), Thrissur (7), Ernakulam (6), Kasaragod (5), Kozhikode (3), Kollam and Malappuram (2 each).