THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala heaved a big sigh of relief on Monday as there was no fresh case and as many as 61 people recovered from the infection, the state’s highest single-day recovery since the outbreak of Covid-19. There are just 34 active cases in the state. But the state government is in no mood to relax as it expects a second wave if statements of two ministers are any indication. Speaking to TNIE, Finance Minister Thomas Isaac indicated a possible second wave. Isaac said it was too early to assess the financial damage to the state due to pandemic as there is the threat of a second wave.
“The crucial question is how long the coronavirus would persist. We will have a clear picture only by May-end,” he said. Later, Law Minister AK Balan endorsed this view when he said a new set of restrictions have been imposed even in green zones keeping in mind a possible second wave. “If we retain the current trend, the state won’t have much trouble.
But if a second wave comes and cases rise, it’ll be dangerous,” he said. Even when the state government says it is prepared to receive a huge inflow of expatriates and those stranded elsewhere in the country, the fear of a fresh wave is understandable. “The number of active cases has come down and it’s a relief. But, from a public health perspective, it could be a case of calm before the storm. People are coming from various parts of the world and from within the country. They might bring different strains of virus. There is also the risk of silent spreaders,” an official said.
Influx of people a worry for health dept
According to the health official, the virus has shown an erratic behaviour already as it has remained ‘unpredictable’ in many of the cases. The influx of people will only make the si tua t i on mo r e unpredictable. However, the health department should be relieved now that things are under control. As of Monday, the number of positive cases under treatment across six districts came down to a mere 34 as no new new cases were reported for the second straight day.
There were no new hotspot areas as well. “It is a matter of relief that the active cases have come down drastically. At the same time, Keralites who are abroad and in other states are facing hardships with some people dying of the infection. As per reports, more than 80 Malayalis have lost their lives to Covid- 19 abroad,” said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. As of now, there are six districts which do not have a single case — Thiruvananthapuram, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Thrissur.