Kerala CM rejects criticism against state’s Covid handling

Thiruvananthapuram: At a time when the Kerala government is drawing flak for its alleged failed Covid-19 management in view of high test positivity rate and increased daily cases, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has rejected the criticism terming it as “unwanted” and suspected it as attempts to undermine people's support in its fight against the pandemic.

In an article published in the latest edition of “Chintha” weekly, one of the mouthpiece publications of the ruling CPI(M), he said a section in the society was making deliberate attempts to create confusion among people by criticising the state's disease management strategies.

These moves were to trigger public sentiments against the government and thus create a situation in which the fight against the virus infection was viewed lightly by the people, he alleged.

The Chief Minister's statement assumes significance as the opposition Congress-led UDF and BJP were demanding him to end silence as the daily Covid cases had crossed the 30,000 mark after an interval this week.

In the article titled “Badal Nayangale Kooduthal Shakthippeduthum” (Alternate Policies to be Further Strengthened), he asked if Kerala's COVID management is wrong, then which model should the state adopt.

“In Kerala, not a single person had died due to the dearth of oxygen. No one has been denied access to health services or anyone faced a situation of not getting a hospital bed during emergencies” Vijayan said.

Defending his point that the present criticisms were unwanted, he said all the three sero prevalence surveys conducted in the country had confirmed that Kerala had the lowest incidence of the disease.

Without wasting a single drop of vaccine, Kerala had showcased a model in inoculation also, he said adding that the Covid mortality rate in the state is less than 0.5 per cent, which is only one-third of the country's total death toll.

“Those who criticise the government are not unaware that the second wave of the disease had started a bit late compared to many other places and that the number of people who are at the risk of contracting the disease is high in Kerala,” he said.