New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry has warned that the third phase of the COVID pandemic is upon Kerala, Delhi and West Bengal.
While COVID numbers are on the decline elsewhere in the country, these three regions have reported such a trend, Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said on Tuesday.
Currently, 78% of India's active cases is reported from 10 states, including Kerala. Maharashtra (21.52 per cent), Kerala (15 per cent), Karnataka (12.05 per cent) top this list.
The Ministry further pointed out that the COVID situation has worsened in Maharashtra, West Bengal, Karnataka, Kerala and Delhi amid the marking of a few festivals.
(Onam was marked in Kerala in late August. Inevitable celebratory gatherings are features of Ganesh Chathurthi and Janmasthami that were celebrated earlier that month. Muharram too was observed in late August. Meanwhile, Dussehra which marks the culmination of nine-day Navratri festivities was celebrated on October 25.)
The ministry also said that an assessment of the pandemic is scheduled for these states in order to plan a follow-up strategy to curb the virus spread.
"We have scheduled a discussion with these states which are faring the worst in managing the COVID situation,” a Health official said.
On Monday, Kerala reported the highest number of cases in the country (4,287 – a number that is relatively less when compared to what the state had been reporting in recent weeks).
Over 4 lakh cases in Kerala
With Kerala reporting 5,457 new COVID cases after 46,193 tests on Tuesday, the total number of COVID cases in Kerala rose to 4,01,193.
Of them, 92,11 are active cases while 3,09,032 were cured of the virus. The state also reported 7,015 recoveries.
So far, 1,376 have succumbed to COVID in Kerala.
