Pinarayi Vijayan to be back in action to perk up COVID control activities

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who has been convalescing after recently contracting COVID-19 is set to take over the reins of pandemic-control activities from Wednesday.

The chief minister will be arriving in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday to take charge of the situation in the wake of the unprecedented spike in COVID-19 cases across the state. Health experts say the second wave of the pandemic is on in Kerala and elsewhere in the country.

Since his discharge upon turning negative for the disease, the CM was stationed at his native place in Kannur.

The chief minister is stepping in at a time when there are reports that many of the decisions taken at the COVID core committee meetings are not being implemented on the ground.

Moreover, the district collectors and SPs are taking divergent decisions causing confusion about the infection control and prevention activities. From Wednesday the chief minister will chair the online review meetings.

Pinarayi is arriving in the Capital in the evening. As in the past, he is expected to address media persons after the review meeting to brief the people about the current situation and the measures being undertaken to control the infection.

With the Model Code of Conduct imposed as part of the legislative assembly elections still in force, the Cabinet has not met for a long time now.

Inaction, lethargy grip admin

In the absence of chief minister from the secretariat the entire administration at the state and district level is being run by the bureaucrats. Even the ministers incharge of districts are not active.

A section of ministers and representatives of coalition partners believe that the Cabinet should have met and taken steps in the wake of huge spike in cases. Even though the chief minister and certain ministers were down with the infection, the Cabinet meetings could have been convened online considering the alarming situation on the ground, they say.

Moreover the election code of conduct is not an issue for implementing pandemic control activities.

Even though as a routine measure the chief secretary holds consultation with the chief minister and State Disaster Management Authority before convening the COVID review meeting, Pinarayi feels that many decisions are not being implemented as instructed by him. There is dissatisfaction at the higher level over describing night restrictions as curfew.

Some of the SPs have directed the cops to register a minimum of 100 cases daily for violation of safety norms and restrictions.

In some districts the collectors had issued orders to the effect that only those who had received two doses of vaccine should venture out.

In some places shops were being forcibly shut at 7 pm and main decisions were not being conveyed to the public in time through the public relations department.

Mask mandatory even if alone in vehicle

Mask is mandatory even if there is just one occupant in private vehicles. In autorickshaws and cars only two passengers besides driver is allowed to travel. More people will be allowed in a car if they are from the same family.

Though there is no restriction on public transport during the curfew period, private vehicles will not be permitted for long- distance travel.