Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala has been periodically reviewing its strategy to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. After the latest review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday, it was decided to conduct only RT-PCR tests to ascertain coronavirus infections in six districts which has attained a high vaccination coverage of the general population.
The districts are Ernakulam, Wayanad and Pathanamthitta where more than 80 per cent of people have been vaccinated and Thiruvananthapuram, Idukki and Kasaragod where vaccination is nearing the 80 per cent mark.
The decision is applicable to only government-run test centres. There is no bar on private labs to conduct antigen tests in these districts. However, antingen tests will be continued for those who are in the contact list of COVID-19 patients or those who have pandemic traits. Antigen tests for those who got admitted in hospitals would also be continued.
Meanwhile, there will be more more sentinel surveillance, mainly meant for workers and traders, through antigen tests in these districts.
Health experts sceptical
The review meeting also decided to conduct more number of RT-PCR tests for detection of the pandemic across the state. But the health experts are sceptical about the practicality of this move.
The chief minister had said in last January that about 75,000 RT-PCR test would be conducted daily. Buit even on Tuesday, out of 160,102 samples, only 54,728 RTPCR tests were done.
In Tamil Nadu, only RT-PCR tests are being conducted in the government sector.
From the beginning of the pandemic outbreak early last year, Kerala has been mostly conducting antigen tests.
No cause of worry
The number of COVID-19 cases in Kerala, which witnessed a spike after Onam is expected to stabilise by September 10 and then would come down, according to the projection report prepared by the State Government.
The number of COVID-19 patients had increased by 24 percent after Onam.
R-factor, which tells how many new cases have been reported from a single contracted person, has gone up from 0.96 to 1.5 after Onam, which was in late August. If it does not increase this week, then it is estimated there will be no cause of worry. Earlier, the R-factor was estimated to touch 2.
Another projection was that from this weekend the number of new COVID-19 cases might cross 40,000.
But it is expected that with 73 percent of the population getting the first round of vaccines and 23 percent getting two rounds of vaccines, hospitals are unlikely to face the rush of patients showing grave symptoms.
More number of cases are being reported from northern districts. But the R-factor is high in the southern Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts. In the coming days, there are chances of an increase in the number of patients in these districts.
Malappuram district has the highest number of patients. But the R-factor there is only 1.5. The number of cases is expected to come down soon.
Stepping up vaccine drive
In the meeting, it was also decided to distribute vaccines in the districts and the areas under the local self government institutions by taking into consideration the places where the vaccination rate was relatively low.
Since the vaccine has been seen to be effective in people over the age of 60, the CM asked the local bodies to ensure everyone in that age group is vaccinated as soon as possible.
Presently all the panchayats with a weekly infection population rate (WIPR) of more than 7 per cent are in full lockdown and once COVID test information is collected from all the wards, ward-level lockdown would be implemented, the CM said.
The CM also directed to ensure that the proposal to remove teachers from the post of Sectoral Magistrate was being implemented and those who volunteer should be included for that job.
He also directed that the eight lakh doses of vaccine the state has, be administered soon and to ensure that there is no shortage of syringes.
The CM also wanted officials to find out how many people were infected with COVID-19 after being vaccinated.
