Next wave of Covid likely soon in Kerala, warns chief secretary

Kochi: Kerala could be staring at another bout of COVID-19 even as the state is still reporting large number of positive cases daily even as elsewhere in the country the overall health scene is comparatively brighter.

Kerala Chief Secretary Vishwas Mehta has said that the government is working in anticipation of another COVID-19 wave after the local body polls in the state scheduled for next month.

"We have been fighting the Coronavirus since last January. Kerala has the best COVID recovery rate at 98 per cent," he pointed out. Also, the fatality rate was very low, he added.

"The COVID-19 spread has reduced now. We need to live with this virus. Each of us need to ensure our own safety. Till a clear remedy is available, we have no other choice," he added.

In all 5,537 new COVID cases and 6,119 recoveries were reported from across the state on Thursday, November 12.

Speaking after the virtual inauguration of the first convention of the Kerala Management Association (KMA), the Chief Secretary recalled the early days of Covid in the state and in the country.

"When India's first COVID-19 case was reported in Kerala in January, even the central government was not clear about the course of action to be adopted," the Chief Secretary said.

"A student, who had returned from Wuhan in China, had first tested positive for COVID-19 in the state. With our experience of combating Nipah, we formulated a protocol to fight COVID," he explained.

'Kerala inspires'

In his speech Mehta expressed his admiration for Kerala despite its flaws. “I was born and brought up in Rajasthan. But for the last 35 years, I have been living in Kerala and I have learned a lot from the state," the Chief Secretary said.

"It is only here that I have seen agitations, hartal and rallies being held even for minor issues. I learned that hostility was not the right approach to face these. But even though there are protests, this state does not have a 'gangster politics' as in Bihar or UP.

"I have never seen such a beautiful land. I am really happy that I have been able to live in Kerala," he added.

Aside, recounting a conversation with a colleague, Mehta said, “An employee had asked me: ‘Sir, you cleared one exam. I did not. Isn’t that the only difference between us?’ Probably the person was reluctant to admit that the Civil Services was not something you could achieve by clearing one exam.”

Honour for LIC Chairman

At the function Mehta awarded the KMA Leadership Award to LIC chairman M R Kumar.

"Around 1.27 lakh people died of COVID-19 in the country. Unfortunately, only 1 per cent of the victims had taken insurance policy," he bemoaned.

Kumar has said that the target for this financial year is two crore new insurance policies. "Insurance is not an investment, but security. This security is essential for everyone. Also, most people do not take policy for the required amount. Those who require Rs 1 crore take only a policy of Rs 8 lakh," he pointed out.

KMA president R Madhav Chandran, secretary Joemon K George, Prasad K Panickar, S Rajamohan Nair, and S R Nair also spoke at the event.