local playlist

Kerala Covid surge: Centre rushes team, state govt clamps full weekend lockdown

The Union Health Ministry will depute a six-member team to Kerala for effective Covid-19 management as the state reports a spike in daily cases.

The team headed by National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Director S K Singh will reach Kerala on Friday and visit some districts reporting a high case positivity rate, the Health Ministry said in a statement.

In a tweet, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said, "The Central government is sending six-member team to Kerala. As a large number of COVID cases are still being reported in Kerala, the team will aid state's ongoing efforts in Covid-19 management."
The ministry's statement said the team will work closely with state health authorities, take a stock of the ground situation and recommend necessary public health interventions to contain the spread of the virus.

Also See | As cases spike, ICMR serosurvey shows Kerala has least Covid antibodies

With an active caseload of 1.54 lakh as of latest update, Kerala accounts for 37.1 per cent of the total active cases in the country.

Meanwhile, the Kerala govt has further extended the weekend lockdown from this week.