Kerala Health Minister warns of surge in Covid cases post-Onam, says next four weeks crucial

Thiruvananthapuram: As Kerala reported a rise in Covid cases after the Onam festival, Health Minister Veena George on Monday cautioned the people that the coming four weeks are going to be very crucial for the state.

"It's not possible to enforce lockdown all the time as the economic activity has to go and it's the responsibility of the government to protect both lives and livelihoods. We have made it very clear to ensure maintaining all Covid protocols and while some did it, at many places things did not go the way they should have. The presence of the Delta variant is a cause of concern and a third wave is also expected and hence the coming weeks are going to be very crucial," said George.

The 10-day Onam festivities came to a close on Sunday and before the festival season began itself, Kerala had more than 50 per cent of the daily new Covid cases and had the highest number of active cases in the country.

"Considering a possibility of a third wave, the health infrastructure has been revamped and we have presently 870-tonne Oxygen stock and 33 Oxygen generation plants are being set up," added George.

"Our aim is to speed up the vaccination campaign to cover as many people as possible. Though the vaccines have been taken by many, there are chances of the Delta variant spreading quickly and hence all should continue to be cautious and ensure all safety norms are observed," Health Minister added.