With Covid cases spiking up the charts, the Union Health Minister reported this Sunday that India is observing community transmission.
He also stated that “Community transmission is expected to occur in West Bengal as well as different pockets across various states. Nevertheless, it is limited to certain districts and is not spreading across the country.”
The minister was seen assuring that there has been no mutation of the virus in the country, which is easier to transmit or is more pathogenic. Dismissing the rumours on the virus being transmitted through newspapers, he said there has been no such evidence backing this particular discussion, and reading newspapers is totally safe even at these times.
The minister also disclosed the specifics about the phase II grant to various states. He said that grants have been released to the 33 states and union territories and amount to a total of 1352 crores. He further clarified that the amount has been released to these states in portions between the months of August and October 2020.
Shedding light on the sudden increase in the number of Covid cases in Kerala, the minister reasoned that the spike can be attributed to the huge gatherings and poorly managed ceremonies. He blamed the sheer negligence of the state for letting huge congregations happen without objections and safety measures not being practised, that has resulted in an extensive burden to the healthcare.
In Kerala, between January 30th and May 3rd, there was as less as 499 cases and a couple of death cases in the entire state, which got severely aggravated by interstate and intrastate travel during the festival.
“It’s gross negligence,” the Union Health Minister Harsha Vardhan declared, “and the state is paying the price.”
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