The alarming spread of the Delta variant in Kerala, and the impending implementation of new lockdown regulations
Thiruvananthapuram: Even as the Kerala government has decided to make significant changes to the existing lockdown policies aimed at containing the COVID-19, new genomic studies of the disease-causing coronavirus confirm the presence of the virus’s highly contagious Delta variant in the state.
The presence of the Delta variant was found in 90.17 percent of samples collected in Kerala as part of a study. During the March-May period, 835 samples were collected for genomic analysis, and shockingly, the delta variant was found in 753 of them.
This pattern was discovered during a collaborative genomic study conducted by the Kerala government and the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB) in Delhi from May to July 2021. (The IGIB is a division of the CSIR, or Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.)
Samples were taken from every district in the state. In July, the Delta variant was widely detected in the districts of Ernakulam, Kasargod, and Idukki. Except for Wayanad, all districts had an alarming presence of delta variant in June.
The presence of the Alpha variant was widely detected in March. The presence of the delta variant, on the other hand, increased significantly later, coinciding with the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in India.
Meanwhile, the Kappa variant of the coronavirus, which had been widely reported in April and May, had declined.
According to Dr. Vinod Scaria, a principal scientist at the IGIB, the findings of the genomic study point to the need for the state to intensify and strengthen Covid-control measures.
Furthermore, the vaccination campaign must be stepped up. All of the COVID-19 vaccines currently in use in India are effective against the Delta strain.
In Kerala, only the Alpha, Kappa, and Delta variants have been found. The highly contagious Delta version, on the other hand, is becoming more common, which is a major concern.
Lockdown norms are changing.
The new lockdown restrictions are expected to go into effect in the state on Wednesday. The Kerala Chief Secretary will thoroughly review the experts’ recommendations before submitting them to the Chief Minister.
The final decision on the revised restrictions is expected to be made at the review meeting on Tuesday, which will be presided over by CM Pinarayi Vijayan.
The current restrictions and relaxations based on the disease’s area-specific Total Positivity Rate (TRP) will be maintained on Monday and Tuesday, ahead of the expected changes on Wednesday. On Monday, banks and financial institutions will be open for business (Aug 2).
According to state reports There are 20,728 new cases.
On Sunday, there was no respite from the increase in COVID-19 cases in Kerala, as 20,728 new cases were reported. A total of 1.7 lakh samples were tested, and the TRP was 12.14 percent.
On Sunday, the state also reported 56 deaths as a result of COVID-19, bringing the total death toll to 16,837.
On Sunday, 17,792 people were able to recover from the infection. There are currently 1.67 lakh active cases in the state.
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