Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stated that Kerala has entered the third stage of COVID-19 transmission as lockdown restrictions were relaxed and people started returning to the state from all around the world.
While the death toll in the state was only four till May 4, it has increased to 20 now. Most of the casualties are those who returned from foreign countries and those with co-morbidity, CM revealed during the press conference.
Kerala was able to prevent COVID-19 transmission through social distancing, use of face masks and reverse quarantine. If this continues, transmission of the virus can be prevented. Everybody should act as the messengers of healthcare activities.
Currently, only one and half percent of the total expats who returned from other countries have been tested positive for the virus.
The number of returnees can increase to two lakhs in the coming days. It also means that the number of COVID patients could also go up. If sufficient precautionary steps are not taken, it could lead to community transmission of the disease, Pinarayi Vijayan warned.
