This story is from August 13, 2020

Covid-19: Opposition wants Kerala to clock 75,000 tests a day

Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala alleged that critical flaws in government’s Covid-containment strategies are leading to a surge in cases. The government should increase daily testing to at least 75,000, he added.
Covid-19: Opposition wants Kerala to clock 75,000 tests a day
Picture used for representational purpose only
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala alleged that critical flaws in government’s Covid-containment strategies are leading to a surge in cases. The government should increase daily testing to at least 75,000, he added.
While responding to the chief minister’s criticism against his earlier suggestion to use mitigation strategy along with containment to control the pandemic, Chennithala said government is implementing both.
"I invite the chief minister for a debate with me in public on the relevance of both strategies," he said.
Containment is a long haul and government should focus on bringing down morbidity and mortality rates. Our goal must be to save lives and for that a scientific intervention is needed. It means daily tests should be hiked to 75,000 and random tests should be conducted throughout state, he said. The argument that shortage of kits was hindering increased testing is a wrong strategy. No such shortage has been reported from anywhere in the country. The reason for lower number of tests is the government’s urge to limit the number of cases reported daily, he claimed.
He also refuted CM’s claim that the reason for low recovery rate is the discharge norm that a patient will be discharged only after recording negative in two consecutive tests in 48 hours. The state had revised the norm, and like other states, now patients are discharged if they get negative result in a single test, he said. The media had reported that the government is fudging data on Covid deaths. "The Times of India reported on Aug 7 that while the actual number of Covid deaths was 150 till date, the government data showed only 97. The danger is holding funerals without observing Covid protocols will lead to spreading of the disease," he added.
On the issue of gold smuggling case accused Swapna Suresh getting a bribe of Rs 1 crore from Dubaibased NGO Emirates Red Crescent, which donated Rs 20 cr for the government’s Life Mission housing scheme, he urged the chief minister to clarify Swapna’s role in the project.
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