Centre lauds Kasargod’s COVID-19 containment model

Mangalore Today News Network

Kasargod, April 19, 2020: The Centre on Saturday lauded the COVID-19 containment model in Kerala’s Kasargod district which reported one of the highest number of cases in the state but not a single death.

Out of 168 cases, 113 cases have recovered and others are on the way to recovery.

During a daily press conference on Saturday, the Union Health Ministry showcased how Kasargod district successfully contained COVID-19. The district faced many challenges such as due to foreign travel, geography and a large number of expatriates, but the district addressed the challenges well.

 

With a special focus on clinical management, not even one person died, Luv Aggarwal, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Health, said.  Remaining 55 active cases too are being monitored actively, he added.

Speaking about the strategic approach, Aggarwal said that the state administration appointed a special officer to coordinate and monitor effective coordination between line departments at field and secretariat levels.

Tracking of home quarantine using geo spatial tracking, #BreakTheChain campaign for promoting social distancing, use of drones and incident commanders are some of the steps adopted for cluster containment. More than 17,300 contacts were traced and quarantined, aggressive and quick testing was done, COVID Care Centres and ICU facilities were set up.

Social welfare initiatives were undertaken to ensure that poor and needy did not face any troubles, free food was given, regular health check-ups were conducted. One major intervention of the district’s COVID-19 management was that all primary and secondary contacts and high-risk cases were quarantined in isolation centres.

Noting that very positive and encouraging results have been obtained when people returned after being cured of COVID-19, Aggarwal reiterated that we have to work together in fighting this battle, in a whole-of-society whole-of-government approach.