According to a statement from the health ministry, Union health and family welfare minister Mansukh Mandaviya spoke by phone with the chief ministers of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka on Wednesday and discussed the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) situation in these states. Mandaviya reviewed concerns pertaining to managing the spread of Covid-19 in those districts of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu that share borders with Kerala, the statement added, citing the increased number of illnesses in the neighbouring state of Kerala.
“Highlighting the need to take adequate steps to contain the inter-state spread of Covid-19, Mandaviya requested the respective health ministers of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to increase the pace of vaccination in districts of their states that border Kerala,” the health ministry statement added.
Kerala, which is currently the worst hit state from the pandemic across India, has registered over four million cases of the coronavirus disease till now including 229,912 active cases, nearly 21,000 deaths and 3,838,614 discharges. On Wednesday, the state saw another high in its daily tally as 32,803 new cases were recorded while 173 patients died and 21,610 recovered, according to the health department’s bulletin.
In view of the worsening situation in Kerala, the Karnataka government on Tuesday made a seven-day institutional quarantine mandatory for people coming in from Kerala even if they have been vaccinated and carry a negative RT-PCR test report.
