‘Light is good, financial help will hopefully follow’: Pinarayi on PM’s lamp vigil

Nine new cases have been reported in the state on Friday, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases in Kerala to 295 confirmed cases.
‘Light is good, financial help will hopefully follow’: Pinarayi on PM’s lamp vigil
‘Light is good, financial help will hopefully follow’: Pinarayi on PM’s lamp vigil
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“It is good to spread the light,” says Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, with a smile. Someone has just asked him about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s suggestion to light candles for nine minutes on Sunday night. But, he slowly adds, “What the poor people in this country need is some financial support, and let’s hope that will soon follow (the light).” 

The press conference on Friday evening starts with an unusual amount of time spent on highlighting COVID-19 cases in developed countries like the United States of America. The Chief Minister then asks you to look at Kerala in this light – at the united fight that the state has been putting up against the disease.

“Kerala’s first case was reported on January 30, (the three students) from Wuhan, China. Today (Friday), there are 295 confirmed cases, 206 of which are Malayalis who came from abroad and seven are foreigners. Others have got it through contact. There are 251 people under treatment, and 14 more recoveries have been made. It shows that we can contain the disease in a big way,” the CM says, soon after he gave the four- and five-digit figures of a developed city like New York.

Nine new cases have been reported in the state on Friday, less than half the number on Thursday. The CM was especially glad about the discharge of the elderly couple and the nurse who treated them from the Kottayam Medical College on Friday. He used the moment to congratulate the terrific work of all the health workers in the country – “again and again, we appreciate them,” he says. 

He also appreciated another group of people who have been working without rest – employees of the banks.

Tests to be more elaborate

As of Friday, there are 1,69,997 people under observation across the state – 1,69,291 of them in home quarantine and the rest in hospitals. The samples sent for testing so far are 9,139, out of which 8,126 have been negative. Testing will be made more elaborate, Pinarayi says. “Earlier, we checked for all the four or five symptoms before samples were taken. Now, even if a person shows one or two symptoms, samples will be taken for testing. Along with this, rapid testing will begin.”

Having delivered the good news, he then touches upon the problems – the lorries carrying goods to the state have been slightly less in number, there is a vegetable shortage and there has been a price increase in some places. Problems have been found in 19 of the 198 ration shops distributing free ration. All this should be looked into, the CM says.

Another problem is the “special interest” shown by some in community kitchens. The whole idea is meant for the hungry and the helpless people to not go without food during the lockdown. But, the CM says, it appears some people have been providing food to others, who could afford their food and are not tied down by ailments, on a special interest. Local Self Government bodies should look into it, the CM warns.

He also informs about a 17-member task force being formed, under the instruction of PM Modi, for following the instructions imposed during lockdown, and will be working under former Chief Secretary KM Abraham. Doctors, advocates, priests and filmmakers are all part of the group.

On using masks

Earlier, the state government had discouraged every person going on the street from wearing masks. It was advised mostly for people in hospitals. Health Minister KK Shailaja had spoken about the issues that would arise if one wore it without proper care.

“But practices change”, the CM says on Friday, “and wearing masks cannot only keep one safe but also help in avoiding the spread to others around one.” 

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