The Kerala government has made face masks mandatory for people with comorbidities, pregnant women, children and the elderly, in light of the increased number of COVID-19 cases. The State's health department has released a few guidelines after the active cases rose by several hundred on a single day. According to data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, active cases in Kerala rose by 578 to 4,953 on April 1. The total number of active cases in India is 18,389.
As per the guidelines from Kerala Health Minister Veena George’s office, no hospital in the state is to deny treatment to COVID-19 patients, and separate beds are to be prepared for them. The samples of the patients should be sent for whole genome sequencing from every district.
The guidelines stress that people who suffer from diabetes, blood pressure, cancer, heart or kidney diseases and lung ailments should wear masks in public places and hospitals. Pregnant women, children and elderly people have also been advised to do that. People accompanying patients to hospitals must also wear masks. So should health workers in hospitals.
Those aged above 60 and having co-morbidities should take RT PCR tests if they show signs of influenza or other symptoms of COVID-19. ASHA workers and field workers have been entrusted in checking on pregnant women for signs of the disease and ensuring timely treatment.
The need for awareness on taking vaccination and precautions against COVID-19 has also been stressed in the guidelines. It also says that a patient who requires treatment for COVID-19 should be able to get it, and a fixed number of beds should be arranged in both government and private hospitals for the pandemic. If patients who are admitted in hospitals for other reasons test positive for the coronavirus, they should be treated in the same hospital. District Medical Officers should ensure that all hospitals follow this.