Kerala which has been called India’s most literate state has reported 22,129 new cases and 156 deaths in a single day yesterday (July 27), giving the distinction as the first state in the last 50 days to report over 20,000 fresh Covid cases in a single day, reports Times of India.
The Test Positivity Rate (TPR) soared to an alarmingly high of 12.35 per cent and the number of the active caseloads in the southern state has reached 1,45,371 after Pinarayi Vijayan relaxed Covid-19 norms for Bakrid.
COVID19 | Kerala reports 22,129 new cases and 156 deaths today; active caseload reaches 1,45,371. Positivity rate rises to 12.35% pic.twitter.com/5ylArinqx2
— ANI (@ANI) July 27, 2021
Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court had criticised the Communist party ruled Kerala government for permitting a three-day relaxation for Bakrid festival when the state eased Covid-19 restrictions.
The court observed that the state government bowing to traders’ pressure by granting relaxations shows a “sorry state of affairs” but in reality it was a simple case of appeasement of one communuty.
The apex court termed relaxations granted by the Kerala government for Bakrid “wholly uncalled for”, and added that the “citizenry of India has been laid bare to the nationwide pandemic by the grant of such relaxations for Bakrid”.
During the proceedings, the SC warned the Kerala government that their action for relaxing Covid norms for Bakrid will lead to the further spread of Covid-19.
The SC said, “We direct Kerala to give heed to Article 21 read with Article 144 of the Constitution of India and follow our orders given in the Kanwar Yatra case.”
However, unlike the state of Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand which cancelled the annul Kanwar yatra for Hindus, the CPM-led state government took the decision to relax lockdown restrictions for three days from Sunday in view of the Bakrid festival.
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