So What Really Went Wrong With the Kerala Model of Combatting Covid-19? ​

On October 10, Kerala, which recorded the first Covid-19 case in the country, had a rare feat, though not an enchanting one considering its position in the health sector. In the number of daily cases, it topped the country, at 11,755. If it took 180 days between January 29, 2020, and July 28, to reach 10,000 total active cases, in another 70 days, it crossed 10,000 cases a day. On October 7, the once model state became the fourth state in the country after Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka to cross 10,000 cases a day. “The period up to November is critical,” said chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan after the daily expert committee meeting. “Remember, we could delay the spread of the disease at its peak. We could maintain the death rate at the lowest rate in the country due to our efforts, ” he said.

The state government, which received many a laurel in the international arena, was quick to blame it on the public protests by the opposition Congress and BJP when it became one of the top three states in new Covid-19 cases per million population, per week, as it registered 158 cases in the week from September 19-26.