Lessons for India from Kerala’s Covid experience

Localised lockdowns, stringent restrictions, and an effective containment policy are needed to sharply reduce the number of cases. If Kerala is unable to do so, it is because the state doesn’t have adequate restrictions; it is ineffective at monitoring even; and people are not self-isolating when they test positive

Many held Kerala up as a national and global example on how to manage Covid-19 during the first wave of the pandemic. But, as a regular Covid column HT ran for a little over a year pointed out, even in those early days, this was more smart PR than anything else. Now, Kerala accounts for 68% of India’s cases (in terms of the 7-day daily case average on August 30). And the state is understandably coming in for criticism for its handling of the pandemic. There are multiple theories about what’s happening in the southern state with the best social development indicators in the country. Based on statistical and scientific evidence on hand, it can be safely surmised that Kerala’s crisis is caused by a mutant strain of the original virus, and an extremely poor containment and home quarantine policy.