With coronavirus cases in India surging past the 7,000 mark by Saturday, there have been few things to cheer about. The record of the Kerala authorities in restricting the spread of coronavirus has been one of them.
Kerala recorded the first three cases of coronavirus in India in late January, all three victims being Indians who had studied in Wuhan. The state soon began implementing mandatory quarantines for visitors arriving from China, weeks before the Centre instituted similar measures across the country. In early March, a BBC News talk show referred to the success of Kerala in containing the first three positive cases of coronavirus and its previous record in dealing with the Nipah and Zika viruses.
While Kerala currently has 364 cases of coronavirus, the state is in the eighth position among Indian states with most number of coronavirus cases. Moreover, it has recorded the highest number of recoveries, with 123 people getting better as of Saturday.
Not surprisingly, this impressive track record has earned world attention. On Friday, The Washington Post credited the "robust response" of Kerala to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Washington Post noted Kerala resorted to "aggressive testing, intense contact tracing, instituting a longer quarantine, building thousands of shelters for migrant workers stranded by the sudden nationwide shutdown and distributing millions of cooked meals to those in need". The Washington Post explained that the number of new coronavirus cases in Kerala in the first week of April had dropped "30 per cent" from the previous week.
The Washington Post noted Kerala had conducted over 13,000 tests for coronavirus by the first week of April, more than larger states such as Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Kerala was also taking a lead in doing rapid tests and walk-in tests.
The Washington Post article explained Kerala faced a "potentially disastrous challenge" from the coronavirus, given the high number of expatriates and foreign tourist arrivals in the state.
The Washington Post article highlighted the saga of a family from Pathanamthitta who had contracted the coronavirus after a visit to Italy. The family had been criticised on social media for allegedly hiding their travel history. One of the family members told The Washington Post the Kerala government counsellors helped them overcome this stigma by regularly calling them.
The Washington Post explained, "The success in Kerala could prove instructive for the Indian government, which has largely shut down the country to stop the spread of the contagion but continues to see the curve trend upward..." The US publication noted “proactive” measures adopted by Kerala such as early detection of cases and broad social support measures can be a "model for the rest of the country".
Kerala Health Minister K.K. Shailaja told The Washington Post, “We hoped for the best but planned for the worst. Now, the curve has flattened, but we cannot predict what will happen next week.” Shailaja claimed six states had sought advice from Kerala.
However, Kerala officials seemed unwilling to rest on the laurels. Amar Fettle, the state officer responsible for health emergencies, told The Washington Post, "there was still room for improvement on aspects like social distancing in markets, cough hygiene and lockdown implementation".