COVID-19 has been confirmed for 5,457 people in Kerala on October 27. Outbreaks were reported in Thrissur 730, Ernakulam 716, Malappuram 706, Alappuzha 647, Kozhikode 597, Thiruvananthapuram 413, Kottayam 395, Palakkad 337, Kollam 329, Kannur 258, Pathanamthitta 112, Wayanad 103, Kasaragod 65 and Idukki 49.

Twenty-four deaths have been confirmed as due to COVID-19. Abdul Rahim (80) from Nettayam, Thiruvananthapuram, Sreekumar (60) from Anand, Manikandan (42) from Neyyattinkara, Ramachandran (84) from Neendakara, Kollam, Valsala (70) from Neendakara, Haridas (75) from Punthalathazham, Thankamani (55) from Thodupuzha, Idukki. Kamalam Kuttappan (78) from Perumbavoor, Ernakulam, TM Shamon (44) from Kumbalangi. Moideen (75) from Mulavur, KK Rajan (63) from Vengur, Kochu (62) from Chittilappally, Thrissur, Magi (46) from Chavakkad, Ramachandran (67) from Erumappetti, Babu (47) from Pariyaram, Jamal (56) from Kodungallur, Fathima (70) from Erumapetta, Khadeeja (65) from Kairadi, Palakkad, Yusuf (65) from Kunnapally, Malappuram, Vellan (80) from Koorachund, Kozhikode, Kamalakshi Amma (91) from Kuthiravattam, Padmanabhan (65) from Pariyaram, Kannur, and AP Aisha (71) from Narath and Sameera, 36, of Mulleriya, Kasaragod. This brought the total death toll to 1,376. Further deaths will be confirmed after NIV testing in Alappuzha.

Eighty-eight of those diagnosed with the disease were from outside the State. A total of 4,702 people were infected through contact. Contact source for 607 was not clear. Sixty workers were affected and the test results of 7,015 people who were diagnosed and treated were negative.
There were currently 2,83,150 people under surveillance in various districts of the state. Of these, 2,61,563 are under home/institutional quarantine and 21,587 in hospitals. A total of 2,339 people were admitted to hospitals on the day.

During the last 24 hours, 46,193 samples were tested. A total of 44,09,750 samples have so far been sent for testing, including routine samples, Airport Surveillance, Pooled Sentinel, CBNAT, Trunat, CLIA and Antigen Assay.

There were 10 new hotspots and four areas have been excluded from the hotspot. With this, there were a total of 688 hotspots.

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Tackling inequality, bridging the digital divide, greening the economy, and upholding human rights and good governance will be critical for Southeast Asia to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has said.

Releasing his latest policy brief on the crisis on July 30, Mr. Guterres said, “As in other parts of the world, the health, economic and political impact of COVID-19 has been significant across Southeast Asia – hitting the most vulnerable the hardest”, he said in a video accompanying the launch.

The brief examines impacts on the 11 countries in the sub-region and recommendations for the way forward that put gender equality at the centre of response efforts. Southeast Asia comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste and Vietnam.

Prior to the pandemic, countries were lagging behind in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the 2030 deadline.

Despite strong economic growth, the policy brief reveals that the sub-region was beset by numerous challenges including high inequality, low social protection, a large informal sector, and a regression in peace, justice and robust institutions.

Furthermore, ecosystem damage, biodiversity loss, greenhouse gas emissions and air quality were at “worrying” levels.

Inequalities revealed, tensions surfacing

“The pandemic has highlighted deep inequalities, shortfalls in governance and the imperative for a sustainable development pathway. And it has revealed new challenges, including to peace and security”, the Secretary-General said.

The current situation is leading to recession and social tensions, while several long-running conflicts have stagnated due to stalled political processes.

“All governments in the sub-region have supported my appeal for a global ceasefire – and I count on all countries in Southeast Asia to translate that commitment into meaningful change on the ground,” he said.

Regional cooperation praised

The new coronavirus that causes COVID-19 first emerged in Wuhan, China, in late 2019, and the pandemic was declared in March. Globally, there have been more than 16.5 million cases, with nearly 657,000 deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Wednesday.

While the disease arrived in Southeast Asia earlier than in the rest of the globe, the UN chief commended governments for acting swiftly to battle the pandemic.

On average, they took 17 days to declare a state of emergency or lockdown after 50 cases of COVID-19 were confirmed, according to the policy brief.

“Containment measures have spared Southeast Asia the degree of suffering and upheaval seen elsewhere,” said Mr. Guterres, who also praised cooperation among the countries.

Four critical areas for response

The Secretary-General underlined four areas that will be critical to ensuring recovery from the pandemic leads to a more sustainable, resilient and inclusive future for Southeast Asia.

The first – tackling inequality in income, health care and social protection – will require short-term stimulus measures as well as long-term policy changes, he said.

Mr. Guterres also advised countries to bridge the digital divide so that no one is left behind in an ever-more-connected world.

Due to the over dependence on coal and other industries of the past, he encouraged “greening” the economy, including to create future jobs.

Upholding human rights, protecting civic space and promoting transparency are all intrinsic to an effective response, he concluded.

Advance gender equality

“Central to these efforts is the need to advance gender equality, address upsurges in gender-based violence, and target women in all aspects of economic recovery and stimulus plans,” the UN chief said.

“This will mitigate the disproportionate impacts of the pandemic on women, and is also one of the surest avenues to sustainable, rapid, and inclusive recovery for all.”

Though the challenge is formidable, the Secretary-General underlined the UN’s strong commitment to helping Southeast Asian countries achieve the SDGs and a peaceful future for all.

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