Rising cases, low recoveries a cause for concern
TRIVANDRUM: Dismal rate of recovery and increasing positive cases have become a real cause of concern in Kerala, which received worldwide appreciation for its fight against COVID-19 pandemic.
The southern state that reported the first case in India as early as on January 30 now has a rate of recovery of just 51.31 per cent as against the national average of 58.56.
Kerala now stands at 16th position in India in recoveries and 28th position in testing among Indian states as it concentrates mainly on returning migrants.
But it remarkably succeeded in containing deaths at just 23 from 4,190 infections while around 300 people from the state have died abroad.
Health Minister KK Shailaja reported the highest ever count of 195 single-day infections and just 102 recoveries on Saturday.
On Sunday, she reported 118 new cases, as the tests were lower compared to the previous day, and just 42 recoveries, widening the gap.
Of the newly diagnosed cases, 68 were returnees from abroad and 36 from other states.
CHILD PORN: In a massive raid across the state, Kerala police arrested 47 people including a medical doctor for indulging in child porn activities.
A total of 89 cases were registered on charges relating to Circulation of Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM). Cases have also been registered against those who shared such content.
Police seized 143 electronic devices such as mobile phones, modems, hard disks, memory cards and computers in the raids conducted as part of its Operation P-hunt 20.1 by Countering Child Sexual Exploitation (CCSE) team, a special wing of Kerala Police. The raids were conducted after identifying 117 locations.
The arrested include tech-savvy young professionals.
“They were using all kinds of encrypted handles to upload and download the (CSAM) materials. Some are suspected to be involved in the trafficking of children also as there are many chats to this effect on their devices,” Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) and Cyberdome nodal officer, Manoj Abraham, said in the statement.
After detecting a spike in online activity from the state seeking child abuse material particularly on the darknet, the CCSE team swung into action, said Manoj Abraham. Police had mobilised 117 teams under the supervision of IGP (Crimes) S Sreejith and conducted the simultaneous raids.